A pleasure to again revisit this wine.  It often gets short shrift these days, but for those who haven't tried it, this is a very nice sweet wine that offers pleasure and value.  If you get a bottle for the holidays, don't re-gift it.  You may be pleasantly surprised.  Open it up and try it.  It is a blend of Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso, with some Pedro Ximénez.   Iced tea in color, clear and bright.  The nose has toffee with slight caramel.  There is some noticeable alcohol on the nose.  Viscous texture and full bodied.  On the palate, this is sweet but not cloying.  There is a nice acid

Olorosso sherries are an acquired taste.  This is dry and different from most wines.  For those of us who love this style, this is a good thing as sherries have some of the best quality to price ratio in the wine world.  Olorosso sherries are made in an oxidative wine from the start.  They are fortified with a neutral spirit (around 17or 18% abv) that kills the yeasts.  This one is quite smooth and tasty.  Deep amber in color, clear and bright.  The nose is oxidized with walnuts and some apricots and orange peel.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the alcohol is noticeable but not bitter or hot.

Certainly one of the more iconic names in Cabernet and in Napa.  And, 2018 was a stellar vintage in Napa.  This Cab proves you don't need to spend a ton of money to get a high quality Cab if you buy from good producers and in good vintages.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, spic and chocolate.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cassis, black raspberries and oak.  This is young and the oak will integrate with time.  It is ripe but not overdone.  The bottle list 14.5% but some promotional information lists 15.1% abv.  Firm tannins.  Nice finish. 

2018 seems to be a very successful year for Sineann.  This is the basic Pinot Noir from one of the top producers of single vineyard Oregon Pinots made from the declassified juices from five different vineyards.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with sour cherries, hay and slight black pepper.  With air a slight minty note emerges.  It has a very nice mouthfeel.  The abv is listed at 13.4%.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black cherry fruit that is ever so slightly jammy at this point.  It is delicious.  There is some warmth on the finish.  This really needs s

One typically doesn't think of Pinot Noir and Napa, but the district of Carneros spans into both Napa and Sonoma and is the home of many excellent Pinot Noirs.  This is a very pretty, elegantly styled Pinot.  Ruby in color, clear and bright and a touch lighter.  The nose is nice with bright cherries, macerated cherries, sandalwood and a touch of chervil.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has cherries and cherry cough drop notes with a touch of anise.  Light tannins.  Very smooth and easy to sip.  Nice finish.  This drinks great on its own and would work well with salmon or roasted fowl. 

This is a nice, well priced, Pinot Grigio from northeast Italy.  Silvery/green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has limes, seltzer and a floral (white?) note.  There is also an underlying minerality.  On the palate, this is crisp.  The limes carry thru as does the underlying minerality.  Easy drinking on its own.  This will work with lighter foods such as salads or sushi.  Drink over the next year or two.  

This is a sparkling wine from northeast Italy.  It comes in an attractive packaging with a clear bottle.  Silver/green with a bit of white gold in color.  There is a nice mousse with a stream of medium sized bubbles.  It has a very nice nose with lanolin, lime, soda and also a bit of peach.  On the palate, this is very refreshing.  At 11% abv, it is lively with nice energy.  The lime/lime soda qualities carry thru to the palate with a nice crispness.  Solid finish.  This is made to be drunk now and in the next year or two.  It will work well on its own and also with a pasta in cream sauce. 

This is another nice value play from Argentina.  It is an upfront, tasty wine that is affordable to most.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with plums, black cherries and dust.  Full bodied.  This is ripe but dry.  Lots of juicy black cherries and plums on the palate.  Light tannins.  Easy to drink.  This works great on its own and would work well with a burger off the grill.  Drink over the next few years.  

This was not the wine I was expecting as it has a very different profile in 2015.  Much drier and more savory than a typical vintage but still quite good.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some lychee but is more about sea air, some pine, and pears.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, the pears come out with a strong minerality.  There is plenty of depth and tight complexity at the moment.  This will no doubt develop more over time.  It will need another five to seven years to reach peak and should drink well for a decade after that.  It works better with food.  Thai is

A delightful wine that is a step or two above a entry level super Tuscan.  It is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, sandalwood, slight chocolate and spice.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there are upfront cherries supported with nice acidity.  It broadens on the palate to a variety of cherry flavors with touch of tea leaves.  Nice finish.  This may still improve for a few years in the cellar, but in general, this should make nice drinking for the next seven to ten years.  It drinks well on its own but will work be