Price:   $10.99

Blend:

Shiraz, Cab, Merlot, Petite Verdot

Nose:

Black cherry, pork and celery salt.

Palate:

Leans to the medium side of full bodied.  Moderate acid and soft, ripe tannin.  Dark black cherry notes with tints of raspberry and cherry and a long juicy finish.

Synopsis:

I’m not sure who would dislike this wine with it’s perfect balance between new world fruit and old world restraint.  Also this really opens up in the glass and becomes more and more sublime as time passes.  Unstoppable at this price.

The Som Rating: 8/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

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Wines featured in today’s show:

• Oliver Conti Cabernet/Merlot/Cab Franc  Blend 1999  (~$50)
• Possmann Applewine  (~$5)
• Saracco Moscato D’ Asti 2008  (~$17)
• Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne Gift Box  (~$40)
• Präsidenten-Gold Sekt  (~$38)
• Perrin & Fils Côtes Du Rhône Villages  (~$15)

The Gift of Wine :

I have never claimed to be the greatest gift giver of all time, but I do know how to find inspiration in wine.  I’ve damn near based my life on it.  Depending on where you live, it is unlikely that you will find these exact items at your local wine shop.  The idea here is for you to realize that at this time of year, your local independent wine shop is brimming with unique & interesting wines and wine goodies.  Walk in and tell your wine guy what you want to spend and the level of your friends “wine-geekiness.”  He will have many ideas for you.

Nice Fruit with a bit of gaminess on the nose.  I wanna say blackberries and leather.  Touch of chocolate underneath.

Palate:

Tannins are very much in play here, but they’re not distracting.  In fact, they are nicely balanced with better than average acidity.  This is a slightly less than full bodied wine that is wrapped in dark berry flavors with a gentle kiss of oak.  There’s just a touch of dark chocolate on the long, dry finish.

Great wine for the price range ($11-$13 depending on where you shop). Peirano Estates produces very good value driven wines.  Buy a case and watch those tannins round out and integrate beautifully into the fruit over the next two years.

The Som Rating: 7/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

Peirano Estate "Six Clones" Merlot

Featured in Today’s Show:

• 2002 Patron Santiago Grand Reserva from Argentina (blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah)

Geeky Wine Tip: Decant your wine if it is -

• A young wine and needs to breathe before serving
• A mature or unfiltered wine that may have sediment at the bottom of the bottle