STONE CELLARS MERLOT - 2004

Stone Cellars wines by Beringer are made from California grapes and intended to be fruit-forward wines. Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. On the mass-market level, Beringer is best known for its wildy popular White Zinfandel but collectors are probably more familiar with its high end Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

TASTING NOTES:

Creamy nose with nice plum/blackberry flavors. Strong creamy vanilla oak on the mid-palate with a soft mouthfeel and smooth finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
This is what I love about wine. This bottle retails for around $6 or $7 and you'd never know it. It is an amazing bargain. It doesn't have tremendous fruit or complexity, but it is well-made with no harsh tannins or out of balance alcohol flavors. Don't expect Swanson Merlot kind of quality, but really impressive for this price point. I like this wine for its QPR (Quality Price Ratio).

BLACK OPAL CABERNET SAUVIGNON

This Cabernet Sauvignon is from Beringer Blass Wine Estates best known for Beringer Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean, Chateau Souverain, Stags' Leap Winery, and Etude Wines. Other Beringer Blass Wine Estates' brands marketed in the U.S. include Australia's Wolf Blass and Greg Norman Estates.

Black Opal is made from grapes grown in South Eastern Australia.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark in color with berry and oak flavors and a hint of cocoa on the nose. Awkward and off-balance with a short, flat finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

84 PTS
Uninspired Cabernet that is barely quaffable. Not unpleasant but not far from enjoyable. Pass on this bottle which retails for around $7.

BRADGATE SYRAH - 2003

Bradgate produces wines that aim to combine New World fruit and Old World classic complexity. This red from Stellenbosch, South Africa has 13% alcohol and was made in a mix of French and American Oak.

TASTING NOTES:

Toasty berry aromas are followed by smoke, oak and rich, dark cherry and plum flavors in the mouth. Medium-bodied with a bright ruby red color and fruity acidic finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
Excellence from Stellenbosch, South Africa. I continue to be impressed over and over again with the quality and value from this region. This bottle costs around $8. Simply amazing. Highly recommend.

PARAISO SYRAH - 2001

There's nothing quite like French Rhone wines, except for maybe California Rhone rangers that taste just like Rhone reds. Wines from Paraiso Vineyards get their unique flavors from grapes grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands. One taste of their wines and you'll know exactly what I mean when I say that the climate and soil in Monterey County come through in the glass.

TASTING NOTES:

Classic Rhone nose of spice and sweet berry with black pepper, cherry and sharp acidity. Purple-red in color, austere, with a bit of heat that quickly settles down after letting the bottle breathe. Decent, harmonious finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
Crafted wine with excellent structure and well-defined flavor profile. Lots of earthy terroir. At $18 a bottle, a good buy considering you'll need to spend at least that if not more for a comparable French equivalent.

NORTHSTAR MERLOT - 2002

This Merlot comes from the Columbia Valley in Washington and has both Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Petit Verdot in the blend.

TASTING NOTES:

Ripe cherry aromas with flavors of cherry candy accented by light cocoa and oak on the finish. Good color , medium-bodied and smooth in the mouth with soft tannins.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
Nice offering with good mouthfeel but lacks complexity and richness. If you like soft and simple Merlots, this one is for you. I found it too one dimensional. Lists at around $20 - $30 per bottle.

STEFANO FARINA BAROLO - 2001

Produced from the Nebbiolo grape varietal, Barolos have been called the "King of Wines and the Wine of Kings." Massive tannins, high acidity and concentrated fruit are the key characteristics of these Italian wines.

TASTING NOTES:

This wine gives off enormous aromas of new saddle leather and plum. Dark, rich and velvety with flavors of leather, asphalt, caramel-cherry, tobacco and something that faintly reminds me of playdough.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
This wine tasted best immediately after uncorking when its leather aromas and flavors were clearly defined and ripe on the palate. The complexity of this wine seemed to fade by the second day giving way to straightforward fruit flavors. The kind of wine that you can sip and smell in the glass for hours. Seductive and alluring. Retails for around $30.

RADFORD DALE MERLOT - 2001

Radford Dale is South African winery from Stellenbosch. Their Merlot is unfiltered and made in 85% French and 15% American oak and has 14.2% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Huge smoke aromas fill the glass followed by dark, rich plum, currant and smoker-grilled meat flavors. Smooth and juicy with a lush finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
Excellent value with all the classic smoked Stellenbosch Merlot flavors I adore. Not as intense as Vergelegen, but still a very good wine. Retails for around $17.

CLOUDY BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC - 2004

Cloudy Bay is famous for putting New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the map. The main varietals grown at the New Zealand vineyard are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery gets its name from the bay at the eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley.

TASTING NOTES:

Light straw in color with citrus and apple-pear on the nose. In the mouth, ripe grapefruit, grass and lime flavors dominate.

SCORE & RECOMMEDATION:

87 PTS
Cloudy Bay make terrific Sauvignon Blanc, but this vintage isn't a good representation of what makes this winery special. It lacks some complexity and balance that one would expect for $25 a bottle. There are much better New Zealand SB's readily available for much lower prices.

GIRARD PETITE SIRAH - 2003

From Napa Valley, this Petite Sirah has a cult following. Petite Sirah is not a popular varietal but one I particulary love for its incredibly rich flavors, color and intensity. Hopefully this varietal will break out someday so that more wineries start producing it. One visit to your local wine store and you'll quickly realize that selections are often limited, expensive or hard to find.

TASTING NOTES:

Ink black in color with thick, chewy, blackberry/grape jam flavors and pepper notes. Huge tannins, loads of acidity.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
This is a big wine that will improve with some bottle age, however it is a bit too astringent right now to warrant a better score. This is a good wine, but as far as Petite Sirah goes, it doesn't have the balance and integration this varietal should to make it an outstanding one. Retails for around $15 - $25.