ST CLEMENT OROPPAS - 2004

Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Merlot and Petit Verdot blended in. 15.6% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark purple-red color with aromas of black cherry and vanilla oak. Dominated by enormous flavors of black currants. Cherry and mocha round out the back-end. Lush, rich and young with really good tannic structure that could use more time in the bottle.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS

This is a big wine with over-the-top fruit. I opened this on Halloween since it is the perfect wine to pair with chocolate trick or treats. Retails for around $40 which probably makes it tough to recommend given what you can find at that price point. The alcohol is pretty immense here although it is nicely hidden underneath all that fruit.

CHIMNEY ROCK CABERNET SAUVIGNON - 2002

From Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley with 14.1% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Transparent cherry-purple color with a big vanilla cream nose. Huge black currant and blackberry flavors with well-integrated oak. Hints of cocoa and mocha on the mid-palate. Cherry cola and prune on the finish. Very dry tannins will leave your mouth leathery.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

A wonderful wine. Very smooth and polished effort. Highly enjoyable and really drinking well right now. If you have this one in your cellar, it is time to pull the cork.

SEGHESIO SONOMA ZINFANDEL - 2007

15.5% alcohol and #10 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2008.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with ripe cherries, berries and milk on the nose. Black cherry, blackberries, cough syrup notes, wild berries, black pepper, charred oak and vanilla on the palate. Robust, juicy, zesty, and vibrant.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS

A wonderful Zinfandel. Not sure this is #10 of the year-worthy or deserving of WS 93 points, but it is a highly enjoyable wine. There's a bit of heat on the backend and perhaps too much oak, but the high alcohol is pretty well integrated. Retails for around $23 a bottle.

QUINTA DO VALE MEAO DOURO - 2004

60% Touriga National, 20% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca. With 14.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Deep purple-red color with a nose of oak, fresh hazelnuts, chocolate and liqueur. Huge and powerful mouthfeel with tremendous blueberries, wild berries and grape jam upfront. Black currant, vanilla, oak and mocha on the mid-palate with plum skin on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

95 PTS

Fine tannins with wonderful grip on the palate. This is a very special wine. The concentration and purity of the fruit is astounding. I remember the first time I tasted this bottle at a Wine Spectator Grand Tasting. I knew I had to purchase it. I wish I bought more than one bottle...