Angeline Winery - 2005 Estate Merlot

I must start by stating, I am not a fan of Merlot. With that said, I recently tasted the 2005 Angeline Winery Estate Merlot while enjoying a wine flight of other red varietals. This winery is a part of the Martin Ray Winery located in Sonoma County, California - recently ranked as the American Value Brand of the year in 2007 & 2006 by Wine & Spirits Magazine. The tasting notes for this 2005 Estate Merlot suggest a wonderfully structured wine with a nose of plum and cherry followed by rich fruit flavors and a hint of leather. My tasting notes suggest that there is a strong taste of leather and earthy tones with very little structure. Even at the dirt cheap price of $10 a bottle, I still wouldn't spend the money. With that said, if you like an earthy wine and taste of leather, you may enjoy this bottle. To be fair, if you try this one, post your comments, let us hear what you have to say about this one.

Two Angels Winery - 2006 Petite Sirah

Rated 92 points by Wilfred Wong, this 2006 Petite Sirah comes from the Shannon Ridge Vineyards located in Lake County California (North of the Napa Valley). This was a dark Petite Sirah, with aromas of berry and pomegranate and described as having aromas of roasted game integrated with toasted oak and roasted coffee undertones. This was a well balanced, bigger Petite Sirah.

We had the pleasure of tasting the wine with Steve Kreps whose family owns Two Angels Winery and Steve is also the President of Quintessential Wines (http://www.quintessentialwines.com/quintessential/index.jsp), who imports and markets family-owned wineries in Napa. According to Steve, this 2006 Petite Sirah is the best Petite Sirah they have produced at Two Angels. Put this one on your list to try, you will not be disappointed. You may have to do some internet searching to find this, or contact Quintessntial Wines to find out how to buy this for your cellar (707-226-8300).

Thank you, Steve for the tasting and conversation. We look forward to the opportunity to try more great wines from Two Angels Winery, and the other family-owned wineries you represent.

Roots Run Deep Winery - Educated Guess 2005 Cab/Syrah

As the name suggests, and their website describes, Roots Run Deep Winery uses their "...knowledge, intuition, and years of experience to make the best possible decisions, however at the end of the day it still remains an "Educated Guess"." Only 18,000 Cases of this 2005 Cabernet/Syrah were produced. This is an organically grown Cab with cherry on the nose, vanilla in the middle and a rich berry and smoky finish. This was a lighter cab with very little tannins for a Napa Cab, but for the price of $20 it is one worth trying. It may not be an easy wine to find, but check out their website for distributors that may be near you (http://www.rootsrundeep.com/index.html).

Trinitas Cellars - 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel

A must try and a good price. This Zin is produced from nearly 100 year old vines located in Oakley, CA (Contra Costa County). A blend of 87% Zin, 8% Petite Sirah, 4% Mataro and 1% Alicante Bouschet produces this rich zin, with a fairly complex raspberry, blackberry, and pepper tone. Per their website, Trinitas (http://www.trinitascellars.com/) is Latin for Trinity the fundamental principle of Christianity and also symbolizes Sun, Soil & Humanity. I was able to find the 2002 and 2003 variety at BevMo for $17 & $18. You can find the 2006 on the Trinitas Cellars website for $18. Give this one a try, you will enjoy it.

2004 Conn Creek Anthology

A few nights ago, we opened the 2004 Conn Creek Anthology for our St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6) dinner and this wine lived up to its reputation. Since the original Anthology in 1991, Wine Spectator has scored this wine 90+ every year. I did not find a rating for this vintage. Wine maker Jeff McBride describes this wine as "having red and black fruit aromas and spicy flavors with nuanced expressions of creamy oak and berry cobbler. A robust wine balanced with silky tanins." This is a full-bodied wine made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot. Be sure to decant this wine for 1-2 hours. If you can wait, I would keep it for another 3-5 years. I think the $50-$60 price tag is a little high for this bordeaux-style blend as you are now into some true Italian wines that are better.

Bodega Norton Malbec

I was given a bottle of the 2006 Malbec the other night and opened while our guests were here. I am now back to try it again after a few days of opening. It has a strawberry nose with a little smokiness. Upon first taste, it hits you like cough syrup. This is a quick pass.

2006 Ranch Zabaco Zinfandel

The week before Thanksgiving I picked up a few bottles of Rancho Zabaco's Sonoma Heritage Zin from a distributor while he was at my favorite wine store (BevMax). I served it last night to some guests and they all said how good it was. Like many of the CA Zinfandels, it has a 15% alcohol content. This wine is a classic full-bodied zinfandel with big blackberry aroma followed by a cherry and blackberry taste. In addition, there is some spicy/peppery taste along with a hint of chocolate. I offered up some chocolate to the guests at the end and it was a good match. There was a pretty long finish to this wine but could stand some more time in the cellar. Be sure to decant this wine for 1-2 hours. Overall a nice Zinfandel for $12. Wine Enthusiast rates this 89 points.