Four Excellent Wines from a Steak Dinner

Dinner with the Murphys (+1) at our house. With mesquite-grilled steaks (no one on Marquette Street called the fire department on me this time!), we had the following line-up up excellent reds (abbreviated notes from memory, no scores):

2002 Landmark "Grand Detour" PINOT NOIR (Sonoma County) -- Earthy and oaky, with refined cherry/rhubarb fruit. Smooth and sophisticated. Reminded me of a good Nuits-St. George.

2003 Lake Breeze Langhorne Creek GRENACHE (Australia) -- A big, intense, old vines (71 yrs. old) Grenache, with concentrated earthy, iodine, salty raspberry flavors. Big and mouthfilling, but not tannic at all.

2003 MontGras "QUATTRO" Reserva (Colchagua, Chile) -- A very suave, subtle, and deep-toned blend of Carmenere, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Drinking beautifully. Last of three bottles I had of this. Sorry to see it go.

2002 Wynns Coonawarra Estate CABERNET SHIRAZ MERLOT (Australia) -- Leather and ripe berries on the nose, with a hint of eucalyptus. Medium-bodied and soft, but concentrated. Long, soft finish.