Italy

This is Cabernet Franc from Italy.  It is really quite good if a bit on the riper side.  Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, roasted herbs, and slight cigar box.  On the palate, this has a juicy acidity.  Plenty of dark cherry fruit.  Some tannins.  It is just getting to maturity at this point but not quite.  Certainly plenty of life left.  Food friendly.  Showing some complexity, it unwinds in the glass.  Has some upside for improvement.  

Light golden in color.  Lots of medium sized bubbles.  The nose has some lemon and minerals on it.  On the palate, this is dry.  The minerality is there.  Not a ton of fruit but some lemon.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Works well with food.  On the upper end of Prosecco in quality and value.  

This comes in a four pack of 187ml sized bottle. It looks like it would be a caged Champagne cork but is a screw top with a plastic cover.  King of cute.  The wine is salmon/pin/orange.  The nose is slight at first but then an orange peel note comes out and also a nice minerality.  On the palate, there is some citrus and minerals.  A fair amount of carbonation.  Labeled Extra Dry, which in the odd world of sparkling wines means a bit sweet.  This is sweet but not cloying.  This would also come in handy if making mimosas or other fruity sparkling mixed drink.  

This is made from 100% Nerello Mascalese grapes.  Salmon color, clear and bright.  The nose has strawberries, slight raspberries and a hint of rhubarb.  This took about 30 minutes to open once the screw cap was removed.  The palate is very smooth.  No bite on it which is quite refreshing.  There is a nice tart acidity on it which makes if very food friendly.  Light cherries with a slight herbal note somewhat akin to bitters on the finish.  It works very well at the table.  This is a nice and easy rose and a very good value.  

This is a blend of Inzolia, Catarratto and Grecanico grapes along with some Chardonnay.  Silvery, green gold in color.  The nose is a bit mild with minerals and light pine notes.  Better on the palate.  Slight soapy (but not in a bad way) more like lanolin.  Then tart green apples come thru picking up intensity especially on the finish.  This is clean with very nice acidity.  A medium length finish.  Screw capped, this took a few minutes to open.  It was served at about 50F but really showed better once it warmed a bit.  Very refreshing wine and the tart apple acidity worked quite well with

This is made from Primitivo.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cherries and is a bit peppery.  On the palate, nice acidity.  Cherries.  Light tannins.  Medium bodied.  Better with food.  A nice food wine and should be under $15.  

A blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese.  Bought on release and cellared by me.  Ruby red in color with purple swirls.  This is drinking quite well right now and at peak or just past.  The nose is great with dusty cherries, some cassis, a bit of dried fruit, and crushed dry tea leaves.  On the palate, this is layered and nice complex.  Not a huge wine but still plenty of cherry fruit layered with earth and forest floor.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  

This is an inexpensive Amarone that is at least true to its name.  So many of these are just glorified Valpolicella's it seems.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has dried cherries and black cherries with an herbal note and slight raisin.  On the palate this drinks well.  Dried cherries with an herbal note.  Dry.  Good acidity.  Nice with food.  Nothing amazing here but enjoyable and drinking very well for the price.  

Light ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, slight roses.  On the palate, there is plenty of cherry fruit here.  This was an incredibly warm vintage, but the wine is not roasted.  It, perhaps lacks the depth of some vintages, but it is drinking well and very tasty.  Slight tannins left.  Some acidity.  At 15 years from vintage, it won't get better, but has a decade left of life.  Food friendly.  

Ruby in color.  The nose is very nice with cherries, slight floral notes and tar.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Layers of cherries, dried cherries and forest floor.  Good not great acidity.  Long finish.  This seemed to coming right along, so we left about 1/3 of the bottle, recorked and on the counter to follow.  On night 2, the nose of this was model airplane glue.  Very hard to get past.  It was fine on the palate, but the nose was terrible.  Not sure what that means about ageing but I wouldn't let this get a ton of air once its opened.  That said, on Night 1, it was outst