Clos Saint Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Rouge 2012 Rhône, France

Dark ruby in color with a wide ruby rim.

Strong nose of black currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, peppercorn, chocolates, graphite, dark coffee, vinaigrette, vanilla, oak, light mold, black tea, bitter herbs and spices.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, bell pepper, cherries, oak, vanilla, cloves, spices, smoke, graphite, tobacco leaf, bitter herbs, black tea, coffee, river rocks and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries..

This is a great GSM blend from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.

This 9 year old needs 2 hours to open up properly, and wasn’t good right out of the bottle. I had this vintage six years ago, and boy did it change. Drinking very nicely now. Delicious actually.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables and fresh grapes.

A blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 30% Mourvedre.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50 (current vintage).

Famille Perrin Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2010, France

Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, raisins, dried figs, tobacco, oak, light vanilla, spices, peppercorn, chocolates and earth.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, earth, spices, tobacco, chocolates, light vegetables, coffee, peppercorn and pencil lead.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious GSM blend from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Showing great complexity with a great mouthfeel. Rich and elegant.

This 11 year old from the great 2010 vintage is so tasty and delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Enthusiasts 96 points.

Needs 4 hours to open up properly, and show the tannins and complexity, so be patient.

I’ve had multiple vintages of this wine, and it is always a treat.

I paired it with dried meats and cheeses.

A blend of mostly Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah with other appellation varietals.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$125.

Notre Vue Estate Winery GSM 2019, Chalk Hill, California

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

Fruity nose of black plums, black cherries, herbs, currants, earth, light barnyard, spices, light alcohol and crushed peppercorn.

Medium bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cherries, spices, licorice, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, peppercorn, earth and black tea.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins, tangy raspberries and chili pepper.

This is a very tasty GSM blend from Chalk Hill. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Nicely balanced and fruit forward. Rich and elegant.

Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. However, it is dangerously good at this point. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Spicy and interesting.

Good right out of the bottle, and shows more complexity as it opens up (45 minutes).

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 51% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 29% Mourvedre.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$70.

Fall Creek Vineyards Salt Lick Vineyards Terroir Reflection GSM 2017, Texas

• 

Say hello to my first Texan wine.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Gorgeous nose of blueberries, cooked plums, violets, light oak, vanilla, wildflowers, light herbs, spices, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, vinaigrette, coffee, light oak, vanilla, earth, licorice, spices and black pepper.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and peppercorn.

This is a nice surprise. This GSM blend is drinking very nicely now. Showing a great nose with a nice mouthfeel. Tangy and interesting. Soft and rich.

Good right out of the bottle and a good wine to have all by itself, or with food. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Spicy, fruit forward and interesting. A nice porch wine that I paired with cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 60% Mourvedre, 36% Syrah and 4% Grenache. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$50.

Notre Vue Estate Winery Sparkling Rosé 2019, Chalk Hill, California

• 

Pretty color of light orange.

Nose of earth, light strawberries, citrus, limes, grapefruits, light peaches, spices, river rocks and herbs.

Medium plus in body with medium size bubbles, and medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with strawberries, raspberries, spices, herbs, green apples, red grapefruits, limes and spices.

Medium plus on the finish with limes.

This is a very enjoyable Vintage Sparkling wine from Chalk Hill. A very nice GSM blend. Nicely balanced and refreshing.

Shows nice balance between the fruits and earth notes, although earthier than I expected. Showing mild complexity, tangy and refreshing.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

I paired it with caviar, cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 52% Syrah, 32% Grenache and 16% Mourvedre. A very small production of only 180 cases.

13.1% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$45.

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