1990 Cabernet "Alexander's Crown" (Rodney Strong)
Big and powerful, sweet and with almost a touch of syrup in the mid-palate at first, this nonetheless wasn't particularly heavy and actually showed a lot of restraint--despite the initial impact. Well defined, showing some age, but lots of vibrant fruit still, this seemed a bit odd at times, but ultimately resolved well. 90 points.

2000 Cabernet (Bressler)
Bright and charming, this shows pert cherry fruit, some intensity, and a fair bit of acid and some heat on the back. It has nice focus, but as it developed, it didn't go any place, and seemed to lack true depth and finish. Pleasant, but unexceptional, and I suspect that while this might benefit from an extra year or so, it should be drunk on the young side. 88 points.

2000 "Rubicon" (Niebaum-Coppola)
Modest fruit, coupled with fairly substantial structure, made a first impression here that was difficult to erase--a wine that often seemed interesting, but rarely seemed balanced or charming---and wasn't likely to become so. Some will say this needs some time, as it surely does due to the tannins, but I'm not so sure there's enough fruit there to make it a pleasing wine when the tannins subside. In fact, it seems rather hollow in the mid-palate, and not too much different than the 2000 Bressler above--a lot of fancy structure, but not much real depth or finish. 87 points.

1997 Cabernet (Rafanelli)
Powerful, with nice fruit in the middle, this shows some richness, opulence and great structure, too. While it has the opulence of many '97s, it also has more structure than most. A very pleasing wine designed for the cellar. It still has some time to go, and needs to develop more. 92 points.

2001 Cabernet (Seavey)
This blockbuster was open for 90 minutes before I got to it, although not decanted. It is surely one of the most powerful and gripping Seaveys ever. The tannin level is very high, and this is definitely a cellar candidate. Keep this untouched for five to seven years, maybe closer to ten. The question with wines like this is always one of balance. It has a lovely velvety texture, and plenty of fruit flavor. It seems a bit bright and lively, too, hardly a ponderous monster in terms of weight. So, will the fruit be there when the tannins subside? I think so. How well that balance works out determines how high this score goes, and whether this is simply a very good wine or one of the finds of the vintage.  93+ points.

1995 Merlot Unfiltered "Special Cuvée" (Newton)

I thought this showed well, harmonious, smooth and supple, with a touch of game, and not exactly your typical New World Merlot fruit bomb. With air, the fruit showed some sweetness and liveliness, too. It showed well for a good long while, but at the end of the evening the acid did seem to take over and the fruit did seem to fade. While it lived in top shape, it was robust and respectably deep. 88 points.

1995 Pinot Noir "Sonoma" (Kistler)
This has been an old favorite, and for the last year or three, I thought it was drinking beautifully and showing softer and softer. This is surely the best bottle of them that I've had in the last year or so, still harmonious and open, but showing more structure, liveliness and intensity than I've seen lately. I tend to like Kistler's '96 Sonoma better than the '95, but this was a pleasure to drink. 91 points.

1999 Pinot Noir "Camp Meeting Ridge" (Flowers)
This has a classic pinot nose, and seems very Burgundian, in no small part due to its bright demeanor, its rather penetrating acidity. The fruit is too reserved, particularly at first, and the tannins, alcohol and acidity dominate the wine. It did show nice black cherry flavors, but seemed a bit tart. Some breathing helped a lot. It always remained on the brighter side, but showed more fruit, more flavor, and didn't seem quite so hollow. I'd still say the fruit is often overwhelmed by the structure in this wine. It nonetheless has a beautiful nose and certain charms. 88 points.

2002 Syrah (Rock Rabbit)
What's up with this wine? Every time I drink it, it seems completely different. Some have been powerful and structured. Others fruity and friendly. This incarnation seems more Australian, with kirsch notes, and a fruit bomb aspect to it. It's the most flamboyant incarnation of it that I've had. The tannins seem gone, mostly, if this version ever had any, and there is relatively low acid. It is rather delectable, and bears little resemblance to other bottles I've had. The scores have yo-yo'd. For short term consumption, I rather like this one. 88 points.

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
2000 Amarone (Villa Chiara)
This is a very straight ahead Amarone, focused more on charm and clean correctness than the  big, ultra ripe fruit bombs. This would do well as a table wine, without presenting any unusual food matchups. It is supple and pleasing, and picks up some needed weight with air. 88 points.

1999 Chianti Classico "Giorgio Primo" (La Massa)
The last time I had this wine, I thought it would come around perfectly by now, and so it has. It is simply delicious, lush, supple, ripe and dripping with fruit flavor. As it sits, it shows more typicity, but the selling point here is certainly its charm, and gentle but persistent flavor profile. Hard to resist. 92 points.

2000 Oreno (Tenuta Sette Ponti)
The last time I had this wine, a bit closer to release, the structure seemed more admirable. What the wine has not lost is its utterly delicious fruit. It has great sex appeal, fruity notes that seems so pure and perfect that it is almost a surprise when they don't go away. There is some liveliness on the finish with air, too, and just enough tannin. However, the wine could use an extra layer of depth, a better finish and bit more structure, so I'd have to say I overrated it slightly the first time around. This time---90 points.

2001 Naima Paestum IGT (Conciliis)
This Aglianico is very new world. Big and powerful, with some charred oak and high alcohol, it shows a bitter, somewhat offputting nose to start with. The palate was better, although the astringent finish and the hit of alcohol did little for me. It eventually evolved to a point where I didn't mind it so much, but it was hard to warm up to it. Nothing here overcame its flaws. 87 points.

1998 "Sassi Neri" Rosso Conero (Fattoria Le Terrazze)
This is a big mouthful, with lots of tannin, excellent grip, and a persistent finish.  I liked the way it evolved as well, and it showed fruit, eventually, to go with the power and structure. It's come around nicely from its even more tannic youth, and could use a few more years. I liked it more and more as the evening wore on. 92 points.

2000 Barolo (Damilano) QPR Winner
This is about $25, which is a fine deal for Barolo these days. What you get is a wine that opens powerfully and astringently, and the tannins initially obscure the wine. For Barolo, this is not unheard of. I was concerned that it would not come around at all, but with some time, it finally showed some fruit underneath, and it became a pleasant enough drink. It has and will retain a certain austerity to it, but I warmed up to this with some time. It lacks the finish, complexity or intensity of great Barolo, and sometimes seems like a fine Nebbiolo, but in this price range, great Barolo is not what you should be looking for. 88 points.

1998 Primitivo di Manduria "Primo Amore" (Peruini)
This might have been intended as a dessert wine, but it is not very sweet. It is simple, just a touch off dry and fruity, and pleasant enough, but lacking distinction in most respects. It drinks nicely. And that's about it. 87 points.

1997 Ateo (Ciacci Piccolomini)
This has held so beautifully...I loved it on release, and it still shows great. It delivered bold flavors up front, showing surprisingly vibrant, ripe young fruit with black cherry notes. Air showed what the wine has lurking underneath--some tannins popped out and it seemed structured and serious. On release, this was about $20. A fine deal...  90 points.

2003 Dolcetto d'Alba (Cascina Vano)
This simple Dolcetto was somehow described as "muscular," in a brochure. I didn't get that at all. Quite the contrary... It had simple fruit, with just a touch of bubblegum, and little else. I did enjoy the flavor, but it faded fast, and hardly seemed as vibrant as a young wine should be. Grapey and simple, a bit short, even for Dolcetto. Around $14. 85 points.

2003 Dolcetto d'Alba "Pra di Po" (Ettore Germano)
This needs a bit more time to integrate its components. It shows good structure and fruit, and bursts of acid around the edges. If it seems a bit disjointed, that's because it is. Six to twelve months of cellaring should help this out, and let the flavorful fruit be supported by the structure rather than dominated by it. Right now, it is a bit too sharp. Around $16.  88 points.

2003 Dolcetto d'Alba (G.D. Vajra)
A pungent nose starts this off in a promising way. Like the Germano above, this shows a bit too sharp at the moment, and occasionally disjointed. There are some bursts of acid here and there--but also excellent fruit, and lots of flavor. This could use a few months to settle down, too, and has a bit of upside potential given the persistence of the fruit. If it comes into better balance, it can be a winner. Around $17. 88+ points.

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Lebanon (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 Chateau Musar

There’s often a lot of fuss over this winery—sometimes I see why. Sometimes I think it’s just the oddity of it being in Lebanon. On the nose, this could’ve been a Bandol, showing game and earthiness. Some of that followed through on the mid-weight (at best) palate, but the fruit was also unusually sweet, almost candied on the finish. It evolved a bit in the glass for the better, but always seemed rather eccentric. If this were served blind, I think it would have been roundly criticized, but there’s something about this winery that earns it extra credit. At times this was nice, and at other times I actively disliked its candied notes. 84 points.

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Loire (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Vouvray "Cuvée Novembre" (F. Pinon)
I often feel Pinon doesn't get enough attention.  Here's a trademark Vouvray that is full bodied, redolent of baked/spiced apples and enormously pleasing. It is slightly off dry, has a good attack, good acid and impeccable balance. I would have liked a bit better finish, but this is a very satisfying Chenin. 92 points.

1999 Savennières (Baumard) QPR Winner
This is an entry level wine from Baumard, and it seems a bit routine, a bit simple. But for the $15 or so price, it does nicely. It screams dry Chenin on the nose, and while the medium bodied wine evolves and thins out quickly, it always retains its character and flavor. You could do a lot worse for basic Chenin. 87 points.

2003 Marigny-Neuf  "Ampelidae" (Brochet) QPR Winner
This wine, under $10, is a nice QPR wine--under $10, and clean and pristine. There isn't much grass here, and the acid is muted. True sauvignon blanc lovers might object to that. Others will find it drinks easily and well, and has a nice purity of fruit. It is also very much on the short and simple side, doing nothing wrong, but nothing with distinction, either. For the price, it is a very nice drink. 85 points.

2003 Sauvignon "Pierre à Feu" (Domaine Ricard) QPR Winner
The "feu" in the name refers to the supposed flinty character of the wine, around $11. It does have a startlingly eccentric characteristic, i.e., its smokey nose, following through on the palate, with smokey notes on the finish, too, almost as if had been made near a furnace. Some will find that distinctive and interesting, and others will find it out of place, and a distraction. The fruit is decent, with reasonable depth and a certain sharpness you want to see in a young sauvignon blanc.  There are some nice things going on here, but the issue is surely going to be whether you like that flinty or smokey note. 86 points.

2003 Menetou-Salon "Cuvée Le Charnay" (Jean-Max Roger) QPR Winner
At about $18, this is a jump up in both price and quality from the other Sauvignons on this page.  Remarkably ripe for sauvignon blanc, this opens with a nose that hints of grass--but one that does not overwhelm you. I'm not a big fan of the grassy notes of sauvignon blanc, but here, the bouquet seems to be in harmony with the wine, and provides a hint of summer, a nuance that was interesting. There is acid--but the price of admission here is the rather rich, deep fruit. The succulence of the fruit here makes this a pleasure to drink. Those preferring crisper, sharper sauvignons will want to look elsewhere. I hesitate to rate this so highly, considering how well it drinks so young, but you can get an awful lot of pleasure from this wine. 90 points.

1996 Coteaux du Layon "Chaume" (Soucherie-Tijou)
This has been a wine that has confused me greatly in recent years. At first, I thought it was damaged, but every bottle I've opened tastes this way. Maybe a whole lot was damaged, but..  The wine is off dry, very opulent and rich, and has a beautiful honeyed demeanor. It is spicy, tangy and flavorful. It also seems significantly oxidized on the finish, with perhaps a touch of sherry or madeira, usually signs of a wine cracking up or damaged. Yet, it's pretty darned good. It is so odd, though, and I'm so unsure of its status, that I'm not willing to rate it until I taste a bottle from another cellar.

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Rhone/South/Southwest France (except dessert/sparkling)
1996 Cotes de Provence "Cuvée Tradition" (Domaine Richeaume) QPR Winner
This has definitely aged---it is showing tertiary notes, and thinning fruit. It needs drinking. But it is not, happily, anywhere close to dying or dead. It has a certain lively, yet gentle charm, and shows good and persistent flavor. Don't cellar this--but don't pour it down the drain, either. 87 points.

1995 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Prestige Tête de Cru" (Cabrières) QPR Winner
This old estate may not have quite the prestige today that it used to have, but there is still some nice wine coming out of here at very reasonable prices. This is maturing and ready to drink, elegant and flavorful. It presents a nice, velvety texture, ripe fruit and strawberry notes tinged with game and herbs. There is a nice balance between intensity and fruit, and while the wine is maturing it is still very vibrant. A pleasure to drink. 90 points.

2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Beaurenard) QPR Winner
This has a certain charm, a gentle appeal, a lush presence, but ultimately it seems a bit light and simple. Easy and bright, it goes down quickly, and the only question is whether cellaring will improve it or harm it. There was a hint here and there that the fruit was a bit closed, but ultimately I don't think there is enough going on here to merit betting much on it improving in the cellar. 87 points.

1994 Coteaux du Languedoc (Chateau de la Sauvageonne)
This fine Languedoc was very tight in its youth, and very closed. You could sense the depth and the layers, but not get much flavor. Somewhere around age five to seven, it began to blossom and the opulent fruit was rich and ripe.  The wine is in another incarnation now, showing some age but still drinking very well. It is strong enough to drink well the next day. It shows tertiary notes now, though, earthy nuances, a bit of underbrush and game. The body has thinned but still shows nice depth. I think this was better drunk a few years ago, but it is still holding well and those who like wines with tertiary notes may well prefer this incarnation to the burlier, robust teenager of a few years back. 89 points.

1966 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Jaboulet-Isnard)

A big nose presages an interesting and fresh wine, or so I thought. On the palate, it is fresh, but odd, with medicinal notes in the mid-palate, and a candied, rhubarb  finish.  It has a certain Burgundy-on-steroids feel to it. It improved for a little while, but ultimately, it started showing cracks.  I never found this all that pleasant and it seemed rather eccentric at its best.  82 points.

1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Vieux Donjon)

There are touches of game on the pungent, lovely nose. The wine starts sharp, and then seems to close down for awhile, appearing simple and short.  I was pleasantly surprised to see it evolve nicely, eventually showing a core of fruit that became more savory.  89 points.

1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Clos des Papes)

This has a beautiful, soft texture, with a firm backbone supporting the fruit.  It throws off great strawberry flavor notes, and while obviously maturing, it seems fresh and pure.  This was a pleasure to drink, showing nice depth.  92 points.

1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Bosquet)

Simple and undistinguished at this  point, this wine seems a bit sharp, focused, but easy and middle of the road-ish.  It drinks well enough, but there is little here to get excited about.  88 points.

1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "La Cuvée du Papet" (Clos du Mont Olivet)

Very gamey, this has a lot more going on than the nose, though.  It opened, I thought, a bit tart and perhaps a bit hot on the finish, but about 15 minutes of air brought this to a point where the fruit fleshed out beautifully and it seemed fabulous. I was ready to give this a big score. With more air, though, I was rather disappointed in it.  It seemed to return to its original demeanor, showing harshly on the finish, whether acidic or alcoholic, while the fruit seemed to lose the battle. Some liked this better than I, and at times it seemed terrific, but this never finished making the sale to me. 89 points.

1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Centenaire"  (Les Cailloux)

Beautiful and firm, this has focused fruit, a cherry-strawberry note, and a bracing, lingering finish that I loved. Ripe and full bodied, this nonetheless presents itself as a structure wine thanks to its supporting backbone.  This is certainly approachable now, but I think it will be better in three to five years. 96 points.

1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Reserve" (Les Cailloux)

Opened about four hours before we got to it, this was just gorgeous. The fruit is deep and rich, and the tannins persistent, firm but well integrated. This is a powerful puppy, but there is plenty of fruit here to hold up to the structure. Superb, and in need of a bit more time.  93 points.

1995 Crozes-Hermitage (Domaine les Chenets)
Gamey, showing herbs and a little barnyard, this also shows a nice round body, good velvety texture and some depth, and good focus. With some air, it is easy and harmonious, flavorful and enjoyable. Quite nice, although lacking real depth.  88 points.

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)

2003 Panarroz QPR Winner                                     

I was expecting a fruit bomb, but instead I got a rather powerful wine, with a smooth strawberry nuanced openingBand then lots of power. It was tight on the finish, even a little astringent, and it needed lots of air. It showed fine the next day, and clearly needs some time in the cellar to pull itself together. For $8, this is a LOT of wine. 88 points.

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