13.9% alcohol. Very light clear straw color. Notes of unripe green kiwi, white grapefruit, herbs, lemongrass, smoke, oak. Outstanding. THIRD PLACE tonight.

Clear light pale salmon-pink color. Notes of fresh crisp tart berries, minerals, light oak. Just what I hope for in a rose. My #3 tonight.

Clear light yellow with medium bead, settling quickly. Notes of fresh non-buttered popcorn, sweet croissant, quince, grapefruit. Outstanding. My #2 tonight.

65% cab sauvignon, 25% cab franc, 10% merlot. Clear deep garnet-blood color. I greatly enjoyed this wine six months ago, but tonight's bottle seemed musty, possibly mildly corked, with notes of dill and green bell pepper obscuring the subdued dark fruit. I thought perhaps it just needed more air, until I learned the bottle was decanted and re-bottled at least an hour before serving. Others liked this bottle very much, and ranked it SECOND PLACE tonight.

88% cab sauvignon, 8% cab franc, 4% merlot. Decanted and re-bottled at least an hour before serving. Clear dark garnet black color. Fantastic bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, cloves, and toast. Powerful, full-bodied, but seamless and well-balanced, with long finish. Youthful but approachable now. FIRST PLACE tonight by unanimous vote.

15.5% alcohol. 50% syrah, 50% grenache. Clear dark garnet. Notes of bacon fat, smoke, berries, licorice, and wood. Excellent value.

Bottled in 1973. Couldn't assess fill level due to darkness of the glass. Cork removed intact, in excellent condition. Decanted one hour before serving. Cloudy brown color. I was ready to pour it down the sink immediately, but we decided to give it a chance. Musty notes of figs and raisins, like a tawny, likely heat damaged. Went OK with chocolate, but what doesn't go with chocolate?

Tasted late in the evening. Bottle has been open with vacuum stopper for at least a few days. Clear dark garnet color. Straightforward profile of milk chocolate and cherry cordial, with noticeable alcohol. Overall very nice.