tasted blind. honey, white flowers and pineapple on the nose. the palate is bold and big. good minerality and concentration. some brine as well. guessed an 07 chablis, and realized that i liked this more than the last time i tasted it.

light straw color. the nose shows lemon zest and a hint of seaweed. the palate is plump with white peach. smooth with good minerality. i picked up a distinct hint of white tea that reminded me of a loire chenin blanc.

lemon drop candy, granny smith apples on the nose. the palate shows great tropical pineapple and mango along with lemonhead candy, backed up by minerals and solid acid. great fruit and acid balance. what a wine to drink on a 100-degree day.

pale salmon color with a bit of orange. nose shows white currants, overripe strawberries and a bit of cheese rind. realyl interesting nose. there's a flavor that reminds me a lot of melon rind. tangy acid. guess: new world rose, possibly grenache.

pale pink color. floral nose with melons. plump on the palate, with ripe strawberry and melon fruit. i really liked this rose. guessed it as a new world and was pleased to see this mourvedre from sonoma. solid wine.

color of strawberry kool-aid. cranberries, cola on the nose along with some beef and charcoal. the palate is much different. soft tannins, cool red fruit, cherry candy. i guessed this as a pinot with about 5-10 years on it, and was surprised to see this was an 08. a fun, unique pinot, one that should probably be drunk in the short term.

bright ruby colored. smoky, rustic fruit. the palate is fresh and bouncy with red fruit. some nice sour cherry in here, tobacco as well. smooth tannins. sweet finish. i guessed this as a bierzo, and was surprised to see it as a cab franc.

medium purple colored. dark plums with some pickle juice on the nose. bright on the palate. good tannic trip. a bit of alcohol, but it didn't bother me as much as some other people. lots of black olive, pickle brine and a distinct flavor of ash on the finish. solid wine. guess: rhone syrah. this is a solid wine for a good price.

dark purple colored in the glass. stinky, smoky, plummy, tar-filled nose. some minerality on the nose as well. the palate is silky and elegant, full of crimson fruit, charcoal and solid tannins. guess: no idea. the only thing i was thinking of was a syrah, but i couldn't nail a region. i couldn't believe that this was a spanish pinot. really unique stuff, although it didn't remind me at all of pinot. if you're banking your enjoyment of this wine on its pinot-likeness, then you'll hate it. but for my palate, this wine was delicious regardless. it does get what i like to call "crazy points" for its uniqueness.

wine of the night for me, no doubt. medium purple colored. plums, boysenberry, blueberry skin and olives on the nose. silky, paint-like mouthfeel on the palate. dense, rich, with caramel-covered blueberries, chocolate, ash and raisinettes. guess: reynvaan syrah. (of course, i knew a reynvaan lover brought this bottle, but this is still classic reynvaan walla walla syrah.) the crowd didn't love this as much as i did, but oh well. different strokes, and more for me. i didn't find this goopy or overblown at all. on the contrary, the velvety smoothness of it showed tremendous balance.

what a dark wine. inky in the glass. plum, charcoal and iron on the nose. gritty tannins but the smooth and silky fruit smooths it out. dark blueberries, charcoal, chocolate shavings. long finish. great way to end the tasting.