What Would Mikey Drink

Extremely youthful dark ruby.  Yummy roasted, fruitcake aromas.  Full and dense palate with bakers chocolate, milling spices, cured meats, and a long, slightly hot finish (this is 14.6%).   This is from the Dusi Ranch.  95% zin and 5% petite syrah.  I hammered for $25 on winebid.  I am loving these old Ridge auction wines, [...]

Quite dark.    Jammy, plummy aromas.  Classic aged merlot palate of saddle leather and cigar.   This is really nice!  I pumped it yesterday and its drinking better today.  Yesterday it was a little hot at the end.   Lots of sediment.  The 2005 is available for $50 vineyard-direct.   I paid $40 for a [...]

Quite dark ruby.  The floral Grenache aromas are out in full force after this has been opened a few hours.   Tar and evergreen too.  Full, broad palate, with layers of spice cake, candy (think cherry Jolly Rancher), salted beef, like the well salted sort at a Brazilian Steakhouse.   Long, pure and interesting complex [...]

Dark ruby.  Piny, roasted aromas of figs, stewed black fruits, and candy.  Full, thick and alcohol filled palate and long, toasty finish.    One dimensional, yet quite long finish.  This is not a great wine as the alcohol really shows and it lacks perfect balance I’d expect at this price, but I am enjoying it. [...]

Darker than the other ’10 Copain Syrah’s I’ve had so far, with more robust meaty, gamy aromas.   Smells plummy and piney.    Teeth staining cling with outstanding grip.  Palate is full of smoked salted and peppered beef.   Long finish with a lot of tannins.  This one is 13.3% and could easily pass for [...]

Dark purple.   Plummy dark fruit aromas.  Classic lethery merlot texture, with somewhat simple yet tasty fruit. Decent finish.  Something tinny and a little metallic there that’s odd, but this mostly works.    This gets a couple extra points being a $12 wine I can seriously contemplate.    Grade:B+.

Deep midnight dark with a purple rim.  Smells much more Northern Rhone than California, with white pepper, figs, and roasted game.  Complex dense palate of menthol, char-grilled steak, iodine, and an excellent finish.  This is terrior driven and certainly on the lighter alcohol (13%) and texture style (13%), but it is jammed packed.   Yet [...]

Pale gold. My wife guesses Germany blind. Quite tropical aromas of papaya, pineapple, peach and salt. Lively palate. Cool waxy texture. Zingy acids right in there with the sweetness. Outstanding balance. Long, smooth finish. Lip smacking.  Retail, $20.  Grade: A.