Green/gold in color, slightly cloudy.  The nose is very nice with vanilla and lemon cream.  Full bodied.  Slight tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and delicious.  Lemon cream with a touch of limes.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is very young but has such precision that its worth opening now.  Delicious on its own, this works with assorted cheeses and lighter foods or sea food.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is an old school take on Zin.  Don't expect a full throttle purple-fruit style.  It took a bit of calibration, and then was enjoyable.  Ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and cherries with a bit of pepper.  Medium bodied.  No tannins.  On the palate, nice easy drinking.  Cherries and black cherries with a slight bramble note.  No noticeable alcohol.  This is a nice wine for drinking outside on the deck.  It will work well with a burger or pizza.

This was my second time trying this and confirmed that this is a very nice Cabernet and had improved a bit with further cellaring.  It may yet have even more upside.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, and black cherries but also a bit of coffee beans and char.  No noticeable green notes this time.  Full bodied.  Medium to full tannins.  On the palate, still of course primary, but there is plenty of depth there.  Also, plenty of fruit.  Any reductiveness seems to have blown off.  Nice finish.  This is very enjoyable.  It drinks nicely on its

Made from purchased grapes from an undisclosed location.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is slightly grassy with a touch of lime.  Light bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, more about minerality.  Clean.  Moderate finish.  This drinks nicely on its own but better with food.  It went well with a Melon Caprese Salad.  Drink now.  

This is made from the Aglianico grape in Basilicata (the arch of the boot), Italy.  15% abv.  Purple in color with garnet swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, anise, smoke and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, black cherries, cherry liqueur, slight bitter cherry note and spice.  Long finish.  At age 6, this still seems young as it improved greatly when tasting it on day 2.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with food.  A nice wine with a hearty Lasagna.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This is made from the Gaglioppo grape in Calabria, Italy (the toe of the boot).  The grapes are allowed to hang on the vine to get fully ripe.  Once harvested, this wine sees twelve months in oak.  14.5% abv.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, some salinity and a fresh herbal note (mild oregano?).  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has cherries, bitter cherries and spice.  A hint of dark chocolate on the long finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.

This is a red from Apulia (Puglia) which is the heel of the boot of Italy.  The grape is Uva di Troia called Nero di Troia locally.  13.5% abv.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  A really interesting nose with raisins and baking spices but also raspberries and a bit of wild herbs.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  A good backbone of acidity.  On the palate, rhubarb, cranberries and toasted herbs.  This is a wine made for food.  It will work well with roasted meats (and even veggies).  Drink over the next few years.  

This is a Vermentino from the island of Sardinia in Italy.  14.5% Abv.  Pale silvery green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is enticing with Honeydew melons, slight peach and nice minerality.  With air a bit of salinity comes out.  A really interesting texture, slightly oily but almost creamy.  Good acidity to cut through.  On the palate, lemons, slight quince, minerals a hint of bitter almonds.  Long finish.  There is some seriousness here which is nice.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with veggies and seafoods.  Drink over the next few years.  

One of the classic wines of Ribera del Duero!  It is 100% Tempranillo that spends 18 months in American Oak and 6 months in bottle prior to release.  14.5% abv.  Purple with ruby swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with clay, cherries, slight dill and a bit of roasted coffee.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great balance.  The fruit is ripe but not overblown.  On the palate, black cherries, anise and some cherries.  A interesting menthol note on the finish.  Considering the pedigree, this is a very fairly priced wine.  Great on its own, it will work well with food as well. 

From a top Ribera del Duero producer, this one is from Castilla y Leon.  It is 100% Tempranillo weighing in at 14.5% abv.  Ruby  in color, mostly clear and bright.  Black cherries, black raspberries, spice and slight bubble gum note.  Medium bodies.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, slightly woody, and a slight mint note.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and is very food friendly.  It will work well with meats off the grill from a hot dog to a roast. Drink over the next six to nine years.