We walked into Yountville’s best wine store Groezinger’s and asked owner Rick, “If there was one wine in this store we should buy, what would it be?”

What followed was the most hilarious rant I’ve ever experienced from a wine guy. Upon his urging, we then read his review (the link has since expired) and bought this wine.

Clear and bright, the wine is deep garnet with a medium plus, developing nose of tobacco leaf, cedar, deep black boysenberry and cassis.

On the palate, it’s dry with medium plus acidity and slightly grippy tannins, appropriate alcohol great body. The flavour profile shows purple Damson plums, more boysenberry, Marionberry, and black currant – along with leather, bacon fat, tobacco and leather.

Complimented by a long finish and great development in the glass which takes you from a full and fruity opening to deep and savoury notes, it was co-fermented with 5% Viognier at the winery in the Russian River Valley.  This is a WSET Very Good plus wine that is balanced,  complex, fruity, savoury, and layered.

Rick was right – and those 2000 folks who got his newsletter but didn’t buy the wine need to wake up and, well, just buy more Porter Creek.

And to paraphrase his side kick, the MW aspirant, “Taste more when not hammered.”