My current favorite in value wines.  Even better than the 2017.  And, under $20!  Purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black pepper, slight bacon fat, and slight roasted meats.  Great texture.  On the palate, lots of concentrated black raspberries over char and  clean earth.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This has some complexity and might still get better.  It should drink well for seven to ten years.  Great on its own, it will work well with fatty fried foods.  

This is drinking great right now.  Everything one could want in a Santa Cruz Pinot Noir.  Deep ruby in color with purple swirls.  The nose has cherries, candied cherries and slight cherry cough drops with just a hint of clean earthiness.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has layers of cherry fruits with underlying earthiness.  Lovely, slightly lush texture with a slickness that makes it so drinkable.  Nice finish.  This seems to be closing in on peak but may still develop more.  Either way, it should easily do ten to twelve more years.  

Australia's most iconic wine.  Always a pleasure to try one and this, at age 30 is just showing traces of age.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, vanilla, spice and slight black pepper.  On the palate, this is full bodied with medium tannins.  Plenty of black raspberry fruit.  Fresh with lots of energy.  Plenty of depth.  This is drinking well now but may still improve as it matures.  It should drink well for another fifteen years or more.  This is great on its own and will work with roasts and drilled meat, fowl or veggies.  

Apparently, one of the reasons for the name is that these vineyards are tended to with the use of horses.  This was tasted side by side with the Tribe.  Of course, which you like better is personal taste but this seems much more backwards at this point.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight bacon fat, and clean char.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  The palate has more boysenberry fruit with the underlying char coming thru.  It is tightly packed, but intense.  It probably needs ano0ther five years to open and maybe five afte

From the same people who make Cayuse in Washington state.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, roasted meat, and black pepper.  Very enticing.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is still young with medium to firm tannins.  Nice black raspberry fruit.  Big, but more youthful than a fruit bomb.  If served blind, I think I guess a young Cornas rather than Washington.  Nice finish.  I have no real experience to judge ageability of these wines, but it seems like it need another five years or so, and then should be good for ten or fifteen more. 

A very unique expression of Grenache.  These wines are big but they have such energy and hide the alcohol very well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Lots of black cherry fruit with a bit of earthy funk.  Also, some dust and spice.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Raspberries, black raspberries with light tannins over earth and char.  Long finish.  This is drinking great is a bit on the younger side of maturity.  It should continue to drink well for the next ten to fifteen years.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with roasts or stews.  

From Magnum.  This was tasted right after some older Bordeaux's and the difference was obvious.  Both styles were good, but even at age 17, this was about fruit and sunshine while still showing some tertiary development. Purple in color, opaque and bright.

Tasted from a Magnum.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose is earthy with cigar tobacco but plenty of fresh cassis.  The wine is mostly clean with just a hint of funk.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is tart cassis and cranberry fruit with underlying earthiness.  Showing some complexity.  Good finish.  In Magnum, this is drinking well today and probably close to peak.  This certainly could go another ten years but I doubt it gets better.  It will work better with food and went well with a tomato tart, but fatty meats would be a good choice.  

Great showing for this wine.  Drinking wonderfully at this time.  Seems fully mature, possibly, just slightly past (depending on your tastes).  Purple in color, ruby swirls, but no browning.  The nose is great with cigar box, earthy, some Bordeaux funk but still with some cassis left.  On the palate, this has faint tannins.  Very earthy with cassis, dried black raspberries some tobacco.  Complex.  The layers unwind in the glass.  Wonderful texture.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own, but would be even better with food.  Roasted veggies or duck would be great.  At this age (34) ever

Drinking very nicely at this time.  Deep golden in color with a slight green hue.  The nose is tight but shows apples, pears and minerals along with just a touch of oxidation.  On the palate, this has slight tannins.  Tart apples with slightly bitter lemons (not in a bad way).  Good acidity although the wine comes off more rich/fat than lean/mean.  Nice finish.  This seems fully mature and these probably should be consumed in the next five to seven years.