Theopolis Vineyards Theo-Patra’s Cuvée Cerise 2019, California

Ruby in color with medium intensity and a wide reddish/ purplish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, blueberries, sweet cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked strawberries, spices, pencil lead, black pepper, chocolates, tobacco and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and spices.

This is a tasty red blend from California. Showing mild complexity with a nice and soft mouthfeel.

Good by itself, tangy and fruit forward. Easy drinking and spicy.

This red blend is definitely still young, and needs 3 to 5 years to mature and get more complex. Has nice potential, and would be nice to revisit this in 3 years.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 30 minutes of airtime. After a couple of hours, it reminds me of a fruit forward Côtes du Rhône.

The high alcohol is not noticeable, so you better watch out.

An interesting blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Aged in neutral French Oak barrels for 12 months. A small production of only 250 cases.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers by the lake.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$36.

Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery GSM Crossing 2015 Paso Robles, California

A pretty color of dark ruby with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, red currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, oak, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, spices, earth, black pepper and light pencil lead.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, earth, oak, spices, licorice, dark coffee, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, herbs, light vinaigrette and black pepper.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very interesting Rhone blend from Paso Robles. Elegant, spicy and good by itself or with food.

This 6 year old is peaking now with nice complexity and a soft mouth feel. An interesting wine, and very tasty.

I gave it one hour in a decanter to open up, and paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Goes very nicely with the Prosciutto and the wild mashroom Brie cheese.

A blend of 44% Syrah, 34% Mourvedre and 22% Grenache. Aged for 19 Months in (30% New) French Oak barrels.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$42.

Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery Train Wreck 2015 Paso Robles, California

Time for some Merlot on this
#MerlotThursday. Here’s a nice one from Paso Robles.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, licorice, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, coffee, pencil lead, spices, light earth, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long fat legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, blueberries, cooked cherries, earth, oak, spices, licorice, light vanilla, herbs, light vegetables, pencil lead, peppercorn, leather and tobacco leaf.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very interesting red blend from Paso Robles. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Elegant and stylish. Rich and fruity with lots of earth notes to make it interesting.

This 6 year old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue in the next 3 to 5 years.

I gave it 90 minutes to open up and show the complexity. After 3 hours of airtime, it balances out with much less vegetables notes. Worth the wait.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and crackers. Paired very nicely with the triple cream Brie cheese.

A blend of 21% Merlot, 21% Petite Sirah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 21% Zinfandel and 6% Mourvedre. Aged for 21 Months in oak barrels (35% New).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$45.

Leverage Wines Trajectory 2017, Paso Robles, California

Dark purple in color with a purple/ reddish rim.

Strong nose of blueberries, black cherries, black plums, earth, wood, light vanilla, spices, herbs, tobacco, coffee, dark chocolates and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked strawberries, spices, pencil lead, tobacco, chocolates, earth, herbs, oak, licorice, dark coffee, pencil lead, cloves, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a wonderful GSM blend from Paso Robles. Nicely balanced, rich and fruit forward. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Still young and needs a few years in the bottle, but already delicious. Would age nicely in the next 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. Complexity comes in in the decanter.

Spicy and interesting to drink by itself, and good with food too. Delicious and approachable.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board meats, cheeses and crackers. Goes very nicely with the aged Brie cheese.

A blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre. Aged for 18 months in (40% New) French Oak barrels. A small production of only 175 cases.

15.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$56.

RD Winery Hundred Knot Grenache 2019 Sonoma Valley, California

Purple in color with a wide reddish rim.

Sweet nose of cherries, blueberries, sweet strawberries, licorice, oak, tobacco, vanilla, chocolates, spices and black pepper.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, red currants, oak, tobacco, earth, spices, licorice, peppercorn, chocolates and coffee.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Grenache from Sonoma Valley. Nicely balanced and fruit forward. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

Showing mild complexity with a nice, soft mouthfeel. Light and engaging and a good summer wine. A nice light chill would be a good idea.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and brings in more structure.

Alcohol is nicely integrated already, so watch out.

Would be nice to see how this evolves in the next 3 years.

I had it by the pool with some dried meats, fresh berries and cheeses.

A blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months (20% new).

15% alcohol by Volume.

91 points.

$53.

New Napa Winery

Saxum Vineyards Broken Stones 2005 Paso Robles, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nice nose of black currants, plums, strawberries, sweet cherries, light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, cinnamon, eucalyptus and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, black currants, wood, licorice, light vanilla, chocolates, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, light vegetables, tobacco and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great GSM Blend from Paso Robles. Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly, but good after an hour of airtime. Tannins show up after 2 hours in the decanter.

This 15 years old is good by itself or with food. Feels more like a 10 to 15 year old, good quality, Right Bank Bordeaux.

Wine Enthusiasts 89 points (big miss).

Really enjoyed smelling on it for a while. Delicious and tasty.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

A blend of 74% Syrah, 24% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$125 (current vintage)

Notre Vue Estate GSM Rosé 2019 Chalk Hill, California

Pretty salmon in color.

Nose of citrus, limes, light raspberries, spices, earth, vegetables and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, cherries, limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples, herbs, spices and white pepper.

Nice finish with spices and almonds.

This is a very enjoyable Rosé from Chalk Hill, Sonoma County. Fruit forward and refreshing with nice complexity.

Nicely balanced with a buttery mouthfeel. Better when properly chilled.

Good by itself or with food. I had it by the pool with soft cheeses.

A blend of 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah and 33% Mourvedre.

12.7% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$29.

Teperberg Family Winery Essence Rosé 2019, Israel

A very pretty light pinkish color in the glass.

Very aromatic nose of citrus, grapefruits, light raspberries, limes, white flowers, earth, vegetables, Jasmine, herbs and white pepper.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with limes, citrus, green apples, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, earth, light strawberries and black pepper.

Spicy finish with almonds and limes.

This is a nice Rosé from Israel. Very much in the Old World style. Resembles a Cote du Rhône Rosé. Earthy and spicy.

Interesting with mild complexity and better when properly chilled.

A nice food wine that I paired with Brie cheese and crackers.

A blend of 45% Grenache Noir, 35% Mourvedre and 20% Barbara. Kosher non Mevushal.

11.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$30.

Meadowcroft Wines River Trace Grenache Syrah Mourvedre 2017, Sonoma County, California

Dark purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Light nose of cherries, black plums, currants, light spices, earth, licorice, light oak, vanilla and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, currants, oak, tobacco leaf, earth, bitter herbs, spices, black tea, coffee, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Nice spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable GSM blend from Chalk Hill, Sonoma County. Nicely balanced and spicy with mild complexity.

Easy drinking with a light mouthfeel, albeit the high alcohol, which is not noticeable.

Needs an hour to open up properly.
A good quality wine that I would like to revisit in 3 years to see how it evolved.

This Californian Rhône blend is a good wine to pair with food. I paired it with cheeses and olives, but it was really nice with the Parmesan cheese.

A blend of 65% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 10% Mourvédre. Aged in 30% new French oak barrels. A small production of only 120 cases.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$50.

Toca Madera Winery Toca Madera Vineyard Syrah/ Grenache/ Mourvedre/ Viognier 2015, California

Reddish in color with light intensity.

Pronounced and fruity nose of black currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, spices, light oak, earth, leather, tobacco, peppercorn, herbs and light chocolates.

Medium plus in body and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with currants, plums, cooked cherries, raspberries, licorice, oak, earth, chocolates, peppercorn, tobacco, herbs, spices, coffee and pencil lead.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty GSM blend from California. Well balanced with nice complexity. Showing a great mouthfeel. Soft, spicy and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle, but better with some air (30 minutes).

This Single Vineyard GSM is peaking now, and will be good in the next few years.

This is an easy drinking red blend. I always enjoy these new world GSMs. Feels like the Viognier is a nice addition.

I paired it with a cheese plate with dry fruits, crackers and fresh berries.

A blend of 55% Syrah, 17% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 13% Viognier. Unfined and Unfiltered.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$32.