This wine has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, and a nose that is a wonderful blend of jammy fruit, black cherries, currant, anise and somewhat of a sour twang, suggesting that the sweet fruit might be well balanced by acidity. The taste is an explosion of fruit in your mouth, with rich ripe berries, yet the acidity of some sour cherry notes really balance the fruit mid-palate. The finish is quite smooth, yet it has a wonderful woodsy sort of taste on the finish, which again is a surprising counterbalance to the rich fruit. See the full reveiw on my blog here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2012/12/2009-las-rocas-garnacha.html

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The wine is like many good Napa cabs, very deep ruby color, almost inky in the glass. The nose is a wonderfully rich blend of leather, blackberry, cherry and anise that speaks to the richness of the wine, and feel free to let it open up a bit in the glass, my hint is to have a glass or two while I am making dinner, so it's perfect by the time I sit down to eat. The taste is a lovely fruit forward blend of ripe berries, plum and fresh herbs, giving way to some spicy notes midpalate, as the flavors play against each other and add a bit of complexity. The nicely structured tannins provide for a long, dry, velvety finish that makes this wine a treat by itself. See the full review on my blog here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2012/11/2009-mount-veeder-napa-valley-cabernet.html

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The color of this wine is a deep purple at the center, easing to a bright ruby along the edges. The nose is quite interesting, with aromas of ripe plum and blackberry intermingled with oak, spice and a grassy smell that creates an odd complexity. The taste is quite fruit forward, with ripe berry flavors that quickly give way to some tar, tobacco and spice midpalate. The finish of this full bodied wine is quite lush, with firm tannins providing just the right bit of tartness to balance the full mouthfeel. This is a very nice Cabernet that will likely not benefit from much more age, and is drinking quite nicely right now. See my full review on my blog here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2013/01/2010-santa-alicia-reserva-cabernet.html

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So tonight, for a wine on the lighter side of this horrifically hot and humid evening, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Parducci Small Lot Blend Pinot Noir from Mendocino County, Calif. And it's certainly a lighter wine, with a bright ruby color in the glass. The nose is very interesting, with hints of cedar, tart cherry, grass and a tiny bit of pepper. The taste is somewhat fruity at the outset, giving way to a floral taste midpalate and finishing with a good bit of tart fruit that reminds me of firm strawberries that just haven't quite ripened, but then it quickly transitions to a taste of strawberry jam. See the full review on my blog here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2012/09/2009-charles-krug-yountville-napa.html

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The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass, and the nose exhibits a notes of red fruit, raspberries, cherries and blackberries along with some earthy elements of tobacco, leather and anise. The taste is very fruit forward, with flavors of ripe cherry and plum, transitioning to dry spices and cinnamon. The tannins are quite supple, leading to long, smooth finish with notes of dark chocolate and smoke, which is often characteristic of blends with Malbec. See my full review on my blog here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2012/10/2006-bernardus-marinus-red-wine.html

Style:Earthy & Spicy

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