Red Wines For A Time Switch

What are you going to do with that extra hour of evening darkness? Saturday night is time to "fall back" into standard time as we slide into winter, giving you an extra hour for a glass of rich red wine instead of working or playing outside.

Here are 10 possibilities from the West Coast:

Sequoia Grove Napa Valley "Cambium" red wine 2011, $147

 A blend of Bordeaux grapes, with rich blackberry and blueberry flavors floating over a layer of dusky chocolate — an excellent wine for sipping with its smooth but firm tannins.

Frank Family "Patriarch" Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon 2012, $249

 A big wine, but an approachable one, with dark purple fruits and chocolate-like tannins. Just delicious.

Frank Family "Winston Hill" Napa Valley red wine 2012, $150

A big wine, but a friendly one, with rich, warm flavors of red and purple fruits and burnished oak. Complex and richly textured.

Ravenswood "Dickerson" Napa Valley zinfandel 2013, $37

A big, lazy zin with lots of "maroon" flavors — cooked rhubarb, mulberries, ripe cherries. The flavors are alluring, the finish is fine, but overall the structure is a bit flabby.

Ravenswood "Teldeschi" Dry Creek zinfandel 2013, $37

Bright red berry and dry herb flavors with good tannins. Long on the palate, but modestly complex.

Ravenswood "Belloni" Russian River zinfandel 2013, $37

Definitely a food wine, still tightly wound, with ripe cherry and raspberry flavors along with garrigue and dry herb notes. Lots of tannins, crisp acidity.

Ravenswood "Big River" Alexander Valley zinfandel 2013, $37

Love the basic flavor of this wine — Port-like cream, caramel, and a little mint-green herb. Fine tannins. Could ask for a big more discipline, but why quibble?

Quivira "Black Boar" Dry Creek zinfandel 2013, $45

Just delicious, with complex flavors of blackberry, raspberry, and beurre blanc. Big, yet elegant.

Columbia Winery Columbia Valley cabernet sauvignon 2014, $14

A creamy wine with blackberry flavors and some green, stemmy notes.

Gary Farrell "Hallberg" Russian River pinot noir 2013, $58

Lightish in body, with ripe cherries, good acidity, and a hint of balsamic. I would love to taste this in 15 years, although it is quite good now.