The Lucky Country Shiraz 2011 (about $14)

About the Wine:  This inexpensive Shiraz started as a side project from the same wine maker that brought us Two Hands, a Shiraz best defined by I have no idea what because it's way out of my price range.  This is either going to be a great bargain or something that wine maker crapped out over a weekend.

About THIS Wine:  It is dark red in the glass with a violet rim.  The nose is very jammy with a lot of dark fruit and some forest floor notes.  The fruit delivers on the palate with just a hint of black licorice.  The finish is smooth and does not linger.

Drinking This Wine:  This is fine for a sipping wine or something to go with a hamburger.

Overall Impression:  This is a decent Tuesday night wine and it is priced as such.  It is fair for the price.

Petite Petit 2010 (about $17)

About the Wine:  Traditionalists sometimes call California winemakers the "Mad Scientists" of the wine business.  While the makers from Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Tuscany strive for consistency, California winemakers are forever trying to find ways to make wines that are truly different.  Michael David is a maker of particular vision and with an especially pronounced disregard for tradition, as demonstrated in this blend of Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot.  These are two grape varietals that never meet in traditional wine making.

About THIS Wine:  It is opaque purple in the glass with a violet rim.  The nose presents the jammy red fruit that more or less defines the Lodi appellation.  That fruit is present on the palate with an interesting undercurrent of tannin that makes this a good wine for a light meal.  Pasta dishes or a light lasagna seem especially suitable.

Drinking This Wine:  As stated, it would be good with lighter Italian food.  It would also make a good burger wine.  There is a little too much acidity for a sipper.  Another year of aging would not hurt this wine but it will not get much better than it is now.

Overall Impression:  This wine is okay but I can't say I'm especially thrilled with it.  Much as I am a fan of Michael David I am going to have to say that this one is a little overpriced.

Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (about $11)

About the Wine:  This Cab is a staple in Upstate New York's less expensive wine shops.  I never tasted it when I worked at a shop that carried it because it did not need any help selling.  Now I work at a posh shop that doesn't carry it and my curiosity is peaked.  People at my old store did get mad when we ran out of this.  Then again, they also got made when we ran out of their brands of box wine.

About THIS Wine:  It is ruby red in the glass with a pink rim, very light for a Cabernet.  The nose presents coffee and tobacco with notes of sour fruit.  The palate is very smooth with notes of sweet red fruit and supple tannins.  It does not linger.

Drinking This Wine:  There is enough tannin here that it should be had with food.  It would be good with a burger or some other meaty sandwich.

Overall Impression:  This is a textbook example of what a wine under fifteen dollars should be.  It is smooth, approachable, and not overly complex or lingering.  At eleven dollars it is good for the price.

Buried Cane Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (about $10)

About the Wine:  Washington State is coming fast in prestige and price in the wine world.  Does that mean a ten dollar screw top from there is any good?  Let's find out.

About THIS Wine:  It is ruby red in the glass with a clear rim.  The nose is very woody.  There is either a lot of oak or very little of anything else.  Charred oak dominates the palate, which is generally dull.

Drinking This Wine:  Don't have it with anything too heavy.  It won't stand up to steak.

Overall Impression:  Nothing to see here but you can do worse for ten dollars.  This one is reasonable for the price.

Benziger Syrah 2007 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Benziger is a California winery on its way to a fully organic status.  I had the good fortune to meet the winemaker, whose name I promptly forgot.  What I do remember is that this winery is pushing a vision of wine making that includes an extremely deep connection to the land to the point of using MRI machines to determine the composition of individual plots of soil and decide what will best grow there.  They also keep livestock on the property to control pests and generate fertilizer.  2007 is a California vintage that needs no introduction, so this could be quite a gem at fifteen bucks.

About THIS Wine:  The center is blood red with a nearly clear rim.  The nose has an earthy, forest quality.  There is prominent fruit but it is of a wild berry variety rather than the jammy fruits one often associates with California reds.  The palate is a fairly simple one of red licorice and plum going into a finish that overdose it a little on the spice but is still pleasant.

Drinking This Wine:  I bought it to go with a burger and I think that is the right pairing.  I think this wine is at its peak.  Aging more will not benefit it, nor does it need to be decanted.

Overall Impression:  I like the wine, but not as much as I had hoped I would.  A wine with this much age is not common in this price range and the fact that it is made with organic methods does increase its worth.  At fifteen a bottle this wine is a good value.