designation: Rosso Melograno

description: A blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Montepulciano, this opens with savory aromas of tobacco, leather, cola, cherry cola and white licorice. The mouthfeel is fresh, light and slightly tart on the finish.

designation: Estate Grown

description: This is a fairly simple wine. Although it's rich in apricot, orange and tropical fruit flavors, not to mention oak, it's a little overripe and seemingly sweet. The vanilla and buttered toast flavors will appeal to many.

designation: Visionary

description: This is a soft, easy-drinking Zinfandel to enjoy now with everything from meatballs and spaghetti to barbecue. It's dry and silky, with pleasant raspberry, cherry and spice flavors.

designation: Sangio'vese

description: This easy expression of Sangiovese offers an unusual set of aromas that spans from sweet Christmas spice to blue flower to green herb. A touch of cola or eucalyptus gives the wine a bright, vertical lift.

designation: La R serve du Crouzau St. Gervais

description: A solid, medium-bodied effort, this Saint Gervais boasts fine complexity on the nose, where it mixes berries with smoke and olive before turning darker on the palate, finally ending with hints of bitter chocolate and espresso.

designation: Single Vineyard Reserva

description: Black fruit, leather and licorice aromas are draped all over this heavyweight Cabernet Franc. It feels tannic, with aggressive flavors of bullish black fruit. This is flavorful at every point, but hard and abrasive in feel.

designation: Reserve

description: Penetrating cola, mint and black fruit aromas are probing. It feels tight and gripping, tasting forward and correct for the variety, with bell pepper, black fruit and spice flavors. This is robust, with good flavors and quality fruit.

designation:

description: Using grapes sourced from a cool subappellation of the Lodi area, this is a fine, ripe wine that finishes sweetly on a note of vanilla. Its acidity is in balance, making this a wine that will easily please a crowd.

designation: Poggio al Tufo

description: Velvety aromas of ripe fruit, dried herb and cured meat give this Alicante a savory, spicy feel. The wine delivers medium body and intensity and would pair with meatloaf or white meat.

designation: Trumpeter

description: This is dark, smoky and minty at first, turning more earthy, leathery and warm as it opens. It feels big and sort of tough, with smoked, roasted flavors of savory berry and rooty cola. It finishes tannic and rubbery.

designation: Brut Nature

description: Apple, mineral and light yeast notes define the bouquet. It feels snappy and zesty, with a mix of pickled citrus, fresh sauerkraut and lemon flavors. This is cleansing and tangy on the tail end, with a briny finish.

designation: Reserve

description: This has appealing scents of cherry fruit at first, then it quickly hits a wall and stops short. No amount of breathing time can make it budge.

designation: Mod

description: Jammy fruit, raspberry preserves, espresso, leather and tobacco form the nose of this dense, bold Montepulciano. The tannins are soft, smooth and velvety.

designation: High Elevation Collection

description: Made from grapes grown at a high elevation, this Cabernet tastes of oaky plum and has a slight layer of sage in the background that rounds out the wine. Aged in French and American oak, it's ready to drink now, as its cherry and raspberry flavors are currently shining.

designation: Le Zere

description: A fresh blend of Fiano and Chardonnay, Le Zere is redolent of lemon zest, pineapple, Golden Delicious apple and even a touch of banana. It's a perfect match to barbecued shrimp.

designation: Shea Vineyard

description: The light and fruity flavors of young vines dominate here, tart and sharp in this cool vintage. Raspberry and light herb open into a delicate, short, somewhat attenuated wine.

designation: Durell Vineyard

description: Made in a drink-me-now style, this is a delicately balanced wine, rich in oak, with a wealth of raspberries and cherries. It's soft, delicious and a little high in alcohol.

designation: Elegancia

description: Dense cherry, plum and black currant aromas carry a note of latex as well as bacon. Feels fiery and powerful, not elegant or lifted, with untamed, slightly syrupy flavors of plum, berry, chocolate and cough medicine. Powerful Shiraz that seems more boozy than its listed 14% abv.

designation: Late Bottled Vintage

description: Intense sweetness goes a long way toward making this dessert wine delicious and satisfying. While it's a bit lacking in fruity concentration, it does have good blackberry and milk chocolate flavors.

designation: Del Arroyo Vineyard

description: A straightforward Sauvignon Blanc, this has hints of cheese rind and lemon swirling within fistfuls of minerality that may need more time to settle down. But Occasio is a name to trust, and it should develop more flair with a bit of bottle age and/or air.