2007 Owen Roe Abbot’s Table Red............. $24.99

In my opinion, David O’Reilly of Owen Roe fame is one of the finest winemakers in the business today. He has found the unique ability to produce wines that appeal to the masses yet hold true to fine wine making skills. The consumer trend towards fruit forward style wines has been ongoing and many have succumbed to this by producing wines that are fruit bombs. Mr. O’Reilly has struck a happy balance of wines with solid fruit yet they are well structured. I have spent a fair amount of time extolling the virtues of his syrah known as Ex Umbris. I feel just as strongly about his recent release of the ever popular Abbot’s Table Red. He does not reveal the contents of the wine on the label, however we do know the primary varietal is zinfandel. Whatever varietals he uses, it is nothing short of magic. This wine exudes with delicious notes of black raspberry, boysenberry, dark plum and anise. The flavors are intense from beginning to end and are seamlessly integrated with the tannins. The finish is incredible as it hangs endlessly and evolves into chocolate and mocha tones. This is a wine that you will not forget about for a long time. As we know, this wine will not hang around forever so make sure you stock up on a fair amount to get you through the year.