Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper and a burnt rubber note that is present (in a good way) in many Washington Syrahs.  On the palate, there is nice boysenberry fruit.  Layered but tight with fruit and crushed rocks.  There is an almost seamless texture to this wine that is really nice.  It will work with a wide variety of food and has a nice backbone of acidity to assist.  Good finish.  This competes with wines at twice the price.  Good now, it probably won't improve but should remain here for at least five and probably ten more years.  

Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries and a slight burn rubber note.  On the palate, light tannins.  Thinner in texture and body.  Black raspberry fruit.  Some spice.  Easy drinking.  This retail for under $20 and is a very nice value.  Should be good for a few years.  

This was very good, but given the price (around $100), quite disappointing.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is earthy with some funk and meaty tones.  Also some black raspberries.  On the palate, this has a sour cherry note.  It is not to dissimilar for red cherry soda with a bit or sweetness to match the sour fruit.  Medium bodied.  An almost aquarium note, so perhaps this was poorly stored during shipment (the storage on the receiving end was fine).  In any event, it was good with a northern Rhone, cooler climate quality to it with sour cherry fruit.  Would work with food.  

Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is nice with coffee, black raspberries and black olives.  Very much a Washington meets the Northern Rhone nose.  On the palate, this is tannic.  Black cherry fruit.  Tight layers of fruit and earth.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This continued to improve in the glass all night.  Still very tight and young, there is certainly plenty of upside potential left.  It will be interesting to see where this is in five years as it approaches peak.  

In a tasting, two bottles were tasted side by side.  They showed differently.  Was it because the wines were in a different place in the line-up or the bottles came from different stores and had been treated differently?  Hard to say, but tasted in a group, we had different reactions.  There is an inherent bias that blind tasting removes prejudices and it probably does, but it also introduces its own set of biases that can not be discounted.  Bottle #1 was the first glass tasted while bottle #2 was the 9th.  

Light yellow in color.  The nose has vanilla, clay, lemons and minerals.  Nice.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Slightly oily.  Has a nice tart lemony quality.  Seems like it has a nice food friendliness.  Fruit forward but not tropical.  Unique for a SB profile.  Has some level of maturity but still a nice verve to it.  Drink in the next few years.  

This is a $10 bottle of Zinfandel.  It is just about exactly what one would expect (in a good way).  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cherries with some alcohol.  Slightly candied.  On the palate, cherries with some heat.  A bit dusty.  No complexity but nothing really off either.  This would make a nice choice at a large party.  

Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, slight bramble, and a bit of pepper.  On the palate, this is lighter in style.  Cherry fruit.  Some warmth.  It doesn't seem like this will improve but it makes for enjoyable drinking.  Works better especially well with spicy Indian food.  Probably should be drink in the next few years.  

This was surprisingly open and drinking well if still youthful.  Purple in color.  The nose has boysenberries, char, and black pepper.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Boysenberry fruit with some pepper.  Nice complexity.  Good finish.  This should improve for the next five years.  Needs big food.  

Purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, some black pepper and hints of violets.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Lush and almost seamless.  Black raspberries layered with spice and slight roasted meats.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This would work great with heartier foods or spicy ones too.  Drinking quite well though not yet at peak.  It might have some more upside as it continues to develop.  A real crowd pleaser but if drinking soon, give it some air.  Probably will peak in five years and be good for a decade or more after that.