One of the wines that I tasted on my recent trip out to Pheasant Ridge Winery, was the 2003 Proprietor's Reserve, a Bordeaux style blend that is their signature wine.  The winery provided me with a sample bottle to do a more thorough review of the wine than I was able to do while I was there in the tasting room.

As I said, this wine is a Bordeaux blend, made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc.  The alcohol on this wine is 13.8%.  The Cab and Merlot both spend a pretty good amount of time in oak, coming in at about 4 and a half years.  This bottle costs $15, although you might be able to find it at some stores for less.

 
This wine starts you off with a really nice nose.  I definitely pick up a little bit of the oak on this wine, with some vanilla, raspberries, and a really beautiful central aroma that I can't quite put my finger on, but that definitely has some black licorice in it.  Very pleasing nose.  On the palate, this is a smooth drinking wine, but with some nice tannins.  I get some caramel and some more raspberry flavors, as well as just a touch of something herbal and some chocolate.  The finish on this wine pleasantly lingers for quite a while.  This wine is very good on it's own, but I drank some with a pizza, and it really went great with the tomato sauce and sausage on the pizza.  I could see this wine drinking really well with some barbecue, which is perfect for a Texas wine.

At $15, I think this wine is a fantastic buy.  If you can find it somewhere for less, stock up.  This wine is great with or without food, and I would certainly recommend it.  I have seem this wine on at least one wine list at a local restaurant, and I think it would be a great choice if you find it at a restaurant.

Final Grade (1-5) 

Legend –   Skip it   Meh   Worth a Try   Give it a Go   Run Get Some