Blackburn & James

Paso Robles
California
2008

45% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Sangiovese.  This wine is a beautiful, deep red with layers upon layers of flavors.  A great mix and a good wine for a cheap price.

Colin:  It tastes like all my favorite aspects of the wines that were used.  It makes the experience well rounded.  By itself, it was perfectly dry and the finish was great.  However, pairing it with red meat or hearty foods brings out the punch and taste.  I would recommend this to anyone that likes a hearty red.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Rachel:  This wine has a dark, woody smell with some black pepper notes.  But it is very bold and fruity in flavor.  You can almost taste each of the grapes' contribution to this wine.  Hints of vanilla with oak, deep raspberries, it is a great wine with an easy finish.  This is definitely a good red for anyone, but especially people that aren't too fond of reds. Since it is still bold, but has almost no sourness to it, it's a great red for white lovers.  At least, in my opinion.
Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  No

Cost: $6.99 at Trader Joe's.  Have not been able to locate it anywhere else on the web - so this is a good one to pick up if you see it in store.

Rabbit Ridge

Allure de Robles (Rhone Style red wine)
California
2009

This dark red wine is made in a "Cotes du Rhone style."  It is a medium-bodied wine that contains three different kinds of grapes:  Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre.  It has notes of raspberries, blackberries, black currant, and pepper that all work well together.  It says that it can withhold a variety of foods to be paired with - and with three different kinds of grapes, we believe it.

Colin:  I love this wine - it is really good.  It contains everything I like about red wine.  It's hardy like a meal - you could cut it with a knife.  I do think that the finish is a little sharp, but that doesn't really affect my rating of this wine.
Rating: 9 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  Upon first sip, I didn't even want to taste this wine aerated because it was so delicious.  It's bold, has a bite, and still has a very fruity flavor.  This is a great stand alone wine, but it paired well with out pasta dinner.  I would rate it higher if it was a smoother finish, instead of the finishing "kick."  But I still highly recommend it as a good, inexpensive bottle.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate:  Colin - No // Rachel - No

Where can I find it?
We got it at Trader Joe's.  You can also find it on their website:
http://www.rabbitridgewinery.com/

Cost:  Trader Joe's: $6.99  Their website:  $8.00