2005 Bodegas Castano Solanera				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Yecla, Spain	$15	Wine Discount Center	8/17/08
	Blend of 65% Mourvedre, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Tempranillo I hate to crib other people's notes but Stephen Tanzer says it all: "Saturated purple. Smoky raspberry and cherry on the nose, with a sexy mocha quality adding complexity. Fleshy, round dark fruit liqueur flavors caress rather than pummel the palate. Gentle tannins arrive late to add structure but this is all about silky, juicy fruit." This wine packs a flavor punch but with great finesse and unity. I would add earth and spice box to the mix as well. A bottle I almost hated to finish and one from which I drank more than my fair share. Am going to get more. OTHER RATINGS: RP: 91

2005 Dark Star Cellars Anderson Road				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$28	@ the Winery	7/24/08
	Blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Syrah and 10% Petite Sirah A deep, ruby-purple colored wine with a tight nose of black fruit, earth, spice and oak. When first opened the tannins were bitter and overwhelmed the fruit. The second night it was a totally different wine with a softer mouthfeel, ripe blackberry and black cherry flavors, smokey oak and notes of sweet spice and vanilla on the medium finish. This is a teeth-coating wine that needs at least another year in the bottle, which may add some complexity to the blend. Currently it's a bit rustic and one-dimensional, but still enjoyable if you like big, fruity wines. Retasted 1/6/09: This wine is aging wonderfully, opening up within 15 minutes and showing the second night flavors almost right away with more class and unity. Tastes more like Syrah at the moment and I think will continue to get smoother, but is certainly ready to go. Would place it more at the 3 star level now than the last time around. Drank more than my fair share. Wish I had another bottle.

2005 Bodegas Luzon Altos de Luzon				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Jumilla, Spain	$16	Vendome Wine	7/19/08
	Blend of 50% Mourvedre, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Tempranillo. A deep, ruby-colored wine with an aromatic nose of vanilla and sweet spices along with ripe blackberry, plum and boysenberry notes. The mouthfeel was instantly lush with dark berry flavors, vanilla, earth, spice and a nice finish with hints of mocha. It's a touch rustic with most of the flavor upfront, leaving the midpalate a bit flat. More unity of flavor and weight, would have raised its rating another star. Certainly drinkable now, but another 6 months will smooth out the rest of the tannins. Wonderful wine for the price. One to purchase, if you can find it. OTHER RATINGS: WS: 89

2005 Halter Ranch Vineyard, Ranch Red				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$18	@ the Winery	12/31/07
	Blend of 6 reds and 1 white. Changes yearly. A hearty red with ripe, jammy and spice aromes that come together wonderfully on the smooth palate. Along with bright flavors of blackberry and raspberry the smooth finish delivers hints of chocolate. A little tight on the start, the tannins and acid quickly settle, making this a good choice for everyday drinking.

2005 Justin Vineyards Orphan				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$16	@ the Winery	3/18/07
	Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah Ripe aromas of cherry, plum and blackberry fill the nose and combine with a touch of smoke. The palate begins soft and supple with bright red fruit and a hint of spice. Layers of earth and a light touch of tannin on the smooth and lingering finish. A complex wine at an everyday price.

2005 Domaine Laffont Erigone				**
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Madiran, France	$17	The Wine House	3/10/08
	Blend of Tannat and Cabernet Franc A deep, ruby medium bodied wine with clear aromas of black fruit, smoke, earth and hints of coffee. The palate is filled with a balance of blackberry, spice, earth and oak with a nice finish that leaves hints of vanilla. The tannins are a bit on the high side, so either wait another year for them to integrate or decant for at least an hour. A wine from the Bordeaux region that delivers complex flavors for a very good price.

2005 Montes Alpha "Purple Angel" Carmenére				***
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Rapel Valley, Chile	$55	The Wine House	4/21/08
	Blend of Carmenere and Petit Verdot A deep, youthful ruby-purple color with black fruit aromas and hints of smoke, vanilla and sweet spice. The wine is full bodied, with a considerably amount of ripe tannins giving grip and structure along with the blackberry, plum and oak with hints of herbs and vanilla on the soft and long finish. This is a big wine that is drinkable now but could use a bit more time to fully integrate the tannins and alcohol. The price is somewhat steep for a Chilean wine, but it does deliver quite a bit of flavor and quality.

2005 Palmina Alisos				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$25	@ the Winery	3/28/10
	Blend of 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sangiovese Appassiemento and 30% Merlot A medium, ruby-colored wine with bright, candied berry aromas with notes of sweet spice and flowers. The palate is medium-bodied, round and ripe with a slight spritz, low tannins and acidity. The dried grape flavors have taken over – appassiemento is an Italian winemaking method of drying that concentrates the grape sugars before being pressed and blended back into the wine – making this seem more like a Zin than a sangiovese/merlot blend. Well-balanced with mostly red fruit, plum and black cherry flavors and a dusty, medium-length finish. While still enjoyable I wish I had drunk it a year ago, as it wasn't showing much complexity. Unless you like your wines on the super-ripe side, this one is past its prime.

2005 Tobin James Chateau Le Cacheflo				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$12	@ the Winery	6/23/08
	Blend of Syrah, Barbera and Sangiovese Just what you want in an everyday wine. This blend is fairly light-bodied with a bright ruby color. The nose is mild, filled with red fruit and earthy spice. Medium tannins and acidity help keep the ripe flavors of plums, dark cherry and berries in check. The good finish is filled with sweet spice, earth and a hint of mocha. The syrah is used for structure and to balance the sometimes overpowering acidity of the Italian varietals. Elegant and enjoyable for the price.

2005 Vines on the Marycrest My Generation				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$22	@ the Winery	1/7/10
	Blend of 45% Zinfandel, 28% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre and 9% Petite Sirah. A deep, ruby-purple colored wine with a bright nose of brambly berry fruits, black cherry, earth and sweet spice. Initially the Zin takes front stage on the palate with ripe berry flavors along with notes of spice and smoke. Then as the wine opened up, more blackberry, blackcurrant leaf and meaty notes emerged to the forefront, making it seem like more of a blend. Medium/full-bodied with good acidity, ripe and round with a tinge of raisin on the lengthy finish. Am sure the abv was over 15%, but it was integrated fairly well for a Zin-based wine. Starting to show it's age a bit due to the high proportion of Zin, but still eminently enjoyable. Would drink within the next 6mos to a year.

NV Mitchella Vineyards Red Table Wine				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$18	@ the Winery	6/18/08
	Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from 2004 and 2003 vintages A medium-bodied ruby-colored wine with bright aromas of ripe berries, herbs, sweet spice and vanilla. With medium tannins and low acidity, this was sort of soft from the start though initially predominated by the Cab with blackberry, cherry and a hint of herbs. Then as it opened the flavors became more brambly with bluberry and sweet spice on the lengthy finish. A bit more time is needed to marry the flavors. Nothing overly complex but it was quite enjoyable, especially for the price.

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