Tasting: Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red, 2005

There is a lot of fever around this wine, so I was looking forward to trying it. Color is black violet - incredibly dark, like a black rose with purple edges. Nose is a ripe fruit bomb with light alcohol and some white chocolate. Flavors of ripe fruit, pie crust, fairly strong alcohol, and lightly cooked red meat (this one was interesting). Finish is rather harsh to me, with some kerosene/rubbing alcohol finish, quite hot. For the price, it is not bad, but I have found better.

Tasting: Eberle Full Boar Red, N.V.

This is a bargain, to be sure. The nose is pleasant - some vegetal, mostly ripe fruit, and a little alcohol. Medium complexity to the nose - nice enough to be enjoyable, but certainly not similar to a complex cab or big pinot. Blackberry jam, some sweet squash, clean finish - just a bit sharp at the end of the finish. Overall texture is quite smooth and silky - nice on such an affordable wine ($10-ish).

Review: Bogle Petite Sirah, 2004

Color is a rich violet color, medium dark. Nose of charred fruit, raisin, quite a bit of alcohol even after an hour of decanting, and some beet, asparagus - very vegetal. Texture is very silky, seems thicker on the mid-palette than right as you drink it. More charred fruit, sort of an overcooked or burned plum flavor, some caramelized sugar. Finish is clean and short, and the fruit finish is less charred than the nose and taste, but it still lingers. Not as complex as I had expected, and its most redeeming qualities are the silky texture and fruit nose, although the fruit is charred. I would assume that this would be a great match for barbeque, where the smoky flavors just blend right in with the food it is being paired with.

Review: Yalumba Y Series Shiraz/Viognier, 2004

Nose was floral, fruit, but with alcohol/medicinal qualities - not terribly pleasant, and rather weak. Black cherry, vanilla, and ripe fruit are smooth in taste, but finish with a sour fruit twist - not a finish I care for in particular. I'm going to hold out hope that it will aerate/decant well. I was disappointed because I so looked forward to the blend of Shiraz and Viognier ever since first reading about it - seems like such a great combination, but perhaps the Shiraz needs to be better first.

Review: Koehler Chardonnay Santa Ynez Valley, 2005

We visited Koehler on our recent trip to Santa Barbara County, and enjoyed the tasting very much. The wines were some of the best we experienced that day, so I was looking forward to trying this bottle since one never knows if the experience at the winery will be duplicated at home, some months later. Luckily for us, I was not only pleasantly surprised, but my expectations were exceeded.

Beautiful nose for such a young Chardonnay - pink grapefruit, the skin of white peaches, some sweet pineapple, with an overall black licorice hint - very nice and refreshing. Not a characteristic 'big Chardonnay', lacking in the oak and overall big texture, but more of the refreshing type - very nice. Tastes unoaked, with more citrus, nice sweet pink grapefruit, some sweet mid-palette, and the traditional dry finish of Chardonnay. In many ways similar to a nice Viognier, but not quite as sweet overall and without the sweet finish. I'm pleased at the overall quality of this wine, which is one of the best whites I've had in months, and for the price you can't beat it unless you enter the $30 range, in my opinion.

Review: Jepson Estate Collection Syrah, 2002

Yet another review in my attempt to find the perfect 'affordable red'.

Admittedly I'm not too experienced with Syrah/Shiraz, so this was a bit unexpected, but even during the first glass it really grew on me. Syrah is known to be spicy, and this certainly is - a lot of black pepper, some sweet wood, light berry fruit, and leather - very musky/spicy overall. It's nice - not as fruity as I typically like in a huge Pinot or a cab, but really nice. Texture is like heavy satin, and the finish is abrupt and extremely clean, which I very much appreciate. I can see getting to like Syrah more and more, but I'm not sure it will supplant the joy that a big Pinot or Cab with a huge fruity (blackberry jam) nose gives me...we'll see. For $7.99, this is a great value wine of some quality.

Review: Lindemans Pyrus, 2001

I had read some great reviews of this wine and had expected more than I was given. The texture is great - thick and rich, somewhat chewy - so it has the feel or texture of a solid cabernet. The nose has some medicinal qualities that I was not too pleased about, but they lessened a bit as I let the wine decant in the glass. Black cherry, black pepper and vanilla are definitely present, but the overall taste seems young to me. I noticed tannins throughout, but they were smoothed over nicely. The finish is clean, but ends a bit on the sour fruit side. I detected a note of graphite - not sure that is really something you want, and it wasn't terribly unpleasant, but it was there.

EDIT: The next day, this wine actually was quite a bit better. It has opened up more, even while being stored with our vacuum bottle top. The graphite and medicinal nose were gone, but still not the most pleasant to my taste. The flavors of the wine smoothed out and the finish was lacking in the sour fruit at the tail end, so it is improved. I would imagine, then, that this wine would be best decanted for 2-4 hours before drinking.