Spicy, savoury, spiced.
Wild berries and spice, garrigue, white pepper, leather and savoury meaty undertones leads to a lean palate of toast and raw meat, black fruit, spice and herbal flavours. It's a food wine, with notable acidity to pair with game, rich tomato sauces, aged goat cheeses and hearty eggplant dishes.
©copyright 2020 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores Reviewed - November 16th, 2020

Smoked, savoury, spicy.
Another good holiday gift-giving option, the Perrin delivers smoked cherries and wild berries, peppery spices and iodine, roasted espresso beans and dark cocoa with a distinctly savoury core of roasted meat and garrigue. It has a supple entry and has a succulent meaty and peppery palate to mimic the nose. Good levity here, but expect a more restrained style with tartness on the finish.
©copyright 2017 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores Reviewed - December 8th, 2017

Value, freshness, fragrant.
Excellent value, an everyday red that suggests berries and baking spices, candied violets and vanilla, licorice and mocha with an earthy.garrigue core. It is smooth and fresh on the entry with cocoa, spice and purple fruit flavours. The finish grows more textural and trails more savoury tones.
©copyright 2019 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores Reviewed - November 29th, 2019

Approachable, chocolate, currents.
Fetzer is a Californian pioneer in sustainable farming.
This is an approachable red (with new packaging) offering aromas of black cherry, plums, black currents, smoked spice and bittersweet chocolate. Similar coffee, roasted carob, spice and dark fruit line the palate. It is smooth and balanced.
A simple weekday dinner wine for grilled meats, pastas, stews and burgers.
Pairs great with Gone Crackers Canadian Chedder & Chive
 
©copyright 2015 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores Reviewed - March 19th, 2015

Supple, heft, slick.
Finca El Origen is owned by Chile's Santa Carolina; the name refers to the high mountain vineyards that were once an ocean, then mountains, and then a mountain range.
Notes of stony mineral, black raspberry, wild currents, vanilla and salted licorice are woven with espresso, dark chocolate and dried herbs. It has a supple palate lined with generous fruit and a slick texture. Strong bitter elements here such as dark chocolate and coffee and toasted spice dominate the palate, the tannins have some heft and chew.
A wine for grilling.
©copyright 2021 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores Reviewed - April 6th, 2021