CHATEAU CROIX DE LABRIE ST. EMILION GRAND CRU - 2007

One of the smallest St. Emilion producers.  A garage wine of sorts made from close to 100% Merlot and aged in 100% French new oak.

TASTING NOTES:

Black fruit, charcoal, oak-char, black cherry, mocha, leather, baking spices.  Rich, smooth, elegant with plum notes on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
This is a sensational wine with tremendous character and style.  Terrific hidden gem of the vintage.

ANDREW RICH PRELUDE PINOT NOIR - 2010

13.5% alcohol.  Willamette Valley.

TASTING NOTES:

Light red color with raspberry and black cherry notes.  Clean, crisp with good acidity.  

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

Easy to drink, but lacks complexity. Simple, light and enjoyable but short on the finish and depth.  Retails for around $20.

LE G DE CHATEAU GUIRAUD BORDEAUX BLANC - 2011

Known more for its Sauternes, Chateau Guiraud's Le G is a dry white wine, barrel fermented in one year old Sauternes barrels and aged for six months on the lees.  80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon. 13.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Golden yellow with aromas of meadow grass, peaches, nectarines, and citrus. On the palate there's persimmons, creamy melon, grapefruit and pear. Smooth, dry finish with lots of minerality and composure. 

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS
For $16 this is serious, sophisticated wine.  You don't come across this kind of layered complexity, ever-evolving in the glass kind of wine at this price point.  A wonderful wine. Triumph.

FINCA NEUVA RIOJA BLANCO - 2009

100% Viura grapes, barrel fermented and aged 4 months in French Oak barrels.  13% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Straw-gold color with floral lemon aromas.  Peaches, honey, minerals, and lots of citrus. Candied apple-pear on the finish with oak undertones. 

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS
A really unique and satisfying white from Spain. There is a deliciousness here. A long finish. Great balance and acidity. You can't ask for much more from a wine that costs $15 a bottle.

DUNHAM CELLARS TRUTINA - 2009

13.5% alcohol.  60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec.  From Columbia Valley, Washington State.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark fruit on display as blackberries, black currants, blackberry, licorice, plum and lots of oak are packed into a left hook. There's creamy cherry-vanilla notes and chocolate, big tannins and explosiveness with restraint and finesse.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91+PTS
This wine is raw, bold, naked and amusing so in a way it could be Lena Dunham wine. But all kidding aside, it is a terrific wine with "trutina" which means balance in Latin. For around $22 a bottle, this is superior stuff from one of my favorite wine regions on Earth.  Washington State delivers great quality at  a more affordable rate than a lot of California wineries.

CARPINETA FONTALPINO CHIANTI CLASSICO - 2009

14% alcohol.  Made from 90% Sangiovese.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with aromas of black fruit and charred oak. Black currant, plum, blackberries and hints of cherry/mocha on the mid-palate.  Relatively smooth with dusty tannins, leather and spices accenting a round finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS
Nothing that will thrill you, but this is a well made wine with a good price tag. It lists for around $20 but you can find it on sale for around $17.  Not sure this will really improve with aging. Quality fruit, approachable now, but leaves you wanting more excitement because all the right ingredients are there but it just doesn't completely come together.

SKOURAS MOSCOFILERO - 2011

Greek white wine with 12% alcohol. Grown in volcanic soils.

TASTING NOTES:

Crisp and floral with pear, apple and citrus notes. There's peach and melon underneath well-balanced acidity and minerality.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
Stellar Greek white for $13.  Some nice complexity and depth with a lovely floral nose.  Easy recommendation given the price point as you won't find to many complex whites for under $15.

BANSHEE MORDECAI PROPRIETARY RED - 2010

A blend of varietals sourced from some California mystery vineyards. 14.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Red and black fruit. Smooth, dark, Cab driven with berries, licorice, black cherries and earth. Pretty balanced although some alcohol shows through.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
A great wine with excellent fruit.  It does not possess tremendous depth but has an easy drinking feel to it. Despite some heat the wine is very balanced. Retails for around $21.

LA FLEUR DE BOUARD - 2005

Lalande-de-Pomerol. 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Seductive aromas. Tannic, oaky, sleek. Rich black fruit of plums, blackberries, black currant, creme-de-cassis, licorice. Distinctive Pomerol smoked earth.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS
I love good Pomerol wines and this wine seems to deliver year after year. 2005 is a great vintage and this one pops dynamically in the glass.  Getting up there in price near $40 although this was a steal on futures when acquired.

MONSANTO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA - 2008

90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo, 3% Colorino with 14% alcohol. Instead of large Slavonian casks the wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barriques.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red and black fruit, with lots of tobacco, cherries and leather. Plum and spice round out the ends with soft, ripe tannin.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91+PTS
Balance, structure and finesse. This is a great wine that flies under the radar.  Previous vintage made the Wine Spectator Top 100 list, yet the price on this one did not escalate. Retails for around $17 making it a solid buy.