Tasting - Dunham Cellars

•Name: Wine Club 

•Variety: Zinfandel 

•Region: Washington

•Country: USA

•Year: 2013

•Price: $55

•Shop/wine critic/winery review (from internationalwinereview) The wine begins with aromatics of prune, red cherry, fennel and black plum. There are fruity flavors of black cherry, black plum, boysenberry jam and black tea. The combination of fruit flavors and minerality makes this Zin a one of a kind in Washington wine. The winemaking is exceptional in this novel and impossible to resist bottling.

•Your review: I am also biased towards this wine because it not-coincidentally shares its name with the family of the girl that I am dating. This wine is fantastic, especially for such a deep red that I would not normally enjoy. Without being jammy, the sweetness is very prominent and well balanced. There is a very very strong singular taste of a dark tobacco mixed with black licorice. It is rather sharp on the nose, reinforcing the dark fruits, and the finish is the perfect length that makes you want to keep drinking it. 

Tasting- Terra Noble

•Name: Terra Noble 

•Variety: Merlot 

•Region: Maule Valley

•Country: Chile 

•Year: 2011 

•Price: $20 

•Shop/wine critic/winery review (from cheapwineratings) : The nose is rather pointed on this merlot, showing the some acidic and alcohol notes.  It also offers some raspberry and plum.  The palate is nice, with raspberry, cherry and plum flavors along with vibrant acidity.  It has decent fruit without being overly jammy.  The finish is medium in length and shows more of the red fruit flavors." 

•Your review: I am a little biased towards this wine because it is produced by a relative of mine. I keep a case of this on hand currently, and when it runs out I plan to pick up another variety from Terra. I like the dark fruit weightiness and the lack of tangy acid. The acidity makes it well balanced without being too much in my face. 

Tasting- "Teutonic"

•Name: Teutonic 

•Variety: Gerwurztraminer Blend (80% Gerwurztraminer, 20% Pinot Noir

•Region: Williamette Valley

•Country: United States 

•Year: 2016

•Price: $20

•Shop/wine critic/winery review (From klwines.com):Almost dark rosé in color, this wine has incredible lift and energy, with a bright acidity balanced with a pleasantly weighty textural component. Dry and refreshing, with tantalizing minerality, this wine has a very soft tannin and is incredibly easy to drink during any occasion.

•Your review: This wine came off with lots of fruit, namely strawberry and raspberries. I ranked it a 7/10, though I would still buy it again. There was a slight taste of an old pennie, but was a light enough wine that I found it enjoyable overall. It seemed well balanced, and while it was light, it still had enough "umph" behind it.