oh my, a couple of beautiful reds tonight

In celebration of our upcoming Caribbean cruise, I thought we'd celebrate with a reasonably expensive red; more on that in a minute. To whet our appetites, we began the evening with this one:

Belle Glos Meiomi 2012 Pinot Noir ($26.99)

An interesting blend of Pinot grapes from three different regions; Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County, and Monterey County. Each region brings a little something different, and this wine takes the best of each and integrates them beautifully.

As it's still young, I decanted it for a couple of hours. It opened up beautifully; lots of ripe berries and vanilla on the nose, and they carry through to the palate. A bit of cola joins them. A very nice reasonably priced California pinot. 86.

For the main event of the evening, to pair with our dinner of beef stew:

2010 Le Vieux Pin Equinox Syrah ($74.99)

A beautiful nose of black cherry with hints of licorice and just a touch of smoke and flowers. Just the right amount of spice. Very complex and smooth, the tannins were still just a tad firm, but it opened up nicely as it sat in the decanter. I would suggest holding onto this for another 2-4 years if you can to truly let it achieve the heights that it can. It's excellent now as well, so if you can't wait, decant it for an hour or so and enjoy. 93.