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It was nice to revisit this wine that I had tried twice about a year ago.  At the time it was a love it or hate it wine, so I was curious what a year of ageing had done.  It really hadn't done much.  The wines was still about in the same place.  Served to a crowd, it was indeed, love it or hate it.  That was fun.  Magenta in color with some purple swirls.  The nose has cassis, bourbon barrels and is dusty.  On the palate, I found it sweet although others did not.  Loads of black cherry fruit and char.  It is smooth and certainly different.  Probably better on its own than with food.  It doe

The first bottle of this I tried had likely been exposed to heat during shipping.  It is great that I was able to try a proper bottle.  Much better.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Interesting nose.  It is smoky with a scent that reminded me of a really good corned beef sandwich at a Jewish deli.  That is meaty, slightly salty, a bit of yeast, and slight roasted meats.  Very proper and welcoming.  This is a cool climate Syrah and it drinks very well.  There is some bacon fat too, but that wouldn't go at a Jewish Deli.  ;-)  There also is some boysenberry fruit lurking in the background.

Hess is an excellent winery with a long track record.  This wine is one that is a consistently good value every vintage and reasonably easy to find.  Deep ruby in color with purple swirls.  The nose is tight at first, but opens to black cherries, some cassis and some baking spices.  On the palate, the black cherries carry thru.  Light tannins.  Easy drinking.  It might get a bit better with a couple of years of age but should be drunk in the next few years.  This will go great with grilled or roasted foods.  

Bonterra wines are made from organically farmed grapes.  This is a blend of mostly Merlot and Petite Sirah.  It is a different take, a bit lighter and easier, but a delicious and well priced wine.  Deep ruby in color, lighter at the rim, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has raspberries and cranberries with a bit of char.  On the palate, this has raspberries and candied cherries with an underlying char.  Some complexity.  This is clean and easy drinking.  It is not likely to get any better but should be good over the next three to five years.  It drinks well on its own and will work with f

This is a pretty version of California Chardonnay.  Gold/silver/green in color.  The nose has lemon/lime with a nice minerality.  On the palate, this has lemons, wintergreen, along with slight tannins.  There is some oak here but not burdensome.  It shows up more on the finish along with some lemons.  This has a bit of complexity and is drinking very well.  It drinks well on its own and will work with lighter and medium weight foods.  It should probably be consumed in the next few years.  Full retail is $22 but this can often be found for less.

Gold/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice.  Big.  Fresh oak, lemons and slight vanilla.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, flavors of lemon hard candy.  Slightly oily texture.  The finish has oak and lemon candies.  Long.  This has a fair amount of oak, but is also clean and energetic.  It should be good for seven to ten more years and may develop further.  It should go well with a wide range of foods from salads to pasta in a cream sauce.  

At a recent tasting of multiple Chardonnays, this was the crowd favorite and most were priced well above this one.  It retails for around $15, but can be found for as low as $10.  The back label says it is a throwback to the oaked and buttery Chardonnays of the past.  Perhaps, but most people seemed to find just a hint of those qualities and that was a good thing.  It was different than what the crowd described as over oaked and too buttery.  While the crowd may have liked it more than I, it is a very nice wine and a great value and quite enjoyable.  The color is light gold, hay and slight

Consumed with friends at their home in Napa.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is classic Rhys.  Vanilla, lemon cream and this time a slight herbal note (in a good way).  Nice acidity.  Complex and deep.  This wine has entered into a very early maturity and is showing some development.  It is also delicious.  Long finish.  This should continue to develop for the  next five years and be good for at least ten more after that.  Further upside is likely.  It goes well with seafood, fowl and grain based dishes.  

This is a GSM blend of 70/10/20.  Still young, it needs some time, especially for the Syrah and Mourvedre to come out.  Ruby in color, slightly cloudy.  The nose has black cherries and baking spices.  On the palate, this is more raspberries but the baking spice are present.  Smooth and easy drinking but also some depth.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Needs a few years and should have a decade more.  Will work on its own and worked great with a stuffed eggplant dish but roasted foods in general.  

Tribidrag is a Middle Ages term for Zinfandel (yes, the grape is that old).  This would probably sell better if they called it Zinfandel, but I doubt Steve or Carole care.  And, that's pretty cool.  The wine is a deep ruby in color.  Very bright.  The nose has black cherries, spice, dust and roasted herbs.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Black cherries with a bit of candied black cherries.  That is not to say, this is big.  Despite over 15% ABV, this drinks more claret style, if more purple fruits.  It's balanced but broader in style.  I have no experience to guess how well this mig