This is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Grenache. It is a very drinkable wine that lists 13.5% Alc. It retails for around $10 and this is a great value. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, black cherries, cocoa and plums. On the palate, this is slightly sweet. Light tannins. A nice varietal complexity. Tart acidity. Long finish. This probably should be drunk in the next few years. Will work with a wide variety of foods. Easy drinking and fun.
76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec. Purple in color, slight ruby at the rim. The nose is dusty and warm with cassis and spice. Soft texture. Good acidity. Nice cassis fruit with an underlying earthiness. Some plums on the finish. Nicely layered, it unwinds in the glass. It seems open but then keeps on opening more. Still some upside here.
When you own a wine cellar, every so often you lose a bottle only to rediscover it a few years later. Sometimes it is over the hill by then, but you never know. This one was one of those. Abondante is a blend of leftovers at Sineann. It is a great value and usually, they are consumed in a year or two. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is leather with good dark cherry fruit. A bit of spice. On the palate, this is tart red berries. Cherries mostly but something a bit deeper. Slight tannins. Good finish. There is some complexity there but not a ton. Very food friendly. T
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is dusty with slight aquarium notes. Also some cherries and black cherries. On the palate, there is a lot of heat and it seems disjointed. Tart cherries but brown sugar. Alcohol on the finish. Again, this appears to be a poorly stored bottled, but how to know for sure or where the issue is. Drinkable for sure, but doesn't work with food at this point. Hopefully, this bottle was not representative.
70% Malbec, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. From the family that owns Leoville Poyferre in Bordeaux. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is warm and slightly musty (not in an off way). Also has some cassis and plums. On the palate, this drinks like a Bordeaux; fruit, tobacco and earth. Black raspberries and plums. Slight tannins. It has a nice depth and seems to be closing in on maturity. A bit soft but within reason. Would work with roasted or grilled meats quite well. No hurry, but won't get better and probably should be drunk in the next five years.
This is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a little Syrah from three different vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA or Washington state. At 12 years from vintage it seems to be in a great spot although it should have at least 5 more years before starting to slowly go downhill. Purple in color. The nose is nice with cherries, coffee, leather, slight chocolate, cassis and tobacco. On the palate, this is still fresh with lot of fruit; cherries and black raspberries. Layers of fruit, damp earth and tobacco. Nice finish. This is not a big wine, but not shy either. Wo
This is a blend of a whole bunch of leftover grapes. At $20, this is always a great value but especially so in the better vintages like 2015. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, cherries and spice. On the palate, this has a nice texture. Good acidity. Easy drinking with some depth and varietal complexity. Good finish. Very food friendly. It now comes as a screw cap which is nice.
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is dusty with tart bing cherries. On the palate, the tart cherries continue along with some plums. This has some depth to it. Light tannins. Drinks easily with nice acidity. This will work with a wide variety of foods. It does have the slightest bit of sweetness to it. Enough to notice, but not enough that is an issue one way or another. Retails for around $16 or less. Made from organic grapes.
From the venerable Chateau Haut Brion, this is an inexpensive rose. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Light salmon in color. Strawberries on the nose. The palate is clean with "red berries", mostly strawberries. This is easy and drinks well. Perhaps not the energy or brightness it had last year, so these should probably be drunk sooner than later. Works well with food.
