Little Vineyards, Syrah-Zinfandel '07 ($25)

Sonoma, CA

This winery has proven to be one of my all time favorites! They just don’t fail at putting out some fantastic wines. Since my visit a little over a year ago, I’ve had a wonderful, full bodied, Cabernet Sauvignon, an incredible Zinfandel and now a blend of Syrah & Zinfandel. I’m not sure if it’s in the soil, the vines or just the passion from the team of great people at Little Vineyards.

With scents of black pepper, ripe dark berries and a hint of oak, this was already proving to be a great wine from its aromas. The fruit forward tastes of dark cherries from the Zinfandel won’t leave you Zin drinkers disappointed and the medium spice from the Syrah balances the blend nicely. Tannins are mild with a smooth and easy drinking finish.

The blend is comprised of 69% Syrah and 31% Zinfandel. It’s not a large production wine with only 240 cases so if you’re interested, I believe it can only be purchased from the winery’s website. www.littlevineyards.com

Navarro Correas, Cabernet Sauvignon ’07 $10

Argentina, Mendoza

For an inexpensive bottle of Cab., I wasn’t let down. It started off with aromas of must and an earthy hint then followed by a toasted oak. A few subtle herbs and black olives on the nose brought out some interesting nuances as well.

I’d give this a medium body classification with flavors exuding chocolate, plums and ripe blackberries. With jammy fruit flavors and mild tannins, this was one of the easiest drinking Cabs I’ve had in a while yet not wimpy. It went awesome with a wood grille steak.