This is a blend of 59% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 19% Terret Noir, and 2% Roussanne.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and black olives.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks with a cooler climate Syrah profile, that is with black raspberry fruit, black pepper and slight black cherries over a mineral base.  Light tannins.  Very fresh.  Nice finish.  This drinks youthfully but shows some signs of maturity.  It will continue to mature for the next five to seven years and be good for anothe

Always a great wine, this vintage is certainly one of the best.  Green gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, slight grapefruits, minerals and slight herbal notes.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is crisp with lovely citrus fruit over a base on minerality.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  It is delicious.  Drinks well on its own and will work well with lighter salads or even fish or fowl.  drink over the next three to five years.  

For those who like full throttle, hedonistic wines, Torrin should be at the top of your list.  This one is made from 100% Grenache.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is big with black cherries, cherry pie, char, spice and slight dark chocolate.  Full bodied.  Lush and jammy.  On the palate, juicy black cherry pie filling with some underlying gravel.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This probably  drinks better on its own right now, but with some maturity it will settle down.  This should make great drinking for the next ten to twelve years.  

This has held up quite well.  It is mature and drinking very well right now.  Deep ruby in color with purple swirls.  The nose has black cherries, slight mint, spice and slight char.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Black cherries with underlying char.  Some complexity.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This should probably be consumed in the next five to seven years.  It will work well with roasted meats or veggies.  

This is a few steps up from the regular bottling (which is also a great value).  Pricing can vary greatly on these so it pays to shop around.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is gorgeous with cassis, leather, earthiness, smoke and dark chocolate.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, black cherries, with intertwines earthiness and char.  Nice finish.  This is still young of course, but drinking beautifully.  Lush with depth and some complexity.  This is drinking great now, but should continue to drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  Wonderful

This is an exceptional California Merlot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cherries, slight plums, chocolate, cedar and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cherries, milk chocolate, smoke and spice.  Medium tannins.  Still very primary, this should continue to mature for the next five to ten years and be good for another ten after that.  Drinks great on its own, it would work well with a burger or roast.  

One of the more humorous labels in the wine world (check it out).  It is a bland of 52% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 13% Syrah.  This is much less robust than prior vintages of this wine.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, bitter cherries, baking spices and black pepper.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Plenty of cherry fruit with underlying char and spice.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for seven to ten years.  It worked well with a curry dish and will work better with food.  

Always one of the great value whites, it had been a few vintages since I had tried this.  Still quite good.  It is a blend of 40% Sylvaner, with Pinot Blanc Auxerrois, Riesling, and Pinot Gris, and a little Gewürztraminer, Muscat Ottonel and Muscat d’Alsace. The name Gentil is therefore reserved for AOC Alsace wines fulfilling the superior-quality blending standards.

This is another big, bold red from the Prisoner Wine Company.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Merlot.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, chocolate, baking spices and slight cedar notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, there is some varietal complexity but mostly just up front fruit.  Delicious.  Black cherries and black raspberries with medium tannins.  This probably should be consumed over the next three to five years.  

Classis Washington Syrah.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, slight burnt rubber and char.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is a big wine, but not over ripe.  Lots of black raspberry fruit with char underneath.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own, but works a bit better with food.  It should continue to mature for the next three to five years and be good for ten after that.  It would be a nice match with Indian food.