There are four bottles from the last few weeks that have accumulated on the top of our fridge that I’ve been meaning to record. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my tasting notes for these bottles and don’t have a detailed memory about them.

• Rock River Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (California) - Delicious after being left out for 45 minutes. Nothing too stellar, but good enough, great value. $10
• Signorello Syrah 2004 (Napa Valley) - The best Syrah I've ever had. Worth every penny (Especially when going to the tasting room with a manager of the Rutherford Grill). Beautiful color on the glass. The Viognier adds something special to the glass. This was my last bottle from the batch I brought from Napa and it was a fantastic finish to a great trip. $36
• Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Sonoma County) - Dirt. I was told to add it to my case to balance in price some more expensive wines already present, with claims that the Gallo Family Vineyard is somehow better than the E&J Gallo Vineyard. One of the worst wines I've had. I'm fairly suspect of any wine company that adheres to ISO 4001 and produces that much wine.
• Ballentine Chenin blanc Old Vines 2003 (Napa Valley) - A spectacular wine that made me and Varun really happy. It's too bad the 2003 isn't available direct from them anymore, only the 2005, which I haven't had. I would seriously consider joining their wine club.

Casey, Varun, and I (later joined by Morgan and then Somudro) enjoyed a small wine assortment last night. There was no better way to make a decision about our party plans in light of Six’s illness but over a good glass of wine.

The night started with a bottle from a mixed case of Syrah I bought yesterday. Luigi Bosca Syrah Reserva 2002, Argentina promised “raspberries, blackberries, and hints of pepper.” It was fairly absent of a nose, color dark. The first glass was acceptable, worthy of drinking. The initial taste was a more subdued Syrah, giving a slightly oaky taste but not a lot of it. The finish was exceedingly strong; perhaps too tannin-y for my taste in Syrah. I immediately thought “blackberries, raspberries” which was confirmed by reading the bottle notes. The second glass was less forceful and more enjoyable, after allowing the wine to air about half an hour. $13

Casey, in the spirit of drinking wine with friends then offered up his Campbells Rutherglen Muscat NV, Australia. If I recall correctly, this wasn’t the first time I had encountered this exact Muscat (I think it was when I took Dan to Public a few years ago). He prefixed the serving by saying that it’s really bad and was mocking its taste. I found it to be an acceptable dessert wine, especially given its cost at a Boston-area supermarket. It gave little other than a strong raisin and was delectably sweet. Tasty. $18

With Somudro joining us and Casey and Morgan departing for sleep before attending to marching band, I broke out what my man at the wine shop, Tyronne, highly recommended to me as one of his favorite wines, Clos Mimi Petite Rousse 2004, California. The pink-labeled bottle has a story about a red-headed girl who enchanted Renoir “with her irrepressible ‘joie de vivre’ and a quote from Victor Hugo.” It was obviously more delicate in smell, color and taste. What I found was an absolutely delicious bottle of Syrah, almost exactly the ideal Syrah for my palette. The flavor was not overbearing, but instead light and playful. It was a much lighter and more airy wine than the Luigi Bosca. It, too, improved with the second glass, but the first was surpisingly very good. Highly recommended. Interesting Winemakers notes. $20