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This is interesting.  I normally prefer a Rose to be young (with a couple of important exceptions) but this still tasted youthful at 5 years from vintage.  It is made from Merlot and a bit of Cabernet Franc.  Orange/salmon pink in color, clear and bright.  The nose has watermelons, strawberries and slight hay.  On the palate, this is clean with just a touch of acidity.  Cherries and strawberries.  Nice finish.  This will go with anything from a light salad to a burger or fowl.  

Nice to revisit this wine.  Tasted (note posted elsewhere on this site), it was quite tight.  While still quite young, this wine has really made a lot of progress.  Still not at its peak, but providing a lot of pleasure right now.  It is a blend of 89% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre and 3% Viognier.  inky purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, smoked meat, white pepper and floral notes.  On the palate, this has firm tannins.  Black raspberry fruit over scorched earth and also some pepper.  Great texture.  Long finish.  This will go well with big meat dishes but also roasted veggie

I am a big fan of the Chenin Blanc grape and Sandlands makes some of the best in California!  They have a low alcohol but at the same time, these are not wispy or lacking in fruit.  Light bronze/gold in color.  The nose is great with lemons, wax, slight orange peel and minerals.  On the palate, this is lean but solid.  Nice acidity.  A bit of lemon, over a nice steely minerality.  Nice finish.  Worked great on its own but will work with lighter foods and even a burger.  Probably should last for 5 to 8 more years, but perhaps even longer.  It would be fun to put a bottle away and these are n

Wow.  This is truly a special wine.  Just gorgeous and will still get better.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight lavender, and roasted meats.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  A wonderful silky/lush texture.  Great energy.  Delicious black raspberry fruit layered with charred earth and black pepper.  Long finish.  This is a very unique take on high end Syrah.  It should continue to improve for five years and be god for twenty more after that.  It will go with roasted foods as well as Indian and much more.  

Another great basic release from Bedrock.  This time its their Sauvignon Blanc.  Light golden with some green swirls in color.  The nose has some candied grapefruit and a bit herbal tones.  Very pretty.  On the palate, this has a nice acidity.  Grapefruit with some lemon.  There is some depth here though I wouldn't age it more than a few years.  Lots of energy right now.  It will work well with lighter foods and salads.  It is also great in the glass on its own.  Very tasty.  

Always a treat to try one of the iconic California Zinfandel producers.  These are not big, brambly Zins and to really appreciate them, they do need some good cellar time.  That said, this was absolutely delicious and if you have a few, it is worth trying one young.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has raspberries, black cherries, slight black pepper and a bit of spice.  On the palate, this has a lovely texture.  Medium to full bodied but silky.  Good acidity.  Black cherry fruit with some underlying char.  Good finish.  This should continue to improve for a few more years and be good for ano

This is a pretty big Pinot.  It is also delicious.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose seems to have some volatile acidity.  Not an issue but might be worrisome with some age.  Other than that it has a very pretty cherry liqueur nose.  On the palate, lots of black cherries.  A bit of root beer.  Full bodied.  A bit of sweet alcohol but not hot or warm.  That sweetness is especially evident on the finish.  This is the kind of Pinot that is delicious on its own.  Would be perfect on the deck next to a summer fire.  It will work with big foods or BBQ.  

Grenache Blanc doesn't get enough respect.  That may be because in Europe, it doesn't do as well and is used as a blending grape, seldom on its own.  In California, however, there are many examples of Grenache Blanc being bottled independently and some of those are quite good.  This is one of them.  Tablas Creek specializes in Rhone varietals and while this wine is not sold en masse, it is available at the winery.  Light golden in color.  The nose has nice pear notes with some anise and slight salinity.  On the palate, the pears continue along with some honeydew notes and underlying chalkin

This bottle saw about 6 hours of air prior to be served.  That helped but it was not enough.  Torrin wines are fantastic but they do take time.  They are tight and tannic and concentrated on release and proper cellaring is rewarded.  Absent that a long decant is advised.  This wine is 40% Syrah, 33% Mourvedre, and 27% Grenache.

From Magnum.  This bottle was opened and allowed to breather for six hours prior to serving.  It needed every bit of that and more.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted herbs, slight earthiness and slight floral qualities.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lot of black raspberry fruit with a bit of roasted meats and black pepper.  Though there is a lot of fruit, this is not over ripe at all.  Juicy acidity works well with the food.  This is still young and will likely improve over the next five years.  The wine has already improved since t