This is a huge, dark Pinot Noir.  Lovers of Burgundy should at least be forewarned if not directed away.  That said, to those looking for a bit dark, fruity wine, this is delicious.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, baking spices and a bit of licorice.  Full bodied.  Juicy texture.  On the palate, juicy black raspberry fruit.  Very primary although it will no doubt develop over the next five to seven years.  Light tannins.  This drinks nicely on its own and would work with bold spicy foods.  Drink now thru 2028.  

This is a sparkling wine from northern California.  Light golden in color with a lot of very small bubbles.  The nose is interesting with ginger, figs, toasted nuts, and nutmeg.  Full bodied.  Crisp.  On the palate, notes of figs and red apples.  Some ginger.  The finish is very long.  This is very lively.  It should continue to drink well for another five to seven years before slowly turning into a mature sparkling wine.  This will pair well with almost any food or on its own.  

This is 84% Petite Sirah, 13% Syrah and 3% Viognier.  It is probably my favorite wine in the Keplinger stable.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, gravel, anise and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Juicy acidity.  On the palate, black raspberries, blueberries over char and gravel.  Long finish.  This is open and drinking well now but will undoubtedly continue to develop and improve over the next seven to ten years.  It should drink well for ten to twelve more after that.  A nice match for burgers or ribs off the grill.  

this is 100% Syrah.  Purple in color, some ruby, opaque and bright.  The nose is earthy with plums and roasted meats and herbs.  Black olives as well.  On the palate, this is full bodied with medium tannins.  Black raspberry and black cherry fruit.  With air plums come out.  Great acidity.  A touch of salinity on the finish.  This comes across as a cooler climate Syrah more in the Northern Rhone style.  It will need some time flesh out, perhaps another seven to ten years.  After that it will drink well for ten to fifteen more years.  A nice match with brisket or roasted veggies.  

This is 47% Grenache, 28% Mourvedre and 25% Syrah.  It would be tempting to call this a Chateauneuf styled wine, but this is clearly full of California sunshine.  Purple with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.

This is a blend of 77% Mourvedre, 19% Grenache and 4% Counoise.

This is the winery that used to be the Hidden Slope Winery.  They still make great Cabs.  It is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color,  ruby at the rim.  The nose has nice cassis, slight blueberries, baking spices and minerality.  On the palate, this is ripe/sweet and slightly jammy with cassis fruit and underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  Not quite at maturity, this will continue to develop and broaden out.  It should drink well fro ten to fifteen more years.  It drinks nicely on its own and will work well with a roast or steak.  

This is the second wine from Cheval Blanc, but that doesn't mean it is not a quality wine nor is it inexpensive.  It is one of the better second labels out there.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose has cherries, tobacco, black cherries, slight mint and cedar.  On the palate, this is drinking well.  There are slight tannins.  A nice complexity with cherries and black cherries over tobacco/earth.  Nice finish.  This won't get better but should be in this window for another seven to ten years.  It works better with food but drinks nicely on its own.  It would pair well with lamb.  

2001 was a good if not great vintage and the better wines are certainly at peak.  That would include this one.  It is one of the better Merlot's produced in Bordeaux.  Purple in color, ruby at the core.  The nose is nice with cherries, slight plums, some cedar and a bit of milk chocolate.  Full bodied.  The wine has a nice complexity to it.  If is mature and on the refined side.  Layers of plums, cherries with an earthy/dried fruit base.  Moderate finish.  This worked well with a stuffed mushroom cap dish.  No real hurry at this point, but probably best to drink up within five to ten years.

Another top wine from Cayuse.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, burnt rubber (in a good way), black olives and iron.  What a great texture.  Juicy and velvety.  On the palate, the black raspberry dominates with some underlying minerality and a hint of funk/musk.  Long finish.  This is still young but chugging along.  It may still improve a bit over the next few years and then be good for another 15 after that.