Kennedy Shah La Vie en Rouge Columbia Valley 2012
Brilliant ruby color. Deep black plum notes take the lead with scents of raspberry and blueberry with hints of earth, spice, and black coffee. The palate confirms the nose with a ripe berry fruit focus supported by notes of tart cherry, brown spices, oak, and dried herbs. Round and full with great balance, complexity, low-tannins, and a very welcomed moderate dose alcohol. $14 – 4.5 Stars – 94 points
Tooth & Nail "The Fiend" Paso Robles 2012
Deep, vivid purple color with viscosity evident in the glass. The nose is immediately filled with the scents of freshly crushed red and black berries with plum and loads of Herbes de Provence, dark chocolate, cassis, and subtle hints of anise. The palate delivers on the promise of the nose and then some. The rich fruit core is as smooth as silk with layers of berry coming in waves with accents of cocoa, lavender, sandalwood, and allspice. This big red is a mouthful with ripe fruit at its core and virtually no tannins making it ready to drink today. $26.99 – 4.5 Stars – 94 points
Tooth & Nail "The Possessor" Paso Robles 2012
Deep, vivid ruby red color with viscosity evident in the glass. The aromatics reveal a great deal of dusty, dry earth accompanying the rich black fruits with supporting notes of red cherry, plum, cardamon, allspice, black pepper, dried pine needle, and oak. The palate concurs with the nose as the concentrated fruit core expands and flurishes with flanking notes of earth, spice, and oak with dried herbs making an appearance on the finish. This is a big and bold wine with a rich core and enough acidity and subtle dry tannins to keep it vibrant. $26.99 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Force of Nature Mossfire Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2013
Deep, darkest ruby to garnet red color. When first poured the nose is very subtle. It requires time to breathe. Once aerated it begins to reveal its true character offering waves of black cherry, plum, and raspberry with hints of blueberry, damp earth, oak, brown baking spices, and cassis. The palate is 100% in agreement with the nose delivering a lush ripe, concentrated fruit core with generous flanking spice, earth, and oak notes. This is a big and bold style that also leans toward the juicy side of the scale. A fresh dose of acidity keeps it vibrant. Made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. $22.50 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Force of Nature Mossfire Ranch Zinfandel Paso Robles 2013
Deep purple with hints of ruby red. The aromatics are quite complex deftly marrying ripe blueberry, raspberry, and plum with cracked black pepper, cardamon, allspice, clove, pink peppercorns, and cocoa nibs. The palate equals the complexity of the nose. It's much more than fruit ideally weaving in a wide array of spice, with subtle earth tones and oak. Being a Zin from Paso you know it's going to be a mouthful but this multilayered beauty gets kudos for its subtlety as well. Made with 100% Zinfandel. $22.50 – 4.5 Stars – 94 points
Force of Nature Red Wine - Mossfire Ranch Paso Robles 2013
Deep, bold ruby red to purple, the kind of ruby that would make Barbie blush. The nose reveals a lush fruit bomb with character and style. The ripe, lush cherry, raspberry and plum are foiled by scents of forest floor, oak, dark chocolate and subtle hints of clove. The palate is just as rich as the nose if not more. It's a carnival of freshly crushed ripe red berries with some black berries mixed in for interest. The secondary earth, spice and oak notes are rather secondary as lush, ripe fruit is the focus here. This is a big wine but not at all brooding or flabby. The alcohol is well in check and there is enough acid to keep inviting sip after sip and the cold, black tea tannins on the finish offer structure and depth. $18 – 4.5 Stars – 94 points
Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2011
Deepest, darkest ruby red veering toward purple. Vibrant and inviting aromatics of blackberry, cherry, blackcurrant, and plum with accents of mineral, allspice, nutmeg, cocoa nibs, and oak with hints of French roast coffee. The palate is just as complex and sophisticated with tremendous structure and length, waves of ripe fruit, and vibrant acidity. While this is surely a Napa wine it does have a lot in common with the great wines of Bordeaux. Its rich while restrained palate will remind many wine lovers of the modern Pauillac style with an unmistakable Napa heart. $65 – 4.5 Stars – 94 points
Bodega Garzon Albariño Garzon 2013
Brilliant pale straw. The nose is wonderfully fragrant and complex with notes of apricot, red grapefruit, nectarine, green papaya, dark oolong tea, and mineral. The palate is fully simpatico with the aromatics offering a vibrant entry with lingering ripe and tart orchard fruit notes, accents of ginger, and lemongrass. A beautiful example of the varietal’s panache and power to refresh. $16.99 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Bodega Garzon Tannat Garzon 2013
Deepest, darkest ruby red color. The nose is rich and super concentrated with scents of roasted black berry, black plum, cherry, and eucalyptus, pomegranate, cigar box, and a bit of lapsang souchong. The palate fulfills the promise of the nose and then some delivering a mouth-coating black fruit essence with plenty of dried leafy herbs, mineral, and cocoa nibs in support. A real beauty that just gets better and better with more aeration so be sure to throw this in a decanter to discover its full potential. $19.99 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Pietra Santa Signature Collection Pinot Noir Cienega Valley 2011
Deep ruby red color. The nose is complex and multilayered offering waves of mineral notes with a dense berry center and accents of wild flowers, heather, black pepper, and toasted oak. The palate fully concurs delivering a concentrated, fruit-forward core with plenty of tart cherry notes to match the sweet raspberry and strawberry flavors. The rich fruit core is framed by toasted oak, brown baking spices, and omnipresent mineral notes. A generous dose of fresh acidity keeps this Pinot fresh and alluring. It finishes with mild tannins and a pretty spice melange. Please decant this wine and allow it to breathe for 30 minutes to reveal its many charms. $35 – 4 Stars – 93 points
