Note: I wish more pure varietal Cab Francs were made in the US. Thank you Lorimar – for making a very nice effort with this one….
N/ Smoked plums. Light candy. Crushed granite. Gunpowder. Black pepper. Faint vinyl.
T/ Full mouthfeel. Massive, medium ripe plums. Light cherries. Black soil. Tobacco juice. Full oaks.
Retail = $36, or $27 for Lorimar wine club members.
Very Good.
87
This bottle was a media sample kindly provided by the winery.
A Meritage Red Blend of: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc.
Decant and wait at least 2 hours. It is really worth the wait.
N/ Dry forest floor. Ripe, soft cassis and plums. Cigar box. Flint. Mocha. Rosemary.
T/ Medium mouthfeel. Cassis. Chocolate. Nice structure. Balance slightly effected by a tad too much sweetness.
Retail $38, or just $28.50 for Lorimar wine club member.
Brilliant-.
90
This wine was a media sample kindly supplied by the winery.
Wow, another amazing blind tasting event yesterday with the San Diego Wine Mafia!
The “Syrah Smackdown” consisted of:
10 excellent Syrahs = 5 from Paso Robles and 5 from Washington state (Red Mountain or Columbia Valley AVA); thanks for the majority of those wines & endless piggy parts and figs to @WineHarlots !; insanely good cheeses and much-needed sparkling water from @UCBeau ; a delightful homemade chorizo and chocolate melt & also cold cuts from @cuvee_corner / WineShoppingGuy himself; and lovely spread of dips, tapenandes, and chokes, & deserts from @LaJollaMom
WHAT a fantastic tasting!
Thank you all for coming, and thank you so very much to the participating wineries = the #SDWM will be posting our reviews on our blogs, FaceBook, and Twitter.
Cheers !
A red blend of: 67% Sangiovese, 22% Cabernet, and 11% Merlot
Temecula winery, Paso Robles grapes.
Note: No need to wait long after opening. Ready to enjoy in just 10 minutes.
N/ Massive fruit bomb of strawberries and cherries. Warm oaks. Lovely barrel room. Lavender. Fresh leather.
T/ Medium mouthfeel. Lightly candied cherries and plums. Spice. Nice tobacco flavor. Light milk chocolate.
Truly Lovely.
Retail = $39 or $31.20 for Tesoro wine club members.
Brilliant+.
94
This wine was a media sample kindly provided by the winery.
Red Blend (Rhone style) of: 57% Merlot, 27% Mourvedre, 7% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, and 4% Grenache
N/ White pepper. Hardwoods. Smoked cassis. Cloves. Surfboard wax. Slightly hot.
T/ Light to medium mouthfeel. High acid. Angular. Clean lines. Black cherries and black berries. USA made, but French in fruit restraint and style.
If you are looking for a fruit bomb, this is not it. This is a classy, earth-driven, sophisticated, old-world taste – for a very affordable price and one hell of a great cause.
Please see http://www.jarheadred.com/mission/
Retail = Just $13 from http://www.jarheadred.com/purchase/
Very Good+.
89
This bottle was a media sample kindly provide by the winery.

N/ Wonderful aromas of a spring creek – fresh river stones, spring water, grasses. Dried hay. Oranges. Light pine. Fantastic.
T/ Medium-full. Honeysuckle juice. Big, round tropical fruits. Oranges. Full, round minerality. Lovely.
Only thing my taste would have preferred is a tad more restraint on the fruits and a more angular minerality.
This is a pure delight – sure to please the spectrum – from novice to expert wino.
Retail = $28, or $22.40 for Tesoro’s wine club members. http://www.tesorowinery.com/
Brilliant +.
94
This bottle was kindly provided by the winery as a media sample.
95% Zinfandel with 5% Petite Sirah
Note 1: One of the coolest labels I’ve seen in a while. Also, quite useful for fun candle holder after consumption.
Note 2: Decanted one hour prior to enjoying.
N/ Clean rawhide, barrel room, cigar box, sweet, ripe cherry, milk chocolate, surfboard wax. Wunderbar.
T/ Light to medium mouthfeel. Tad puckering. Clean. Angular. Blackberries. Long, cranberry / acid finish. Delightful.
Retail = $28 from http://www.deadmanswine.com/
Brilliant.
94
This bottle was a media sample kindly provided by the winery.

A white belnd of 62% Chenin Blanc and 38% Viognier.
N/ White flowers. Light dry hay. Wet stones. Tropicals. Grapefruit. Light petroleum. Light toast.
T/ Medium-full mouthfeel. Round minerality. Medium-clean stone fruits. Citrus-kissed finish.
Retail =$18 or just $13.50 for Lorimar’s wine club members.
Very Good+.
89
This wine was a media sample kindly provided by the winery.
Red Blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Tempranillo
N/ Warm, sweet peppers. Black pepper. Oaked red berries. Light chlorine. Stale water.
T/ Medium mouthfeel. Dripping berries. Bright, lovely acid for a red. So smooth, incredibly gulpable. Nice tannns but almost zero bite. Even some nice structure.
Surprising and delightful for the price. The QPR is phenomenal here.
Retail = $7.50! to $12.
http://www.thespanishquarter.com/
Astounding.
96
C/ Light for a California Zinfandel.
N/ Clean, but laced with brooding dark purple fruits. Exceptional balance, with very nice wood work. Dried casiss. Black pepper – but the clean and sharp variety.
T/ Clean. High acid feel / crispness for a California Zinfandel. Fat plums. Dry soil. Great layering and structure. Angular finish.
Excellent winemaking here. Showcases a great interpretation of how Zin can be made.
Retail = $ 25
Brilliant+.
94
This bottle was a media sample kindly provided by the winery.