Palestra Douro 2008 - $8

Portuguese grapes: 40% Touriga-Franca, 40% Tinta-Roriz and 20% Tinta-Barroca.

David: Medium dark purple. Nose is thick with violet and floral aromas. A little scorched earth and a little chocolate, steel. Medium to full bodied. Nice black cherry fruit with good acidity balance and decent structure. Nice finish. A great value. Should try some others from Douro.
Score: 4.0/5

Bogle Petite Syrah 2008 - $9

David: Dark purple. Nose of cedar, smoke, briary blackberry, almond. Full bodied. Good weight and structure with dense fruit, good acidity and powerful tannins with good finish. Another great bargain from Bogle.
Score: 4.1/5

Domaine Grands Bois Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvee Philippine 2009 - $13

We have tried two wines from this Domaine before. We liked the Cairanne better than the Cuvée les Trois Soeurs . 55% Grenache - 35% Syrah - 10% Carignan

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of ripe raspberry, wet stone and a little iron. No sign of oak. Medium bodied, medium acidity. Fresh black currant and strawberry fruit is quite delicious. Soft tannins. A little peppery earthiness is well balanced with the fruit. Finishes nice. Not quite as nice as the more full bodied Cairanne but for a bucks less, it is also a good value.
Score: 4.0/5

Tres Picos Garnacha 2008 - $14

David: Deep purple/red with tints of magenta. Lovely nose of soft red fruits, vanilla bean, perfume and spice box. Dense and silky on the palate with high glycerin. Medium acidity. Cherry and berry fruit is delicious and followed with sort tannins and nice finish. Overall, very nice and a great value.

Score: 4.2/5

Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rouge 2008 - $10

David: Medium purple color. Nose of fresh raspberry tart. Reminds me of a steely cab franc but this is mostly granache and syrah. Medium bodied and medium acidity. Zippy mouthfeel. Berry fruit has layers and good structure. Nice sleek tannins. Very long finish with waves of mixed berries. Overall, very nice and quite a bargain.
Score: 4.1/5

Norton Malbec 2010 - $8

David: Magenta in color. Nice nose of fresh raspberry, pepper, a little earth and a little smoke. A hint of fox fur is interesting. Medium bodied with nice boysenberry fruit, moderate acidity. Good clean finish. A great value.
Score: 4.0/5

A Mano Primitivo 2006 - $8

David: Medium purple red in color. Nose of black cherry, root vegetables, violets and pepper and herbs. Full bodied, medium acidity and smooth texture with good black berry fruit. Moderate tannins. Tasty finish. Overall, quite nice and a good value.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Distinctive tannins; well balanced sweetness with tart and herbal tones. Mild fruit, licorice and lavendar. Very enjoyable.
Score: 4:3/5

Chateau Mourgues du Gres Costieres de Nimes les Galets Rouges 2007 - $14

78% Syrah and the rest Grenache, Mourvedre, and Carignan. From Nimes in Languedoc, the south of France.

David: Dark purplish red in color. Amazing nose of ripe red currant and blackberry, garrigue, floral aromas. Also some oaky tones with even a bit of cinnamon and spruce forest. Full bodied, with heavy glycerin mouthfeel. Fruity with good acidity balanced amazingly well layered with darker earthier notes. Soft tannins. Transitions well into darker more bitter flavors on the back end with a long finish. Excellent wine and a good value. I was surprised a bit on finding out that this has so much syrah since it doesn't have much spiciness or typical syrah flavors. I guessed it was mostly grenache.
Score: 4.2/5

Massaya Classic 2007 - $11

A blend from Lebanon. 60% cinsault, 20% cabernet, 20% syrah.

David: Beautiful brick red color. Long legs form on the glass. Complex aromatics. Tobacco, herbs. Ripe red and black fruits. A hint of menthol and orange peel. A bit of fox fur gaminess. The syrah adds a little inner-tube aroma. Full bodied. Plenty of glycerin. Good acidity. Good fruit. A little bit like tempranillo in the flavor profile. Strong tannins. Nice long finish. Good value.
Score 4.1/5

Penascal Temranillo Shiraz 2006 - $7

85% Temranillo and 15% Shiraz. From northern Spain.

David: Dark crimson. Nose of ripe, tart, dark fruits. A bit of the distinctive tobacco, tempranillo smell. Vanilla oakiness and floral notes. Started out a bit tart but mellowed with time. Full bodied. Big fruit is pleasant and soft on the palate. Perhaps a little sweetness. Shiraz adds some interesting spiciness and tannins which are still mild. Enough structure to stay interesting. Another good value Spanish red.
Score: 3.9/5

Feudo Arancio Nero d'Avola 2009 - $7

Nero d'Avola from Sicily. This grape can attain 18% alcohol and has long been used as a blending grape.

David: Crimson in color. Nose is black cherry and not much beyond that. After a while it began to take on more blueberry. Also shows a little earthy tar character. Full bodied, with good acidity. Quite a fruit bomb. Tannins are sweet and mild. Acidity picks up a bit and give its some structure and depth into the long finish. Not overly complex but quite interesting and a good value.
Score: 3.9/5

Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Tinto 2007 - $7

A Tempranillo from Spain.

David: Reddish purple in color. Nose of black cherry, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Big raspberry and strawberry fruit is layered and delicious. Silky texture with round tannins. A little pepper on the finish which is also quite nice. A spectacular value.
Score 4.0/5

Jessica: 3.9