Primativo is Italian for Zinfandel and this baby is loaded with ripe red berry fruit and soft tannins. The flavors conspire to explode in the mouth and make you hunger for more.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Tasting Notes: Promises of parole led to a clean palate and flavors of red fruits, rhubarb and spice, with a finish of subtle vanilla flavors and, ahem, a touch of smoke. On the nose, loganberries and raspberries with hints of spices.
Awards: This wine has not yet been rated.
Production Notes: After harvesting, the grapes for the 2009 Big House Red underwent a cold soak for a couple of days, then were fermented at 60°-65°F. Portions of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation and barrel aging in mostly French and American neutral oak.
Food Pairing: Big House Red stands up to the spiciest barbecued ribs and, though he wouldn't admit it, he pairs very nicely with all grilled meats, lasagna Bolognese, grilled veggies, and even sashimi grade Ahi tuna.

Production Notes: Harvested at night and in the early morning hours, the wine was fermented cool in temperature controlled stainless steel to maximize the fresh fruit characteristics and retain its acidity and long finish.
Winemaker Notes: The wine starts with a heavy dose of nose candy: melons, pears and lychee all surround your senses. The palate opens up to summer peach, dried apricot and tropical fruits.
Food Pairing: It's quite possibly the perfect accompaniment to summer "chain gang" duties in the yard, fresh fish, spicy fair, or even Sunday morning fruit salads.

Winemaker notes: The chardonnay is exactly what a California Chardonnay should be - bright, fresh and lush in flavor. The fruit comes through immediately with this wine, making it an excellent match with any Asian dish or meal that might have a bit of spice. Incredibly refreshing, this wine is the perfect reward for a day spent exploring new territory, like a road trip down the Bohemenian Highway.

SILVER MEDAL, San Francisco Chronicle, 2010

BEST BUY, BTI World Championship, 2010

Climate: The Napa Valley is famous for its warm days and cool nights, maintaining good natural acidity while the ripeness levels rise. The Eastern hills are above the fog in the morning, receiving direct sun early and all through the day. The hillside soils make for thick skinned cabernet berries.

Winemaking Notes: We fermented this using hand punch downs and gentle pumpovers; then transferring some to French oak for aging. The biggest structured, most powerful lots were put into new French oak for aging to balance the tannins and extract the rich flavors from the barrique. Some lots that would benefit from the softening effect of time in oak were put into French barrels that were used to age. By carefully blending the different lots, varying oak types and different vineyard lots, we created a balanced and complex wine.

Tasting Notes: Beautiful deep garnet color. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco, and hints of minerals and graphite. Sweet, densely packed and creamy in the mouth, but with firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate, and coffee flavors. This is a very lush, soft, complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.

Wine Facts: 100% Napa Valley, 100% Pure Cabernet Sauvignon, Alc. 14.1% by volume.

The once 5 mile wide Mendoza River is now mostly vineyard, abundant with some of Argentina's most pristine Malbec vines. A plethora of smooth cobble on the top bewilders the eye and imagination as to how the vines actually thrive in such a rugged terrain. Clay and gravel make up the subsoil under the larger cobble forcing each vine to compete for nutrition; the result is a wine profoundly concentrated and rich, "always rich".

Climate: The climate is quite similar to that of the Napa Valley. Warm days are followed by cool evenings as the maritime breezes make it through the Andes Mountain ranges down to Mendoza Valley floor.

Winemaker Notes: We allow Layer Cake Malbec to ripen thoroughly on the vine. This, our first vintage of Layer Cake Malbec, was harvested nearly a month to six weeks after all other neighboring vineyards; a crucial element to the wines quality. Each cluster, once harvested by hand, is then de-stemmed and sorted - also by hand.

Tasting Notes: Pure, rich and very elegant; a powerhouse of lush black fruit, silky cocoa, black spice and cream, wrapped around blackberry, cherry and ripe plum. Layered and complex with a nose to linger over, a finish that never ends. Sweet anise, hints of tobacco, black chocolate, more cherries and exotic spices, layers of jam. This wine will stand and perform anytime you think of a Cabernet and want something just a little more exotic. Born at the base of the Andes and fed by the purest spring waters&I love this wine.

Wine Facts: 100% Mendoza, Argentina, 100% Pure Malbec, 80% stainless steel fermented; 20% in used Hundred Acre barrels exported to Argentina. Alc. 13.9%, Bottled May 2009.

Naked Earth's grapes are patiently macerated, soaked and saturated for a deeper color. Their fermentation is carefully observed, and their meticulous blending produce wines that are fruit-driven, yet food-friendly. So you can enjoy Naked Earth, not just for its delicious nectar, but for its respect and care for Mother Nature.

Tasting Notes: Beautiful concentration, with rich and dark crimson hues, showing raspberry-red tinges at the edges. An impressive nose of strawberry and vanilla, with accents of cinnamon and smoke. Thick, rich and concentrated upon entry, moving into notes of ripe fruits like strawberry and blueberry. The finish is long and elegantly spicy, ending with hints of dark cherries, espresso and chocolate.
Serve with red meat, hearty pastas, pizza and spicy dishes.

Acidity: .52
Alcohol: 13.9%
Appellation: California

Appellation: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Winemaker: Felipe Tosso
Tasting Notes: A rich red wine with black currant, mocha and chocolate notes.
Food Pairings: Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon is an exceptional match with full-flavored cheeses, pasta with red sauce, steak, ribs, and chocolate.

VINTAGE NOTES: Cool weather in the beginning of the season resulted in natural fruit concentration on the vine and encouraged a long, slow maturation. Toward the end of the season, temperatures rose steadily to more fully develop aromas of melon, pear and citrus.

WINEMAKING: Fermentation was carried out gradually to maximize the extraction of the fruit and mineral aromas. After completing fermentation, the wine remained sur lie to broaden the palate richness.

TASTING NOTES: Fresh complex aromas of pear, green melon and lime are balanced by crisp acidity and bright mineral notes that lead to a clean, strong finish.

FOOD PAIRINGS: Root: 1 Sauvignon Blanc is an extremely food-friendly wine that pairs beautifully with rich creamy sauces, seafood, chicken primavera, grilled pork and Caesar salad. APPELLATION: Casablanca Valley, Chile
WINEMAKER: Felipe Tosso
WINERY: Viña Ventisquero
VARIETAL: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
TOTAL ACIDITY: 6.8 g/L ALCOHOL: 13.1% pH: 3.2

Food Pairings: Perfect with seafood, poultry and soft cheeses.

GypZ Favorite and I've found numerous favorable reviews for this value priced wine.
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/wine/top5_critterwines