This one is drinking very nicely at 9 years from vintage.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, slight black cherries, rose and slight menthol.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit with underlying char and a bit of woodiness (sticks?).  Good acidity.  This is accessible now and may still improve but no reason to wait.  It should easily go another seven to ten years.  This drinks nicely on its own but will be better with food.  Pasta with mushrooms in a cream sauce should be excellent.  

From one of the premier German Riesling producers.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is wonderful with slight pineapple, peach and wet rocks.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet (demi-sec).  Slightly viscous texture.  Flavors of peach and grapefruit with a touch of smoke and lots of minerals.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This drinks well now and should continue to for the next twelve to fifteen years.  It will work with a wide variety of foods from aperitifs to dessert or just on its own.  Grilled prawns would be a nice match.  

This is 100% Shiraz from Adelaide in Australia.  It is a single vineyard wine and it is stunning.  There was a time this was an affordable bottle and less expensive alternative to Grange, but both have seen steep escalation of their pricing.  Still, once in a while, this is doable.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, chocolate, black olives, leather and nutmeg.  Full bodied.  Great vibrant texture.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is complex and also delicious.  Black raspberry fruit with layers of fruit, earth and char.  Long finish.  Thi

This is another Napa Cab made by Thomas Rivers Brown.  Not inexpensive, but still under $100 isn't bad for a wine with this pedigree.  Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is great with cassis, slight blueberries, slight chocolate, graphite and spice.  Wonderful lush texture.  Lots of energy.  On the palate, firm tannins.  This is very concentrated at this young stage.  It could easily do with a 24 hour decant prior to serving.  Cassis, black plums, with some char and a bit of dry earthiness.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This should continue to improve for the next se

This is an interesting take on Sauvignon Blanc.  Made in Paso Robles but carrying a California AVA.  Light gold in color with a touch of green.  On the nose grapefruit and lemon/lime with slight minerality.  Light bodied.  On the palate, the lemon/lime come thru with a touch of ginger.  Slight bitterness on the finish.  This is drinking well now and should for another five to eight years.  Probably not the type of Sauvignon Blanc to serve at a party to those looking for big fruit, it will work better with lunch or a light dinner.  A sea food salad would work well.  

This is a very straight forward, tasty Napa Cab.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, slight blueberries, spice, and smoke.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate black raspberries and slight dark chocolate with underlying char.  Easy to drink.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  This drinks well on its own and would be a nice match with a steak or burger off the grill.  

This is one of the best values in Washington Wine.  From what used to be young vines in the Champoux Vineyard, these vines are no longer young.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, plums and black cherries with spice and slight char.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is getting closer to peak.  Great fruits (Cassis and black cherries) with underlying scorched earth.  Complex, it unwinds in the glass.  Nice finish.  No hurry on this, it should drink great for the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks nicely on its own but will work better with food.  Roast Turkey would wo

This is a seriously good wine and stood out at a tasting of recent Turkish wines.  It is made from the Öküzgözü grape.  The name means eye of the Bull.  Some claim this is one of the original species of Vitis Vinifera grapes from the fertile crescent with a 7,000 year history.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has plums, boysenberries, slight coffee and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this comes across as a Bordeaux-ish wine with cassis, black raspberries and plums with slight underlying earthiness.  This is complex.  It appears this is about at peak, but perhaps it improves

This is made from the Bogazkere grape in Eastern Trukey.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and raspberries with some spice.  Full bodied.  Not as light as it looks.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, the cherries come thru along with some black cherries and cranberries.  Tart acidity.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and seems like it should for another five to eight years.  It begs for food to tame the acidity and should be able to handle big flavors and fatty foods.  Turkish Lamb Kebobs would be a good choice.  

Purple in color, ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dominated by Brettanomyces which is a yeast that gives of a very animal/barnyard stink.  It was hard to find anything beneath it.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is less Brett but still noticeable.  There is some cherry fruit.  Great acidity.  Slight tannins.  There is some complexity.  For my tastes, the wine was at my limit of tolerance but not past, but for others it was way past.  Look for well stored bottles if you try this and drink sooner than later.  It will be a difficult food match but consider strong flavo