2007 was an excellent year for Zinfandel and the Easton Zins are no exception.  This wine is purple in color.  It has a great nose bordering on a right bank Bordeaux with some age.  Deep with black cherries and some tobacco.  On the palate, it seems to be youthful still but showing some maturity.  Juicy black cherry fruit.  There is a nice complexity here.  Good finish.  Food friendly.  It might not get better but should be here for a while.  

This was the top wine in a comprehensive vertical of Easton Zinfandels.  Purple in color.  What a great nose; deep with black cherry fruit  notes.  On the palate, this is a claret styled Zin.  Deep and a nice complexity.  Wonderful texture.  Lots of black cherry fruit.  Nice finish.  A delicious wine that is drinking great today and should be here for a decade.  Food friendly or great on its own.  

Purple in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries and black olives.  With air, some tart cranberries on the nose.  Medium tannins.  Good black cherry fruit on the palate.  A bit clipped on the finish.  Overall, this is in a good place and drinking nicely but with some maturity.  Impressive at age 14.  Easily seems like it has a decade left.  

Purple in color, with ruby swirls.  The nose has some volatile acidity but just a bit which serves to raise the aromatics in a good way.  Cherries and dust.  On the palate, this is less ripe than the other vintages in a comprehensive vertical.  That is not a bad thing.  There is still plenty of black cherry fruit with good acidity.  This may be one of the longer lasting wines.  Good finish.  It is also quite food friendly at this point.  Easily has a decade of good drinking left.  

Purple in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose is nice with dusty black cherries and slight volatile acidity.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet with slight tannins.  Ripe black cherry fruit.  Really delicious and drinking quite well right now.  Just getting to a mature claret style zinfandel.  Easily has a decade more of good drinking.  Food friendly.  

Another spectacular Chardonnay from Rhys.  This is probably my favorite bottling.  Opened to celebrate a friend's 40th and finished the rest on the following night.  It was great both nights but a bit better on night 2.  Light golden in color.  The nose is sensational.  Yes, there is some oak showing but the nose is so pretty and enticing with lemon cream and vanilla.  On the palate, this has a slightly soft texture, with great lemon fruit.  Some vanilla as well.  Great acidity.  Plenty of depth.  Long finish.  This is not a fruit bomb but it does have a big personality.  It will go with al

Groth Reserve is one of the historically great Cabernet's from Napa.  2011 was a difficult vintage but, at least for the Reserve, Groth managed to make a great wine. Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cedar, and green bell pepper.  While some might not like that green pepper note, other's will enjoy the classic version of an old school cab.  On the palate, there is nice black cherry fruit along with a bit of green pepper and also some cedar.  Medium tannins.  This should improve over the next few years with a point or two of upside.  

This is the high end Cabernet from Calla Lily.  It is a step up from the regular bottling.  It retails for around $120.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, toast, spice and vanilla.  On the palate, the oak is strong on this one.  There is also firm tannins.  Plenty of cassis fruit but the question is whether the fruit will out last the tannins and the oak.  It is a tight ball right bow, but a quite delicious tight ball.  It will be interesting to see where this goes from here.  

Opened at a 40th birthday party as this was bottle in 1979.  This bottle seemed tired and over the hil but it was pop and pour.  Sometimes, older Port's need a bit kinder treatment.  Perhaps some slow oxidation would have put this in a better place.  Ruby in color.  The nose shows a lot of alcohol but also some dried fruit.  On the palate, this is shrill.  Tart cherries, slight tannins.  Really not pleasurable at this point.  Not sure how representative this bottle is at age 42, but if opening a bottle, it's probably a good idea to check it first and give it time to revive.  

This is a reasonably priced Cabernet from the Pope Valley, one of the less heralded places in the Napa Valley.  It is a very solid and enjoyable Cabernet.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood and slight black cherries.  On the palate, this is easy drinking.  Some depth.  Light tannins.  Nice black cherry and cassis fruit.  Good finish.  A nice wine for a dinner party.  It sells for around $65 at the winery, but can often be found for a bit less in stores.