• Basic info: Garzon Tannat Reserve, Uruguay, 2015.
• Type: Red
• Price estimate: $20 (from local wine store)
• Look: Deep, inky ruby color that sticks to the glass. Significant legs, probably high alcohol wine.
• Smell: Dark cherry fuit.
• Taste: Bitter on first sip. High tannin structure. Dark stone fruit, mineral and forest floor/leather.
• Conclusions: This is a wine I had to taste over two days to really assess. The first day, it was super strong and all I really got was bitter. The second day was better, with the fruit coming trough more, but I still didn’t care for it. This might be the textbook definition of a “big, bold” wine and I can see lots of people liking it, but I’m not really one of them. With some decanting, I can drink it with food, but it is not one that I’m going to have a full glass of, much less a second glass.
• Other notes: I think I’ve mentioned before that we belong to two wine clubs, one from Oregon where we get six bottles every six months, and one local wine club that is two bottles each month. This one of of the local wine club wines. I’m glad I tried it and it isn’t something I would ever pick up on my own, but I didn’t really like it. I found it bitter (but then again, I find broccoli bitter too) and thick. It paired ok with food and it was the first time I tried this varietal (or even heard of it) so that was something. When I did a little research, it turns out this varietal is known for the tannin structure – it is where the grape gets it’s name. If you like high tannin wines, you might like this, but this one was not for me.
• From the bottle: No tasting notes on the bottle, but from the wine store, “A juicy full bodied wine. Rich purple in color with very fresh aromas reminiscent of red and black fruits. A strong impression on the mouth with tannins and mineralogy that transform into a wine with great local soil identity.” 14.5% alcohol by volume.

Yes, that is Leia on the table. She hasn’t been feeling well lately and I don’t have the heart to kick her off unless we are eating. Poor kitty. But she does make the picture much more interesting.

• Basic info: Guillen – Esteban Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon – 2015
• Type: Red
• Price estimate: $25 (wine club estimate – the winery does not seem to sell direct to the public, so I”m not sure how to acquire this one)
• Look: Transluscent ruby red in color. Medium legs, prob. medium to high alcohol content.
• Smell: dark fruit/cherry with a hint of mineral. Nutmeg.
• Taste: Subtle, smooth, cherry. Very light tannin structure.
• Conclusions:One of the best pinot noir ever. Super smooth and good depth of flavor. Lots of layers.
• Other notes: This was one of our Oregon wine club wines. Bob and I get six bottles every six months, and we save them for our cheese night dinners each month. This has worked out really well for us – good wine, good cheese and usually good company. All of the notes for this wine are from Bob since I have an irritating cold and can’t smell much, and everything tastes off. Bob isn’t a huge pinot noir fan, he prefers bigger wines in general, but this is the second pinot from this club that he is gaga over. We actually ordered a half case of one from the last club shipment, and if I can figure out how to order this one, we may be getting another half case – after I recover from the cold and determine if I like it as much as he does.
• From the bottle: No tasting notes on the bottle. From the club notes, “For being so young, the wine is drinking fabulously well but will certainly reward whatever patience you can muster for it. Black cherry, blackberry fruit along with the unmistakable baking spice component that comes from the whole cluster fermentation that Jesus carefully manages on the wine.” 13.5% alcohol by volume.

• Basic info:Alessio Komjanc Cab Franc, Collio, Italy, 2014.
• Type: Red
• Price estimate: $25 (at local wine store)
• Look: Ruby in color, slightly translucent. Very few legs.
• Smell: Cedar, pepper and mineral. (Bob got the pepper and mineral, and he agreed with the cedar after I said it)
• Taste: Smooth and just a little effervescent. taste of black cherry and dark stone fruit with a decided mineral taste on the finish. Mild tannin.
• Conclusions: I fully expected to hate this (Ed, I’m looking at all of the cab francs you had me try over the years), but I really liked it. It was far lighter in texture than I expected and the very slight bubbly feeling was surprising. I’m not sure  would seek this one out like I do zinfandels, but I won’t automatically dismiss the varietal like I once might have.
• Other notes: This was one of our wine club wines and I hesitated to open it. I really put it off and just decided to open it and get it out of the way one day, and it was really good. We had it with dinner a few nights, but it wasn’t a wine I wanted to have a second glass of after dinner. I also think I have to learn what the “legs” on wine are supposed to look like at different alcohol levels because I feel like everything is looking the same, and the alcohol levels are definitely not the same.
• From the bottle: No notes on the bottle, but from the website (translated into English): “Ruby red color tending towards violet. Intense, clearly herbaceous aroma that prevails over the fruity hints. Its flavor is full and decisive.” 12.5 – 13% alcohol by volume.

• Basic info:Vino Nobile, Di Montepulciano, Italy 2013
• Type: Red Blend
• Price estimate: $17 (at Total Wine)
• Look:Ruby red in color. Somewhat translucent. No noticeable legs, possibly light alcohol.
• Smell: Not much smell, but jammy with a hint of dark cherry.
• Taste: Pepper, spice and some black fruit. Smooth wine with nice acidity. Bob noted mild tannins and a light mineral taste. He also got tobacco on the finish, which I didn’t get at all. Thin mouthfeel.
• Conclusions: Good table wine. Very drinkable and it has a nice taste with not a lot of alcohol after taste to it. It is a little thin, but not bad at all. Solid wine.
• Other notes: We still are not exactly sure what type of wine this is, but I’m thinking a sangiovese blend of some kind. It is a good wine to have with dinner, and will blend with a lot of different foods.
• From the bottle: “A dry red wine with pleasant violet hues and a fresh and persistent bouquet. At the taste it has good freshness and tannin acid balance.” 13.5% alcohol by volume.

• Basic info: Artezin, Zinfandel from Mendocino, CA, 2013
• Type: Red Wine
• Price estimate: $15 (at Total Wine)
• Look: Dark ruby in color, not translucent. Medium viscosity, probably medium alcohol.
• Smell: Wine. Maybe a little jam and blackberry (but it could also be that I want to smell those)
• Taste: Jam leading to pepper. Round wine and very smooth. Really nice finish with just a little bit of tannin.
• Conclusions: I really liked this wine when I opened it and I liked it even more the next day. It drinks really well and is easy to drink. You know there is alcohol there so you are not in danger of over drinking, but it is not enough to knock you out with a single glass.
• Other notes: I really liked this wine for a few reasons. It is a zinfandel and I am really partial to zinfandels. It had a great body, but it wasn’t heavy and it is a wine that I could sip. Some wines I find have such low alcohol content that I just drink them this wine I could savor. It definitely drinks like a more expensive wine.
• From the bottle: “This zinfandel offers varietal aromas of raspberry and boysenberry with notes of spice and black pepper.” 14.7% alcohol by volume.

• Basic info: I Vasari, Old Vines Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy), Barba 2011
• Type: Red
• Price estimate: $15 (at Total Wine)
• Look: Garnet, deep plum color. Some legs, maybe medium alcohol.
• Smell: Jam.
• Taste: Bright up front, rounding to a sour finish. Very tart and no fruit. Medium body. (Bob got sour up front and acerbic with some tannin and a little mineralogy.)
• Conclusions: Not a good wine as it was just too sour. I’m not sure if we got a bad bottle or if that is the way the wine is supposed to taste, but neither of us finished a glass. Food did not help the flavor, either and the more I tried to drink it the less I liked it.
• Other notes: Bob and I are usually pretty excited about Barbas and other slightly less known varietals, especially Italian wines. I wanted to like this wine, but it just didn’t taste good. Bob described it as having a “sticks and stems taste,” which I didn’t get, but then again, I was getting mostly sour and taste.
• From the bottle: “Very intense ruby color, this wine denotes an intense and complex bouquet that combines cherry with different spice flavors, rich aroma with scents of black cherry, plum, blackberry.”  13.5% alcohol by volume.

*I should note that we get wine from a few places. We loved the Oregon wine so much when we went last summer, we joined a wine club that sends six bottles every six months. We still have about a dozen wines from our trip, most of which we are saving for special occasions. We also have a local wine club that is two bottles each month and we sometimes pick up a few bottles at that store. We do get most of our wine from the alcohol store (as we call it) because, well, it is convenient. So while most of the price estimates will be prices from Total Wine, not all of them will. Most of the wines I buy are between $15 and $30, with some a little lower and every now and then, higher. Also, yes, I tend to pick out the wine, but not always and it can be weeks from when I read the description or taste it in the store to when I open the bottle at home; I’m not reading the label or tasting notes before tasting and making my own notes.