This was my favorite of the Gaia lineup tasted.  Purple in color, ruby at the edges, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, slight cherries, slighter cranberries with char.  Firm tannins.  Nice texture.  Nice balance.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Plums and dark cherries with some underlying char and earth.  Long finish.  Delicious wine.  Great value.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with roasted chicken or meats.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Another great value from Domaine Bousquet made from organic grapes.  Carnet in color, purple at the core, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, coffee and smoke.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice balance.  On the palate, cassis, black cherries with some depth.  Fresh and energetic.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own and would work well with a steak off the grill.  Drink over the next five years.  

This is made from organic grapes in Argentina.  Ruby in color, flat, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, black pepper and some char.  Mice mouthfeel.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, the black cherries come thru along with some plums and underlying char.  Long finish.  Overall, a very solid Cab and a terrific value.  It drinks well on its own and would be great with burgers or ribs off the grill.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

These come in 187ml individual servings packaged in an attractive glass bottle with a plastic stopper and screw on top.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is  tight but opens to show cherry aromas.  Perhaps a touch of volatile acidity as well which helps life the nose.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice balance.  On the palate, black cherry fruit.  Moderate finish.  This is a fun, easy drinking wine that would be nice for picnics.  Drink now.  

Cabernet Franc can be tricky to grow, making sure it is ripe enough to minimize the green flavors while still preserving the green pepper and tobacco notes that make this grape so delicious.

This comes in attractive packaging.  A 187ml glass bottle with screw top and plastic stopper.  The wine itself is from Spain.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is dusty with cherries.  Medium bodied.  Nice texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cherries although a bit clipped on the finish.  Also some Kirsch notes.  This is a fun idea for a "single serving"  for $7 or $8.  Drink over the next year.  A nice wine with pizza or a picnic.  

This is a blend of Malbec, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon organic grapes.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, plum, slight weedy notes and clay.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has black cherry fruit.  Simple and easy drinking but a nice value.  Great choice for a party.  This works well on its own and would be nice with a burger or chicken off the grill.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is a well priced organic Chardonnay from one of our favorite producers.  Yellow/gold/green hues, clear and bright. The nose has yellow grapefruits and nice minerality.  Excellent juicy texture.  Good acidity.  Nice balance.  On the palate, grapefruits, slight lemons and minerality.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with lighter foods such as a lemon pasta.  Drink over the next three to five years.  Great value!

This offers nicely balanced red fruit with minimal oak, solid acidity and decent tannic structure. Not an easy thing to find in a Merlot, and a Merlot at this price. Black cherry, black berry, huckleberry, red currant, light cedar and vanilla notes dominate and this is a very comprehensive wine. Mainly Merlot, there are small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Malbec. It was aged for 14 months in French oak, only 40% of which was new, hence the light wood touch. What this ultimately offers is a robust Merlot that is well worth the price.

Any vineyard facing San Pablo Bay, like Toro Hills, is buffeted by wind and fog coming off the water. Typically fruit grown here is more fully developed. This Toro Hills Pinot has that depth of flavor, less bright strawberry notes and more raspberry, huckleberry, blueberry and blackberry with soft black cherry, spring wildflowers, and a slight earthiness. The acidity is spot on allowing for expressiveness with food while the mild barrel aging (10 months in barrel with just 30% new French oak) allows for a balanced approach and fruit over wood. ORIGIN: Sonoma County. ALCOHOL: 14.9%