Grapesphere

Good spice box and blueberry notes on the nose. A little smoked meat too. Big fruity wine – full bodied – with a nice bit of spice, blueberry and raspberries notes, Bell pepper, tobacco. A little cigar box, and then dry finish with earthy mix of mushroom and mint. Long finish, with a good grip and tannins. Great fruit through the finish. Lovely wine and for the price really pushes what can be done.

Price: $15
Rating: 91pts

2005 Grazino Petit Sirah

This wine had a big nose with black/blueberries persistent. Also had some cedar and smokiness along with bell pepper and vegetal qualities. A big mouth-feel with integrated tannins and a good grip. There’s lots of cedar and oak in the wine, seemed a little bit like licking the barrel. There was some fruit underneath present blueberries and raspberries. I definitely pick up the Zin in it as well. This wine was still a little young and hard. Has some potential to even out but probably not going to get too great.

Rating: 88pts
Priced around $20

2001 Shafer Relentless Syrah

A very solid wine with great deal of power, and lots of fruit goodness. The nose had a smoky nature that held blueberry and raspberry notes, in that classic Napa-style. Big fruit in the front, followed by chocolate-covered cherries and mocha notes. The finish was long and deep with a good bit of acidity towards the end. It has to be said that this wine was a little one-dimensional, but overall it possessed a ton of power and richness to peak my interest and keep me wanting to come back for more. It also has a long life ahead of it with many more drinkable years in the bottle.

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: 93 Pts
Wine Enthusiast: 93 Pts
Robert Parker: 93 Pts

My Rating: 91pts

2005 Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend

At $12, this blend of Shiraz, Cab and Merlot was nothing fancy. But it did not really try to be either. It was a very fruit-forward wine, with integrated tannins and a nice smooth finish. Good chocolate and raspberry flavors persist through a finish that lingered just long enough. If you enjoy a ton of fruity flavor in your wine, this is a great wine for you. Overall, it is a nice bargain.

Rating: 90

2005 Neyers Old Lakeville Highway Syrah

This was a beautifully rich Syrah from California. The wine was a cross between old world and new, with an extracted flavor and an earthy, almost musky quality. Flavors of dark plums and mushrooms were most noticeable. It also had nice cherry kiersch and tobacco notes. This wine had good body and length on the mid-palate, with a nice soft, rounded finish. Overall, it was a very enjoyable wine. Priced around $27.

Rating: 91+ pts

2004 Innocent Bystander Shiraz/Viognier

This was a very well-made wine. This blend reminded me more of a California Syrah I’ve had recently in that it wasn’t the big monster wine that most Australian Shiraz tends to be. Instead the wine had notes of mushrooms and lavender, along with mocha and hints of tobacco. The body was smooth and round on the palate and the finish was also very nice. I would say this wine tended more towards the French style of syrah. It was a solid wine and great value for the price of $15.

Rating: 91pts

2004 Aramis Black Label Shiraz

The nose was full of blueberries and raspberries with hints of Asian spices and white pepper too. The taste was big and rich – a fairly full-bodied wine, that starts off a little tight, but within an hour is nice and lush. There’s a lot of good fruit here too. There was some tannins in the wine but they were already integrated well into the mid-plate. Flavor components include those same raspberries along with some chocolate and tobacco notes. The finish was medium length, and very smooth. Overall this wine was very enjoyable. Priced around $20

Rating: 92 pts

2004 Kilikanoon Shiraz Parable

This was a big meaty wine with a spicy nose and lots blue and blackberry flavors. My first taste was overwhelmed with oak and earthiness. There were huge tannins. Even after 3 hours, they are still big and vibrant. The wine possessed flavors of chocolate cake and raspberries, followed by earth and tobacco. By the 3rd hour, the wine had sweet fruit, big tannins and earthy tar, along with tremendous grip. There were notes of tobacco and leather mixed with green bell pepper and spice box.

Rating: 94pts