d'Arenberg Twenty Eight Road Mourvedre 2006

Once again a very youthful, dark wine in appearance with the aroma dominated with a spiced dark mix of plums, mulberries and cherries with noticeable flowery and earthy/molasses notes developing. As the wine opens up, notes of lavender, fennel seeds, white pepper, celeriac and freshly-dug beetroot characters emerge. There is an underlying wild strawberry character which adds further complexity to the wine’s aroma. The palate has a soft, rich, polished entry with plenty of concentration and power. The fruit weight and juicy length of flavour is excellent and wonderfully balanced with acidity and long firm tannins. Violet, cranberry, dark cherry and prune notes mix well with edges of dried herbs and some nutty, vanillin oak adding further definition and focus. Mourvèdre, produced in the right hands, is a big, plush wine; young or old. With time this wine is expected to develop characters that are more flowery and red-fruit/wild game dominated with a mix of exotic spices and pepper notes with iodine-mineral edges along with the expected dried-herb notes which are typical of this variety.