WAY too cold! :(

N: A tropical frt (?) I can't ID with minerals; Then, almost notes of Witch Hazel? Perplexing aromas for me...

P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE frt (though ~ to N) braced by CRISP acidity which fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, tangy finish with ULT notes of slight bitterness & those "unusual" flavors of the N. For now & through '19, poss longer, & I can't rule OUT the poss of improvement. However, for now my G+/VG- with the admission I'm quite possibly underrating it. [I didn't find another listing with which to compare this vendor's $17.99.]

Google trans of German tasting notes: "Mash fermentation over 3 wks with whole grapes, spontaneously fermented & expanding in old 300-liter wooden barrels for 12 mos." 12.5% ABV, 2.2 g/l R.S., & 5.1 g/l T.A.

N: Fragrant wild straws & red rasps

P: LM body; NICE frt met by tangy acidity with an astringency which builds prior to morphing into a LONG, slightly tangy finish with a bitterswtness (60:40) to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now & into, probably through '20, + I'm thinking it MAY improve a BIT into Fall '18. My VG/VG+, & one can certainly make a case for MORE based upon what's out there for P.N. in this price range! [This vendor's $13.99 beats its nearest wine-searcher competitor by $6!]

According to Wikipedia, this varietal is a cross between Zin & an ancient Croatian var "...not commonly found on its own."

Dry farmed 100% Plavac Mali grown in very rugged, mostly red soil with clay stones, hand-harvested, de-stemmed, fermented in open vats, aged for 5 mos in s/s (inox) tanks, coarsely filtered, then aged an additional 2 mos in bottles before release; 12.7% ABV, 6 g/L T.A., & 2 g/L R.S.

N: Smoke, toast, atop berries

P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with nice, almost swtish frt fairly quickly met by PUCKERISH astringency which pretty much continues into the LONG finish of the same ilk, though with that initial sense of frt. Deserves/NEEDS 12-18 mos, then drinking for another 3 yrs. Intriguing, & poss with potential. My VG+, quite poss EXC- (or more) eventually. [I can't find anything with which to compare this vendor's $15.99, which is already APPARENTLY out of stock?]

"An exclusive selection of North Berkeley Imports, assembled with the help of winemaker Bruno Gaspard." 92% Grenache & 8% Mourvèdre from vines which ave 45 yrs of age & are grown in soils of large, round quartz river stones (galets roulés), clay, & sand. Fermented on indigenous yeasts in s/s tanks, then aged for 1 yr in 60% older foudres & 40% tanks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

N: Slightly closed; cherries, garrigue, earth

P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE frt met by somewhat puckerish astringency which pretty much maintains into & through the LONG, puckerishly astringent finish with burgeoning notes of swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. LOTS of substance for a CdR, but NEEDS into '20 min, then drinking for 3 or 4 yrs more. 15% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. [I didn't find another source with which to compare this vendor's $19.99.]

N: Closed; Minerals atop berries

P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by a puckerish astringency which SOMEWHAT mitigates as it transitions into the LONG, VERY slightly tangy finish with OCCASIONAL bitterness & a distinct foreshadowing of swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS 12-18 mos, then may emerge a swan for 3 yrs min. 14% ABV; My VG+, probably EXC- eventually. [Tasted @ $16.99.]

Grenache 48%, Tempranillo 29%, Mourvedre 15%, & Syrah 8% aged 16 mos in used FR oak barrels

N: Cherries slightly atop vanilla with notes of earth, poss flowers?

P: LM body; NICE, almost swtish ft met by somewhat biterish astringency which only slightly mitigates by the LONG, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with the ULT sense being of bitterSWTNESS to the very, VERY fine tannins. NEEDS into, poss through SPRING '19, then drinking through '22. Comparable to a SOLID CdR, though I suspect its pricing will STILL tend to get it overlooked. 14.8% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. [This vendor's $17.99 is an *unbelievable* $25 < wine-searcher's only listing!]

98% Grenache & 2% Shiraz from low yielding (2 tons/acre) bush vines planted "...in the Seaview area of McLaren Vale, where there is only a few feet of topsoil over a hard shelf of chalk. Aged for several months in neutral FR & AM oak."

N: Earth atop cherries; some alch?

P: LM body; Rndish entry with nice, almost swtish frt (& POSS a TOUCH of heat?) met by a slightly puckerish astringency with bitterness building into the LONG, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with an ult bitterswt choc bent to the dusty tannins. NEEDS 12-18 mos, but unsure of how much frt there'll be then. 17.1% ABV; My VG-, more IF aging proves beneficial. 90 pts WS. [This vendor's $12.99 is as good as any on wine-searcher.]

100% C.F. from 18 yr old vines of the La Arboleda Vyd (Tupungato, 800-1.100 m elevation) which has loamy soil with good drainage. Vinified for 21 days in s/s tanks, then aged 12 mos in FR (70%) & AM oak (30%), ff'd by 8 mos in bottle; 3.000 bottles produced

N: Closed; Earth with notes of smoke, then bacon?

P: Med, poss LM body; NICE, almost swtish frt firmed by a BIT of puckerish astringency which pretty much mitigates by the LONG, very, VERY slightly spicy finish with a bitterSWTNESS to the relatively tame, very, VERY fine tannins. Deserves another yr or so, then drinking for 3 or 4 more. Nicely done! 14.8% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. [This vendor's $19.99 is $3 < the only wine-searcher posting.]

100% Tannat fermented in 150 HL Cement Tanks, aged 6 to 12 mos on the lees in FR oak barrels and casks; 14.5% ABV, 4.5 g/L R.S., 5.8 g/L T.A., & 3.6 pH; 12,000 cases.

N: RIPE melding of cherries, choc, & minerals; More to give?

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a very, VERY slightly puckerish astringency which slowly, only somewhat decreases as it morphs into the LONG, VERY slightly puckery finish with a swt coating to those persistent, dusty tannins. VERY well made, but I believe most palates would want to give this into, if not through, '20, then at least approaching its 10th. My EXC- with more a DISTINCT poss down the line! 91 pts Suckling, 90 pts & Silver @ '17 Decanter World Wine Awards, 90 pts, a "Smart Buy" @ $17, & #41/Top 100 for '17 from WS, Gold @ '17 Int'l Wine Challenge [ENG], and 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson! [As the market slowly tightens, this vendor's $12.99 is NOW $3 < any of wine-searcher's decreasing entries!]