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Tasted side by side with the regular bottling, I slightly preferred this one.  It is also a blend of 44% Mourvedre, 36% Grenache and 20% Counoise.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is similar with black raspberries, plums, gravel and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks a bit younger and also more expressive.  Lots of black raspberries, plums, some black cherries, black pepper and char.  More vibrancy.  Long finish.  Overall, the distinctions are small, but this did seem a bit younger with more going on.  Now, was that due to the extended ageing or

Tasted this side by side with the extended ageing slightly preferring the extended ageing.  This is a blend of  44% Mourvedre, 36% Grenache and 20% Counoise.  Purple in color with ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, slight plums, gravel and spice.  Full bodied.

This is a blend of 52% Syrah and 48% Grenache from one of the great Rhone varietal vineyards of California (or anywhere).  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black cherries, smoke, roasted herbs, and a bit of meatiness.  Full bodied.  Complex and seemingly at peak.  Layers of black raspberry and black cherry fruit with underlying char and slight earthiness.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This wine should continue to drink well for another ten to twelve years.  A nice match for Indian or Thal food.  

Very nice showing for this.  Seems to be just about at peak, of course, noting that Zinfandel matures earlier and Petite Sirah later.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has boysenberries, black cherries, raspberries along with some leather and minerality.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Also very tasty.  Layers of fruit (black and red raspberries) with some underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This should have another five to seven more years and probably more.  It drinks well on its own and will work  well with all but the lightest foods.  A nice w

From Mike Officer's home vineyard, the Carlisle Zin is great in every vintage but in 2018 they continued to exceed expectations.  A blend of mostly Zinfandel (86%) and 14% mixed "black" grapes including Alicante Bouschet and Cinsault from 91-year-old vines. Inky purple swirls with deep ruby hues make for a very attractive appearance.  Opaque and bright.  The nose is concentrated with raspberries, black cherries, slight pine and spice.  A seamless texture that makes this so accessible even while being so young.  On the palate, black raspberries, slight blueberries, black cherries with underl

Another winner from Jaffurs although this is still quite young.  Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black raspberries, grilled meats, slight char and a whiff of violets.  Full bodied.  Very tight on the palate, it took some time to open.  Once it did, plenty of black raspberries, some blueberries, with underlying roasted herbs.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This needs another five years and should drink well for ten to twelve after that.  It drinks well on its own and will work well with pork or beef roast.  

Another tremendous wine from Halcon, which, sadly for us, has just been sold.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with boysenberries, plums, black pepper and char.  Full bodied but with vibrancy and energy.  On the palate, black raspberries, plums and char underneath.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This wine won't hit its peak for another ten years or so and should drink well for another twenty after that.  Given its price though, its worth drinking a few on the young side.  Delicious.  At the moment, it will require big food flavors to go with it; roasted meats or

This is the 54th consecutive vintage of this wine.  It is a blend of 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah, and 3% Alicante Bouschet.  Another job well done!  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with raspberries, black raspberries, slight char, plum and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Great texture.  On the palate, plums and black raspberries with some raspberries with underlying char and graphite.  Great liveliness.  Nice finish.  This wine is already drinking well and while it may change a bit, it should continue to do so for another 20 years.  This is pretty food

This is a blend of mostly Rhone grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvede, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah) with 31% from Sonoma and 69% from the Sierra Foothills.

This is part of the Cliff Lede family of wines.  From Mendocino County (north of Napa).  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some apples along with a bit of lemons and slight pineapple.  Medium bodied.  Nice texture.  There is a hint of sweetness here.  The apples and lemons come thru.  Nice finish.  Served cooler on a hot summer night, this was very refreshing on its own.  It will work nicely with fruit salads.  Figs would be nice too.  Drink over the next few years.