Purple in color with ruby swirls. This was tight but opened quickly to show black raspberries, slight roasted meats and a bit of pepper. On the palate, this has a silky texture. Black cherries. Light tannins. Nice finish. This is probably as good as this gets but should be nice drinking for five years. At $25 retail, this is fairly priced. Will work with medium and heavier foods.
In a tasting, two bottles were tasted side by side. They showed differently. Was it because the wines were in a different place in the line-up or the bottles came from different stores and had been treated differently? Hard to say, but tasted in a group, we had different reactions. There is an inherent bias that blind tasting removes prejudices and it probably does, but it also introduces its own set of biases that can not be discounted. Bottle #1 was the first glass tasted while bottle #2 was the 9th.
This is a great value for around $20. Having had it in multiple vintages, it is very consistent. Inky purple in color. The nose is dusty with black raspberries, black pepper and some cedar. A bit of roasted meat as well. On the palate, this is big and fruity but there is also depth and complexity. Bright acidity. Good finish. This will work with big or spicy foods. It should last for 5 to 8 years but probably won't get better. That's ok, it is really good today.
Purple with ruby swirls. The nose is tight on opening but reveals smoky black raspberries. On the palate, this is sweet black raspberry fruit. It has a nice complexity to it and is more "elegant" than a fruit bomb. Drinking quite well, it will probably still improve with good cellaring. Food friendly for most foods. Nice finish. It retails for around $60.
This is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 3% Petite Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec from Washington State. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice; dusty with black raspberries, plums, spice, slight black cherries and a hint of vanilla. Soft texture with medium tannins. On the palate, black raspberries, cassis with underlying spice and slight char. Long finish. This is an easy drinking red that has some backbone and depth. Drink over the next five to seven years. Very nice on its own, this will work great with a brisket out
At a recent tasting of United Ink Wines, this was the runaway crowd favorite. It is a blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state. Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, chocolate and slight black raspberry. Mice mouthfeel. Light to medium tannins. On the palate, nice black raspberry and black cherries fruit with some chocolate. Firm tannins on the finish. This is delicious. It drinks (easy). Great on its own, this would be great with a burger or other foods off the grill. Drink over the next five year
