Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Paso Robles 2013
See the Full BevX Featured ReviewDeep, dark, garnet red color. The nose reveals an incredibly dense and concentrated wine with layers of black fruits, earth, meaty mushrooms, black currants, brown baking spices, and leather, with hints of smoke and oak. The palate concurs with the nose delivering a potent punch of juicy fruit with dried black and red fruits as well. The spice and earth signature of this wine is truly remarkable as it seamlessly marries with the fruit lingering on and on for minutes. Full-bodied with an incredible deep core of fruit and spice that is unrelenting in its youth while maintaining perfect balance with bright, fresh acidity. $55 – 5 Stars – 97 points
Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Paso Robles 2014
Deep, bright, ruby red color. The aromatics are simply beautiful. Scents of deep, dense black fruits are supported by accents of leather, star anise, wild mint, lavender, sagebrush, mineral, and brown baking spices. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering waves of freshly crushed black berries with silky flanking notes of spice, earth, herbs, and dried cherries. Full-bodied with lush, silky fruit and an ideal dose of vibrant acidty that gives a brightness to the wine and prolongs the palate finishing with moderate, chewy tannins. $35 – 4.5 Stars – 95 points
Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Paso Robles 2014
Deep, dark, ruby red color. The nose is wonderfully intense with scents of red cherry upfront followed by notes of plum, wild raspberry, and blackberry compote with accents of blueberry skins, mince meat, rich earth, and mineral. The palate echoes the nose delivering a dense and chewy fruit-driven core with layers of juicy and dried fruits that linger on toward a rustic finish with moderate tannins. Medium to full-bodied with ultra dense fruit while being perfectly balanced with a bright dose of acidity that keeps it fresh and vibrant. $25 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Insurrection Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia 2014
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekDeepest, darkest, ruby red color. The nose is packed full with ripe, sweet red and black berries with a dash of tart berries to add interest. The jammy fruit is supported by a generous dose of brown baking spices, dark chocolate, cigar, and hints of charred, sweet oak. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a lush but ideally balanced fruit core flanked by waves of spice, cigar box, and subtle oak notes. Full-bodied and certainly jammy with enough vibrant acidity to keep it fresh with structured but firm tannins. $17 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Falesco Vitiano Rosso Umbria IGP 2013
Deep, ruby red color. The nose explodes with the scents of violets, raspberry, plum, and black cherry with accents of star anise, fresh sweet herbs, tomato jam, and hints of oak and vanilla. The palate is in full accord with the nose as the ripe and rich fruit fills the mouth with lingering spice and oak notes finishing with soft, chewy tannins. Medium-bodied with lush and generous fruit while having the perfect portion of acidity making it vibrant and begging for the next sip. $12 – 4 Stars – 92 points
Falesco Marciliano Umbria 2010
Deepest, densest ruby to purple color. The nose is just as dense as the color offering scents of ripe black fruits with a generous dose of earth and mineral, cigar box, cassis, dark roast coffee beans, and oak. The palate echoes the nose delivering a concentrated black fruit core with layers of spice, earth, and oak cask with thick and chewy tannins rising on the finish. This is a big wine, full-bodied to be sure with generous fruit and spice notes enveloped with firm and chewy tannins that nearly require a fork. $50 – 4 Stars – 93 points
Mount Veeder Reserve Napa Valley 2012
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekDeep garnet to maroon color. The nose is wonderfully complex — imagine Bordeaux meeting Napa hillsides. Scents of blackberry, blueberry, plum, and cassis take the lead supported by fresh herbs, toasted oak, allspice, nutmeg, and hints of dark chocolate, leather, and licorice. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush, fruit-driven core with a wildly complex mix of earth, cigar, brown baking spices, sweet herbs, and oak to add intrigue. It's certainly full-boded but this wine offers more nuance than heft as it's never brooding while constantly changing from sip to sip. $90 – 5 Stars – 98 points
Tie Dye Red Blend North Coast 2013
Brilliant, deep ruby red color. The nose is intensely fruity and complex with waves of raspberry, black cherry, Boysenberry, and cassis competing for the lead with accents of fresh herbs, eucalyptus, brown baking spices, and subtle toasted oak notes. The palate is in full accord with the nose delivering a lush and multifaceted, fruit-driven core with depth and length. The herbal and spice notes rise on the finish that lingers with jammy black fruits. Full-bodied while balanced and complex as it never seems heavy, offering a bright dose of acidity with soft, round tannins. $18.99 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Bogle Essential Red California 2013
Deep, bright ruby red. The nose is generously proportioned with the scents of freshly crushed red and black berries with supporting notes of brown baking spices, blueberry, black currant, vanilla, and toasted oak. The palate is in full agreement with the nose offering a lush but incredibly vibrant, fruit-driven core with tart fruit acidity, oak, spice, and a hint of earth. Wonderfully intense and rich without being heavy or brooding with a lovely dose of acid and chewy tannins that offer structure. $12 – 4 Stars – 91 points
Rocks! By Cornerstone Red California 2013
Brilliant, ruby to garnet red color. The aromatics open with ripe, freshly crushed red and black berries (more red than black) with supporting notes of baking spice, pepper, and subtle earth tones. The palate is in full agreement as ripe fruit and spice take the lead with accents of leather and earth. It finishes with a touch of dried berries and a subtle tart fruit note. Perfectly balanced with enough bright acidity to keep it fresh while never trampling on the ripe fruit core. $15 – 4 Stars – 91 points
