The 2004 Solita Nebbiolo was wild yeast fermented and aged for 30 months in 10% new French demi-muids and spent two years in bottle prior to release. Medium ruby-colored, it has a lovely nose of tar, roses and red licorice along with notes of cherry, mineral, and toast that emerge on the palate. Already complex, it should blossom with another 2-3 years in the cellar. Drink it through 2018. R Wines is the company founded by importer and bacon baron Dan Philips and the veteran vigneron Chris Ringland. It encompasses four familiar labels, Marquis Philips (designated MP in these listings), 3 Rings, Roogle, and Bitch, along with 13 others created especially for R Wines. As is usual for master marketer Philips, the packaging is amazingly creative but, more importantly, the wines consistently over-deliver from low end to high end. The conclusion of this report contains a list of Values $20 and Under. Twenty-four R Wines are noted, many of which offer exceptional bang-for-the buck. What follows are notes are for the R Wines over $20. The rest of the Shiraz were sourced from the highly regarded 60+-year-old Ebenezer vineyards of Adrian Hoffman who is a partner in the venture. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095