It’s almost funny to think about now, with the glut of Australian wines on the worldwide market, but I remember when wines from Australia were first starting to create buzz… Many of those wines were GSMs. Grenach-Shiraz-Mourvedre blends from a handful of labels, many bearing the word “Bin” along with a number, creating a mental image of some slightly mad, juice-stained Aussie dashing from one bin to another, adjusting the various blends with a joyful splash of G or S or M, then evaluating the results. It was all part of the sunny, happy, ripe image of wines from Australia.

Quite a bit has changed in the decade or two since those early, happy days. Australia is facing a number of challenges: over-production, combined with a spiral of price-cutting (and that was before the bottom dropped out of the global economy), and a slow and sometimes painful switch from the original “happy, ripe, affordable blends from Australia” image to a more educational, “regional heroes” effort from this vastly diversified country.

Among the Australian wines that are gaining critical acclaim and regional recognition are Hunter Valley Semillon, Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, Rutherglen Muscat, Tasmania Sparkling, Clare Valley Riesling, Eden Valley Riesling, Heathcote Shiraz and Margaret River Chardonnay, to name but a few.

With all the “new” wines and regions coming from Australia these days, a GSM blend almost seems old-school. And although the pricetag on this GSM from d’Arenberg is a far cry from those early cheap bin wines, so is the quality — this is cellar-worthy stuff, complex and structured. I loved it.

d’Arenberg 2007 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre McLaren Vale The Ironstone Pressings ($65). Outstanding, with a distinctive mineral note that adds to the hefty cherry and blackberry fruit. Loads of concentration and intensity. With a long, complex, supple finish that includes notes of cedar, tar, licorice, pepper and freshly-grated nutmeg. Made for a heavenly feast when paired with a grilled ribeye topped with Walla Walla onion compote. Ready to drink now and over the next 5-6 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.