It's not uncommon to struggle a bit to describe the taste of wine. For most palates, picking up a hint of pencil box or cassis is an impossible and pointless struggle. Sometimes, I think my mother-in-law describes a good glass of vino the best when she says, "It tastes like really good wine!"

Sally and I recently enjoyed a bottle of wine that's best described as tasting like a really good wine. It was a 2008 Hess Collection 19 Block Cuvee, a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 8% Merlot, 8% Syrah, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. 

I could give a more thorough description; bright cherry on the nose, raspberry and plum on the palate, and nice soft tannins on the finish with a bit of pepper. Those are all in my notes, but my first thought was it smells like a wine room and tastes the way I imagine wine tastes whenever I daydream.

You can find the 2009 vintage currently on sale at BevMo or Total Wine.