From the people who brought you Pingus.  This is 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha.  It is a big, fruit forward wine.  Inky purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose is meaty with black raspberries, black cherries, white pepper and wild herbs.  Medium tannins.  Full bodied.  Nice texture.  On the palate, black cherries with some black raspberries, spice and char.  Long finish.  Although young, this has nice depth and complexity.  It is drinking nicely but will improve with some short terms cellaring.  Hold for a couple of years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.

Chateau Musar is an amazing winery located in Lebanon.  This is their introductory value wine.  It is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon from a single vineyard with vines averaging 30 years of age.  Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, balsamic (volatile acidity?), black olives and black raspberries.  Complex.  Ripe.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice balance.  On the palate, black cherries, black raspberries and a bit of raisin.  Long finish.  For the money, this is a great value.  This is drinking well now

This was a staple around 15 or 20 years ago.  It was the "value" wine in the Palacios portfolio, but I hadn't tried it in years.  It is a blend of 72% Garnacha and 28% Carinena.   Tasted blind, the guess was Chateauneuf du Pape.  For a wine of this quality, it is still nicely priced especially for a wine from Priorat.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty with black cherries, wild herbs and spices.  Great texture.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries, slight char and spice.  Long finish.  This drinks well now and s

Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has ripe plums, black raspberries, violets and a nice earthy note.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good energy.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Black raspberry and raspberry fruits with some earthiness.  Good finish.  This drinks easy but should gain some complexity as it ages.  Drink over the next ten years.  Nice on its own, this would work well with comfort food dishes such as Beef Stroganoff.  Outstanding value!

Gini is one of the top producers of Soave white wines from Northeastern Italy.  This is 100% Gargenega grapes made from vines that are over 100 years old.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a floral quality (yellow and white flowers) with a touch of lemons and a bit of minerality/salinity.  Light to medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Nice, lean but firm texture.  On the palate, the lemony notes come out more with a touch of minerality.  Long finish.  There is come depth and concentration.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It would be great with a plate of past

As Pinot Noir goes, this is quite simply a very pretty wine. Sure, that’s not the sort of descriptor that most reviews use, but it is accurate. Subtle, soft, almost subversive, this is a Pinot that doesn’t announce itself, it doesn’t brag, it simply waits in the glass for you to try it. There is noticeable but subdued fruit; black cherry, pomegranate, Rainer cherry, light strawberry, pomegranate but they are wonderfully melded together so that nothing stands out – except for the quality of the wine in your glass at that moment.

This is 100% Xynisteri grapes from Greece.  Really interesting.  The grapes come from ungrafted vines that are close to forty years old.  The wine has just a touch of residual sugar.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with peaches, slight lemons and a bit of salinity.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this has some spritz to it (presumably trapped CO2).  Flavors of peach and minerals.  Nice finish.  This is a refreshing, easy drinking white wine.  It works nice on its own and would work very well with shell fish.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is made from the Étraire de la Dhuy grape of which there are only 5 Hectares under vine in the World.  Country wines/IGP Coteaux du Grésivaudan is a designation that is east of Burgundy, south of Savoie and north of the Rhone and close to the Italian border to the east.  Obviously a different wine.  It was nice on day one but seemed very reticent so after drinking a glass, the cork was put back in and tried the following evening when it was much more open.  Ruby in color with some purple swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, slight sour cherries, slight ch

California is making some very nice Albarinos these days.  At four years from vintage it might be worrying but this was sealed with a screw cap and the wine inside from fresh and bright.  Light green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with apples, peach and a stony minerality.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is more about fruit and some minerality than its crisper Spanish siblings.  It is filled with ripeness and body.  Flavors of red apples and peaches.  Good finish.  This works very nice on its own and would work well with lighter foods.  A nic

This is a blend of 86% Zinfandel with 14% other varietals from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma.  Of course, it is Mike Officer and Carlisle's home vineyard.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is energetic with black raspberries, black cherries, bramble, black pepper and spice (cloves?).  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is young but really opens with an hour or two air.  Plenty of depth.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, char and spice.  Juicy.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work