Tepana Garnacha 2006 – Spain

A second nice Spanish red from Tepana. (See our Tempranillo review.) Nose is pleasant but simple – dark, maybe smoky/spicy fruit. Some nice blackberry tastes, with white pepper and maybe even a hint of lemon. Not heavily tannic, and decently smooth for an inexpensive red. Yes. $8 on sale, $12 regularly.

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2006 – France

As much as we like French wine styles, we really wanted to like this red. But... This Grenache/Syrah blend has a nose that’s almost alcohol-y, and tastes that have little fruit (a hint of dark plum), but lots of minerals, earth, acids, and tannins. Somewhat harsh (maybe young). A Maybe, at best. $13

Rosemount Estate Shiraz Grenache 2004 – Australia

When we first tried this wine years ago, it was Grenache/Shiraz, probably indicating that the blend was more Grenache than Shiraz. Now it’s 55% Shiraz, probably because of Shiraz’s ascendancy in popularity. It’s pretty close in taste to a pure Syrah (see our Columbia Crest review), and has almost a beefy nose. Plumy tastes, fresh and fruity. A House wine for all these years, and still so. About $10.