FINCA ALLENDE RIOJA - 2003

Spanish red made from 100% unfiltered Tempranillo.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich, deep purple color with lots of oak, vanilla and tobacco on the nose. Blackberry notes and vibrant candied fruit on the palate that tastes like Sweet Tarts or Sugar Straws. Smooth tobacco and a sour cherry finish. Great acidity with a leathery mouthfeel.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS
Yum! This is delicious. The wine is great right out of the bottle and then changes and opens up as time passes. Just as good or better when tasted again a day later. Lingering finish and a wonderful nose. A fruit adventure. I like this wine a lot. For $20 this is great example of how dynamic Tempranillo can be.

RAZON VALSACRO - 2004

Made from 70 year-old Garnacha vines, this Spanish red is from Bodegas Escudero. The grapes were left on the vines extra-long creating extra-ripeness. After harvesting, they were partially dehydrated then fermented and racked in a mix of French and American oak.

TASTING NOTES:

Upon first opening this wine it is sharp with mouth-popping acidity. It almost tingles on the tongue. It is somewhat funky with cherry liquore, dried wood, and red fruits. As it settles down, the midpalate exhibits a flavor that can only be described as unpopped popcorn kernels or chichacorn (Filipinos will know what I mean) and game. There's a bit of blackberry here too with an almost nutty nuance to the wine.

SCORE & RECOMENDATION:

89 PTS
This is really tough one to score. For $9 this is a fascinating wine and one that demonstrates some wild and eccentric flavors. Could be very odd and offputting for some. I like this wine, but its not for everyone. It is a great wine for the price but it is more of a "one time only" wine that will leave you with a memorable experience.

LAPIS LUNA CABERNET - 2001

The wines of Lapis Luna are the result of a unique relationship with family owned vineyards in northern California's premium grape growing regions. Recently, they have produced California award winning reds.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with black currant nose. Huge black currant flavors, black cherry, tart berries, herbs, oak, and a hint of cocoa. Fairly smooth although the finish turns acidic as it hits the back of the throat before giving way to rich, concentrated dark cherry flavors.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
The nose is still a little closed on this one but flavors are starting to show through. I expected this wine to open up and reveal more character but it remained pretty straightforward with black cherry dominating the flavor profile. The sharp feel of the finish is a bit off-putting but the flavors are there.

SONOMA-CUTRER SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY - 2005

This is the first vintage of the Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. The California vineyard is known for combining Burgundian methods with American technological innovation to create terroir driven wines.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich caramel scents emerge immediately after uncorking then quickly dissipate and are replaced by oak and citrus aromas. Straight-forward buttery, oaky flavors dominate. There's a bit of apple-pear here too, but it's mixed into a slightly thin Chard with a watery edge.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
Not bad for an inaugural vintage, but this wine simply isn't good enough and lacks complexity for its $20 - $25 ask price. California has too many superior Chardonnays in this price range to even consider picking this one up.

STONELEIGH MARLBOROUGH RIESLING - 2003

Situated in the heart of the Marlborough region, the Stoneleigh vineyards are covered with smooth stones that reflect heat to speed the ripening process by day. This wine is 100% Riesling from New Zealand with 12.6% alcohol and a screw cap closure.

TASTING NOTES:

Pale yellow-green in color with intense aromas of petroleum underscored by citrus notes. There's plenty of crisp fruit and acidity with pear, wet-rock, petroleum and sour apple on the finish. This is not your typical sweet Riesling that Americans reach for. It is more off-dry with lots of zing.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
Nice off-dry Riesling with some zest. I like this wine as a nice change-up to the sometimes overly sweet Rieslings (which I also love). A good price at around $15 a bottle.

TEN MILE "BROKEN ROAD" - 2004

This red blend from California is made from Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Malbec, and Carignane. The inspiration for this wine was based upon the classic field blends of California from the late 1800's. The grapes are sourced from dry farmed, old vine vineyards and the total production of the wine is 325 Barrels.

TASTING NOTES:

Cranberry and cherry vanilla oak nose with ripe fruit flavors of cranberry-raspberry, bright, lush wild berries, and a black cherry finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS
This wine is incredible! I can't think of a better Thanksgiving wine than this one. With a bit of Zinfandel in the mix and lush cranberry flavors, what could be more perfect for Turkey Day? And with only 13.5% alcohol there's no heat that you might get from an overpowering Zin. Tremendous value in this fruity, well-balanced, almost elegant California blend. At $10 a bottle that's only a $1 a mile for this surprising find!

DOMAINE JEAN-LUC COLOMBO "TERRES BRULEES CORNAS" - 2000

This 100% Syrah wine has 13% alcohol and is grown on the granite areas of the steep slopes of the Rhone Valley. The wine is aged 18 months in year old barrels.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red in color with spicy vanilla, tobacco and strong red licorice aromas. Rich, with lots of oak, melted licorice and red licorice flavors intertwined with spiced dark fruit.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
Delicious wine that pairs wonderfully with cheese. I tasted with a Gruyere which seemed to bring out the best in this red. Lots of character and personality are packed into this bottle. Perhaps a bit on the pricey side, but a very well made effort.

CHATEAU LA VIELLE CURE - 2001

Bordeaux from Fronsac, France on an estate that runs along the River Isle. The vines grow on southwest facing slopes and are comprised of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blended 75%-25%-3% accordingly.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple-red color with intense aromas and flavors. Parker nailed this one with his reference to "incense" as a major characteristic of this wine. It is an alluring incense reminiscent of Christmas spice that penetrates the nose and palate with comforting warmth. Complex, with dark ripe fruits, licorice and berries. Powerful and suave.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS
Intoxicating bouquet that seduces. The kind of wine that you'll enjoy sipping and sniffing on a cold winter night. A sleeper Bordeaux that doesn't get the same attention as bigger name wines in the same price range. For $28 a bottle, this wine delivers.

PALO ALTO RESERVA - 2005

I am thrilled to write about this red wine from Chile. I bought it on a whim this week and ended up going back to buy four additional bottles. Made from 65% Cabernet, 25% Carmenere and 10% Syrah. These are the best grapes from Concha Y Toro that are grown in the soils and climate of the Maule Valley.

TASTING NOTES:

Vivid purple-red color with a huge nose of creamy vanilla oak and candied fruit. Smooth, fine tannins with astoundingly vibrant, ripe red berries, black cherry, sweet tobacco, a slight hint of black pepper and a sweet vanilla finish that keeps going and going. Wonderfully balanced.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
I adore this wine. It has New World sweet red fruit with aromas that explode in the glass and flavors that burst in the mouth followed by Old World Bordeaux-like finesse. The creamy vanilla nose and finish reminds me of a great California Cabernet. This is a phenomenal effort that retails for a mere $15 a bottle. Enormous QPR. This is perhaps my best find of the entire year. An absolute must buy!

ELIAS MORA TORO - 2003

TASTING NOTES:

Bright, fruit bomb with dark red color, sweet berries, blueberry and orange citrus. There's plenty of zesty, lively acidity and a delightful sour cherry finish. Amazing fruitiness that is like drinking a fruit salad.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS
Wonderful New World wine with flavors best described as biting into a blueberry bagel and then chasing it with a glass of fresh orange juice. I like this wine a lot. Delicious Tempranillo with 14% alcohol that is well integrated. Sweet yet dry. A solid buy at around $18 a bottle.

CHATEAU D'ARMAILHAC - 2002

Baron Philippe de Rothschild bought this estate in 1933 which was originally named after its owners, the d'Armailhac family. It is a Fifth Growth Bordeaux wine located in the commune of Pauillac, next to Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark fruit and floral nose with hints of toast. Purple-red in color with enormous tannins and acidity. Still very tight but the blackberry and cherry flavors are highly concentrated and accented by soft herb notes. Smooth, mouth drying tannins with a straightforward finish that becomes more harmonious as it reaches its end.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
I was craving Bordeaux so I reached for this Pauillac. This wine is simply too young to drink now with its overpowering acidity and tannins. I love drinking young Bordeaux but this one really needs more time in the bottle. I regretted opening this one. The saturation and concentration of fruit in this red are impressive, but it lacks all the classic earthy and complex characteristics that I look for from Bordeaux. It is slightly New World in its style. I also wished the wine evolved more in the glass. There were no twists and turns. The wine was a bit one-note for a $30 Pauillac.

SIMI ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET - 1999

In all of California, Alexander Valley has perhaps the most diverse soils. This is an attribute that Simi has used to its advantage when producing Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet and Merlot.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark fruit aromas with chewy blackberry, plum, and spiced cherry oak. Dense tannins, rich mouthfeel and lots of concentration.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
Very good Cabernet that has aged quite nicely over the last few years. Will improve with additional time in the bottle. Purchased for $18 when first released.