1994 Tokay Pinot Gris "Rosenberg" Vendange Tardive (Barmès-Beucher)
It's always a debate whether to put the VTs in with the dessert wines or not.  This belongs here, I think.  When younger, this was very sweet and flamboyant, almost candied on the finish.  The sweetness is still there, but blowing off fast, and on the whole I'd downgrade this a bit from how it showed when young.    The wine is becoming gentle and friendly, the finish is still great and I think its best use at this point would be as an aperitif.  For sure, it's not in dessert wine category any more.  Drink, don't hold. 90 points.

Australia (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 Old Vines Grenache "Blewitt" (Clarendon)
Tremendous Grenache that seems to have a liter or two of Chambord dumped into the vat.  The wine is lush and rich, but the predominant aspect is the framboise flavors, sweet and almost candied on the finish.  The wine is surprisingly approachable, with supple ripe tannins, yet I think it will hold well and show a lot more with a few years of cellaring. Impressive, flamboyant, a bit idiosyncratic, but watch this baby round into shape with some age.  92+ points.

1991 Cabernet "707" (Penfold's)
This wine is showing nicely, with dense, supple fruit surrounded by an overlay of slightly annoying American oak.  Compared to really oaky Aussies or Californians, the oak is reasonably integrated; just a tad too prominent.  The quality of the fruit is hard to ignore. But why oh why can't they get rid of this toasty licorice and coconut-flavored American oak?  89 points.

Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 Chateau Pichon-Lalande
Classic PL.  Opens focused, with a core of heavy cassis, but the texture is round and gentle, and the wine shows ever more sexy and appealing.  Some blueberry nuances in the grapey, young fruit.   This is a terrific Pichon-Lalande. Would that I had some. 92-94 points.

1995 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
This is an unusual Cos. On opening it seems SO sweet, so rich, so grapey, so accessible---yet there are tannins for aging burbling beneath the surface. There is depth to spare, and it seems half again as deep as the Pichon Lalande.  I have never had a Cos quite so flamboyant and accessible, although it will surely close down and then become a long haul wine.    Heavy glycerine coats your mouth with fruit. The finish is amazing.  You have to call this a great wine.  End of story.  94--96   points.

Burgundy (White) (except dessert/sparkling)

1989 Chassagne-Montrachet "Ruchottes" (Bachelet-Ramonet)
Forgettable Burg that starts very tart and thin, and improves a little. With air, it takes on some leesy flavors and develops a little character. Still, there is so little fruit left  here, it is hard to call this anything other than mediocre, let alone Chassagne "Ruchottes."  82 points.

California /USA  (Red) (except dessert/sparkling)

1992 Pinot Noir (Fiddlehead)
Delicious pinot that is holding well and delivers sweet, sharp cherry flavors. There isn't much subtle about this wine. It is slightly candied on the finish, has good body and is simply delicious. The fruit flavors are what the price of admission gets you, and the wine holds reasonably well in the glass.   Nicely done. 91 points.

1991 Cabernet (Corison)
Silky, easy drinkin', middle of the road cab that is friendly and laid back.   This is positioned, however, as  a premium wine in the $30 range these days. By those standards, the finish is short, the intensity of flavor too modest for pure cabernet, and there seems to be a  hole in the mid-palate where one would expect to find more depth and more concentration.  Corison has a vision for her wines of an easy drinking, lighter styled alternative to the big blockbusters,  but the stuffing isn't there for a top notch wine. Too dull, too flat.  As the wine ages in vintages like 1991, or as it   tends to show in lighter vintages, it is simply too light and inoffensive.   This is a great, uncomplicated $15 cab.   Unfortunately.....  86 points.

1992 Cabernet Franc (Dalle Valle)
Tight focused cab franc, with bright acidity that integrates promptly with air.   This is a pleasing wine in all aspects, but at the same time, it is a little short, too.  Depth and finish are lacking,  and the flavors a bit muted, although the wine goes down easy and is friendly drinking. Fully ready, very likeable, less than exceptional.  Don't worry too much, though, since it was made in vanishingly small quantities and doesn't exist in the marketplace.  88 points. 

1994 Cabernet (Corison)
I was advised by Corison lovers that later vintages are far superior to the older ones. I stopped buying her wines early on. This indeed is a big step up.  There is a core of pleasing sweet fruit in the middle, and the wine finally has some distinction and character. It is still lacking in depth and finish compared to more significant wines, but here's a Corison that is finally a pleasure to drink. It drinks, by the way, quite nicely now and doesn't seem to me to be a big keeper.  89 points.

1985 Zinfandel "Reserve" (Storybook)
The fruit here is fading into acidity. The wine still has supple tannins, but not much flavor. It presents a pleasing, almost Chianti-like portrait for a few minutes before fading into obscurity.  A heralded wine that has pretty much lost its charm and flavors. 82 points.

1994 Grenache (T-Vine)
Here's a surprise. Only 280 cases made. Silly label. Dumb name. But pretty good wine! Tight, with supple tannins at the moment, it opens nicely with air to show a balanced, flavorful grenache with spicy, peppery notes.  It is not sweet and thick, but what it lacks in lushness it seems to make up with a nice little burst of flavor on the finish.  Will improve with some more cellaring, I think. 89 points.

1993 Zinfandel "Belloni" (Ravenswood)
Opens big, thick and tannic, and becomes ultimately, very Italian-like.   I find this happens a lot with Ravenswoods, which often seem bigger than they are. They shed the tannins fairly fast, and often they remind me of nothing, with a few years age, so much as sangiovese.  Excellent zin, but I'm not altogether sure I liked the way it developed.  For drinking, I think, not cellaring.  90 points.

1989 Pinot Noir "Rochioli" (Williams & Selyem)
A very typical W&S Rochioli, meaning that it opens tight and a bit tomato-ey.   Then, it blossoms. The bouquet is suffused with red berries, the fruit becomes smooth and velvety.  It improves all night long. The flavor is unrelenting.  A so-so year in California becomes another smash hit for W&S.   W&S Rochioli is one of California's very special wines. Too bad so few people have access to it,  especially me. 93 points.

1985 Cabernet "Martha's Vineyard" (Heitz)
If W&S (see above), gets universal acclaim, Heitz is more controversial.   When I last had this wine, I thought it was corked. I opened it this time in eager anticipation--even with the corkiness, it showed gorgeous, dense fruit--and got that mustiness yet again. This time, a sommelier familiar with the wine said they all showed that way. Let it sit. Sure enough. I don't know that all the mustiness blew off, but most did. It is certainly a defect in the wine, but one I am willing to ignore because the fruit is tremendous, concentrated and fine, and the wine improves for hours.  Still, one gets the sense that this wine could have been shooting for 100.  Instead, 92 points.

1986 Cabernet (Groth)
This regular bottling is still holding on, and in many respects outperforms the reserve. The last bottle I had of this showed some problems a few months back. But this seems just about perfect. Gentle but still firm, the wine opens up with remarkably sweet fruit and a hint of tannin on the finish. It broadens and softens quickly and holds for a reasonable amount of time. Pure, but restrained cassis notes deliver lots of flavor. Just a few hints of maturity on the finish.  This is drinking beautifully,  and is fully ready, but is by no means urgent to drink.  I wish I had more.  California wines don't age? This regular bottling cost about $12 way back when. 88 points.

1991 Cabernet "Eisele" (Araujo)
A beautiful wine, impeccably balanced.  I think this shows fairly nicely now. Others wanted to hold it longer.  However, with a bit of air, the wine seemed gentle and elegant,  with the nose showing some oaky notes.  It kept opening and developing.  I liked it a lot, although I  didn't get the "pizazz" factor I might have expected. On the whole, excellent wine that has everything in place.  I would have liked a shade more depth.  90 points.

1984 Cabernet "Napa" (Silver Oak)
This was a cab that was once immensely appealing, in the style of the vintage, if you ignored the oak overlays. Although I have grown increasingly annoyed at the type of toasty American oak used by Silver Oak (the poster winery for this type of abuse), this was a wine I still fondly remembered.  Good thing this is the last bottle. After a reasonably nice nose, the palate follows with fading fruit. The wine is not dead, and for some tastes, the thinning, gentle, somewhat over the hill fruit may be perfect. For those types of palates, though, I expect the intense overlay of oak will be a real turnoff.   This isn't very interesting any more.  83 points.

1987 Cabernet "Napa" (Silver Oak)
The '84 is fading, the '88 and '89 are weak vintages, the '90 and '91 seem curiously light.  The '85 Napa is  more powerful, but suffused with overwhelming oak. I haven't had the '86 lately, nor sampled the last couple of vintages (like '92,   '94).  That said, and all considered,  this may be the best Silver Oak in recent memory.  For a combination of intensity and balance--for once the oak is merely somewhat annoying rather than overwhelming--this gets high marks.  It redoubles the concentration of the light '91, and backs off the oak in a way that the powerful '85 should have.  Still, I have to say, I have lost my taste for this style of wine.  88 points.

1990 Cabernet (Seavey)
This wine shows pure fruit, and debuts sweet and pretty. The acidity pops up too soon and too powerfully, though, and the wine never quite recovers.  It shows some good velvety texture and ability to improve the glass, but never manages to add the parts together into a completely pleasing whole. At this point, I don't think it ever will.  87 points.

1990 Cabernet "Reserve" (Mondavi)
Mondavi may not have the cachet of a Harlan or a Cask 23.  The big, mass market winery may not be as interesting to the "in" group as Colgin or Araujo.   But every time I taste a 1990s era Mondavi Reserve I wonder who is really making cabernet much better in California.  The 1990 is simply superlative.  Perfectly balanced, the wine shows everything you'd want: depth, elegance, lushness,   intensity, the ability to improve for hours--don't just taste the first glass!--and a great finish. The wine opens with some distinctive chocolately overtones, perhaps giving a temporary and false impression of merlot, but then it develops into a wine that most reminds me of a nice Bordeaux.  This has the structure to age years more, too.   94 points.

1994 Insignia (Phelps)
Beautiful pure, sweet fruit, with surrounded by supple tannins.  The wine shows depth and velvety texture to go with the sweet core of fruit.  I wonder how this will age; it may be a wine that always tastes better on the young side.   Time will tell. In the meanwhile, this is pretty fine.   Phelps is another winery that seems to get less and less press while making better and better wine.   In these days of hype, hysteria and $100 cabs, Insignia is still a big gun, and this will likely improve over the next few years. 91+  points.

1991 Cabernet "Cask 23" (Stag's Leap)
Ah, if  the word "elegance" in cabernets was only applied to wines like this instead of wines that lack depth and finish, then I'd recommend more elegant wines.   This wine starts with a long finish.  Once the fruit fully opens, we find a gentle charmer, with surprisingly subtle intensity and pretty fruit.   Everything is in place, all components perfectly integrated.  92 points.

1991 Cabernet (Harlan Estate)
This opens tighter than most '91s at this point.  The tannins are supple though, and the wine developed nicely through the evening. The fruit is thick and dense, the over-used term "port-like" comes to mind.  The texture is soft but lacks the lushness I like to see.  Also, while I get big, dense fruit, I don't as much  flavor from the fruit as I'd like. In short, great fruit, amazing depth, but a bit overbearing and one-dimensional at times.   This is a wine that suggests great things to come from the winery, but needs a bit of refinement to make it big and take full advantage of the concentrated fruit. I haven't had the 1994 yet, but I hear they figured it all out and indeed struck it REAL big in '94.  For this 1991, which could still improve,  89+ points.

1986 Cabernet (Chateau Montelena)
This was drunk next to a number of exceptional cabernets. Perhaps it fared poorly in comparison. Yet, there was time when Montelena held up nicely to comparisons. This bottling, whether the particular bottle or  how the wine has aged---I haven't had the '86 in many years---shows too thin, and a bit too tart to be of much interest.   Some astringency too.  On the whole, a run of the mill wine. I'll taste another bottle in a few weeks and see if this was typical.  86 points.

1988 "Coeur de Vigne" (Sullivan)
1988 is my least favorite California cabernet/merlot vintage over the last fifteen years or so, back until 1983.  Twice now, someone has stuck a glass of 1988 Sullivan under my nose. Talk about unknown wineries.   Last time, the Merlot. This time, this "Coeur de Vigne," a meritage blend that is mostly cab.   Each time, I've been amazed. I kept going back to this all night long, and it never showed a hint of fading. Further, I saved half a bottle, vacu-vin'ed it (after it had been open for four hours) and drank the remnant with lunch the next day. It was still great.    It opened with some heavy tannins, but they blew off fairly fast.  The wine showed very much like a nice Bordeaux, some tar, excellent balance, beautiful and expansive.  In a lusher vintage, this might have been a wine for the ages.  It is a bit austere, and I suspect the tannins will outlive the fruit, but it was still pretty fine, refined, elegant and intense. It was particularly impressive watching it hold all night long without losing a beat, whereas I have noted other wines from this vintage fading.   91 points. 

1994 Pinot Noir "Case" (Talbott)
I had this wine when it was just released, and it was flavorful and sweet and elegant.   It has put on weight and now demonstrates structure, too.  It seems twice as big.  It opens nicely and blooms in the glass.  It shows  thick and jammy, with some supple tannins and surpising, bracing acidity on the finish.  There were times I actually thought the acidity was a bit of a problem, but the fruit is so dense that it survives all. By the end of the evening, the components were coming back together nicely.   This wine is not ready to drink and I would recommend another 1 to 2 years or cellaring before approaching it again.  This is  a great performance from this superstar chardonnay  winery. Whether the point score edges up or down will depend on how the components integrate. Very good, now, but there is a potential for a lot more.   91 points.

1994 Pinot Noir "Reserve" (Ponzi)
Elegant, and just starting to open,  this wine has raspberries hiding in the back and a great future.  Aromatic,  with a lot of finesse. Still a bit closed, and needs to be held another year or two to recapture its elegance and open.   Another winner from Ponzi, one of Oregon's older and most consistent estates over the years.    90+ points.

1993 Pinot Noir  "Laurene" (Drouhin)
Opens tight, with some mildly astringent tannins. Then, the tannins blow off breathtakingly fast. Heavy red berry scents and flavors, and very ripe raspberry fruit pops out and assaults your mouth. Flamboyant and obvious, but delicious. The wine does not take long to open.  I think it is at the beginning of its plateau of drinkability if you let it breathe a little,  and  it will last gracefully for several years more.  A great performance from Drouhin.  Drouhin would be a lucky guy if this were typical of his French reds.    92 points.

1990 Pinot Noir "Mills" (Calera)
This wine was one of the most delicious young pinots America has produced, but it came from relatively young vines and it is now showing its age.  A bit brown on the edges, and redolent of prunes on the nose and finish, this wine is not too far from giving up the ghost.  If this bottle is typical, its flavors have become downright unpleasant, although the texture is still fine, and the fruit velvety.  79 points.

1986 Cabernet (Etude)
A cab from Tony Soter that I have never really warmed up to over the years.  With age, nothing has happened to reveal any startling new dimensions.  It is pleasant, balanced,   but a bit too austere.   The fruit is too restrained for my taste,  with neither obvious flavor nor lush texture, and it seems there is just a hint of tartness on opening. With air, the wine does expand and the fruit becomes broader, and the tartness changes to sweetness, a hint of very slight maderization on the finish.  The wine has a lot of things going for it, but never quite rings the bell.   Of course, this wine cost all of $12.50 way back when. In that light, it is an amazing steal.  88 points.

1986 Cabernet Reserve (Hess)
As suave, sexy and elegant as a California cab ever wanted to be. The wine opens with supple, bright tannins, but the fruit is too sweet, too rich to be denied. It climbs to the surface and announces its presence with jammy, rich notes.  But this is a wine that is never off stride even a little.  It remains impeccably balanced and elegant.  The velvety texture makes it a pleasure to drink, and the finish is super.  Simply beautiful, everything in place, years of life left to it.  93 points. 

1986 Cabernet Reserve (Simi)
Broad expansive flavors tinged with some game, leather and barnyard create a wine that shows beautifully now, and has enough depth and richness to keep for years more.  It opens nicely and becomes more and more interesting as time wears on. It is a notch behind the 1985,  though just a notch, but a very nice, very distinctive wine.  89 points.

1985 Cabernet Reserve (Simi)
Tingly, supple tannins strike the tongue and then give way quickly to ripe, velvety fruit. The texture is so soft that it makes you wish the wine could be fondled as well as drunk.  Rich and deep. The finish is perhaps a tad short for the quality otherwise displayed.  92 points.

California /USA  (White) (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 "The Bride" (Sine Qua Non)
The single best white Rhone clone I have ever had from California. Further, stick this blind in a lineup of white Hermitage and the like, and I do not think your first thought will be California.  The blend is mostly Roussanne, with some chardonnay.   The fruit is rich, ripe and mouth coating. The finish is spectacular.  Nice acidity, despite the concentrated, creamy fruit.  Wonderful, completely satisfying, and unfortunately, severely allocated wine. I have no idea how it will age,  and maybe one day I'll take a lot of points away, but I sure love it now.  95 points.

1994 Chardonnay (Beaux Freres)
I didn't much like how this showed young. It had a stunning nose, but nothing followed through on the palate. No flavor, not much fruit.  It has developed gorgeously.  It is a credit to this winery that all of their wines develop and change constantly, both in the glass and the cellar. They always improve and reward cellaring, a sign of class and breeding. Now, the acidity here has integrated completely with the fruit, which has emerged and taken on weight in the last couple of years. The wine seems like pure butter, it is so rich, ripe and round, yet with air it develops balance and charm. The debut release of the BF chardonnay, of which there was only a 100 cases, promises great things to come. 92 points.

1997 Riesling "Windfall" (Unionville Vineyards)
This New Jersey Riesling is a lot of fun. Relatively light (11.5% alcohol), it is off-dry and flowery in a German style. It is a bit too short and thin on the finish--this is not a wine you want to warm up to room temperature---but surprisingly good on the mid-palate. Pleasing and charming.  I liked it. The only issue is cost; and I was pleased to find it sells for about $12, which seems fair, although I could point you to some Alsace riesling that is better for less.  Well, that's for another day, and everyone has to make a living.  And you can read my next note on an overpriced chard that I enjoyed a lot less than this Riesling. So, you can play the price game until the cows come home.   The wine's nice, and ready to drink this summer at the picnic of your choice.  Support your local vintner.  85 points.

1995 Chardonnay "Charles Ranch" (Martinelli)
Opens tight, with a bitter finish, and never improves enough.  There were moments when it seemed like this was going to develop into fine wine.  But it never happened. Instead, the wine just remained a bit quirky, unapproachable and sometimes unpleasant.  I hate to make the obvious wisecrack, but this is chardonnay as interpreted by a great and flamboyant, over-the-top zinfandel maker.  83 points.  

1996 Chardonnay "Signature Series" (Villa Mt. Eden)
This wine opens with a powerful, buttery bouquet, and follows through with a creamy, leesy flavor.  Ripe, rich, round and ready to roll.  In fact, this is a premium wine that does most things right with one exception: I think it lacks the intensity and components to age well.  I suspect it will never show as well as it does today. Today, it's hard to keep your hands off of it. Loses points for its short term aspects, but don't let that fool you into thinking this wine is anything but delicious today.   89 points.

1993 Chardonnay "Reserve"   (Markko)(Ohio)
Yeah, Ohio Chardonnay.   Served blind,  I thought it was a modest, but decent,  Burgundy. The wine is a bit austere, but is otherwise excellent.  The maloactic fermentation delivers a buttery overlay, and when you think this is a 5 year old Ohio chardonnay,  you have to be amazed.  I suspect it has aged better than the pricey Villa Mt. Eden above ever will.  Shows some focus, and flavor, not tremendous depth or finish.  The only flaw was that it did not hold especially well after opening. Of course, I'm talking about hours, not minutes.  On the whole,  a really good job.   88 points.

1991 Chardonnay "Frederique" (Chateau Woltner)
This wine was unfairly dissed at a gathering I attended.  OK, it's not a great wine, and it is a touch tired and austere. But as it warmed up, it showed  an unusually  long finish for a California chard,  and a focus that did it credit.  A lot more Burgundian than most Chards, this wine desperately needs to be drunk, but has not died.  This, and many other early 90s Woltners, came into Pennsylvania for all of $12.99, at which point, if you like this restrained, mature, even slightly over-the-hill style, this is a steal. For one thing, you can't get mature, re-released bottles at all most of the time.   84 points.

Champagne

NV "Grand Cru" (Egly-Ouriet)
Egly-Ouriet is a great little Domaine that seems to score with every wine in its lineup.  This non-vintage is rich and toasty, with remarkable body for a wine of its class. The finish is a bit off and not quite as good as the rest, and it is not as interesting with air. Still, for an NV under $20, this is quite a performance.  88 points.

Dessert Wines

1989 Sauternes (Lafaurie Peyraguey)
Here's a beauty.  A wine that is sweeter than usual, seemingly, thick and rich (by Sauternes standards; this isn't TBA) and absolutely luscious.  Shows few hints of aging, and retains a youthful freshness.  Can hold for a long while, but great to drink now if you like them sweet and charming. 92 points.

1995 Riesling Icewine Reserve (Ch. Ste. Michelle)
This is a wine that starts with sensational viscosity, and rich, sweet syrupy aspects. It seems on the verge of wonderful. Then, it fades so quickly with air, moderates so fast, that it loses points by the minute. The finish becomes non-existent and the syrupy character simply vanishes.  What happened?  87 points.

1993 Gewurztraminer Rangen Clos St Urbain "Selection de Grains Nobles" (Zind-Humbrecht)
Trouble in paradise.  This wine opens up an unusually dark amber, more typical for an older wine, and seems to lack the expected richness and freshness of a 1993 ZH SGN. It shows as a modest, unexciting wine that improves a little with air, but never develops the depth and concentration I expected.   I know that it came from perfect storage, but of course who knows what happened before?  Hopefully this is not a typical showing for this wine, a rare gewurz from Clos St. Urbain. 85 points.

1990 Sauternes "Creme de Tête"(Filhot)
One of the more flamboyant Sauternes I have ever had. Unusually sweet, creamy and rich, this wine is not concerned with power, just richness.  Seems more like a Beerenauslese at times.  Fantastic quality, and good pricing. 95 points.

1989 Sauternes (Raymond-Lafon)
This wine is as tight as a drum. From the time it lost its baby fat  in the early 90s, it seems hardly changed.  There are heavy botrytis notes, with a substantial hit of tannin, but the wine's fruit seems closed and tight. The color is pale, and you would hardly guess that this wine is approaching age ten.  I am inclined to say it needs another five years of cellaring, given how closed it is.  I am not scoring this at this time. When young, I gave it big scores.  Today, it seems impossible to evaluate, although I'd note that it improved constantly with air.  This is a vin de garde likely to be a big time star when it opens again.

1994 Monbazillac  (Chateau Tirecul)
This is merely the regular bottling of this wine, from the red-hot producer in Monbazillac. (Just outside of Sauternes, and similar to it.)  Tremendously rich and syrupy, this wine does not have the power or concentration of bigger Sauternes, but in this vintage it shows amazing richness, unctuous texture and sweet, rich fruit.  I'll be interested to see how this ages; depth is not its strong point.  Let's say it shows spectacularly well now.  "Just" the regular bottling, not the specialty stuff.  92 points.

1992 Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese "Kirchheimer Geiskopf" (Hammel & Cie)
Medium bodied B.A. that is holding nicely and shows reasonable intensity, and some suave, elegant character. Seems not distinctively gewurz, but then sugar sometimes hides all.  88 points.

1995 Riesling (Firestone)
The amber color boded poorly, yet the wine was pristine. I think the color was perhaps from grape skins left too long on the juice.  Anyway......superb. Apricot nuances,  rich and unctuous, this wine is bright and sweet, and delicious.  Very nicely done, and relatively inexpensive (about $13 per half). 90 points.

1988 Chateau Guiraud
Like a lot of '88 Sauternes, this is developing at a glacial pace. The wine seems a bit light and thin, with good botrytis, but not enough sweetness, depth and finish.   I frankly don't know what is happening with the 88s, but they also seem a bit shut down and quiescent at the moment, at least the ones I've been tasting. 88 points.

1996 Golden Semillon (Elderton)
Flamboyant Aussie semillon that is more in the style of an eiswein than a Sauternes. Of course, Elderton isn't known for subtle. This is gloriously sweet and flavorful, although not really syrupy, and the flamboyance is hard to resist if you like this type of wine.   This is NOT a Sauternes style, and it doesn't show much depth or structure. Drink it young, ignore the aging issues.  It's irresistible.   Runs about $16 a half.   91 points.

1985 Semillon "Nightingale" (Beringer)
This wine, in more of a Sauternes style, has held beautifully, showing not a hint of deterioration.  At this point, though, it also shows not much depth and the fruit has thinned a bit.  It does everything very well, it seems pristine and unaffected by any defects, but it lacks either the power or the fruit to be spectacular.  Of course, considering its age, this is in pretty fine shape. I wonder who would have been sure that this would hold so long and so well?  It seems young still, at least if you didn't have it in its youth, as I did.   87 points.

Germany (except dessert/sparkling)

1990 Riesling Auslese "Wehlener Sonnenuhr" (F. Weins-Prum)
Still sweet Auslese that seems closer to airy and off-dry rather than heavy or rich. In fact, at first sip, I almost dismissed it too quickly. Yet, the finish is super, and the wine develops a bit of mouth-coating fruit, and refreshing acidity, with a bit of lemon squirt in the mid-palate. Nice work. 89 points.

1989 Riesling Auslese "Waldracher Doktorberg" (Peter Scherf)
This wine was dumped into Pennsylvania for just $10. I noted some varying fills in the bins, but this one, with an excellent fill, was pristine and lovely.  A bit tart,  but the crisp acidity on opening melds nicely into the whole.   The wine is remarkably sweet for its age, but a lot of the youthful sweetness you expect in an Auslese has, of course, moderated.  It has an excellent finish and pretty (and very prominent) lemony nuances on the mid-palate.   The fruit is a bit restrained and thinning, showing some evidence of  age. Ten bucks is a steal, though,  if you like mature German Riesling.  Low alcohol, great summer wine. Don't look for a big, mouth coating blockbuster, though. TIp: with some air and just slightly chilled, not out of the fridge, the acidity moderates nicely.  87 points.

1991 Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken "Weisenheimer Altenberg" (Neckerauer)
This is another inexpensive German Riesling dumped into Pennsylvania ($11).  This one has some problems, though. Whereas the Scherf Auslese is pristine and beautiful, if you like the crisp, mature style,  this shows signs of age, and oxidation, with some mushroom overtones.  The fills looked good, but the color was amber, and the wine seemed to be losing it.  It nonetheless had a good texture, rich body and a pleasing lemony core.  It did enough good things to make me want to try another bottle in order to see if this is typical.  As far as this bottle goes, though, it will appeal mostly to those who like wines over the hill. And maybe not even then.   78 points.

Italy (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 Solengo (Argiano)
This super Tuscan is a blend of sangiovese and syrah. I liked it a lot, although when I first tasted it I was sure it had a substantial dollop of cabernet.  There is a   hit of tannin on the finish, but on the whole the wine seems open and broad, with flavors I can only say remind me of Bordeaux blends.  I expect this to close down, but at the moment it is drinking pretty well, and was pretty hard to resist.  90+ points.

1995 Collio Bianco (Keber)
It's a good thing someone got me to taste it because if I had noticed the label that, on the back, said "RED WINE" when the wine not only was white but was named Collio Bianco, I would have given up on it real fast.  As it turns out, that was merely an amusing typo.  Mostly pinot bianco, this shows beautifully for current drinking, round and velvety with a rich, finish a little like a good pinot gris.  It held reasonably well in the glass, too, but drink in the near term.  89 points.

1985 Chianti Classico "Riserva di fizzano" (Rocadelle Macie)
This opened somewhat troublesome, with a hot nose and a tinge of oxidation. That said, surprisingly, it kept on keeping on all night long.  The wine is a bit austere and on the lighter side,  but the subtle intensity of the fruit, which is still flavorful and pretty, if modest in weight, saves it.  A fine Chianti.  90 points.

1990 "Clos Perrieres"   Savennières (Chateau Soucherie / Tijou)
Rich, creamy, still youthful Chenin Blanc that is flavorful and smooth.  Ripe finish. Fruity, but thick, this wine has enough to last years more, depending on how you like them, of course.  A slightly apricot scented bouquet goes with the mouth coating fruit. Stunning.   92 points.

1995 Chinon "Chène Vert"  (Joguet)
Drinking nicely now, this is a Chinon that can hold a decade or be enjoyed now.  I would  tend to err on the side of caution and  recommend drinking now or over the next couple of years, although I certainly have had mature Chinons that hold very well.  To me, this Chinon does not have the stuffing, finish or concentration of the Bordeaux it sometimes resembles on first sip.  It is a good wine, though, pleasing wine for uncomplicated, rather elegant enjoyment. It thins out a bit too fast and seems hollow in the mid-palate at times, and fades in the glass too quickly.  I had it open for hours, and it faded rather than developed.  It is still a good value for the money (a $14 wine in new vintages in France) and offers an interestingly different take on a Bordeaux-like wine.   For my money, if you want to experiment with wines that seem to suggest Bordeaux without the price tags or trophy status, this is a good choice, but  personally I'd rather skip the cab francs and try the Madirans.  The Chinons just seem a bit bland.   Just a thought.   87 points.

1992 Pouilly-Fumé "Pur Sang" (D. Daguenau)
A fine reason not to like this varietal.  Here's a hotly sought after, highly respected wine. Personally, I found it tart, acidic, and hard to drink.  If this is your style, go for it.  I have found an occasional great one, where the fruit is open and friendly, and the wine has flavor not destroyed by acidity,  but they are few and far between as far as I am concerned, and this isn't even such a great example of its type (for that see, Cloudy Bay, below).  85 points.

1994 Corbieres "Gris de Gris" Rosé (Domaine de Fontsainte)
One of my favorite rosés from Provence, this always seems dry, pristine, pure and a little spicy. Very refreshing, with a nice body. But 1994 you say? Perhaps old Squires is too cheap?  Well, actually I have this little trick. I bought this in 96, and perhaps it was even a touch long in tooth then, but I took a chance and the first bottle was fine. But by then, the season was over and for some reason I didn't get to it. Instead of keeping it cellared, I kept it in the refrigerator, by accident and for nearly two years. Today, it's no worse for the wear, virtually unchanged.  A moment in time. Not quite as effective as freezing, but works pretty well. 88 points.

1990 Bandol Rouge "Vielles Vignes" (Pradeaux)
I've reported before on the stunning 1990 Bandol from Pradeaux, one of the great wine buys around.  This is the pricier, and harder to find "old vines" bottling. It is more stunning. Add power, extra depth, quite a bit more tannin, and you get a wine that is only now coming around, and still not really ready.  The depth of flavor is notable,  there is just a touch of game for character, and the fruit is part of a structured wine that is built for the long haul.  95 points.

1993 Coteaux du Languedoc - Montpeyroux "Côte Rousse" (L'Aiguelière)
This wine is a tremendous wine in many respects, but I just can't warm up to it.   Your taste may be different, and if so, go for it, because this wine does SO much right it can't be ignored.  Lush and round,  thick and concentrated, it develops beautifully with air.  The wine shows remarkable depth for a Languedoc, structure and tannins to age. What I don't like about it is its funky, gamey, bacon fat flavors and nose.  The wines from this estate always seem to show this way, and I just don't find it pleasing in that respect.  Still, get past that, or maybe you'll even like it, and you'll love this wine.  Not yet ready, but approachable.  92 points.

1991 Côte Rotie (Ogier)
If the Cote Rousse seems rustic and gamey, the Ogier goes it several steps further. Kind of like rancid strawberries marinating in the vat.  Unlike the Cote Rousse, this wine lacks the concentration and gorgeous fruit to redeem itself and give its components a chance of integrating with bretty aspects.  Brett, so I've found and so they say, is very much subject to bottle variations. So maybe your bottle won't be as bad. Personally, I found this fairly routine wine even without the brett. With it, it is rather unpleasant. 82 points.

1991 Ermitage "Le Pavillon" (Chapoutier)
Simply tremendous Hermitage.  This is a bit too tight and too closed at the moment, and I would recommend holding it. Yet,  as it sits, layer after layer of brilliantly pure, concentrated fruit bubbles up.  This wine is like an onion. Keep peeling it over the next couple of decades, and it will provide layers of fruit underneath every time.  A great vin de garde. 94+ points.

1995 Côtes du Rhone (Clos du Cailloux)
Rustic Cotes du Rhone that opens a bit tart and tight, and develops broader flavors of bacon and tar.  This is wine that reminds me more of a Chateauneuf in many respects, although I understand it is mostly syrah.  It needs a year or so of aging, and of course, it not a long term wine; the depth and concentration are not there, the wine is a bit thin. I never did find out the price level on this wine, and that will make a bigger difference than usual.  It's nice Cotes du Rhone, but there are any number I enjoy as much. If you like this style, try Gramenon.  It's a sub-$10 wine, and a good deal in that price range.  85 points.

1997 Bandol Rosé (Domaine Tempier)
The world's greatest rosé maker scores again, but this time the wine seems a touch restrained, a touch lighter. In some years, this is almost a red wine.  All that aside, the wine is pure and refreshing, airy and elegant, yet with a surprisingly good finish and subtle, but lingering flavors.  A pleasure to drink, and a pleasure to come back to. 89 points.

1995 Côtes de Provence "Cuvée Saint-Michel"  (Domaine du Dragon)
This good value wine gives you a lot of Rhone-like qualities for around $10.   You taste the herbs of Provence and the hot sun in the wine. Roasted meat nuances give the wine character and that familiar Rhone styling. It lacks the density of bigger wines, and it is a bit too tart--its main flaw.  I think it still needs another year or so of cellaring.  The fruit, though, is velvety and fairly intense.  A nice performance for an inexpensive wine, and if the acidity ever comes into balance, it will merit a higher score. 85 points.

Spain (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 Dofi Priorat (Alvaro Palacios)
This pricey Spanish wine ($50) is terrific, but the price level is pretty frightening and I am not sure it is  a good value.  It is mostly garnacha, with merlot and cabernet franc tossed in.  In many respects, it's super.  Inky black color to start.  Then, some immediate tannins.  But most of all the wine shows an intense core of ripe, sweet fruit in the mid-palate that seems ultra concentrated.  The finish is not as impressive and wine seems oddly austere in other respects.  I think it is possible that this wine is in the process of closing down and we caught it here at the last possible moment.  It is unknown territory, and how it shows in ten years will be fascinating.  It may be that the fruit will open more and develop, and the wine may merit a huge score. Or, it may just always be a wine with a core of sweet fruit that is a bit short. On the whole, I think this a very good wine, but I need to see some proof before saying more than that. I'm not sure it will ever justify the price tag.    90+ points.