2004 Vivac Cabernet Sauvignon "Reserve"

I'm being diplomatic...I'm being diplomatic...I'm being diplomatic... This wine sucked. Doh! How disappointing to get a turned, vinegar-like bottle. It's our last, stored bottle; or was. This disaster has given me resolve to go out and get a $9 Cab from California that will show this $30+ bottle from New Mexico HOW IT IS DONE, people. Smells like pickled eggs in a mystery liquid; tastes like eggs in vinegar. No more. BLEH!

40/100.
AVOID...AVOID...AVOID

2007 Black Mesa Petite Sirah

Three posts in one day? Ridiculous - finally opened and enjoyed a bottle of wine from New Mexico. I had bought a sampler pack at the Vivac Winery in Dixon, as well as two Petite Sirahs from Black Mesa Winery. I remain more impressed with the latter than the former - the Sangiovese and Nebbiolo from Vivac turned out to be limpid, clear around the glass, boring ass wine reminiscent of Chianti in the 1970s. Pretty horrid - so I've used them cooking (pasta, braising spinach). But this Black Mesa Petite is not bad at all, shooting mid-80s all the way around. There's a touch of heat on this, from the alcohol, at 15.2% ABV but once it blows off a bit, there's a tart, rich cranberry aspect to this wine that is easy to like. It is different from typical Petites, and probably not the apogee of varietal "typicite" but still....enjoyable. Look for it.
84/100.
Bottom Line: New Mexico's wines...redeemed.

2006 Vivac Sangiovese

We finally tempted fate and cracked the first of the 6 New Mexican wines bought in early September near Dixon, NM. I bought 4 at Vivac, including this Sangiovese, which is the bulk of this wine, but which has minute amounts of Cab and Merlot for some fleshiness. And it needed it - I haven't seen a Sangiovese this limpid and pale in color since the early 80s when Tuscany was awash in bad Chianti. Still, a "correct" nose of vine-ripened tomatoes, with some oak/plum in the back, and a largely accurate replica in the mouth on the palate. This is decent - I probably won't go back for seconds, but it was fun to sample the first of our New Mexican purchases. I think the extraction level could be higher, and I wonder how much the young guys running Vivac actually green harvest their graps to improve concentration. 79/100.