Cinnamon toast, campfire and bacon fat aromatics lead into juicy wild berry flavors, with accessible tannins. Fun and easy to drink, with distinctive notes. Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2017. 30,000 cases made. -MW

Almost black in color, this is a blend of 85% Petite Sirah, 15% Petit Verdot with a pronounced smell and taste of smoked bacon, even smoked gouda, a huge-in-the-mouth wine that’s got nothing petite (or petit) about it. Its lingering tannic smokiness begs for barbecue, smoked trout or such. The label is awesome. ——V.B.(11/1/2011)—— 85