BODEGAS TRITON AVANTE MENCIA - 2009

Made from 100% Mencia grapes, a varietal that if you haven't heard of, is one you should get acquainted with rather quickly.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with explosive grapey-berries on the nose.  Rich, focused cherry and black fruit with smoke, raspberries and minerality. Lengthy finish with a backbone.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90+ PTS
A juicy fruit explosion with mouth-watering deliciousness.  This wine has strength and finesse.  Spain still remains one of the best values in the marketplace.  Pick this one up on sale for as little as $12 a bottle.

SHATTER GRENACHE - 2011

Grenache based red from Southern France's Languedoc Roussillon region is made by Dave Phinney (Orin Swift's The Prisoner) and famous California winemaker Joel Gott. 15.9% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Inky purple-red with blueberry pie on the nose.  Dark fruit with notes of blueberry, blackberry, plum, charred oak, and mocha. Brambly, some sweetness, lush grapey richness.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

95 PTS
This is a blockbuster wine. Simply awesome. Powerful with elegance. There's complexity here and the whopping alcohol content is integrated fairly nicely.  Saturated and full of pure deliciousness.  If you love cult-Syrah like Denner, or young fruit forward Chateauneuf-du-Papes, you'll love this CDP-esque wine on PEDs.  Retails for $29 and one of the best new wines I've tasted all year.

CHATEAU CROIX DE LABRIE ST. EMILION GRAND CRU - 2007

One of the smallest St. Emilion producers.  A garage wine of sorts made from close to 100% Merlot and aged in 100% French new oak.

TASTING NOTES:

Black fruit, charcoal, oak-char, black cherry, mocha, leather, baking spices.  Rich, smooth, elegant with plum notes on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
This is a sensational wine with tremendous character and style.  Terrific hidden gem of the vintage.