Diablita Red 2005

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah
Everett Ridge Winery, Healdsburg, Dry Creek Rd. Sonoma County, 13.7%
www.everettridge.com
Nice ink, rose petal, chalk on the nose. Not especially fruity but a rich "petite syrah/sang. v." aroma. Tart and clean with a sort of minty-herb element. A bit of tannin and some berry flavors. Pretty astringent finish. Not exactly dynamic or complex but a good-fun drink. Like a girl in a devil outfit would be.

Lamura Nero d' Avola Sicilia 2005

Bottled by: GI S. Pa. Trento, 13%
Imported by: FWI. Rutherford, NJ

Deep, intense nose of cherry, ink and licorice. Fruit forward wine with lots of violet,ink and extracted flavors. Tannins and pucker finish but supple at the start. Nice drinkable Italian style with deep colors and tastes to match any eggplant parmesan. Similar to the Parducci Petite Sirah. "Taste off"?

Parducci Petite Sirah Mendocino County 2006

Ukiah, CA 13.5%
www.parducci.com
Subtle nose, nice hint of perfumes and ink. Very little fruit. Tannic, tart and inky flavors. Light and bright for a petite sirah. Very tannic and chewy finish. Makes you smack your tongue. Good dry Italian style red with great color and character. Food friendly and drinkable and they have solar power and carbon neutrality.

[Aric] domaine ligneres 2002

60% Carignane, 25% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah,Suzette Ligneres Chateau La Baronne, France 14%
www.acadiaetfils.com
Aric
Imported by: Sovereign Wine Imports, Santa Rosa, CA

Excellent nose: Deep fruit with a perfume of rose in the best way. A little alcohol on the nose but rich bourbon alcohol. Smoke, cherries, fruit leather and wet stones for an excellent mouth-taste experience. Strong flavors for a Frenchie. More like Italian. Good, balanced, yet rich red. Keeps well too. Reminds me of a Cotes du Rhone but meater and more complex. Nice! Very Nice!

Leapard's Leap, The Lookout 2005

Cab 45%, Shiraz 34%, Cinsault 21%, Western Cape Vineyards, South Africa, 12.5%
www.leapards-leap.com
www.capeleopard.org.za
Imported by: Confluence wine importers, New Port Beach, CA
www.cwimporters.com

Deep, dark nose: A tiny tad oxidized but nice hints of smoke and ink. Good clean fruit with some lavender, violet and rubber (in a good way. . .). Tangy and chewy on the tongue. A heavy wine but not syrupy. Nice linger of licorice and dried fruits. Nice use of the blending. Best South African wine I've had thus far.

Talus Collection Pinot Noir 2006

Vin de Pays d'oc (AKA French swill), 13.5%
Jeff Kasawan winemaker
www.taluscollection.com

Mild nose. Some raspberry and a little hint of synthetic plastic-y stuff. Soft fruits, a bit tart, a little sweet. Drinkable but not interesting or complex. Nice linger of strawberry and maybe cranberry. Decent I guess but pretty boring stuff.

Marietta Old Vine Red Lot #47

Marietta Cellars, Alexander Valley, Geyserville, CA 13.5%
www.mariettacellars.com

Nice dark fruits with a smoothness on the nose. Smooth, light plum, cherry, and currants with some sweet, extracted flavors. Rich after-taste with some nice tartness and good chewy tannins. Excellent drink-ability. A pleasing fruit forward wine with impressive character from nose to finish. Simple and simply tasty.

Stevenot Merlot 2005

Vinted and bottled by Stevenot (est. 1978), Murphys, CA 95247. Sierra Foothills. 14.5%.

Ripe, deep berry fruit nose. Some raspberry, some cherry, hint of alcohol. Ruby and violet color. Crisp and a bit inky, nice oak and plenty of lingering smoke and fruit. Excellent balanced finish. Very good, flavorful and supple wine. Unlike many CA merlots, this example of "the other noble" works well with the fruitiness to make an interesting, taste-y, long-lingering wine.
Some weeks later:
Had some again. Impressed me again. Great flavor in this better than expected wine.

Devour Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros District 2005

Chateau Diana, Healdsburg, CA, 13.8%

Fresh clean fruit on the nose. Pinot scent. Plenty of tart fruit flavors. Like berries, cherries, and currants. Nice sweetness and light body on the finish. Not intensely complex Pinot but tons of nice flavors and a good collections of notes throughout.

Reserve Perrin Coutes Du Rhone Rouge 2006

Orange, France, 13%
Granache (60%), Syrah (20%), Mourvedre (10%), Cinsault (10%).
Mis en bouteille par Perrin Et fils. Not "cold stabilized".
Imported by: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL. Wine Info for Reserve Perrin.

Floral, rosey and lavender-esque with a little ink in bouquet. Nice bitter and tart fruit. Lots of flavor but clean and fresh tasting. Lingering essence of cedar and spice. Excellent example of French Rhone style. May gain complexity with age as well. Perfect wine to show as example of French style vs. CA style vs. other styles. . .

Casa Solar Tempranillo 2007

Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Central/Eastern Spain, 13%
Bottled by: Cosecheros y Criadores, Established 1889.
Imported by: CIV Sacramento, CA.
Selected by Lauren Rosillo.

Ink, violets and a little sweet on the nose. Smooth easy to drink but not exactly "soft" in the mouth. Bit of bitter and wood shavings with the fruit and lavender flavors. However has a pretty clean finish; flavors linger a bit but the tongue feels refreshed. Almost crisp. Definitely a, "good-with-food" wine. Not as robust and deep as many Spanish but a good deal for $5. Cool label. Quality wine.

R.C.T.J.W.F. - (Really Cool Trader Joe's Wine Find) Zinfandel 2007

Vinted and bottled by Familia Nueva Vineyards Creston, CA, 14.6%

Extracted and deep Zin notes on aroma. Some alcohol with plum, dry cherry and leather scents. Strong wine. Not really complex or very rich but has dark fruit flavors with some bitter/spicy elements. Low on sweetness, a bit of alcohol and crisp tannins. A very good hot climate Zin, but a little overpowering with the alcohol and fruit bombing. Might be nice with bar-b-q ribs or carnitas.

Forestville Sangiovese-Chianti 2006

Forestville Vineyard, Sonoma, CA 12.5%

Mild fruity nose; bit of the Italian extracted cherry-berry scent. Smooth, supple mouth with a bit of sweetness. Good up front Sangiovese characters. However little to no tannins. Clean finish. Good flavor and structure for the price. Definitely drinkable especially with pasta and red sauce and the like.

Tenuta Coppadoro Vendemmia "Pescorosso" 2003

Nero di Troia and Aglanico Grapes
San Severo, Puglia, Italy, 13%
Produced by: Tenuta Coppadoro
Imported by: Wine Italy Manhasset, NY

Berry nose, extracted fruit. Smooth fruit with plenty of dark red fruit flavor. A bit tannic but nice lingering finish. May age well. A strong and robust wine with something to chew on. Not extra-ordinary but a good representation of Italian wines.

Gnarley Head Old Vine Zin 2006

Lodi, CA 14.5%
Produced by: Gnarly Head Cellars, Manteca, CA

Deep, robust, dried fruit nose. Smokey, heavy aromas. A little cedar and some dry wood elements in there. Dark jammy fruit flavors. Not exactly sweet, a little tart, a little tannic but mostly smooth and clean finishing. A bit bitter, licorice flavored on the finish. Not your mellow, easy drinking wine but one loaded with flavors. Good choice for those who like the "powerful" Zinfandels. Gnarly Dude! Could even be an "epic" wine. . .

Cline Sonoma County Syrah 2007

Sonoma, CA, 13.5%
Produced by: Cline Cellars
Green StringTM farmed

Nose a hint oxidized with dark fruits (blackberry, cherry, mulberry); subtle "Syrah" scent. Flavors of violet and ink with a bit of lavender. Nice and tart but lightly perfumed as well. Some plum and sour cherry. Good tannins but lots of lingering fruit. The blend of tart, fruit, and tannins gives an element of ripe Western Slope Rocky Mountain huckleberry to the wine. (Oh the childhood memories of the huckleberry patch. . .) Deep; layered with flavor. Tasty on the tongue but not heavy or saturating. Exhibits clarity and balance. Yummy! Excellent wine for this reasonable price. This kind of wine is why I love Syrah. And it's organic-esque too with that Green StringTM theory farming.

Jake's Fault Shiraz 2005

Geyserville, CA, 13.5%

Mild nose but some deepish Shiraz notes. Not super complex but good berry, ink-ish and cranberry sauce tones. Pretty flat and clean finishing for Shiraz which usually has a rich deeper fruit and spice element. Not great but quite drinkable and exhibits (in muted form) some of the classic characteristics of Shiraz/Syrah.

Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot 2004

Paterson, WA, 13.5%
Produced by Columbia Crest Winery.

Mild indistinct nose. Some character with aspects of heavy tart-sweet fruits, strong tannins and a bit of a smokey flavor. Not an interesting or special wine but fine for standard, boring Merlot. Better with oxygen in it but not much more than a basic bulk wine. . .

Glass Mountain By Markham, Vinter's Selection Syrah 2003

CA, 13.5%
Paterno Wines, Markham Cellars, Terlato Family. Napa, CA.

Nice semi-rich tones on the nose. Sweet berry and a bit of coco-spice. Good fruit flavors, a little tart, a little tannin. Nothing outstanding but a decent little Syrah. Better fresher. Loses a little after open for a couple days.