Pop the cork on Special Reserve and your going to have solid nose full of plum aromas followed up by subtle American Oak. At first glance, the color on Special Reserve is not what you’d expect from a NY Red. Chancellor and Baco Noir, both fermented to dryness on the skins in Red Wood open-top fermentors, gives a proper color extraction the West Coast has built its reputation on. As you take your first swig your going to notice a harmonious blend of acid, oak, and dark fruit on the pallet making this red blend a perfect wine to compliment any belly warming dish your kitchen can offer. But enough about the wine, lets talk about the history. The black out mark on the lower left hand side is one of the most fascinating tributes to Walter S. Taylor, founder of Bully Hill. During his legal battles with Coca-Cola, Walter was banned from being able to use his last name on the bottles because Coca-Cola owned the trademark Taylor after recently purchasing the Taylor Wine Company in 1976. In order to be able to circumvent the court order and to continue selling his wine, Walter through a massive party at the winery where the only prerequisite of attendance was to bring a black magic marker. They filled their belly’s with fine wine and crossed out every Taylor name they could find on those bottles so they could be put back out to market for sale keeping the business afloat during the stormy seas of corporate debauchery.