“Archipel is a blend of Bordeaux varietal fruit sourced from vineyards located 700 to 1,300 feet high on the Mayacamas Mountain Range.”

Served chilled between 60-65 degrees, this wine has an initial sweet berry taste before mellowing out to a rich blend. I’m not fond of the very oaky type of wine and this one only had a hint of it. The blend consists of 63% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot, and 1% malbec.

Robert Parker gave it a 93 in 2008, part of the reason why I picked it up at Wine Exchange.

Cheeseboard included Panquehue (a Chilean semi-soft cheese), Cambazola, Port Salut, honeycomb, fruit and nuts. I also made some mushrooms stuffed with herbed goat cheese. I almost forgot the cheese tub. If you’ve never tried Trader Joe’s Pub cheese, you must! It is really tasty, like a cross between sharp cheddar and cream cheese.

This was a great meal for a lazy Sunday afternoon!

It had been at least a year since I purchased wine from Wine Access. I received an email from them recommending the 2006 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Napa Valley Red. Stated as "wildly underpriced" and receiving 90 points from Robert Parker, I decided on a whim to purchase 4 bottles, all the while hoping that it would be as good as they promoted.

Wildly underpriced is right. This amazing blend is berry delicious with a smooth and velvety finish. Even the label was worth saving. "42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot, and 8% Malbec."