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This is a blend of Rousanne (98%) and Viognier (2%) and one of my favorite white wines.  Of course, white Rhone varietals can be wonderful, frustrating, fascinating, great or dead at any point once they pass five years of age.  So it was with some trepidation that I tasted this wine when a friend brought it over.  No worries, this wine was singing and drinking great.  Golden in color.  The nose is showing some maturity.  Aromas of pears, slight dried flowers and wax.  On the palate, a slightly oily texture.  Pears and canned pears with a bit of earthiness.  Deep.  Not a lot of acidity.  Lon

One might think an Albarino that is five years old would be way past it.  Maybe more so if it were from California.  In this case, anyway, that would not be true.  This was drinking quite well.  As I don't know the winery, it is not possible to say how this drunk younger or if it is better or worse now.  It is, however, still quite enjoyable.  Yellow golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is all about minerals with a bit of alfalfa.  With air, a bit of citrus (lime?).  On the palate, this has a nice cut.  The lime comes out more.  Refreshing.  Good finish.  It is light bodied.  Indeed

This is a blend of 54% Syrah, 21% Mourvèdre, 16% Grenache and 9% Petite Sirah.  It is a big wine that really needed some time to settle down.  Even 6 years from vintage isn't really enough.  That said, with a couple hours of air, this was drinking beautifully.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, plums, black cherries, and spice.  Perhaps a bit of black pepper.  On the palate, this is thick and big.  A bit chunky on opening but it smoothed out with air.  Lots of black raspberry fruit with some black cherries.  An underlying charred earthiness.  Good finish.  T

Usually, I like to let Saxum's age more, but this one is 45% Zinfandel, so we popped the cork.  Good move.  Also it has 36% Mourvedre, 12% Tempranillo and 7% Petite Sirah.  Weighs in at just under 16% ABV.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is big with black cherries, plums, black raspberries, some earthiness and spice.  On the palate, there is no heat.  Juicy black cherries, and black raspberries.  Some underlying char.  Long finish.  This is delicious but will be a tough food match.  Maybe some BBQ with spicy sauce?  It will be interesting to see how this ages.  I suspect the Zin fades and

This, while still young, has entered an adolescence that is very enjoyable.  Light gold/green in color.  The nose has the typical Rhys Lemon Cream and vanilla.  On the palate, this is starting to delineate layers and show nice complexity.  The lemon cream and vanilla carry thru along with underlying minerality.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This took a few hours on opening to really open up so it is probably worth decanting at this point.  It should easily go another decade probably until 2034.  Great on it own.  It will work with richer dishes with fish, veggies and some fowl.  

This is more of a "claret" styled Zinfandel than a big brawny styled Zin.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose has dust, black cherries and slight tobacco.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Juicy black cherry fruit intertwined with a bit of damp earth.  Nice finish.  This would be great with Indian food.  Drink over the next five years, but it might surprise and last (a lot) longer.  

This is quite different than the 2014.  Of course, wine is subjective.  This is much more similar in style to the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay or the Rombauer Chardonnay; both of which are big sellers.  Light golden in color.  The nose has some lemon, some butter and some oak/vanilla.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet with some lemon notes that balance it.  This will be better as a cocktail wine than with food.  It should last for five more years but then may start to lose some of its freshness.  

Tasted side by side with the 2016, this one was much more to my liking.  Pale golden with some green swirls.  The nose has slight lemons, nice minerality, slight chalk and little oak.  On the palate, this is refreshing and clean.  Dry.  Mostly about the minerality but some lemon.  Good finish.  I believe this retails for around $20 which is a nice value.  Ready to drink now, it should be good for five years.  It will drink well on its own but better with sea food or salads.  

The 2011 Saxums are drinking beautifully right now.  It was a difficult vintage but Justin Smith and Saxum excelled.  The wines are a bit more ready than most vintages, but that's fine.  Pop and pour. 51% Grenache and 49% Syrah.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, dark chocolate, black pepper and roasted herbs.  With air more chocolate comes out along with a bit or roasted meats.  On the palate, this has a lovely juicy yet muscular texture.  Lots of black raspberry fruit, some char and a bit of earthiness and black pepper.  Nice finish.  This is a big wine and will need

Shafer Hillside Select is one of the great wines in Napa and the world.  It is priced accordingly, but every once in a while, it is worth splurging on a bottle with friends.  This bottle was decanted for sediment (there was very little) and allowed to breathe in the cellar for four hours prior to consuming.  A magnificent showing for this wine from admittedly, not one of their best vintages.  Purple in color with some ruby hues to it.  The nose is wonderful with cassis, slight pencil lead, a bit of coffee grounds and a slight salinity.  On the palate, lots of cassis.  Deep with layers of gr