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Oenophilus' Review:

Tasting from 375 ml bottle. Nice classic color. Interesting nose with winter spices, dark berries, and some green pepper. The pepper moves on to the palate along with plum and cassis. Oak toast is present in the finish, but not too prevalent. That goes to some very nice wild mint and dried cranberries and really long juicy acid that lingers even after the fruit has disapated.

Oenophilus' Review:

Nose: Caramel,Mocha, Pepper, raspberry, mushroom, violets, matchstickFull black fruit flavors, smoke, plum, savory broth, anise, fresh-cracked black pepper, musky hemp tonesSpicy long juicy plum finish

Oenophilus' Review:

Great wine that accompanied my Steak Frites perfectly.Lovely range of purple hues from core to glass. Aromas of tart cherry, raspberry, black pepper, marigold, fresh jalapeno, and olive. The wine had a light acid on entry with a medium mouthfeel that was quite smooth. Blueberry, currant, tart blackberry, and dark concentrated plum wraps up with cocoa, barrel toast, and cola. The finish is very spicy on the tongue as mild acids carry very soft tannins to coat the mouth. Cheers!

Oenophilus' Review:

55% Syrah, 25% Cinsault, 10% Mourvedre, 10% CarignaneDeep color; plum and tobacco both hit the nose. Broad plum and sour cherry in the mid with charbroiled ribs that continue on through the finish.

Oenophilus' Review:

I'm not usually a big SB fan but this was fun. Varietal Grapefruit and grass were complimented by elderflower which mad it much more enjoyable. The wine had great acid both at front and back. The midpalate was full of peach and pear flavors, offset with an interesting brothiness that made the mouthfeel a little richer before ending in a long savory and fruity finish.

Oenophilus' Review:

What a pleasant wine! Lovely perfume of floral bouquet a very mild, satisfying palate with plum, cassis, cherry, and wild strawberries. The finish had more rose and cherry with a gentle acid across the breadth of the tongue.

Oenophilus' Review:

What an interesting wine! Nose is full of herbal aromas without being herbaceous! Rosemary and bayleaf prickle the nose followed by blackberry (not crackberry!). The mid-palate fills with broad sweet dark fruit. The tannins get a little darker and more bitter on the finish with a nice mild acid at the end

Oenophilus' Review:

Slight sulfur to get past to reach the sour cherry and bramble. The sour cherry continues in the mouth but is focused by rich, dark stonefruit and berry. Silty cinnamon tannins go wide for the long acid Hail Mary pass finish.

Oenophilus' Review:

Russian River. Not just for Pinot anymore! I have always enjoyed these quality zinfandels that defy conventional wisdom and come from the land of Chards and Pinots. I like Zin: new vine or old vine, each have their charms. However, "old vine" Sonoma fruit tends to have such depth and layers of flavors that I will often gravitate towards a label with this pedigree. Stryker uses two vineyard sources here. One is over 100 years old and the other - let's just say it is older than John McCain. Barbieri, the older of the two, falls into another of my passions: Field Blends. Long ago, farmers just picked their fields and made wine. The uniqueness and complexity came from all the different grapes planted in the vineyard. Barbieri includes my favorite, Grenache, along with the deep blackness of Alicante as parts of the Heinz 57 here. This makes for a complex blend which is truly signature Sonoma.A nose full of boysenberry, caramel, and pepper lead into all sorts of ripe red fruits, chocolate Cherries Jubilee, and licorice. A rich mouthfeel leaves mild and sweet drying tannins with flavors of milk chocolate and plum before the Russian River acids leave you wanting more!