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This is one of my favorite Petite Sirahs out there.  At age 7, this is still a youngster, but it is delicious.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has boysenberries, char and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is intense.  Lots of precision.  Very deep.  Boysenberries over a char base.  Great balance.  Delicious.  Long finish.  Great value, too!  This should drink well for another ten to fifteen years, but it is so good now.  Works great on its own or with spicy foods or fatty foods.  

This bottle is drinking quite well at age 18 despite not being stored immaculately.  A friend brought this over and had been keeping since buying at the winery.  She does not have a wine cellar and has moved a couple of times, so our hopes were guarded.  It drank very well.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, graphite, and a bit of chocolate.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Tannins are all resolved.  Layers of black cherry fruit with some dark chocolate and slight earthiness.  Good finish.  These probably should be consumed over the next

This is a Bordeaux blend from Napa.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, licorice, and spice.  Very nice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, there is black cherries and spice.  Moderate tannins.  A slight hint of mint on the finish.  This is drinking well now but may get a point or two better.  It drinks nicely on its own and would work well with a steak or roast.  

This is a pretty classic Napa Cab more in the old school style.  The label lists 14.3% ABV.  Not the wine if you are looking for a big fruit bomb, it is much more restrained.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, minerality, slight herbal notes and coffee.  On the palate, this is medium to full bodied.  Cassis fruit over roasted herbs with slight char.  Nice finish.  This is young and might improve a bit with some ageing.  It should continue to mature for another five to seven years and be good for another five to seven more after that.  It will

Another winner from this stalwart Napa producer.  White gold/silvery in color.  The nose has seltzer, minerality, pears and white floral notes.  Pretty.  Medium bodied.  On the palate there is a sort of copper minerality that is very interesting along with the more usual notes of lemon peel, and melon.  Good acidity.  Fresh.  Long finish.  This is delicious and refreshing on its own but would work great with chicken salad or other lighter fare/salads.  Best to drink in the next few years to enjoy the vibrancy.  

This was tasted from a 1.5 liter box.  While boxed wines tend not to be the most expensive wines, the box is actually a wonderful method for enjoying wines.  It keeps the oxygen out and the wines in excellent condition.  Silvery green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has peaches, limes and minerals.  On the palate, this is crisp and clean.  Limes and melon with a slight minty note and underlying minerals.  Sort finish.  This is drinking well on opening.  In the box format, one could leave this in the fridge and have a glass or two a day for a couple three weeks with no degradation

This is a blend of 59% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 19% Terret Noir, and 2% Roussanne.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and black olives.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks with a cooler climate Syrah profile, that is with black raspberry fruit, black pepper and slight black cherries over a mineral base.  Light tannins.  Very fresh.  Nice finish.  This drinks youthfully but shows some signs of maturity.  It will continue to mature for the next five to seven years and be good for anothe

Always a great wine, this vintage is certainly one of the best.  Green gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, slight grapefruits, minerals and slight herbal notes.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is crisp with lovely citrus fruit over a base on minerality.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  It is delicious.  Drinks well on its own and will work well with lighter salads or even fish or fowl.  drink over the next three to five years.  

For those who like full throttle, hedonistic wines, Torrin should be at the top of your list.  This one is made from 100% Grenache.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is big with black cherries, cherry pie, char, spice and slight dark chocolate.  Full bodied.  Lush and jammy.  On the palate, juicy black cherry pie filling with some underlying gravel.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This probably  drinks better on its own right now, but with some maturity it will settle down.  This should make great drinking for the next ten to twelve years.  

This is a few steps up from the regular bottling (which is also a great value).  Pricing can vary greatly on these so it pays to shop around.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is gorgeous with cassis, leather, earthiness, smoke and dark chocolate.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, black cherries, with intertwines earthiness and char.  Nice finish.  This is still young of course, but drinking beautifully.  Lush with depth and some complexity.  This is drinking great now, but should continue to drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  Wonderful