This one stumped me in a WSET blind tasting.  We were going to be discussing Spain and Portugal so I was convinced that the red wine had to be from the region but when I put this deep ruby colored wine up to my nose I was greeted by a very familiar set of smells.  Medium (+) intensity aromas of black plum, red plum, cinnamon, blackberry, cedar and vanilla made me think this complex wine was a Tempranillo.  The palate was dry with medium (+) tannins, medium (+) acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) body and medium intensity flavors of the aforementioned, albeit slightly less intense on the palate.  This gave way to a medium length finish that had me grade this wine as very good, suitable to be drunk now or aged some more.  In reality, I had just predisposed myself to thinking I was drinking one varietal when in fact it was a Sonoma Cab I was sipping!  Looking back- this wine gets 91 points and for $55 it is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

A deep ruby, bordering on ink in the glass.  I get pronounced aromas of blackberry, cassis, black plum, eucalyptus, oak, coffee and ripe blueberry jam.  The palate is super smooth, rich, warm and delightful.  Dry and slightly tannic, this full bodied wine has great flavors of ripe black and blue fruits, excellent barrel integration with coffee, oak and vanilla notes to go with medium acidity.  The finish is medium (+) in length and quite dry from the persistent yet integrated tannins.  A very well balanced wine with great mouthfeel that will drink beautifully till 2030 with wild game, grilled meats, rich cheese platters or just all by itself.  94 points from me make this $42 stunner a 5 star effort.  Glad I got a case.  Salut….

I’m practicing for my wine-tasting exam and must use the correct lexicon….

Deep ruby with thin legs in the glass.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, smoke, stewed black cherry, vanilla and eucalyptus.  This wine is developing nicely after 12 years of aging.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, medium (+) tannin, high alcohol, medium (+) body and medium (+) intensity flavors of black currant, blackberry, vanilla, eucalyptus, and smoke.  The finish is medium in length and the quality of this wine is very good.  It’s drinking beautifully now and has the capacity to age further, till 2029.  That would make it 20 years old.  92 points from me make this yummy $40 bottle a 5 star wine.  Serve with Sunday roast or grilled Ribeye.  Salut….