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Perhaps not quite as good as the amazing 2013, but a stellar wine nevertheless.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, smoke and slight floral notes.  On the palate, this is open and drinking well.  Still, it is deep and unwinds beautifully in the glass.  It really is well served with a few hours of a decant.  Cassis and other dark fruits with graphite and smoke intertwined on  the palate.  Juicy acidity.  Medium tannins.  Probably about five to ten years from peak and should last a couple more decades, but wonderful now.  Needs heavier food and great on its own.  

I love Saxum wines.  They might not be or everyone, but more times than not, they are crowd pleasers.  This one was served with friends along side a cheese course at the end of a meal and it was wonderful.  It is blend of 57% Grenache (60% aged in concrete), 31% Mourvedre, and 12% Syrah.  It has very high alcohol levels and a ton of fruit.  It drinks well on its own or needs some hearty food (or cheeses) to stand up to it.  inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, some white pepper, black cherries, spice and slight roasted herbs.  On the palate, this has a lovely energetic qua

Pride has a long history of making great wines in different styles from different winemakers.  The reserve wines are at the top of their pecking order and for my tastes the Cabernet Reserve is usually the best wine that they make.  It is a middle ground in style between a full blown fruit bomb and a left bank styled wine from either California or Bordeaux.  This one was gorgeous.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, slight coffee, a bit of graphite and a bit of earth and char.  Full bodied with a lovely texture.  Deep.  It unwinds in the glass.  Lots of cassis fruit on the palate, with s

My third time trying this bottle and it is incredible.  I have scored it 99 and 100 and this again gets the top score.  This bottle was opened 12 hours in advance, checked for quality, and then allowed to breathe.  Served with stuffed roasted peppers with feta, it was an excellent match.  Deep purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, cedar, dark chocolate and spice.  On the palate, this is not overblown.  There is some obvious oak showing but it integrates nicely.  More than enough fruit to age this out beautifully.  Deep and complex but tight.  Drinking great now but will continue

Since these wines first came out, it has always been an open question how well they would age.  At age 11, this one is doing great.  Drinking quite young but quite well.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is great with cherries, slight spice, black cherries, and very slight cola note.  On the palate, this is young but delicious.  Shows depth but tight.  Plenty of cherries and black cherry fruit.  Great balance.  Drink now or should hold for another ten or fifteen years, depending what you like in a Pinot.  Will work with a wide variety of food.  

This is an excellent value in top Napa Cabs.  While Rivers Marie makes single vineyard wines, those cost into three figures.  This is not inexpensive but it almost as good.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, cedar, leather, slight blueberries,  and slight spice.  On the palate, this is young and tannic.  If drinking soon, give it a few hours at least, in a decanter.  Great texture; juicy yet plush.  Lots of cassis fruit over a dry earth/graphite quality.  Long finish.  Ideally, give this five moer years and drink over the next ten to twenty.  Needs bigger food right now.

Sometimes its good to have an inexpensive red wine on hand.  This is ok.  Certainly not for everyone though.  It is a blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.  Purple in color.  The nose is nice.  A bit meaty with black raspberries and some baking spices.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Made for immediate drinking.  Black raspberry fruit.  Probably better on its own than with food.  For $15, it is fine.  

Any time you get to try a Schrader wine it is a great night.  But, when you go to a friends house and see this open, well, it doesn't get much luckier than that.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, charcoal, spice and slight graphite.  On the palate, this is precise and tight.  It opens slowly in the glass with firm tannins.  Cassis and blueberries carry thru but it seems bottomless.  This needs a long decant or better yet a decade in the cellar.  It is delicious now but so much upside.  Long finish.  It makes a wonderful cocktail but with some patience, this

So, Nils Venge has been making great wine in Napa for decades.  This is a family project and his son Kurt makes the wine.  IIRC, this is my first time trying this wine and it was amazing.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cedar, smoke and the slightest graphite note.  On the palate, this is one of those wine with so much energy it seems every sip is a bit different than the last.  Of course, it is young and that will probably change as it settles down.  Firm tannins at the moments.  Juicy cassis fruit with some underlying char.  Clean with great balance.  Long finish.  This would

This is labeled as Red Wine, but it is a Port styled dessert wine from Sonoma.  A blend of 25% Tinto Cao, 25% Tinta Madeira, 25% Touriga Nacional, and 25% Sousão:  it checks in at 18.3% abv.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has a lot of alcohol along with some raisins and slight chocolate.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Viscous.  Some cherry fruit.  A good bit of heat on the finish.  A very interesting take but a little goes a long way.  It is a members only wine.