CHATEAU REYNELLA OLD CAVE TAWNY PORT - NV

This premium Tawny Port is named after Chateau Reynella's historic 1845 cellar. Built by the founder John Reynell, it is Australia's oldest operating cellar. This Tawny or barrel aged Port is from McLaren Vale, Oz and has an alcohol content of 20%. It is made from Shiraz and Grenache grapes and aged for 12 years in oak casks.

TASTING NOTES:

Red-amber color with figs, dried fruits and nuts on the nose. Smooth and sweet with a little heat but showing concentrated flavors of spice, oak, raisins, almonds and a long tremendous hazelnut finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

I love Tawny Ports and Australia offers the best bargains in the category. A Tawny of this quality from Portugal would cost significantly more than the $13 I spent. Really long on the finish and not at all cloying. A great introduction to Tawny if you've never tried it.

HESS COLLECTION MT. VEEDER MOUNTAIN CUVEE - 2002

This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Syrah, 14% Merlot, 6% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc features grapes grown on Mount Veeder in California. The alcohol content of the wine is 14.5% and the the juice was aged 18 months in a 50/50 blend of new and old French oak.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark garnet color with forest pine and cherry fruit on the nose. Black fruit, cherry, creamy vanilla, cedar-oak, blackberry, hints of cocoa and spice intermingle in this lush, easy to drink red blend. The mouthfeel is very sleek and the tannins feel aged and unfiltered creating a lip-smacking finish of crushed fruit.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS

This is a very, very good California blend. It is so easy to drink that you can just as easily overlook the craftsmanship. Retails for around $25. Not cheap but appropriately priced for this kind of California quality.

PEARMUND CHARDONNAY - 2004

Pearmund Cellars is located in the foothills of eastern Fauquier County, VA, near the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. The 25-acre vineyard produces Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Late Harvest Vidal, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Ameritage. This Virginia Chardonnay has an alcohol content of 13.5%

TASTING NOTES:

Golden yellow color with butter and oak on the nose. Slick, smooth and a tad oily with lots of butter and toasty oak upfront and apple/pear lurking underneath. Candy-toffee and caramel enter on the tart acidic finish. Shortly after opening the oak is so firey and toasted that the flavor resembles a freshly fried corn chip.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

Looks, smells and tastes like California Chardonnay. You'd never guess this was grown and made in Virginia. Definitely over-oaked like California Chards which takes something away from the fruit (which gets lost here), but an enjoyable wine none-the-less. If you are curious about Virginia wines but have been hesitant to spend on them, this Chard is a great place to start. Retails for around $18.

CAMPBELLS RUTHERGLEN TOKAY

This 17% alcohol non-vintage Tokay (Muscadelle) is from Australia.

TASTING NOTES:

Brown-amber color with honey and a hint of paint thinner on the nose. Flavors of prune, fig, raisin, honey, vanilla, citrus and marmalade in perfect balance roll gracefully over the palate. Caramel, molasses and nuts echo harmoniously on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

94 PTS

Beautiful dessert wine. Not too sweet. Simply perfect on the tongue. Retails for around $20 for a 375ML bottle but I purchased on sale for half that making this one of the best bargains ever. Highly recommend.

THE SHOW CABERNET SAUVIGNON- 2005

From Rebel Wine Co. (Three Thieves) Bieler, Gott and Scommes have developed this 13.9% California Cabernet with a dynamic poster show label.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark night-red color with black fruit and mocha on the nose. Cocoa and chocolate take the forefront and dominate the finish. Cherry, vanilla and bitter tannins lurk underneath. Smooths out after breathing and becomes a rich, lush, wine with considerable muscle.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88+ PTS

Really enjoyable Cabernet that retails for around $13 - $15 making it an absolute steal. Quality in California Cabernet in this price range is a rarity. Take advantage of it and hijack a bottle from these ingenious wine bandits.

TRUE EARTH CABERNET-MERLOT-PETITE SIRAH

True Earth, from The Three Thieves, is made from organically grown grapes in Mendocino County, CA. No pesticides, herbicides, or conventional synthetic fertilizers are used. Tiny amounts of sulfites are used as a preservative to maintain freshness.

The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petite Sirah with an alcohol content of 13.7%.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with subtle blueberry and blackberry on the nose. Light oak flavors with plum and muted fruit are followed by a mild black current finish. Medium-bodied, smooth but thin with a watery edge.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

84 PTS

The fruit is really subdued on this red blend. The wine seems to lack a definitive flavor profile and comes across the palate as "flat." Easy to drink but not too much else here. Retails for around $12 a bottle. Worth sampling if your curious about organic wines, but otherwise it is a pass.

CHATEAU RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES - 1998

Birthdays are never complete without birthday cake and birthday cake is never quite the same without dessert wine. So to top off the end to perfect evening I opened this botrytis elixir this past weekend.

Made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, this sweet Bordeaux white wine has an alcohol content of 14%.

TASTING NOTES:

Liquid gold color with an intense petroleum nose. Flavors of Apricot, citrus and petroleum attack the front palate. The sweet, bold acidity grips the mid-palate with honey, floral notes and a caramel-like buttered toffee that extends into the finish. Concentrated and vibrant. On the second day there were some biscuit flavors on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

Nearing 10 years in age, the color is still vibrant gold but soon on its way toward more of an amber tone. I purchased a 375ML bottle for around $27 making this an absolute steal. This seems to be a wine that was overlooked. 1998 was supposed to be an inferior vintage, but this is a stellar bottle.

CATENA ALTA MALBEC - 2003

As I searched for the perfect bottle over the weekend, it dawned on me how every year I struggle to find the right wine to open for my birthday. Even though much greater wines exist in my cellar, I was attracted to this bottle of Catena for several reasons. First off, I had two bottles of this Malbec so it was less of a sacrifice. I had also quickly tasted this wine at the Grand Tour last month and wanted to see if it was as good as I remembered. Most importantly, Catena is where my obsession for wine was born. The moment I tasted Catena Alta Chardonnay, my love affair began. So on reflection of the last year, my life and my experiences in the wine world, I couldn't think of a more fitting bottle than one from my favorite Mendoza vineyard.

This Argentina red is unfiltered, has 14.2% alcohol and is made from 100% Malbec.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich purple color with ripe blue and black fruit on the nose and palate. Dusty tannins with hints of cocoa, charred oak and vanilla. Smooth, full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of black currant on the mid-palate and finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

This is a big, thick wine that really could use some more time in the bottle but it is drinking wonderfully now. Even better the second day as it reveals more concentrated fruit, balance and integrated flavors. Retails for around $37 making it a cheaper (and better) alternative than most California Cabernets in this price range.

CAMERON HUGHES LOT 30 CHARDONNAY - 2005

My fourth and final review of Cameron Hughes Wine. This Russian River Chardonnay was barrel-fermented and contains 14.5% alcohol. All of the CHW's I reviewed can be purchased either online at www.chwine.com or at Costcos around the country. CHW has done a great job of finding some diamonds in the rough and delivering quality. They are a QPR negociant.

TASTING NOTES:

Pale yellow in color with a light buttered popcorn nose. Flavors of butter, oak, vanilla, mango and pineapple are wonderfully integrated into a harmonious effort. There's also a nice mineral undertone and lots of caramel-like golden flavors on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

Good acidity, balance and not over-oaked. The tropical fruit flavors are a welcomed surprise and show nicely on the mid-palate. Be careful not to over chill this wine which will mute the flavors. Definitely worth seeking out. Great value here for a well-made California Chardonnay. Retails for around $21.

CAMERON HUGHES LOT 31 SYRAH - 2005

This wine was just released in May. The grapes are from Sonoma County and the final blend is 89% Syrah and 11% Mourvedre with 14.2% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with fresh blackberry, white pepper and hint of chemicals on the nose. Plum flavors dominate the rough mid-palate before transitioning to a black pepper finish that still has a bit of heat.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS

I left this bottle open for 24 hours and tasted it again on the second day. It showed some solid improvement. The wine is a little rough but has some nice ripe fruit and reminds me of a Cotes du Rhone. The finish is very tart and off-balance and there's still some alcohol burn even after considerable breathing. Overall a decent but flawed wine that retails for an inexpensive $12 making it a questionable buy since their are lots of Cotes du Rhone alternatives in the same price range.

CAMERON HUGHES SAUVIGNON BLANC LOT 26 - 2006

Back with another Cameron Hughes Wine, this Marlborough, New Zealand white is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc and has an alcohol content of 12.8%.

TASTING NOTES:

The color is extremely clear and is barely a step above spring water. There is an enormous grapefruit nose on this wine that not only fills the glass but also takes over the room. What this wine lacks in color it makes up for in aroma. Grapefruit flavors are accompanied by citrus, grass, and peach notes with honeydew melon on an overly acidic tart finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
The nose on this wine alone is worth 90 points. It is so huge and dynamic that I was expecting a world class NZ Sauvignon Blanc to follow on the palate. Unfortunately the wine is off-balance. The acidity completely overpowers the fruit creating a very harsh finish. The sourness and acidity is beyond what some would call "bracing" or “nervy” and negatively impacts the enjoyment of it. This bottle retails for only $11 so there is still value here. However, in this competitive category there are lots of good New Zealand SB’s at this same price making Lot 26 a tough one to endorse.

CAMERON HUGHES LOT 25

I'm excited to be able to tell you about Cameron Hughes Wine. CHW is a negociant or "wine trader." They buy bulk wine from wineres, blend them and sell them to retailers. Often this process entails acquiring some high-end wine that is mixed with lower quality juice to extend the volume available for sale. However, CHW doesn't follow that process. CHW strives for extreme value, quality and integrity. They look to acquire great wine and to sell it without extending it through blending.

CHW wine is available for sale directly through the website www.chiwine.com and also through various Costcos around the country.

Lot 25 is a sparkling wine made from 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. The grapes come from the 1998 vintage and from the appellation of Carneros, Napa Valley, California. Although CHW is unable to disclose the origin of its grapes, their literature proclaims that they were bought from a "fabulous winery that decided not to launch a new $50 sparkling wine brand and instead focus on their still wine business." Lucky us, because CHW is able to deliver great quality at great price.

TASTING NOTES:

Sunny yellow color with a damp mildew nose that dissipates and is eventually replaced with creamy fruit aromas. Flavors of apple, pear, minerals, and toasted vanilla oak are underscored by yeasty, bready notes and a crisp, soft, lingering finish of tart apple, honey and caramel.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS

This is a very solid white sparkler. Retails for around $21 and has enough complexity and acidity to hold its own against more expensive California wines in its category. Worth picking up.

CHATEAU TOUR HAUT-CAUSSAN - 2003

This Cru Bourgeouis Superieur from Medoc has an alcohol content of 13.5% and is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

TASTING NOTES:

Full-bodied red with smoke and green bell pepper on the nose. Flavors of black currant, spice, toasty oak, plum on the mid-palate with cherry on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

87 PTS

An average drinking Bordeaux that shows some character and promise when first opened. In its early stages it seems to give birth to nice aromas and flavors, but it quickly falls apart and becomes a one dimensional. Bought this on sale for $13 but it retails for around $17. It is a pass at either price.

VALE DO BOMFIM DOURO RESERVA - 2004

This wine from Dow (Symington Family Estates) that are best known for their Ports. It is also the first vintage made under this label. The 2004 Vale do Bomfim has equal parts of Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), with 20 percent Tinta Barocca and 14% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark yet vibrant red color with blackberry, raspberry and vanilla on the nose. Black currant, spice and creamy berry vanilla oak. On the second day this wine really smooths out and becomes sleek although it still has lots of tannin and power. Extremely dry and worth noting that subtle cinnamon aromas emerge on the second day.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89+ PTS

For around $12 a bottle, this is pretty impressive juice. Another example of tremendous value coming out of Portugal. Worth seeking out for its structure and quality.