TM


Tasting Notes
July/August, 2006

Tasting Notes Contents Page

QPR Winner   I give this award to wines that demonstrate an excellent Quality to Price Ratio. They are sometimes more expensive than the wines featured in my Best Buys section (which is cut off at $20), so while every Best Buy is also a QPR Winner,  not every QPR winner is an official Best Buy.  QPR winners are simply wines that are great values for a relatively  reasonable price. 

Alsace       Australia    Beaujolais  Bordeaux     Burgundy     Calif/USA 
Dessert/Sparkling  Germany  Italy Rhone/South/SW France  Spain  

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Gewurztraminer (Boxler)
Focused and concentrated, this young Gewurz sports plenty of depth, plus spice and pepper on the finish. There are some lychees lurking underneath. My only question mark with this wine is how well it will age. It already seems to be drinking more or less perfectly.  Very nice, and well constructed. 90 points.

1999 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg" (Zind-Humbrecht)
Cool and refreshing, balanced and suave, this manages to have a serious mid-palate, with a touch of mango from very ripe fruit, and still seem debonair in its overall presentation. There is spice on the finish as it warms up, and grip, including acidity, on the finish. This wine has a certain subtlety that sneaks up on you. Charming and seductive, a little off-dry. This shows much better now than when I first evaluated it. 93 points.

1989 Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive (Kientzler)
This still has some life left, but it is a touch past prime. It shows some oxidative notes, and also a touch of apricot. It is pleasant, with nice weight, but not terribly distinguished. 87 points.

1989 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg" Vendange Tardive (Zind-Humbrecht)
Lively, fresh and youthful, this is spicy and well balanced, with sugar prominent principally on the beautiful finish. It is marvelous to see 15+ year old Gewurz aging so slowly and gracefully. Its main concession to age is its more modest mid-palate. It seemed deep and richer in its youth, but it seems elegant and sophisticated now. Classy wine in every respect. I would drink this in the near future while it is fresh and robust. 94 points.

2004 Gewurztraminer Cuvée Caroline--Lieu-dit Harth" (Schoffit)
And here is a fine example of why Alsace means "Gewurz" and  no place else in the world competes. This is not cheap, around $24. But for that money you get serious Gewurz, a distinctive wine drenched in lychee aromas. What else could this be? It is dry, but fruity, cool and refreshing, and simply delicious. It has nice depth and beautiful aromatics, with touches of spice as it warms up. It is made to drink relatively young, I think, and is drinking well now. It is not the most profound Gewurz you will encounter. But it is the essence of Gewurz. 91 points.

2004 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum Vielles Vignes" (Albert Mann)
Off-dry, focused and refreshing, this is sweet on the finish. With air and warmth, spice and lychees come out on the finish, while the rose petal notes increase on the bouquet. Quite beautiful. This may be the first Furstentum that I have preferred to the Steingrubler in awhile. The Steingrubler may yet evolve more, though.  91 points.

2004 Gewurztraminer "Steingrubler" (Albert Mann)
Lovely, as tends to be the case from this producer for this wine, one of Alsace's best values, year-in, year-out.  Precise and focused, this seems surprisingly open and expansive for its young age. It excels with its fine, lingering finish. Notwithstanding how expansive it is now, I think with a couple of years in the cellar this will show better integration of its parts, and more lychees and spice. 90+ points.

2001 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum Vielles Vignes" (Paul Blanck)
Heavy lychee notes lead this off, dissolving into a body with fine depth and concentration. The wine is on the drier side, but fruity, a touch austere, but packed with fruit. Its finish is persistent and lingering. Very well done. 91 points.

1994 Gewurztraminer "Altenberg" (Marcel Deiss)
Still quite sweet, this is also pointed and focused, luscious and delicious. The peach notes linger on the palate, and are simply beautiful, and the texture is very nice, too. Classy and interesting. 93 points.

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Australia (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Grange (Penfold's)
There is a flamboyant touch on the nose, a bit of kirsch. The palate follows through with lots of sweet fruit, but in another sense, this is a surprisingly elegant wine, with a bit of "suave" and balance. It tastes young and primary. That said, I rather miss the power and tannins of old style Grange. Here, there are nice raspberry notes on the palate, but restrained, riper tannins. The oak treatment seems restrained, too. The wine devolves into a reasonably bright finish, with a bit of a sour cherry note. It is a nice wine, sophisticated with some class, but does not seem distinctive enough to be quite deserving of its status. 91 points.

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Beaujolais (except dessert/sparkling)
2005 Beaujolais "l'Ancien" Vielles Vignes (Domaine des Terres Dorées)
For the pittance of roughly $13 a bottle, this wine, correctly described by the distributor as "the antithesis of major commercial Beaujolais," will be a revelation to those who have never experienced real Gamay, that is, something made fresh and pure, without carbonic maceration. It is pointed and light, bright and lively, with sweet, delicate fruit that dances over your tongue. The mid-palate has little depth or power. This is more or along the lines of an elegant Burgundy, and I suspect it would be confused for such in a lot of blind tastings. Very pleasing, and can be drunk relatively cool. Combined with its low alcohol of 11%, that would make it a fine choice for a summer red. Don't expect a lot of power here. It is flavorful, but delicate. 86-88 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
2005 Rosé  (Pavie)
Focused and pointed, this has fruit, of course, but considerable structure and precision. It has a beautiful, lingering finish. This is an exceptional pink, which in structure at least comes very close to being a red wine, at least about as close as pinks get. 92 points.

1995 Chateau Simard
Earthy and simple, this is a straighforward right bank Bordeaux that does nothing special and lacks distinction. It disappears on the finish, and the mid-palate is very modest. The flavor profile isn't bad, and it can be a pleasing quaffer, but little more. 84 points.

2002 Cos d'Estournel
Primary and sweet on opening, it seems grapey, and little more. It was double decanted even then, but needed half an hour more to come around. When it finally put itself together, it showed rather well, putting on some weight, becoming more like Bordeaux, and drinking well. This is obviously just a baby, but it should come around and show very nicely in four or five years. 90 points.
 

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Burgundy (except dessert/sparkling)
1995 Chambertin "Clos de Beze" (Pierre Damoy)
Simple and rather delicate, this opens with lots of acid, more acid, and more acid, eventually showing some fruit.  Some argued that this needed more time, and no doubt it does, but for my money, I see neither the fruit nor the balance necessary to make this a really attractive wine in the future, either, although some improvement is likely.  Disappointing. 88 points.

2004 Savigny-les-Beaune "Vielles Vignes" (Domaine Marechal)
A gamey nose leads this off. The mid-palate is solid, and the wine projects a flavorful, but earthy note. It is maturing fast, but I rather liked its distinctive presentation. Considering the ordinary quality of some other 2004 red Burgs that were far higher priced, this is a pretty good deal for the money. Not that it seems cheap at roughly $30 a bottle. 86-88 points.

2004 Morey St. Denis "Aux Charmes" (Lignier-Michelot)
Silky and lively, this has a fair amount of power and acid on the finish. The tannins are significant and this will need a fair bit of time in the cellar. When everything comes together, it should be an elegant Burgundy with nice fruit. I'd drink from 2009--2017. Roughly $675 a case. Assuming no discounts, quantity purchases, etc. 88-90 points.

2004 Morey St. Denis "Clos de la Roche" (Lignier-Michelot)
Easy, pure and elegant, this has a solid mouthfeel, but subdued flavors, with some grip on the finish. It is medium weight and a little closed at the moment. This is a pleasant enough wine, but I suspect with its Grand Cru status and roughly $900 a case pricing, it won't get too many people really excited for what it delivers.  89-91 points.

2004 Corton Bressandes (Prince Florent de Merode)
Nice aromatics lead this off, leading to a sour cherry note on the finish. Mid-weight, it shows some astringency on the finish. A fairly routine and unexceptional wine. Roughly $700 a case. As this ages, I'm not sure the fruit will keep up with the tannins. I'd drink young-ish to be on the safe side. 2008-2016.  87-89 points.

2004 Corton "Clos du Roi" (Prince Florent de Merode)
Bright fruit with some gamey overtones provides a fairly nice introduction to this wine which I think will eventually become a little silkier, with some earthy overtones. Still, for grand cru, it is a fairly foursquare and routine wine. Drink 2008-2016. 88-90 points.

2004 Clos Vougeot (Chateau de la Tour)
Elegant but substantial, this is round, with a nice mouthfeel, but not flabby, although the acidity seems a bit lower than on some of the other Burgs listed here. There are ripe tannins on the finish. A reasonably attractive presentation, but not particularly impressive for what will likely be about $1050 a case. Drink 2008-2017. 88-90 points.

2004 Clos Vougeot "Vielles Vignes" (Chateau de la Tour)
This is a nice step up from the regular bottling. It is a step up in price, though, too, likely to run around $1300 a case or so. Full in the mouth, with beautiful fruit flavors, it is ripe, with fine tannins and subtle intensity. This is a wine I'd be happy to own and drink, but at the price, it is tough to pull the trigger. Drink 2008-2019. 90-92 points.

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
2000 Pinot Noir (Campion)
It opens simple, with some red berry, some sour rhubarb notes. There's a feeling, actually, of a wine that has overripe, slightly spoiling strawberries or rhubarb. One dimensional, with modest structure, and certainly ready to drink, this foursquare wine with simple flavors and little structure or complexity did little for me. 83 points.

1998 Pinot Noir Reserve (Martinelli)
I haven't been much of a fan of Martinelli Pinot Noirs, but this has developed fairly well. From its burly youth, it has calmed down and integrated its parts well. It does not seem as woody. There is also a gamey note on the wine that lent it some distinction, and there were moments when it actually seemed like Pinot Noir, although a fairly deep version thereof.  There was nothing magical going on here, but it was a pleasant enough sip. Ready to drink. 87 points.

1994 Cabernet Sauvignon "Liparita Vineyard-Howell Mountain" (Paul Hobbs)
Stemmy and laced with green, this seemed poor, to say the least. In addition to the green notes, it was thinning and seemed a touch sour on the finish. A very disappointing performance. 83 points.

1999 Cabernet Franc "Third Century" (Beringer)
This wine sure seems like Cab Franc, if you think they have to have all those green notes.  There's lotsa olives, lotsa green here, and more and more with air, and it is a bit more than I cared for. However, the wine is nicely structured with beautiful balance, an easygoing feel, sensual texture and good depth of fruit. If you like drinking wines from this varietal in this style, this is a pretty good example of it. Too many herbs and olives for me. Your mileage may differ. It opened strong, but by the end I wasn't so thrilled with the thought of going back and drinking it. 87 points.

1995 Cabernet Sauvignon "Rutherford" (Staglin)
Bright, with some nice red berry notes, this has an elegant mid-palate and a youthful feel. It seems gripping and energetic, and finishes with a kick. It is very pointed, and there were moments that I thought it was both closed, and in need of at least a little something more on the texture. It had a certain compact feel to it. I would hold this another couple of years, then what you get is what you're going to get. I'm not sure it has much more to give. 88 points.

2003 Cabernet Franc (Larkin)
This opens with a big hit of toasty oak that obscures the varietal. Considering how some Cab Francs I've had lately have showed, maybe that is not always a bad thing. It is rich and fruity, with some nice velvety notes on the texture. With air, the oak integrates and the wine acquires more typicity. On the whole, I liked this more and more as time went on. 89 points.

1989 Cabernet Sauvignon "Napa" (Dunn)
This showed startlingly young, bright, focused and elegant, with nice red berry fruit. As it aired out, it lost a little too much depth, but it always tasted good, and seemed far younger than one might think a wine of this age would be from this vintage. Very nice, quite charming, and absolutely pristine. 89 points.

2004 Gewurztraminer (Navarro)
This opens tight and hard, showing little but a touch of rose petal on the nose, without any real fruit discernible. It is charmless and forbidding. Some air and warmth helps a lot, as the wine expands a little and opens a little, and shows some fruit. It is a dry, fairly austere style, and is on the light side. 85 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer "Celilo Vineyard--Columbia Gorge" (Sineann) QPR Winner 
Noticeably acidic, unusually so for Gewurz, this has nice focus and some depth for a modest cost of $15. It doesn't remind you much of Gewurz, and those lychees and rose petals are hard to find. The wine is still young...perhaps it will evolve. At the moment, how you judge it depends on how much varietal typicity you demand. On its own, it provides a lot of bang for the buck, including a respectable finish. 86 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer "Resonance Vineyard--Willamette Valley" (Sineann) QPR Winner 
If the Celilo Vineyard offering, above, seems a bit short of Gewurz nuances, there is no doubt what this is. It has beautiful texture, a touch of oil in the middle that coats the palate, and fine depth, along with those typical gewurz-y notes. Very well done, and fair value. As new world, dry Gewurz goes, this is a winner. If it improves a bit with a year or two of cellaring, I'd adjust the score upwards.  Around $19. 88+ points.

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Dessert/Sparkling
1971 Colheita (Niepoort)
Gorgeous and nutty, this is soft and sweet, with nice acidity and structure. There is an almost creamy note in the mid-palate texture at times.  Its flavors are persistent and hard to resist, and in fact I did not, drinking a bit too much of this beauty served from magnum. Aged Colheita does not get much better than this. I was somewhat bemused afterwards to read a standard Port book advising that Colheitas should be drunk in a year or two. 95 points.

1991 Grauburgunder Eiswein (Donnhoff)
Big and rich, this is very sweet and ripe, and the word syrupy at times comes to mind. There is a fair bit of acid lacing through the thick fruit, too, leaving the apricot-tinged wine lingering on the finish. The acid definitely takes over as the wine airs out, and the fruit seems less thick and less flavorful, but this is a luscious Eiswein no matter how you look at it. 94 points.

1988 Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese "Durkheimer Abtsfronhof" (Fitz-Ritter)
Touches of dried apricot, typical of aging, oxidizing late harvest wine, lead this off. There is still some life left here, but it is past prime, and little fruit is discernible, although there is ample sugar as the main source of flavor.  If you are holding this, drink up. 85 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
2001 Gewurztraminer Spatlese (Messmer)
Off dry, this has nice focus, and lovely structure, with a touch of acid on the end and some focus in the mid-palate, relatively speaking. It is drinking beautifully now. Easy going and very pleasing. 88 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer Spatlese "Altenforst" (Messmer)
Off dry, similar in style to the '01, above, this is easy going and charming, too, but lacks the delineation and structure you find in the 2001. Drink young. I would not cellar this a long time. Its most charming features are not built for aging. 86 points.

2003 Gewurztraminer "Burgergarten Alte Reben" (Weegmuller)
Big and fat, this alcoholic wine (14.5) impressed some with its depth and power. But it seemed to hit all the wrong notes to me. Its alcohol was easy to discern, and the wine seemed a bit hot as it aired out, and rather clumsy. It was austere, and a touch sour on the finish. You always got the impression of great weight, partly, I suspect, due to the alcohol, but nothing resembling fruit flavor or charm.  Your mileage may differ, but this wine left me thinking that I needed something else to drink. 84 points.

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Ornellaia (L. Antinori)
This opens bright and sunny, and finishes with grip and intensity. The tannins are there, but ripe and fine.  The wine seems primary and approachable, but it is clearly unready and needs some time for its parts to harmonize.  The sweet fruit flattens a bit with air as the structure takes over.  It picked up weight in the glass, and I liked the last sip a couple of hours later better than the first. This needs a few more years to hit its peak plateau, but it is a finely constructed, rather elegant Ornellaia. 94 points.

2003 Granato Rosso IGT (Foradori)
This is 100% Teroldego.  It opens with bright cherry fruit, and a smooth, appealing texture cut by some lively notes on the finish. Sweet and charming, this is very pleasing. Around $500 a case.  90-92 points.

2003 "Avvoltore Maremma" IGT (Morisfarms)
Another fine wine from this winery, which I've come to like a lot. This is simply delicious, projecting black cherry notes in a refined presentation, with a velvety texture. There are ripe tannins on the finish. This is beautifully presented and elegant, while retaining some substance. Roughly $500 a case, well worth it. 92-94 points.

2004 "Gabbro" (Montepeloso)
70% Sangiovese, this seems stemmy and green, laced with olive notes, which are frankly nuances I do not particularly like.  It is mid-weight and not as flamboyant as the "Nardo," below.  I did not have a long while to spend with this, but I frankly liked it less and less with every taste. 85-87 points.

2004 "Nardo" (Montepeloso)
This is 70% Sangiovese, the rest a combo of Montepulcian and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a 180 degree turn from The Gabbro, above.  The alcohol hits 15% here, but that was not what I objected to. It never seemed hot. There is a little barnyard here, too, and I rather liked that. The big sweet fruit needed to be cut with something to give it distinction. And therein lies the problem. The finish was very sugary and rich, almost to the point where I was wondering if this was really mostly Sangiovese. If served blind, my first guess might have been Barossa Shiraz. It is rather decadent, and how you react to it will be governed by what you want in your wine, as well as in your Tuscans. It certainly has its good points, but it was a bit much for me, and at $1100 or so a case, I could think of other things to buy. It would be interesting to see if this calms down a bit in the cellar. It seems to drink decently now. 88-90 points.

2001 Brunello di Montalcino (Pieri)
Cool and refreshing, this is easy and attractive on first attack, and then the boom lowers---significant, astringent tannins on the finish which rather subvert the modest mid-palate. This is a wine that is made to age, and needs to. There is nice fruit when you can find it. Drink 2010-2021. 90-92 points.

1999 Barbaresco "Pajé"  (Roagna)
This is an old style producer (a/k/a I. Paglieri) and I have to admit most of their output was not to my style due to the astringent tannins. Most of these are the type of wines that someone will present at your funeral with the caveat that it still needs five years more in the cellar. This is pure and clean, if that is what you want and all you want. It is very stern, too, with very astringent tannins that make it hard to read. What you can say most about it is that it will need a good long while in the cellar. And that you hope there will be some fruit left when the tannins moderate. This runs roughly $500 a case or so. 85-88 points.

1999 Barolo "Rocca e la Pira" (Roagna)
This has some nice fruit, but it is quickly obliterated by the astringent tannins that overwhelmed everything with their power and hardness. As with the Barbaresco above, it made me wonder when it would come around, and whether much fresh fruit would be left when it did. To be sure, it is hardly unusual to find astringency in young Barolo, but there is certainly a fair bit here. This is admittedly not my style of wine, and a lot closer to the style that used to turn me off of Barolo. Roughly $550 a case or so. 86-89 points.

1996 Barolo Riserva "Rocca e la Pira" (Roagna)
In this lineup, this is easily the best, showing the best fruit, the most flavor, the most evidence that something is there besides tannins. There is still a LOT of tannin, however, and hard, astringent tannins at that. I would perhaps take a chance on this wine, but I suspect it  will not even theoretically be ready to drink for close to another decade. Roughly $775 a case.  88-91 points.

2003 Freisa Toetto (Mascarello)
This has an odd flavor profile. Eggplant tapenade? I rather liked. Everyone will not. It is modest in weight, though not thin, with some punch on the end for structure. It is very cellarworthy for mid-term cellaring, although it should be accessible young. Drink now--2013.  This is a pretty nice value at, say, under $200 a case. 87-89 points.

2003 Valpolicella Classico Superiore "TB' (Tommaso Bussola)
Sweet, round fruit leads this off and it is tasty and delicious, showing nice depth and beautiful texture. The refined tannins finish it off. It is very nice and not exactly our daddy's old style Valpolicella. The price isn't normal either. Figure it to go for about $400 a case. Drink now--2013. 91-94 points.

2003 L'Errante" IGT (Tommaso Bussola)
This is 80% Merlot, the rest Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon. It is not as obviously rich at first as the Valpolicella, above, but it is firmer, more focused, with more substantial tannins. This will need some cellaring to show its best, but it has delicious fruit and a fine mid-palate. Drink 2008--2016. Around $550 a case. 91-94 points.

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)
2003 Hermitage Blanc (Chave)
A little fat, this has delicious flavors, and a certain plumpness. Cutting through the fat, though, is some acidity, and the wine has a certain purity and preciseness nonetheless, as well as a rather lingering finish. The more this aired out, the more I liked it. If this ages well, it could be a big winner. For all of its plumpness, I think it may well round into form and show complexity.  94+ points.

2003 Hermitage Blanc "Le Meal" (Chapoutier)
There was a touch of butter, and the wine seemed fat, but little else. The fruit was hidden, although eventually some flavor appeared and the wine seemed to become promising. The longer it sat, though, the more out of balance it seemed. The alcohol seemed prominent and easily noticeable, and the wine seemed rather disjointed, and a little harsh. It is a bit too heady and seemed a bit hot. 88 points.

2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Roger Perrin)
Remarkably succulent, and very ripe and sweet, this wine is simply decadent. With air, some tannins emerge, and the wine acquires some much needed structure and a little intensity. There is no question that it is fruit forward, however, and everything else is in second place. There are touches of kirsch on the nose, some strawberries on the palate. It is quite delicious, if not entirely profound. With more air, still, its simplicity, relatively speaking, was revealed a bit. At first, I thought it was a really big time cuvée, but with increasing aeration, it became clear it did not quite have the structure to be an upper level bottling. Still, it wasn't chopped liver, and wasn't terribly expensive, either. And at age six, it seems so primary that it is not far off from a barrel sample.  90 points.

2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Les Clos du Cailloux Reserve" (Vacheron-Pouizin)
Focused and pointed, this white label reserve is ripe and delectable, and the sweet fruit is a beautiful thing to taste. As it sits, it gains some intensity, and expands in the glass. With each passing moment, I liked it more and more. The saddest part of finishing it was learning that the owner had died.  94 points.

2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Vielles Vignes" (Marcoux)
Tannic and powerful, this displays a complex medley of fruit flavors, tightly wound, with an intense, gripping finish. There is kirsch on the nose, and the palate has some sweet raspberry notes, but the wine is far from a fruit bomb, showing great focus, and some pure power. This is a wine that can only get better with some age and cellaring, which it badly needs. It is vin de garde.  96+ points.

2005 Cotes du Rhone Rosé (Domaine de la Janasse)
Big and fruity, this is rich and fragrant, with gorgeous fruit flavors. Many strawberries seem to have died to bring you this wine. It is also beautifully structured, certainly not a fruit bomb and not sweet.  It has acidity and power, and it even broods a little at times. It is a big 'un. 93 points.

2005 Bandol Rosé  (Pradeaux)
Bright and restrained, the fruit here is more muted than in most young pinks. It is crisp and refreshing, though, with lots of good acidity poking through,  a fine wine to have outside. Very pale in color, you may have to look twice to remind yourself it is a pink. 88 points.

2004 Cotes du Rhone "Brézème"  (Eric Texier) QPR Winner
This inexpensive Cotes du Rhone is 100% Syrah. It is bright and well structured, pointed and focused, with intensity in the middle and on the finish. Sharp and relatively powerful, this is elegant in the mid-palate nonetheless. Not quite ready to drink, this could really use a year or so to settle down and open. Actually, I think it will show best around 2008. Roughly $15 a bottle. 87-89 points.

2005 Cotes du Rhone (Domaine de la Janasse) QPR Winner
Sweet fruit, a sensual texture, and then bam! There's a kick on the end here in the form of tannins, which should make this an exceptional CdR that will need a couple of years in the cellar to show its best. It will still be hard for some to resist the beautiful fruit. This is 50% Grenache, the rest Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre. 87-89 points.

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling) 
2003 Torresilo (Cillar de Silos)
Lotsa vanilla, lotsa oak, lotsa licorice. Hmm. Is there any fruit under all that?  It does have good acidity, rather piercing actually, and perhaps good is not entirely the right word. There are actually some good points to this wine, but I'm wondering how much better it would have been if it had been given a bit of restraint. 84-86 points.

2001 "Pago de Santa Cruz" (Hnos. Sastre)
This very pricey wine impressed me not at all. Well,  let's see. First, there is a lot of sweet oak. Then some mint. Oh, it is much better done, with a better mid-palate than the Torresilo, above. However, that heavy vanilla overlay permeates the wine and overlaps everything, making it seem rather simple and one dimensional. It shows more structure with a little air, and has a reasonable mid-palate, but you really have to hope the oak integrates with age. It may take a decade to find out.  Can you tell that I am really getting turned off by this style? It is not just a question of oak, but of oak flavor so prominent that it obscures the varietal. 86-89 points.

2001 "Miros de Ribera" Riserva (Peñafiel)
A bit bretty, with a nice mid-palate, this wine popped into a group that seemed to display nothing but sweet oak, and more sweet oak. The gamey notes were suddenly a relief.  It is a wine that seems ready to drink more or less, well balanced, well integrated, and more charming with each sip. It does not have great depth or finish, but drinks very well and is very pleasing. If it doesn't have the underlying finesse of the Sastre, above, at least you could taste the fruit. 86-88 points.

2003 Crianza  (Valdubon)
Another wine that chooses to be lavish with sweet oak to its detriment, this is soft and understated otherwise, and seems simple and basic, monolithic and one dimensional. 84-85 points.

2003 Loculto Crianza (Piedras de San Pedro)
Inky black in color, this is gamey and well balanced, showing a nice attack, a reasonable finish, and some distinctiveness in flavor that persists on the finish.  The oak treatment is under control. This drinks nicely and should develop well over the next few years. 87-89 points.

2003 Emina Prestigio (Emina)
This gives the impression of fullness in the mouth, though it is elegant in the mid-palate. It has commendable structure, with a gripping finish and a little astringency on the end,  but just a bit. It seems to be well balanced and an attractive presentation overall. There is a touch of anise, a touch too much of oak, but not much and more integrated than a lot of the wines I am reviewing here.  There is a fine, bright finish.  I would wish very much that touch of sweet oak, American, I think, were not so obvious, but this presents itself rather well, and there is a good chance that a few years in the cellar will see better integration of the oak. 88-90 points.

2003 Tinto Roa (Rauda)
In an odd fat bottle, this shows intensity and power, real grip on the finish, and good depth. The texture has a certain velvety note that I liked a lot, and the fruit is sweet and tasty.  Oddly, I had a second bottle of this just a few hours later, and it seemed much farther along, far more evolved. My initial impression was of a wine that badly needed a lot of cellaring, whereas the second bottle came around quickly over lunch. I do not know if it was decanted. Either way, this showed rather well. 89-91 points.

2003 Joven (Pago de los Capellanes)
Black and frothy, this seems pretty close to Beaujolais, perhaps even to Beaujolais Nouveau.  It is exuberant and pleasant, fruity and simple, not intended to be more. If this is what you want in a wine, it fulfills its purpose very well. It would drink well slightly chilled and make pleasing summer wine. 81-83 points.

2004 Pagos de Quintana (Bodegas del Campo)
Black in color, this shows some mint and oak, but has a nice attack. The oak is actually fairly well integrated here. The tannins are ripe and subtle, but the wine has a backbone. This has some potential for aging. 87-89 points.

2005 Austum (Parxet)
Like the Joven, above, this is meant to be young and grapey, simple and fruity, and not much more. This is not as rich or as exuberant as the Joven from Pago de los Capellanes, and while at first I appreciated the restraint, really...what's the point of making a restrained wine in this style? It is  not as if it is complex or ever going to be. If you want fruity simplicity, go for it. This is sweet, friendly and amusing, but I ultimately liked the Pago de los Capellanes better. 80-82 points.

2003 Crianza (Protos)
There's an attractive bouquet of black fruit notes, some oak and light vanilla overlays. The winery raises the wine in a mixture of French and American oak, which stops the oak overlay from being too overbearing here. The structure is modest, but there is good focus, a soft texture and an overall nice presentation. I liked the black cherry notes on the finish. It is a solid if unexceptional wine. It seems to drink reasonably well now. 86-88 points.

2001 Riserva (Protos)
This is ten years away from being ready to drink, according to the winery. Its nose is muted, showing nothing but oaky notes, which are more prominent and sweeter than on the Crianza, laced with more vanilla and licorice. Here's hoping they integrate in a decade. There is only modest structure apparent. I didn't actually like this any better than the Crianza, and actually preferred the balance on the Crianza a lot better. It will no doubt outlast the Crianza, and gets a nod for being more ageworthy, but I don't know if this justifies the price increase. 86-88 points.

2000 Cesar Principe
This is one of the better known wines from the Cigales appellation (all of the next seven, including two rosados, are also from Cigales). It runs around 20 euros in Spain.  It is rather delicate and light at this point, although there is a modest finish, some supple tannins and generally good balance with reasonable restraint in oak.  It is pleasing and elegant, but at this point in its evolution it seems to lack distinction, and also seemed a bit simple.  It seems ready to drink, although not in danger of falling off the table. 86-88 points.

2000 Reserva (Lezcano-Lacalle)
Beautifully balanced, this cheerful, sunny wine shows bright, with some grip from tannin on the finish. It resolves into a gentle, supple style, opens well and displays some charm. This runs 18-20 Euros in Spain.  86-88 points.

2001 Cigales (Translanzas)
The priciest wine of the Cigales entries here, at around 22 Euros in Spain, this seemed utterly delicious at first taste, and I was about to be enthusiastic and then some. It was a bit earthy, distinctive with a touch of game. The mid-palate was medium bodied. The wine faded fast, however, and after a great initial presentation, it started to disappear, and seemed short, making a disappointing finish to a great start. This was a 90 pointer at first, but its evolution was not as promising as I would have liked. I wouldn't mind retasting this with a couple of hours of decanting. 86-88 points.

2003 Tempranillo Essencia Crianza (Ovido Garcia)
At only 16 Euros in Spain, this may have been my favorite of the tasting. It opens bright, with a bit hit of drying tannins on the finish, showing some power and aging ability. It is certainly not a shy wine.  It also shows touches of game and herbs, and has an interesting flavor profile that showed some complexity. Although not particularly approachable now, my prediction is that the tannins will integrate into the mid-palate well. 87-89 points.

2002 Reserva Museum Real (Bodegas Museum)
This is 100% Tempranillo, from a difficult vintage. Surrounded by better wines from a better vintage, it could not possibly show well. There was a little bit of pleasing fruit up front, but after that it just seemed simple and flat, and went nowhere. The finish faded faster than film exposed to bright light. There is not much to this other than as a simple quaffer. 80-82 points.

2003 Tempranillo (Sin Foriano)
Rich and powerful, with oak nuanced sweetness--a least the oak seemed relatively neutral in flavor--this has big tannins on the end that seem simply ferocious at times. The astringency became more pronounced with a little air. That said, there was a mid-level mid-palate here, and this wine has a chance to come around with some air. I do question whether its balance is quite right, but it needs cellaring for three or four years to find out for sure. 86-88 points.

2005 Rosado "Vina Picota" (Felix Salas)
Fruity on opening, there is a pleasant tinge of strawberry flavor.  There is not a whole lot of structure, and just a hint of candy on the finish.  A simple, and basic Rosado, it nonetheless drinks pretty well and has  a decent mid-palate. 85-87 points.

2005 Rosado "Emilianus" (Centeo)
Dry but fruity, this is restrained and focused, showing nice balance. At the moment it is poised and fresh, and needs to be drunk young. Its style is more restrained than the fruitier, deeper Salas, above, but I appreciated the lack of that little bit of candy on the finish that the Salas displayed. 84-86 points.

1999 Reserva "Adoremus" (Vega Sauco)
There is a bit of game on the nose, although the palate is less obvious. It has a lovely, bright feel, and seems expansive and more or less ready to drink. The mid-palate is modest in depth, but reasonable. A very pleasing wine, a pleasure to drink. 86-89 points.

2003 Crianza "Camparrón" (Francisco Casas) QPR Winner
Pointed and focused, showing some grilled meat nuances, this seems suave, but tannins lurk underneath. It is medium bodied, and a bit simple, ultimately, and I think it needs to be drunk young. While I was finding things to criticize about it, I discovered it sold for about 6 Euros in Spain, which makes it a super bargain that melds some flavor with some structure. It is not the best wine in the world. But there are some pricey wines on this page that I did not like much better. At least here, you get what you pay for. 85-87 points.

2004 Castillo de Montela Reina "en barrica" (Monte la Reina) QPR Winner
Feeling full in the mouth, this has grip on the finish and persistent flavors as well. It seems very well structured, and has lovely texture. It should round into form in a year or so. It is a wine with some power and elegance, and a bargain price of around 10-12 Euros in Spain. It was a pleasure to taste, and good acidity rams the fruit home on the finish. 89-91 points.

2004 Tinta de Toro (Dominio del Bendito) QPR Winner
This 10 Euro wine in Spain comes from 45 year old vines, and is aged mostly in barrica. It is a beautifully structured wine with pure fruit, and ripe, suave tannins. It coats the mouth and feels full on the palate, has grip on the finish. It has a nice attack, too. A super bargain. 87-89 points.

2003 San Romàn (Maurodos)
There is a considerable backbone here, but everything here is in balance.  It is bright and lively, full and expands beautifully with air. I loved the red berry notes on the fruit. This is a big wine, and with time it should evolve extremely well. 94 points.

2002 "Seleccion" (Palacio de Villachica)
Bright, with a touch of sour cherry on the finish, this comes from fifty year old vines, and is a pretty nice wine in this difficult vintage. There is a bit of funk and lots of power, and plenty of fruit flavor. It did turn a touch harsh with a little more air, which made me question its ultimate balance for the long haul, or I might have rated it even more highly. 85-87 points.

2002 Libranza (Pago de Matarredonda)
Beautiful raspberry notes lead this off, and the fruit is sweet and charming. The structure is modest here, and the wine is easy mostly, needing to be drunk young-ish in my opinion, having little intensity. With air, it flattens out rather quickly and the finish was shorter than I anticipated. That tends to happen in years like 2002. This is a wine that, while initially charming at the outset now, and no doubt even nicer on release, is going to become progressively less impressive with every passing year. Drink it fast and make sure you have it well stored. It won't be very resistant to time or heat. 83-85 points.

2003 Bienvenida "Sitio de El Palo"  (Bienvenida de Vinos)
Smooth and flavorful, this is a wine with a cool, caressing texture and nice cherry fruit.  There is some charm and flavor, but not a lot of distinction and depth. 84-86 points.

2003 Elias-Mora Crianza (Dos Victorias)  QPR Winner
There is a funky nose here, surrounded by bright red fruit. The mildly drying tannins integrate rather quickly and the wine becomes more supple.  It is not heavy, but it has some power to go with the nice fruit presentation. A good deal at some 12-14 Euros in Spain.  87-89 points.

2003 Novellum (Rejadorada) QPR Winner
This coats your mouth from the original attack on, and is just utterly charming. This may not be the most powerful, deepest or ageworthy wine around, but in a year or two, it should drink beautifully, and provide ripe fruit flavors that will be hard to resist.  Nicely balanced, supple and early maturing. 88-90 points.

2005 Cermeño (Vino de Toro)
Grapey and simple, this shows ripe, clean fruit, and not much else. There is a certain, inexpensive Beaujolais feel, here, and this is likely not intended to be anything more. 81-83 points.

2002 Reserva "Valdelazarza" (Sietecerros)
Darker fruits lend flavor here, some plummy notes.  The wine is tasty, but like so many good efforts in the vintage, it runs out of steam, the finish is modest and it fades fairly fast. These are not wines to hold. The fruit is good, but simple and the finish short. 83-85 points.

2003 Crianza "Evatro" (Liberalia)
Thin and simple, with little discernible fruit, this wine is meager in too many respects to really appreciate. The finish is short, too. 81-83 points.

2005 Tinto Roble (Rejadorada) QPR Winner
Depending on your tastes, you may love this Toro red or shrug.  For a wine priced in the mid-teens, I think it is a fine value. It is brand new, and as anticipated opens pulpy, grapey, with almost a Beaujolais feel. It is very sweet, laced with some kirsch notes. It shows a little structure, some very ripe tannins.  I had the opportunity to give this a lot of air, and while it developed into nothing profound, it came together and tasted great. It is a bit simple, and personally I could do without the kirsch, but it is quite tasty and likely to be a crowd pleaser for an everyday wine. Plan on drinking it young. Admire its exuberance and flavor. 87 points.

2004 Tinto Roble "Terruno Hombre" (Señorio de Valdehermoso) QPR Winner
Smooth and more sedate than the exuberant Rejadorada above, in part, no doubt, due to the extra year in the bottle, this shows darker fruit, a touch of plum, although that bright, red fruit note, the touch of strawberry, a hint of Chambord, comes through, too. Still, this is a more rounded wine, with more persistence and focus, a little more depth and earthiness--everything being relative. There is some evidence of structure, and tannins on the end. They resolve relatively quickly, though, providing much needed structure, but not becoming overbearing. At roughly $15, this is a classy wine that is a superb value.  This receives six months in French oak only. 89 points.

2001 "Seleccion Especial" (Abadia Retuerta)
It opens bright, with some grip due to acidity and tannin, but it really doesn't go anyplace overly good after that. It has a pleasant, earthy feel and taste, and a light-ish mid-palate. Although it smooths out with some air, there is always the sense that the wine is aging rather quickly, and the fruit not quite keeping up.  It seems a bit short. All that said, it is still a decent deal (around $20) and has some character and distinction. 86 points.

2003 Rivola (Abadia Retuerta) QPR Winner
This runs only about $13, and I rather liked it more than the pricier Seleccion--perhaps simply because this is younger and fresher.  It is bright and pointed, with lovely red berry notes, and a touch of herbs around the edges. I liked the balance, acidity and fruit flavor. It smooths out with some air.  It is simple, but rather appealing and tasty. It is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. 86 points.

2000 "Conde de la Salceda" Reserva (Viña Salceda)
I liked this Rioja more and more each time I went back to it. It has respectable depth, and sensual mouthfeel. It opens with some touches of game, enough for character, not too much. The tannins are supple, but there, and as the evening wore on, it never lost its verve, even though the tannins were very ripe. It is elegant and delicious, and becomes more appealing with air. It is not the most intense or profound wine around, but it has charm to spare and  some complexity.  It is all French oak. This is 95% Tempranillo and the rest Graciano. It is beautiful the next day, too, well integrated, with grip and fresh flavors. Around $40. 91 points.

2001 "Roda I" (Roda)
This opens focused and pointed, but rather compact and austere. And then, as with most excellent wines, it shows what it can do by changing dramatically with air. In fact, it simply exploded in the glass. The acidity drives home the increasingly expansive fruit flavors, and the tannins pop out, providing intensity and a backbone, plus support for more improvement in the cellar. There are some touches of oak.  The balance is impeccable, and the wine kept improving for as long as I had it. For all of its intensity, it has a certain suave aspect to it as well, a certain finesse.  It drank great the next day, too, the fruit sweeter as well, the parts better integrated. 93 points.

2005 Albarino (Pazo Pondal)
A fairly typical Albarino, it makes a beautiful summer wine, crisp, a bit delicate, with some lemon-lime notes, touches of melon.  It might be a bit pricey for the function (around $19), but it is a perfect on-the-porch sipper. Clean, crisp and refreshing. 86 points.

2004 Albarino (Don Olegario)
This is in a dramatically different style than the Pazo Pondal, above. It is riper and richer, deeper and not as crisp.  This is relative--it is deeper than normal, but hardly a big thick monster. And  by comparison to the Pazo Pondal, above,  it seems almost creamy. It is unoaked, however. It finishes with a touch of what I called a milky note. Some might consider it a step up for its texture. Others, might want more crispness. This probably went through maloactic.  Part of the softer edge is no doubt due to the extra year of age. Warning: the font is so stylized in printing the winery's name, you can hardly guess what it is. It looks like an illegible signature. Around $21.  87 points.

2001 "Alion" (Bodegas Alion)
This opens big and powerful, with structural components vying for dominance. It opens slowly, but it opens. Underneath is sweet fruit, almost essence of the grape, and it seems dark and brooding, dense and burly.  It got better with every passing moment, and so much is going on here that one can only suggest that you are well advised to cellar this until 2010 or so for better results. Superlative, multi-layered and likely to develop brilliantly in the cellar. 95 points.

1994 Gran Coronas "Mas La Plana" (Torres)
A bit weedy, this nonetheless comes together well with a little air, and seems like very typical Cabernet. It looks a little like brick in color, and has some of those maturing notes as well on the palate. While it tastes a bit older than it is, making some guess 1980s Bordeaux, it has a certain pleasing and elegant feel to it, nice balance and easy going charm. 87 points.

2000 "Seleccion Especial" (Abadia Retuerta) QPR Winner
The first bottle that I had of this was hard and unyielding, with aggressive tannins, and it seemed perhaps a touch hot, too. The second bottle was not terribly distinctive, but rather pleasant, showing earthy notes, and a quickly maturing wine that made a nice quaffer. In might region, it also came in at a discount price closer to $10 than $20, which made it a nice deal. 85 points.

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