CHATEAU CARRUADES DE LAFITE - 2002

From Chateau Lafite Rothschild, this second growth Pauillac Bordeaux has an alcohol content of 12.5%.

TASTING NOTES:

Medium-red color. Closed and muted nose with unexciting flavors of dull red fruit with traces of cedar and herb. Concentrated flavors of disappointment, discontent, disillusionment, and dissatisfaction with disenchantment on the somewhat sour finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

83 PTS

I'm sure some will say this wine is in a dumb phase or it has closed down and will later blossom into something much better but I'm not buying it. This is just a very blah tasting Bordeaux right now and I'm not bullish on its future life. The 2002 vintage was not a great one although there are some great wines from that vintage. I actually tasted the cousin of this wine, the 2002 Duhart-Milon, which I will be reviewing shortly and it blew away the Carruades. The Duhart-Milon is showing really nicely. I purchased the Carruades in the $20 range years ago. It now sells for a ton more money. It is not even worth what I paid for it. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this is an average to below average tasting wine that is comparable to a generic $8 bottle of Bordeaux.

SCHAFER FROHLICH ESTATE KABINETT RIESLING - 2005

8% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Light yellow color with aromas and flavors of lemon-lime, vanilla, apple and minerals. Simple with a short finish and out of balance acidity.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

Straight ahead decent Kabinett. Somewhat disappointing given that Wine Spectator gave this one 93 PTS. At $18 a bottle I'm not sure you are getting any extra craft or palate pleasure than you'd get from a lower priced Riesling from a solid producer.

E. GUIGAL HERMITAGE - 1999

From Northern Rhone, this Syrah has alcohol content of 13%.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark ruby color and medium-bodied. Incredibly smooth with ultra-fine tannins. Non-existent alcohol. Toasty oak with smoke, olive and rubber on the nose. Meaty with red and black fruits. Fresh plum and cherries on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS

This is about as sleek, soft and silky as they come. The alcohol is so beautifully integrated that you could convince someone that there isn't any in the bottle. Elegant and classy. Retails for around $45. Hard to recommend at that price.

ROSENBLUM CELLARS ROCKPILE ZINFANDEL - 2005

Classic California Zinfandel from Rockpile Road Vineyard with 14.8% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark color with scents and flavors of black currant, black cherry, dark chocolate, cloves and nutmeg and a long plum finish. Lots of creamy vanilla oak.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

Very smooth and perfectly balanced. Consistently one of the great mid-priced Zins available year after year. Retails for around $30, but this is well worth it.

CHATEAU ROUGET - 2001

A red Bordeaux from Pomerol with 13.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple-red color with a rich, luxurious nose of bonfire smoke, bacon and red fruit. Black cherry, red currant and black currant mid-palate flavors are followed by an extremely clean, gorgeous fresh plum finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS

An absolutely wonderful Pomerol. The two standout tasting notes on this wine are the smoke and the plum finish. The plum flavors are about as close to biting into a fresh plum as you'll ever find in a wine. This bottle now retails for around $50 making it pretty pricey. It is a steal at half that price which is what I purchased it for years ago. If you are starting to get into collecting wine, this is the one of the great advantages to early acquisition. Buying wines young and having them age and appreciate in value makes savoring the wine in the glass that much more enjoyable.

CHATEAU CALON SEGUR - 2002

St-Estephe Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux with 13% alcohol. Made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark purple-red color. Somewhere between medium and full-bodied with wonderful aromas and flavors of blackberry and blueberry. There's a bit of black currant under the tremendously ripe and vibrant fruit. This wine is impeccably smooth.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS

If I tasted this wine blind I would have sworn it was made in California or Australia. It is very New World, but it is an under control fruit-forward explosion. If Aussie wines are fruit bombs, this would be a fruit grenade or bottle rocket. There's nice length but not a ton of complexity here, just blue and black fruit that just go on and on. Hard to recommend at what now retails for around $50 a bottle. One downside to this wine is that on the second day it begins to fall apart considerably. It is not type of bottle you will want to hold to taste on day two.

PINE RIDGE RUTHERFORD CABERNET SAUVIGNON - 2001

A Bordeaux-style blend of 80% Cabernet, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Tannatt. 14.2% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple-red color with some green peeper, licorice and oak on the nose. Lots of cherry and toast on the palate with notes of strawberry-blackberry and vanilla oak. Dusty tannins and medium-to full bodied.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

For a wine that costs upwards of $35 - $40 a bottle, this vintage falls short of expectations. A good wine across the board but not really dynamic enough. Comes off as well made but ordinary. You can get more explosiveness from a lot less expensive wines.

BLACK BART SYRAH STAGECOACH VINEYARDS - 2005

I first tasted this marvelous wine at the Lauber Grand Annual Tasting last May. It blew me away. It was the best and most memorable wine on the tasting floor. I had been searching for it unsuccessfully for quite some time. I was thrilled to see it pop up on the "This Just In" link on Wine Library's site last month. I quickly bought a few bottles. I couldn't wait to taste it again. It didn't disappoint.

From Krupp Brothers Estates (Veraison, Black Bart & Krupp Brothers Estates brands), this Napa Valley Syrah has a small amount of Viognier and an alcohol content of 15.2%. Matured for 16 months in 85% new French barriques, it is unfined and unfiltered.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple-red color with a nose of violets, wild berries and vanilla. Flavors of black currant, blackberry, black cherry and cinnamon are followed up with a wonderful plum finish and just enough oak. Soft and silky with a hint of dusty tannins.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

95 PTS

This is a remarkable wine with tremendous depth, precision and attention to detail. Wonderfully balanced and complex with excellent structure. With over-the-top popular Aussie Shiraz flooding the marketplace and stylistically impacting the California Syrah scene, it is refreshing to find a wine like this being made. I can't wait to see how it ages over the next few years. Retails for around $45 - $50.

BODEGA J. & F. LURTON BONARDA - 2006

Argentina's most planted red varietal is Bonarda. 12.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple color with grape jelly and rubber cement on the nose. Tremendously smooth mouthfeel with flavors of grape jolly rancher candy and plum.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

87 PTS

A very simple easy drinking red. Fruity and soft but not too exciting. For $7 a bottle, this is a solid offering and a worthwhile experience if you've never tasted this varietal.

LA MARCA EXTRA DRY PROSECCO DI CONEGLIANO-VALDOBBIADENE - NV

An Italian Prosecco and #75 on the TOP 100 Wine Spectator List for 2007.

TASTING NOTES:

Pale straw color with aromas and flavors of apple, pear, and lemon. There is minerality on the mid-palate accompanied by a bready-yeasty finish. A dry sparkler with good acidity.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

A solid Prosecco that retails for around $13. Not quite as balanced as the Riondo Prosecco which I think may be a better effort, but enjoyable none-the-less.

DON MIGUEL GASCON MALBEC - 2006

Don Miguel wines date back to 1884 and come from Mendoza, Argentina. This red has alcohol content of 14.2%.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich purple color and medium bodied with blueberry and blackberry aromas and flavors. Realitively smooth with black currant and plum undertones.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88+ PTS

I picked this one up from Wegman's wine shop for $10. Parker gave it 90 points which I think is a bit high, but this is a solid effort. For the price, this is an easy one to recommend.