Paul Dolan Mendocino County Zinfandel 2013 (about $14 a bottle)

About the Wine:  I have never had much love for Mendocino wines.  They always struck me as sort of lifeless and unpleasant.  But recently I have found some that have proven me wrong and 2013 is a great vintage.  Let's see if Mr. Dolan can "Wow!" me.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is blood red.  Jammy blackberry comes through full throttle on the nose.  The palate is mighty juicy with good tannin in the finish  This wine has a very viscous, mouth-coating quality.  It doesn't linger as long as I would like, which is odd for how massive it is.

Drinking This Wine:  This is an after dinner wine.  It's too big to really compliment any food that I can think of.

Overall Impression:  Between the overbearing fruit and the lacking finish, this is a slightly ham-fisted effort.  As such it is a little over priced.

Parducci Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (about $12)

About the Wine:  This is a sustainably grown California Cabernet.  The world of organic/bio dynamic/sustainable is a weird one.  If a wine is made from organic grapes then the wine itself is not necessarily organic, nor would something sustainably or bio dynamically grown carry such a distinction.  Clouding the matter further is the fact that many producers, particularly in France, Spain, and Israel follow best practices without bothering with the cost of certification.  I have tried to explain this to many a glassy-eyed, sandal wearing customer as they searched for "organic" on the label. The results are seldom good.

About THIS Wine:  For the price, this is surprisingly Old World in style.  It really takes some time to open up.  As it does, it gives off notes of wood, sagebrush, and forest floor.  The palate is dry and tannic with red fruit coming through in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a classic dry Cab and as such it needs red meat.

Overall Impression:  This was a really nice surprise.  Most Cabs at this price range are either juicy fruit bombs or unbearably rustic.  This is nice, food-friendly wine.  It could easily go for $20, so at twelve it is an absolute steal.

Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Like California, Israel had an unusually cold year in 2011.  Also like California, Israel is hot enough to be marginal for wine grape growing, so a cold year is actually a boon for those who know how to take advantage of it.  Grapes grown in cold weather tend to produce more elegant, austere wine.  Hence the prestige of Burgundy.  No region in Israel compares to Burgundy, but this colder year did provide an opportunity for wine makers to show their talents.

About THIS Wine:  It is very dark red with a violet rim, fairly light for a hot climate Cab.  Tobacco and jammy raspberry are prominent on the nose.  The palate presents big fruit balance with firm, chalky tannins.  For all my rambling in the introduction "elegant" is not a term that would describe this wine, but it is fairly balanced.

Drinking This Wine:  It's drinkable by itself, but better with food.  Juicy hamburger is the pairing that comes to mind.

Overall Impression:  I think this would hold it's own with any California Cab at the same price range and so I must say it is good for the price.

Bagordi Rioja Graciano 2009 (about $20)

About the Wine:  Graciano is one of the least used of the Rioja varietals.  It is especially rare as a single varietal.  The region is mostly know for Tempranillo and to a lesser extent, Garnacha.  Let's see how it does on its own.

About THIS Wine:  It is opaque in the glass with a dark, velvety purple rim.  The nose is musky with strong plum notes.  The palate has good fruit but the tannins are rock solid.  This needs age or food.

Drinking This Wine:  Drink with pork sausage or roast duck.  The wine needs food, for sure.

Overall Impression:  It's a fun find.  As a novelty, this wine is reasonable for the price.

Spellbound Petite Sirah 2013 (about $14)

About the Wine: The Spellbound label vaulted to popularity when Robert Parker wrote a glowing review of their Chardonnay.  It was an oaky, buttery Chard.  It was good for the style, but I never really got what the hype was about.  I had heard good things about their Cab and seeing their Petite Sirah, long one of my favorite varietals, made me curious.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is opaque in the glass with a purple rim.  This will be no Old World style wine.  I'm expecting a New World fruit bomb.  The fruit is there, long and lingering right through the finish.  There is also some structure, though.  The winemakers seemed to have brought this rambunctious varietal to heel without sacrificing it's signature raspberry flavor.

Drinking This Wine:  I would have it with nothing heavier than a pork steak and even that might be pushing it.  It could compliment something with a bit of spice, may fajitas or something like that.

Overall Impression:  This wine is varietally correct, food friendly, and tasty.  At fourteen a bottle it is good for the price.

Saporoia Rosso Di Montalcino 2012 (about $15)

About the Wine:  One of the fun things about studying wine is learning about the obscure, tucked away corners of the world where wine grows.  There are regions within regions and all but unknown regions that border some of the most famous.  Montalcino is a region is Tuscany, the same part of the world that gives us Chianti.  Brunello is the best known red from Montalcino, a wine that generally starts at around $40 per bottle and can age upwards of a decade.  Rosso Di Montalcino is sometimes called "Baby Brunello" because it is made from the same varietal, Sangiovese Grosso, but does not need to age nearly as long and is much cheaper.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is blood red with a lighter red rim.  Cherry and cedar notes are present on the nose.  The palate is full and savory with a bone dry, tannic finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Let it breath for an hour and then have it with something hearty.

Overall Impression:  This is not a bad bottle, though I would say a little less complex than I would have hoped for.  The wine is reasonable for the price.

Fowles Are You Game Shiraz 2013 (about $17)

About the Wine:  Everything about this label puts the wine firmly into "I immediately regret this decision," territory when purchasing it.  Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your view, Aussie winemakers tend to give stupid labels to some really good wine.  I suppose if I wanted a classy label I should have bought a Rhone.

About THIS Wine:  Very dark, almost opaque purple in the glass with a violet rim.  The nose is tight.  This could have done with a little more age.  It does give up some nice dark berry fruit and some interesting notes of spice and forest floor.  The palate is big and plush.  It has a drier finish than I would have expected.  I suspect that this wine will drink best young, not just because it isn't meant to age, but also because its tannin structure keeps it from being overly sweet.

Drinking This Wine:  This isn't really a food wine.  More like something to sip on a cold night.

Overall Impression:  The wine is not bad, but it doesn't taste like seventeen dollars.  This wine is fine but it is overpriced.