Country: France 
Region: Cahors AOC
Varietal: Malbec & a little Merlot 
Vintage: 2012
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13.5%

Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany 
Varietal: Sangiovese, Cab Franc, Alicante
Vintage: 2013
Body: med-full
Alcohol: 13.5%

Alessandro Bocci, the winemaker at Perazzeta, will frequently spread his arms and declare with a grin, “I have to come work here every day.” He has a true passion for using traditional methods and capturing the terroir of the land in each bottle. I’m not going to lie - I have a bit of a crush on Alessandro.
This beautifully balanced red is 50% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Franc and 20% Alicanté. It hasn’t seen any time in oak. Ripe strawberry on the nose with some tart rhubarb peeking through. Plum and vanilla on the palate with just a touch of wet earth and mineral on the finish.

Country: Spain
Region: Priorat
Varietal: Carignan & Grenache
Vintage: 2013
Body: full
Alcohol: 14.5

The classic grape variety grown in Priorat is Garnacha Tinta, which is found in all of the older, well-established vineyards. Other red varietals authorized are Garnacha Peluda, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Four white varieties are authorized are Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximenez and Chenin.
This lovely Priorat is a blend of Garnacha Tinta & Cariñena.  Big black pepper, mint & licorice on the nose. Black & blue berries on the palate with firm tannins that need some calming. Give it an hour of air if you have the time to spare.

Country: United States
Region: Paso Robles
Varietal: Syrah, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Vintage: 2011
Body: full
Alcohol: 14%

This blend of 60% Syrah, 20% Petit Verdot and 10% Malbec from Margarita Vineyard resides in the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, first planted with vines by Franciscan missionaries in 1780. 
This wine gives us all kinds of New World boldness with Old World structure. We get pretty vanilla on the nose with dark berry fruit. The fruit fills up the palate with the oak adding nice weight and structure with a bit of spice, good acidity and some soft tannins on the finish.  

Country: Portugal
Region: Alentejano
Varietal: Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro
Vintage: 2011
Body: full
Alcohol: 14%

This is a lovely blend of Aragonez (aka Tempranillo), Trincadeira and Alfrocheiro. Trincadeira is one of the most widely planted varietals in Portugal and is the most widely planted grape in the region of Alentejo.   Alfrocheiro was once thought to be a relative of the Pinot Noir grape. 
With 30-40 minutes of decanting we find spice, currents, plum and licorice. On the palate we get nice texture and weight with more spice, a light smoky quality, good acidity and light chalky tannins.

Country: Italy
Region: Salento IGT
Varietal: 
Negromaro 85%
Primitivo/ Zin 15%
Vintage: 2013
Body: Full
Alcohol: 14%

Verso is a full-bodied, luscious wine made with a small percent of ‘appassimento’, or raisined, grapes. While this wine is made by the Botter Family whose main vineyards are located in Molise (an obscure area near Abruzzo), this blend comes from vineyards in Salento (located in the heel of Italy). 
Rich and dark fruit on the nose with spicy earth.  The palate is filled with black berry and plum with dark cherry, nice oak adding weight with light tannins on the finish. Our favorite note about the wine may well be from the importer Small Vineyards:  "It is a hedonistic experience that captures the polished side of Negroamaro and Primitivo." 

Country: Portugal
Region: Lisboa DO
Varietal: 
Castelão 35%
Tinta Roriz 25%
Syrah 25%
Touriga Nacional 15%
Vintage: 2012
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13%

Though Casa Santos has more than 200 hectares of vines, they still act like a small producer, concentrating on a traditional approach to farming and wine making. The grapes are farmed with green space between the rows that naturally allows early ripening and limits production. We have to admit, big doesn’t always mean bad.
This lovely blend of Castelão, Tinta Roriz, Syrah, and Touriga Nacional spends four months in oak, adding structure. On the nose we get pretty dark berry with notes of licorice. All present on the palate along with plum and spice, good acidity to balance, and light tannins on the finish.

Country: France
Region: Minervois AOC (Languedoc)
Varietal: Grenache & Carignan
Vintage: 2012
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13%
chateau coupe roses

Sometimes translations work in spite of themselves.  From the winemaker’s website: “Stimulated by the decanting, it will free its eccentricity, its bouquet of black fruits combination, bilberry jam, syrup of morello cherry or plum aperitif”. Funny, I think that’s what we were going to say.
Mostly Grenache and Carignan, this is a lovely wine with dark fruit, tannins and a fresh acidity that are tamed as the wine opens up. We get nice herbs and white pepper notes with a touch of licorice. It’s a slightly more rustic style red wine that’s nicely balanced by the fruit notes. 

Country: US, California
Region: Napa Valley AVA
Varietal: Blend: Zinfandel, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, Petit Sirah
Vintage: 2010
Body: Full
Alcohol: 14.7%

Vibrant, playful, lively; if this bottle had a booty, it would be shaking it.  Several years ago, winemaker Julie Johnson had a few barrels of different reds left over after harvest, so she said “Why not?” and combined them all.
This bold blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah has concentrated red and dark berry, nice structure and a bit of spice.  A crowd-pleasing wine that’s great with food – sounds like a party.    

Country: Spain
Region: Rioja Reserva DOC
Varietal: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2007
Body: Full
Alcohol: 14%

Hand-harvested grapes with great care taken in the selection process, this reserva is a blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, and 5% Graciano. It is aged for 18 months in mixed American and French oak barrels and then in the bottle for another 18 months. This extra aging make for a very big yet smooth and complex reserva.
With an hour of decanting, you’ll be rewarded with dark red fruit, spice, leather, black pepper and well integrated oak.
Try it with: Braised lamb shanks with chorizo and garlic,  grilled eggplant, stuffed peppers, charcuterie and paella, of course

Country: France
Region: Vin de pays de l'Hérault
Varietal: Carignan
Vintage: 2011
Body: medium-full 
Alcohol: 13%
les heretiques

It may sound contradictory, but this wine is both rustic and elegant.  Graceful in its simplicity without being simplistic.   
Give it a bit of air, and this Syrah/Carignan blend (with a splash of Grenache) will reward you with juniper berry, red plums, earthiness, a bit of floral and even a smaller bit of peanut shells on the nose (yep, we really do smell it). Don’t be fooled, however; this wine has some serious substance. The tannins and acidity are tamed as the wine decants, but the flavors remain vibrant and fresh. 

Country: Portugal 
Region: 
Varietal: Blend 
Vintage: 
Body: medium- full 
Alcohol: 13% 
3 Liter Box

At last! Real wine in a box; it’s delicious. D. Dinis is dry & complex, with fine tannins and dark berry fruit. Grown to delight friends of Cabernet, Malbec and Bordeaux. This is the equivalent of 4 bottles for $6 each. We still find it hard to believe it doesn’t cost double that.
Why a box? 1) Open wine stays fresh for over 6 weeks. The internal container collapses without allowing oxygen in. 2) Much lower carbon footprint. Cardboard weighs a small fraction of four glass bottles. 

Country: Australia 
Region: Adelaide 
Varietal: Blend 
Vintage: 2012 
Body: full 
Alcohol: 14% 

The hilltops in McLaren Vale are world famous for producing great Shiraz. The thin soil is said to tame the over-eager grape, resulting in small but flavorful fruit.  
Comprised of 52% Shiraz, 39% Cab and 9% Petit Verdot, Scrubby Rise is classic Australia with a friendly nod to Bordeaux. It has tons of ripe, blackberry and plum fruit with a hint of eucalyptus & black pepper. The Petit Verdot adds wet floral notes and a bit of earthy, dark weight. A year spent in French and American oak makes this ready to drink right away.

Country: France
Region: Côtes du Rhône
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2010
Body: 
Alcohol: 13%

With little decanting you get black berry fruit with cassis and spice on the nose in this Grenache dominated red (syrah makes up the remaining 20%).  The fruit and spice are present on the palate as well along with nice acidity to balance the firm tannins.  This wine is great for full flavored foods or squirreling away in your cellar for a few years, if you're into that sort of thing.
Oh yeah…..this is also a small production (6 hectares in Cotes du Rhone out of 35 ha estate)  organic wine for a fantastic price.

Country: France
Region: Côtes du Rhône
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2010
Body: 
Alcohol: 13%
cotes du rhone tresor riviere

Description coming soon.

Country: France
Region: Minervois AOC
(Languedoc)
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2010
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13%

Description coming soon.

Country: France
Region: Bordeaux AOC
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2010
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13.5%

Description coming soon.

Country: California, US
Region: California
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2010
Body: 
Alcohol: 13.7%

The illustrious Bonny Doon is known for creating new world wines done in old world fashion (they also happen to be biodynamic and organic).  This old vine field blend of mostly Carignan is a great example of using the old method of harvesting, vinifying and fermenting grapes from a vineyard without varietal consideration.  
Give it 30-45 minutes of air and you’ll find a versatile, smooth red with black and blueberry fruit, earthy spice and juicy acidity. 
Try it with: Stuffed mushrooms, steak with an herb butter, pork tenderloin with a cherry glaze

Country: Michigan, US
Region: Lake Michigan Shore AVA
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: NV
Body: medium-full
Alcohol: 12.5%

Description coming soon.

Country: Spain
Region: Campo de Borja DO
Varietal: Grenache & Syrah
Vintage: 2011
Body: full
Alcohol: 15%

This blend is 85% Grenache (Garnacha) and 15% Syrah. The name “Los Dos” means “The Two” and refers to the two classic grapes varietals that hail from France’s Rhone Valley.
Fruit forward with a nice little pepper from the syrah and just enough tannic structure to hold it all together. Big, soft and fun, perfect for a pizza night.

Try it with:Chipotle Black Bean Burger, Barbeque Ribs, Pizza

Country: Italy
Region: Umbria
Varietal: Bend
Vintage: 2009
Body: medium
Alcohol: 13.5%

We’ve decided that Umbria has lived in Tuscany’s shadow long enough. Therefore, we’re overthrowing Tuscany! Long live Umbria! Who’s with us?!
OK.  So maybe we got a bit carried away.  But, it’s true that Umbria doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.  So we’re pleased to present this lovely wine made with Sangiovese, Merlot and Umbria’s signature red grape, Sagrantino.  
On the nose and palate, we get dried blueberry fruit, a dash of earth and spice, sweet tobacco and soft tannins. And then?  We raise our glass to Umbria.

Country: Italy
Region: Rosso Dell' Umbria IGT
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2010
Body: med-full
Alcohol: 13%

Description coming soon.

Country: Italy
Region: Savuto DOC
(Calabria)
Varietal: Blend
Vintage: 2005
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13.5%

Description coming soon

Country: France 
Region: Saint- Émilion Grand Cru AOC, (Bordeaux) 
Varietal: Blend, primarily merlot
Vintage: 2002
Body: Full
Alcohol: 13%
emilion merlot

Country: Italy
Region: Biferno Riserva D.O.C.
Varietal: 85% Montepulciano
15% Aglianico
Vintage: 2008 
Body: medium-full 
Alcohol: 13%

Very Limited and now gone.