Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
1996 Gewurztraminer "Clos Windsbuhl" (Zind-Humbrecht)
Tight, focused and burnished, this gorgeous gewurz shows power in a very focused frame. If you've ever seen a picture with 3 inches of portrait and a 10 x 10 frame, you know what I mean. The core is just so powerful and intense, and tightly wound. As it opens, ever so slowly, it also shows spicy notes, more sugar on the end, and great gewurzy flavor. Another super ZH gewurz. This has not only held well since my last note, but seems to have improved.  The world's greatest producer. 95 points.

1991 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg" (Zind-Humbrecht)
On opening, I thought this was showing a few cracks, but this wine picked itself up and knitted back together. Suddenly, I was liking it quite a lot. If it doesn't have the power of the '96, above,or the unctuousness of the 90, below, it is still a solidly made wine showing a touch of caramel, some fruity notes, and surprising richness on the finish. In this vintage, this is a stunning success at age 13. 90 points.

1990 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg Vendange Tardive" (Zind-Humbrecht)
One of the great gewurzs I've ever had, this bottle is its best showing of the last few I've had. And the last few haven't been so bad. But remember: storage, storage, storage. Pepper and spice open this up, and give it verve and liveliness, but around the edges it is smooth, thick and unctuous, very sweet and opulent. The finish has a bit of a smokey note that was interesting. For all of its opulence, it is also rather focused and intense, refreshing and cool. It shows incredible depth at all times and a long, long finish. Spectacular gewurz. 98 points.

1983 Gewurztraminer "Hengst" (Zind-Humbrecht)
Compared to the opulent and powerful ZHs above, this is rather restrained. Time has passed, and it shows fully mature. It was livelier in its youth--this I bought on release, and it was the first grand cru gewurz I ever had. It is fully dry at this point, though still fruity, and shows classic gewurz notes of spice and lychee, especially on the nose. The palate is still fairly dense, and surprisingly so, although the fruit is a bit more muted than it used to be. This is still a very fine showing for this wine, and a varietal that does not age as well as some. 89 points.

2001 Gewurztraminer (Josmeyer) QPR Winner 
This wine, Josmeyer's entry level gewurz,  is climbing in price a bit, but it is still well under $20, and is still a pretty good value if what you want is a dry, old fashioned gewurz.  This shows great varietal character, with waves of intense lychee notes. It's solidly made with a nice core of mid-palate fruit. It is very dry, and a bit austere, though, and I personally would prefer gewurz with a little some residual sugar, or more fruitiness to balance its intensity and finish. Still, well made for its style. 87 points.

2000 Pinot Gris Reserve (Trimbach) QPR Winner 
Also well under $20, and closer to $15 in most places, this is exceptional for its depth. Not many pinot gris in this price category have a mid-palate this stuffed. It is made in a completely dry style, and is rather steely and austere, a bit too austere for my taste, but your mileage may differ. With certain types of fish and shellfish, this will be a great match, but it will be rather hard to drink as an aperitif, as some do with inexpensive whites. 88 points.

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Australia  (except dessert/sparkling)

2001 "The Hattrick" (Australian Domaine Wines)
This is a blend of shiraz and grenache, principally, with a dollop of cabernet sauvignon tossed in. That unusual blend works well. It has lovely balance, no overbearing oak notes, and great, pure flavor. It is surprisingly bright and elegant, too, sunny and cheerful, as well as flavorful and delectable. Very nice. Probably will run over $400 a case or so at retail, which seems like a relatively fair price point for this wine. 90-92 points.

2002 Cabernet (Henry's Drive) QPR Winner 
Not exactly your most typical cabernet, this smells of rhubarb and strawberry rather than cassis. At about $350 a case, it nonetheless delivers good value in cabernet, a category in which it is increasingly hard to find good values, at least in California. It is supple, with very ripe tannins, and an easy, "drink now" demeanor. If it is a bit simple, it is also gentle and fun, and hard to dislike, at least in the short term. 88-90 points.

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Bordeaux  (except dessert/sparkling)
2000 Chateau Fonplégade
Grapey and mouthfilling, this wine seems sexy and appealing, with a bright finish. There's maybe a touch of banana on the finish, though, which is a bit eccentric. For all of the lush, rich feel this has in the mid-palate, there's only modest concentration and the wine does not improve much with air. It is a bit simple, though fun. This is, though, a nice value priced selection, around $20 or so, depending on your market. Drinks well now.  87 points.

1989 Chateau Pichon Lalande
This was a perfect bottle, is all I can say. It seemed so youthful, so sweet, filled with cassis, though with lush, easy characteristics. It shows great balance to go with that gorgeously sweet fruit, although it is not as structured as some '89s (some of which are a little too heavy on the structure...). The intensity on the wine picks up with air, and it just screams "classic PL" all the way. The wonderfully sweet fruit never quits. How can it be so youthful, so sweet and still so elegant? 95 points.

1998 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc
Mouthwatering and gripping, this dense, multi-layered white Bordeaux seems simply spectacular. Opulent, rich and intense, it shows a long, long finish to top everything off.  It seems like I can still taste it. It is young and robust now, but should hold well for a decade or more. There is a noticeable hit of oak up front, but that will integrate better with more age. This will improve with age, but it is so seductive now, it is hard to resist. If it ages as well as I think it will, I could up the score. 97 points.

1982 Chateau Latour à Pomerol
Chocolately and rich, this nonetheless projects a beautifully balanced feel to it. It seems fresh and cool, occasionally earthy, while remaining mouthfilling and sweet.  There are some mature notes, some forest leaves around the edges, but the intensely sweet mid-palate fruit and the wine's complexity mean that it strikes a lot of notes just right. 93 points.

1993 Chateau La Louvière Blanc
A light, young looking color presaged a wine in great shape--and it was. I often find white Bordeaux in '93 better than their red counterparts. This was pungent, with a big, grassy nose dominated by sauvignon blanc. It was bright, lively and vivacious, with a respectably long finish. It also had excellent depth for its age and status, a very impressive wine overall. 90 points.

1993 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc
This had a blend of 45% each sauvignon blanc and semillon, and 10% muscadelle. Perhaps a bit offbeat...? It was the least successful of several I tasted from this vintage. It showed significant notes of oxidation, tending towards maderization, and a medium body. The hints of sherry were unwelcome, for whatever other advantages this wine had, and presaged a wine that really had outlived its usefulness. Not quite dead, but getting there. 78 points.

1989 Chateau de Fieuzal Blanc
Smokey, and spicy, and developing well with air,  this seemed to have sat so long on the lees that it was more Burgundian than white Bordeaux in style; there was none of the aggressive grassy notes more vigorous and younger Bordeaux blancs can have. Yet, its maturity brought advantages as well as disadvantages, and it had a certain gentle harmony at times that made it more seductive than sensational, but still very enjoyable. Drink up. 87 points. 

1983 Chateau Meyney
Big, rustic and burly, this shows plenty of power and lots of other things, too--some barnyard, some earthy notes, an odd nuance on the finish. I had to admire the depth this modestly priced wine retained after so long, but those other problems were in part at least problems of age. It has not escaped the passage of time unscathed. Ultimately, the off notes annoyed me more than the good points impressed me. Your mileage may differ, and if you have very cold storage it may help. 85 points.

1983 Chateau Lascombes
A bit dull in terms of flavor, this wine retains some supple tannins and shows a bit lively because of that. It's clean on the palate, even if the nose betrays a bit of oxidation. The dull fruit, however, indicates this wine needs drinking soon as it is fully mature. It has a certain elegance now, but the lack of discernible fruit flavor is a big fault. 84 points.

1983 Chatau Gazin
This has a bit of a charred note to it, but despite that there is some elegance. It is bright, but here, too, as with the Lascombes, the fruit is drying out and projects little flavor. This wine is mostly remembering what it used to do well. Stolid and mediocre. 84 points.

1983 Chateau L'Evangile
Rich and nicely textured, this shows more maturity than I'd like at times, but it also seems lush and ripe at times. If it seems mature, it had a certain seductiveness to it that it retains, and its depth was impressive. Its texture was its best feature, though, which gave it a leg up, but didn't make it great. Still, I had to admire this wine's sensual feel. 89 points.

1983 Chateau Canon La Gaffelière
Earthy, with forest leaves nuances that are the hallmark of oxidation, this shows obviously thinning fruit, but it is still aggressive at times, even a bit heady. The fruit is drying out here, too, a constant refrain with a lot of these '83s, and this needs to be drunk. It has its moments, though, even if they are too few and far between. 85 points.

1983 Chateau Clos René
We drink wines, not just rate them no paper. This was a surprising winner of its flight, and while it shows some mature notes, and some forest leaves' nuances, it also showed plenty of power, grip and structure, and a rather thick mid-palate. It also sported a long, impressive finish that saturated the tongue. Distinctive and gripping. There may be some question of balance here, as the tannins may be outliving the fruit. Drink up, even though it seems lively. 89 points.

1983 Chateau Haut Brion
Sweet and mature at the same time, this shows leather and tobacco nuances, and a certain gentle intensity. Its intensity snuck up on you, in fact. There were moments when I thought that the fruit was showing signs of drying out; at other times, it was quite nice. If this wasn't the deepest wine of the night, it was arguably the most complex. It's fair to say you needn't hold this any longer. 89 points. 

1983 Chateau Margaux
This was not as good as the last bottle I had, but it certainly showed off Chateau Margaux trademarks. Sweet fruit, tasting young and fresh, mingled with a touch of chocolate. The texture was pure velvet, seductive and elegantly balanced. As sensual, sweet and pure as it was, it seemed a rather small wine at this point, restrained and careful, yet mature Margaux isn't about power or thickness. The aromatic bouquet and the fresh fruit delivered plenty. I suspect this might have improved a bit with even a little decanting in advance, although I had time to spend with it after pouring. 93 points.

1983 Pavillon Rouge de Margaux
This showed better than I expected at age twenty-one. In its youth--and I bought a lot of this when it was released--it was a tremendous deal, holding up to its Big Sister Margaux in most respects, notably excepting depth and finish. There's still life here, although the sweet fruit has been replaced somewhat by leather and tobacco notes. Yet, underneath there still is some sweet fruit, and it actually improved with air. It also shows a very pretty, bright finish that I rather liked. It has, of course, thinned over the years. 86 points.

1995 Chateau Petrus
This was a classic tale of what happens when you touch big Bordeaux too young. For about an hour, this was pleasant, but rather ordinary. Very good, but...  Then, it started to evolve. Note to all: however, for a lot of people the meal would almost be over.  Cellar more! Or decant.  This gained weight, and showed beautiful, sappy, primary fruit in the mid-palate. It seemed so young, so pure, so beautifully balanced, but ...it wasn't done. It became livelier and intense, too, showing considerable power and breeding, and a gripping finish. The next day it was still better, still seeming young and grapey, pure and primary, and absolutely mouthgripping. This may not be the most famous Petrus vintage of Petrus on paper, and it is a delineated wine that doesn't hit you over the head--at first--but it seemed to hit all the right notes to me. I hope I'm not underrating it, but we won't know for sure for about a decade. 95+ points.

1998 Chateau Lafite
Lush and supple, I was thinking...can this be Lafite? It is elegant and decadently sweet at times, grapey and primary. I wasn't so sure it had much depth at first, but an hour of air or so helped it put on some welcome weight--it seemed troublingly light at first-- and it showed more tannin and power than I though it had. That means this has closed down a bit, and I found it a little more difficult than normal to evaluate. It should have decanting if opened now. I don't know that this was your normal Lafite demeanor, nor that it is the biggest and most powerful wine ever, but it is truly a fine performance for this vintage. I would've liked to have seen this develop overnight, as I think it was hiding some secrets. 93+ points.

1985 Chateau Margaux
Remarkably powerful for this vintage at this age, this shows some notes of maturity around the edges, but is remarkable not only for its power but the beautifully sweet fruit.  This is both lively and supple, sweet and structured, firm and inviting. It's a quite amazing performance, really, and more than I expected. It also shows considerable depth and thickness, more so than the normal Margaux demeanor of elegance and ethereal splendor. 94 points.

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Burgundy  (except dessert/sparkling)
1991 Clos de la Roche Vielles Vignes (Ponsot)
This seemed earthy and a bit flat, fully mature on opening, but I was pleased to see it become brighter, more intense and and show some vibrancy as it airs out. The mid-palate is very sweet and dense, but the wine remains elegant and distinctive, showing a complex medley of earth, strawberries, raspberries and a touch of rhubarb. Hardly dying, this wine does seem to me to be mature and drinking quite well now. 94 points.

1995 Echezeaux (Rouget)
This sports beautiful, pure and pristine raspberry flavors and a silky texture that I rather liked. For all of its virtues, though, this seemed, to me, marred by a bit too much acid that was perceptible and sometimes dominated the fruit. If not quite tart, it was still more acidic than seemed appropriate, and I'm not sure cellaring will help, to answer an anticipated suggestion. It is very youthful, very primary and otherwise quite delicious. 90 points.

2001 Chambolle-Musigny "Les Sentiers" (R. Groffier)
This is a very sensual wine, soft, seductive and velvety, sweet on the finish, with beautiful fruit flavor. It doesn't strike me as particularly profound or long, nor long lived, but it is simply irresistible. It won't be cheap, likely around a rather startling $70+ per bottle. Those exchange rates hurt. 89-91 points.

2001 Morey St. Denis "Les Ruchots" (F. Mangien)
A bit sauvage, this has good underlying depth and intensity, and excellent flavor. If it is not quite as sexy as the Sentiers, above, some may find it more distinctive and lively. Others will revel in the Sentier's textured sex appeal. Chacun à son gout, as they say. I liked them both, and appreciated the grip and focus of this. One thing this is, though, is way cheaper, probably 2/3rds of the price of the Sentiers, judging from the listings. 89-91 points.

2001 Chambertin Clos de Beze (F. Mangien)
This adds grand cru depth to the Ruchots, above. It throws off  nice flavor, and a medley of nuances, some earthy notes, some herbs, to go with the impression of weight and substance. For all of that, though, it makes an impression, but its price tag, likely over $100 a bottle, makes it a pretty poor buy unless you just have to have grand cru Burgundy. It won't disappoint if you ignore the price, though. 90-92 points.

1999 Givry "Cellier Aux Moines" (Joblot)
This wine seems to have closed down some since my last taste. It opens with a beautiful red berry nose, but the palate is surprisingly restrained and tight. Those who called this too oaky and overbearing in its youth might marvel at the integration at this juncture. It is also, however, a bit flat at first, showing little. Then, gradually with air, it picks up weight and the wine unfolds. Suddenly, there is beautiful and bright cherry fruit, which seems ever riper and more flavorful. The wine retains a certain silky note, too. One of the best buys in Burgundy. 90 points.

1990 Vosne-Romanée "Les Clous" (Prieuré-Roch)
Gamey and sauvage, this rather rustic wine sort of slobbers all over you, but it has a certain rustic charm, too. It is reasonably weighty, and nicely constructed, and if the fruit flavor shows full maturity, i.e., strawberries and some earthy instead of bright raspberries, there still is fruit flavor and some intensity. This is not a great wine, by any means, but it sort of snuck up on me. 86 points.

1990 Clos St. Denis (G. Lignier)
In its youth, this was big and tannic. From about age five to ten, it drank beautifully, but did show considerable thinning of the mid-palate. If this is a representative bottle, it's time has almost come, for the mid-palate has thinned way too much, and in addition, while it is soft and rather seductive in texture, there is little fruit and flavor left. Its lovely nose is its best feature, but the now modest mid-palate does not follow through. 87 points.

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California/USA  (except dessert/sparkling)
A lot of the California and Italian notes in particular in this issue come from trade tastings where, try as you might, there isn't always enough time to spend on the wines.  Wines tasted at these types of events are scored with ranges only, and are scored rather conservatively, considering the relatively increased difficulty in evaluating them.  Consider it a snapshot...

2001 Cabernet (Mara) QPR Winner 
With an hour of decanting, this $30-ish wine seemed very intense, and still tight. The fruit was not showing much, but it surely was there. As it expanded a bit, there were classic cab flavors popping through to soften the somewhat dusty tannins. It finally opened and showed lovely cab flavors. A very nice, well constructed wine. 90 points.

2001 Merlot (Paloma)
This heralded, some would say, hyped, wine was served to me blind. I guessed Australian cab, which doesn't make me unhappy. This is a rich, dense, lush wine, with very sweet fruit. There were times in the beginning (1 hour of decanting, another hour open on the table....that's the beginning) when I wondered if maybe there was a touch of residual sugar, and the finish seemed a touch candied. I was going to write this off as a simple fruit bomb. Well, surprise...some time later, it showed considerable tannin, lots of power and more structure than I thought it had. For all of that, this is a hedonistic wine that used to be reasonably priced, pre-hype--and thus will make some people ecstatic, but others may think it's a bit over the top and doesn't bear much resemblance to merlot. It's pretty tasty, though. 92 points. 

2001 "Salus" (Staglin)
Sharp, and rather bitter on the finish, this has nice raspberry fruit in the middle. It's also in need of some cellaring--something has to bring this into balance and let it open. Maybe a couple of years of cellaring will. In the meanwhile, this is a rather disjointed wine that is not so pleasant to drink, but promises to eventually deliver good fruit. Whether it will ever knit together well--I'm not so sure. It's hard to evaluate now.  87-89 points.

1992 "Cask 23" (Stag's Leap Wine Cellars)
For awhile, I loved how this showed, nice balance, sweet, delectable fruit, and a certain bright, Bordeaux feel. In the middle there were some nice cassis notes, too. Initial thought: 94 points. I didn't like how this evolved, however. Later in the evening, it started to show overly mature, with a few too many forest leaves and earthy notes. Still, plenty to like. 90 points.

1990 Cabernet (Philip Togni)
Togni is a fine producer, although many of their vintages show annoying green notes. This shows impeccable balance, some brightness around the edges, a tremendously long finish laced with pure cassis flavor, and good weight. In fact, it picks up weight as it airs out. More air turns it a bit astringent though, and some more mature notes pop out. But it always remains flavorful and elegant. Very nice. 93 points. 

1999 "Ne Cede Malis" Reserve  (Stag's Leap Winery)
This sexy wine is inky black and made of Syrah/Petite Sirah and a dollop of Cabernet. There's a lot of sweet oak and fruit up front, but nothing is overbearing. It seems, actually, rather appealing and easy, charming and fun. There's enough intensity to prevent it from becoming flabby. It lets you focus on the sweet fruit without guilt. Drinking well now. 89 points.

1997 Cabernet "Barelli" (Gallo of Sonoma) QPR Winner 
I reviewed this recently and did it an injustice. Must have been just an off bottle. Anyway, when young this wine was rich and delicious, if somewhat eccentric. It was a good deal, at about $20, and if not quite as classic as Gallo's "Frei Vineyard," it was pretty tasty. My last bottle seemed to indicate this had taken on more typicity, but was cracking up a bit, and showing too mature. Well, not here! The fruit is sweet and delectable, and the only concession to maturity is that the wine has calmed down some, and it has indeed taken become more typical.  Not particularly complex, it is still a rare bargain in the rarified air of Cal cabs. In prime time shape. 88 points. 

2001 Cabernet "Beckstoffer" (Schrader)
The opening impressions are simply hedonistic, ripe, sweet fruit that rolls around in your mouth and coats it with a velvety texture. I loved the cassis and sweetness. There's a fair hit of toasty oak there, too, but it integrates fairly well with air and is not of the creamy variety. There is no "American oak" nuance.  The only problem here is that this is a pretty pricey wine ($75) that seems just about ready to drink and is only three years old. The tannins are modest, and although the wine held well into the next day (some 30 hours later), it showed little liveliness or intensity by that point, and seemed a bit too gentle. I'd say this will be ready to drink by Fall, and I wouldn't expect it to be a wine to hold--you definitely want to drink up within ten years, and probably it is best from now to 2008. If you follow those directions, this will be rather tasty, but I wonder if that's enough for a cult cab with a $75 price tag. 90 points.

1999 "Ne Cede Malis" Reserve  (Stag's Leap Winery)
This sexy wine is inky black and made of Syrah/Petite Sirah and a dollop of Cabernet. There's a lot of sweet oak and fruit up front, but nothing is overbearing. It seems, actually, rather appealing and easy, charming and fun. There's enough intensity to prevent it from becoming flabby. It lets you focus on the sweet fruit without guilt. Drinking well now. Nothing complicated, but a lot of fun. 89 points.

2001 Cabernet "Les Pavots" (Peter Michael)
Beautiful, pristine, classic cab flavors are the hallmark of this charming wine. It is impeccably balanced and sweet on the finish, gently textured and velvety. I was a little concerned though by what would appear to be modest depth and little intensity on such a young wine. I did not have time to decant this, or to sit with it for hours; perhaps it is a bit dumb and in need of aeration, but I was expecting a bit more oomph to go with the charm in this vintage. Hopefully, it will merit an uptick in score. 90-92 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Dragonfly" (Francis Tannahill Wines)
This is a very well constructed wine, running dry-ish and showing reasonably good depth. At its very young age, it seems to be quite drinkable now, and I found myself warming up to it in many respects, considering the dismal record outside of Europe in producing gewurztraminer. I still don't note much gewurz quality to it, though, not much if any spice, no lychees. It is a very restrained gewurz in all respects--and that's not always a good thing. Nice, but not distinguished. 87-88 points.

2002 Pinot Noir "Pommard Clone" (Shea Wine Cellars)
Nicely structured, with some biting tannins on the finish, this still manages to show some luscious fruit and tons of flavor, as well as seeming rather intense, as a befits a wine this young. I like the backbone on the wine; the worry becomes when, especially with pinot noir, you fear it will overwhelm the wine. I never had that sense here. Give this a few years, and I think you'll have a beauty. About $500 a case of 12 though it is sold in six packs primarily.  90-92 points.

2001 Cabernet (O'Shaugnessy)
Running about $550 or so a case of 12, this is mid-priced by Napa standards, even though the producer is relatively unknown. I liked most things about it, its focus, structure and flavor. It's rather tight at the moment, with classic cab flavors, if a bit too herbal, and it shows some supple, lively tannins on the finish. I particularly liked the intense core of the wine. It will be interesting to see how this develops, whether it's a real find, or just a very good wine that happens to sell for roughly what it should instead of being wildly overpriced. I'd bet on the latter, which isn't a bad thing; and doesn't mean the price won't go sky high anyway one day.  90-92 points. 

2001 Pinot Noir "Carneros" (Etude)
This seems to be a rather hedonistic wine at this point, chock full of cherry fruit flavor, yet surrounded by enough acid to be lively. There is a long, flavorful finish that really drills home the fruit and makes you grateful you can taste. This won't be cheap, about probably around $400 a case, but that seems fair for the fun you'll have with this. 90-92 points.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon "Kronos" (Corison)
Despite being rather pricey, there was little here that left me impressed. Let's say this sells for $850 for a case of twelve--I saw only the wholesale pricing, so I could be wrong, but not by much.  That's a pretty hefty price for a pleasing, but rather simple cab, that seems shorter, actually, than the 2000 Napa from Corison. I liked the purity of flavor and fruit, and the texture was pleasant enough, but I never saw anything here to merit much attention. You couldn't possibly dislike this wine. But I'm not sure you can possibly be impressed by it either. It desperately needs to put on a little weight in the cellar, and I'm not sure it will. 87-89 points.

2001 Cabernet "Napa" (Karl Lawrence)
Lush and velvety, this wine has a certain allure, a certain sex appeal. It has also some grip, ripe, tingly tannins, and cherry notes on the tasty fruit. I'm not sure there is quite as much depth apparent as I would like, but there are signs this will put on weight with more air than I had time to give it, or some time in the cellar. It is certainly going to be a seductive wine, no matter what. 91-93 points.

2000 Cabernet (Dalle Valle)
This wine shows rather bright and elegant at this juncture, with supple tannins, decent intensity and good concentration for the vintage. It seems well balanced and tasty, showing lots of charm. But I wonder what will happen to this with cellaring? It seems to me that it has less depth than is apparent at first taste and it will smooth out, but not improve a whole lot. This is an excellent effort for the vintage, but not truly distinguished. It will run over $700 retail a case if you can find it retail, and that's asking a lot for what I see here. 88-90 points.

2001 Cabernet (Dalle Valle)
The '01 is to me a copycat, just a little more intense and a little deeper. Of course, that can be a function of it's youth, too, in part, but I think this wine has more stuffing hiding underneath the first layer. It just has a little more of everything. This is not the famed "Maya," of course, but it is very good, a solid wine that should easily support a decade of cellaring. 90-92 points.

2001 Zinfandel "Howell Mountain-Pringle Family" (Outpost)
Decanted, but not for long,  this wine was still struggling to find its footing for awhile, and it seemed a bit closed. What shone through was its bright, sunny structure and its surprising elegance. More than that, however, it displayed a fine finish, lingering and suffused with flavor. Now, let's see if it puts a little weight on with another year or so in the bottle, and then it might be a star. 90-92 points.

2002 Zinfandel "Old Vines" (Turley)
Not heavy, but piercing, this charming, well focused zin shows tons of flavor, some intensity at its core, and a nice finish. The OV can always exude charm, and this one is right along the lines. If it develops well in the cellar, it's a star. I think it will. 89-91 points.

2002 Zinfandel "Duarte" (Turley)
The exuberant Duarte shows a delightful strawberry nose, and throws off waves of flavor. It's bright, with very supple tannins on the end that leave a pleasing tingle on your tongue. Say that five times fast! This was a wine that was just so tasty it was hard to put down. It may not be the most profound or deepest zin you've ever had, but you'll have a smile on your face when the dance is done. Nicely balanced, too. 91-93 points.

1983 Cabernet (Far Niente)
This has more pleasing notes that I would have anticipated. It has reasonable depth, some purple fruit left, some velvet texture. It is too laid back, though, too inoffensive, relatively lacking in flavor. Pleasant enough, its great flaw is simply that time has passed it by and it seems rather insipid and simple. Considering its age, the poor vintage and the youth of Far Niente as a winery, this is not that bad a performance, though. 84 points.

2001 Merlot (Lambert Bridge)
The nose is pure, toasty new oak, probably American, and the palate has its share of vanillin oak-related notes. Still, it is not overpowering, just there, and a lot of folks will like it. The wine is actually a Bordeaux blend, and has 19% of its varietals as something other than Merlot (mostly cabernet sauvignon)--just under the legal limit of what can still be called Merlot.  It has very ripe tannins and pleasingly tasty fruit, although it lacks some depth. I was pleased to see it actually showed more lively and less flabby the next day, as it was too short and simple on first taste. By the time this finished developing, it was actually a pleasant surprise, showing nice fruit, if not particularly deep, lots of flavor, and the ability to improve in the glass. It is approachable now and should be considered a short to medium term wine, best drunk now to 2006.  If it is not a profound vin de garde, note that it should sell in the low $20s, which makes it a pretty nice wine for the price. 88 points.

1999 Chardonnay "Marcassin Vineyard" (Marcassin)
Opening: great. Middle: very nice. Finale: oops. If that is not quite the way you want big time wine to progress, this current release from Marcassin is still pretty darned good chardonnay. On opening, it was a dead ringer for a White Burg on the nose, steely and primary, with pure chard fruit. As it opened, it showed a gripping finish, and toastier notes on the mid-palate, some oak, more lees, but very nice balance and depth. All was well. As it sat longer, it began to show some charcoal notes on the finish, something I associate with chards beginning to lose it, a little disturbing, but still overall, just a nuance. I took some home and had a glass about 8 hours after opening and now the cracks were wide and annoying, the charcoal, bitter finish rather offputting. Most, it is true, will not have this open eight hours without consuming it, but great young wine, top of the line wine, a current release, should have some resilience, right? Still, this had a lot of qualities California chards often don't, including typicity, depth and finish. 90 points.

1999 Pinot Noir "Blue Slide Ridge" (Marcassin)
This opened soft and sensual, very elegant, and almost if not quite spritzy.  The wine got livelier and deeper with air, showing nice structure but also annoying bell pepper notes. Others just called it "green." I particularly dislike those nuances, which is a shame, because the texture of the wine is seductive, and the fruit is bright, otherwise flavorful and lovely, and the finish is penetrating. I couldn't warm up to it, though. Your mileage may differ. 90 points.

1999 Zinfandel "Mendocino Ridge" (Mariah)
Flamboyant and pretty close to over the top (some will think it is well past the top...), this wine is so sweet I wondered if there was some residual sugar in it. It is saved by some structure, and it shows intensity, and aggressive power. It is heady, toasty, lively and bright, all at the same time. It is penetrating on the finish, although the mid-palate is not terribly thick. This wine manages to keep its footing, and some will swoon over its sweet and sexy flavor profile. 88 points.

2000 Viognier (McDowell) QPR Winner
At about $13, it seems to me that this is a heckuva deal from this well known Rhone clone producer. Lovely, elegant,  bright and vibrant, this wine has impeccable balance and nice depth for its price range and varietal. It had a more than respectable finish, showing a touch of toast as it warmed up. A great, refreshing summer wine. 88 points.

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Dessert/Sparkling Wines
1995 Port "Guimarens" (Fonseca)
Sweet and intense, this wine shows richness and spicy tannins. It has good depth for its status and vibrancy to spare, and is admirable in both flavor and structure. Excellent for its class. 90 points.

1980 Banuyls Vielles Vignes (Mas Blanc)
Nutty, with a mid-weight body, this wine shows only occasional sweetness at this point, and seems merely sturdy and a bit brooding. Its earthy notes are interesting and fun, but I wished for a bit more of a dessert wine. Structured, but not terribly intense, this drinks well but left me wanting some pizazz. 86 points.

NV Tawny Port "Old Codger" (Dutschke)
Some nice caramel notes lead it off and on the finish it turns a bit unctuous. It is bright around the edges and pleasing, but I wasn't getting anything on this beyond fairly middle of the road Aussie tawny. Tasty, but not distinctive. 88 points.

1999 Tokaji Aszu (6 puts) (Oremus)
I loved the way this wine snuck up on you...Unctuous at first, but then becoming more civilized by the moment, it kept delivering waves of flavor--and never lost the luscious qualities while dancing lightly across your tongue. Cool, delectable, flavorful. 93 points.

2000 Semillon de Soleil (Stony Hill)
Delicious, running around $320 or so for a case of 375s.  This shows pear, pineapple, and a general medley of flavors. The owner thought it was more to apricot. I might add peach, but didn't think it was really sweet enough for apricot. As dessert wine goes, it is rather restrained in perceptible sugar, better as an aperitif, or perhaps with some restrained desserts. Elegant and well balanced, it is quite delicious but won't satisfy your urge for unctuous stickies if that is what you have in mind. 90 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer Passito (Francis Tannahill Wines)
Thick and unctous, this was a big BA, or maybe even a TBA--styled wine. Sumptuous and intense, it tastes like ripe apricots in syrup. The color is golden, the fruit is rich. There's not much gewurz character in sight, but the wine sure tastes great. Runs roughly $250 for a case of twelve 375mls and well worth it. 94 points.

1997 Carbonifera (Delesvaux)
This ultra sweet Loire Chenin Blanc is a hedonist's dream, but it won't make lovers of Mosel happy. This is thick and redolent of apricots. It's so thick that you doublecheck the glass to be sure there aren't any apricots still there. There has to be more acid here than is perceptible or you couldn't drink this at all, but suffice to say, the acid is a minor perceptible component here. This is all about luscious, delectable fruit, throwing off waves of flavor. Every drop is delicious. Every sip is caressing. Deep, powerful and long. Some will think it's too much. 96 points.

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Germany(except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Riesling Auslese "Lorenzhofer Maurerchen" (Karlsmüle)
Spicy, and showing good acidity, the fruit here has thinned with age, but the wine is still lively and delicious. In particular, it is one of those wines where the acidity and the sugar conspire to melt the fruit, sugar and waves of flavor over your tongue, ramming it home into your taste buds until you cry "No mas." Well, just kidding. Actually, you say, "another glass, please." For all of that, it has thinned a bit for Auslese, and I wonder how much longer the fruit holds up? It is in absolutely no danger of dying today, but it is certainly a great time to drink it. 92 points.

2002 Riesling Kabinett "Kaseler Nies'Chen" (Karlsmuhle)
Sweet and sexy, this Kabinett shows layers of delectable fruit, but not much verve, intensity or focus. I have to believe it is riper than Kabinett, and would qualify as spatlese. It's hard to find the backbone at the moment, though, granting that sometimes layers of fruit and oodles of sugar can obscure it in a young Mosel. I would, though want to see more development on this for it to merit a score at the higher end of the spectrum. 88-90 points.

2002 Riesling Spatlese "Kaseler Nies'Chen" (Karlsmuhle)
There seemed to be a little bit of spritz up front, but it blew off quickly, and a little bit of lemon-lime, which integrated nicely. It's smooth and easy for the most part, ripe and lush, not much seeming like vivacious German riesling. Yet, it is also tasty and delicious and light on its feet despite its fine mid-palate depth. There's some welcome acid on the finish. This is in many respects similar to the Kabinett, above, just a bit deeper and longer, and I think, more ageworthy. 89-91 points. 

1989 Riesling Spatlese "Rauenthaler Baiken" (Von Simmern)
Nice weight is mostly what this wine has left, although some commented on the attractive bouquet. It wasn't attractive enough to make up for lots of oxidative notes and drying out fruit, though. 84 points.

1989 Riesling Kabinett "Graacher Domprobst" (Willi Schaefer)
Buttery and oxidative notes abound in this mature wine. Its fruit is drying out, and this is all about tertiary notes now, maybe tertiary. While the fruit is drying out, the finish is still rather gripping and intense and there is still flavor left. There's a big hit of acid at the end. This has seen better days, though. 82 points.

2002 Riesling Kabinett "Zeltinger Schlossberg" (Selbach Oster) QPR Winner  
Bright and gripping, this is drinking beautifully now, as the acid and the slight note of residual sugar blend together beautifully. It has nice focus and intensity, and becomes lush, gentle and easy with air. I'd drink this baby young, but it's gonna be a crowd pleaser. 88 points.

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Italy(except dessert/sparkling)

A lot of the California and Italian notes in particular in this issue come from trade tastings where, try as you might, there isn't always enough time to spend on the wines.  Wines tasted at these types of events are scored with ranges only, and are scored rather conservatively, considering the relatively increased difficulty in evaluating them.  Consider it a snapshot only......

2000 Ornellaia (Tenuta dell'Ornellai)
Sweet, rather oaky and powerful, this dense wine seems to be an overwrought blockbuster at first. Was it a warm growing season? But I was surprised to see how well it evolved. It became friendlier, and friendlier with air. It actually showed some liveliness, a certain brightness that had initially been hidden away. Ripe, rich and powerful. Yet, not unnuanced, and not unbalanced. I'd love to see where this goes, but I'm liking it a lot at the moment. 94+ points.

1990 Brunello Riserva (Soldera)
Rich, ripe and simply ...spectacular.  This Brunello hardly seems to be sangiovese. Can sangiovese, any clone, get this ripe and sweet? It seems youthful and bursting with fruit, yet impeccably balanced, too. The flavor seems to be of crushed essence of strawberry, which lingers seemingly forever in a decadent, long finish. Opulent and hedonistic. A whole different view of Brunello. 100 points.

1999 Vino Nobile "Riserva Bossona" (Dei)
Packed and very ripe, this ain't your father's Vino Nobile. I love this producer's Vino Nobile, and this is no exception. It delivers plenty of flavor in a lush, supple package, but don't be fooled by the supple, because there is a firm backbone here and plenty of structure to, along with well integrated lively acidity. The tannins are ripe, but there are plenty of them. Excellent. Pricing is probably in the mid-$30s.  92-94 points.

1999 Brunello di Montalcino (Pertimali)
Not big of thick, but light on its feet and filled with fruit flavor, this bright, charming wine is delicious and very pleasing. It is surprisingly accessible now, but that may change as it will close down. Tasty and fun to drink. 90-92 points.

2002 Nebbiolo de Langhe (Parusso)  QPR Winner
I almost passed on this Nebbiolo when confronted with so many Barolos, but I'm glad Marco Parusso made me try it, for, as generic Nebbiolo it is sensational and the Best Buy on his table. Amazingly powerful for its humble status, this has rich fruit, a stern backbone, and the capacity to age. Marco said it has some old vines Barolo grapes in it, and I'm not surprised given the way it shows. No one would guess this wasn't a Barbaresco or Barolo. If it cellars as well as I think it will, it's a superstar and an mouth dropping value. Judging from the wholesale pricing, it should run around $17 a bottle from the more aggressive merchants that buy in quantity. You might get lucky and find it for less, not too many will have it much over $20. 90-92 points. 

1999 Rosso "Bricco Rovella" (Parusso)
This is a Barbera/Nebbiolo blend that I liked, but couldn't quite warm up to. It was on sale, though, and probably running under $20 a bottle, which is pretty fine for a wine that once looked to have a price of about $35 a bottle. It shows intensity with some tannins, and reasonable fruit, although it is not as packed as some, nor as lush. A good solid wine, with few pretensions but little distinction. 87-89 points.

1998 Barolo "Piccole Vigne" (Parusso)
My least favorite of the Parusso offerings, this young vines Barolo may run double the price of the Bricco Rosso, above, or more, and I didn't like it quite as well. It is soft and simple for Barolo, a bit short on everything. It's pleasant enough, but this is more what you'd expect to find as Nebbiolo de Langhe. The Nebbiolo in my opinion vastly outclasses this wine, which is more than three times the price. 85-87 points.

1998 Barolo "Bussia Fiurin" (Parusso)
This has a distinctive nutty chocolate note that I liked a lot as a flavor profile, and it is bursting with flavor. Big tannins on the end can't obscure the tons of fruit. Delicious, distinctive, a bit flamboyant, and big and round. Probably around $60 a bottle or so, and well worth it. 93-95 points.

1998 Barolo "Mariondino" (Parusso)
Bright and nicely structured, this seems subdued and dull after the Bussia Fiurin, above, but it's really not--it's just more classical, more reserved. This will run maybe $10 a bottle cheaper than the Fiurin, but take my advice and spend the measly $10 and go for the gold. 89-91 points.

1999 Barolo "Bussia Rocche" (Parusso)
Rich, flavorful, and ripe, this is not as distinctive (some might say eccentric) as the '98 Fiurin in terms of its flavor profile, but it is, if anything, somewhat more powerful, with astringency on the finish. There is plenty of fruit here, though, and it is very sweet and ripe. A super wine. Probably running about $70 or so a bottle. 91-93 points. 

1999 Barolo "Bussia Fiurin" (Parusso)
Rich and mouthfilling, this is dense and gorgeous, shows lots of tannins and packed fruit, as well.  This will need a lot of time, but I think that the tannins will subside and leave plenty of fruit. It is a bit hard to taste at the moment, and it does need to prove that the tannins will come into balance, so the score here is a bit more conservative. 91-94 points.

1999 Barolo "Marenca" (Luigi Pira)
Tannic, powerful, and dense, this shows great fruit, and projects a big, burly demeanor. Its gripping finish is long and intense, and you get the impression here of a very serious wine that will need a pretty fair bit of cellaring. The best part is that the fruit not overwhelmed by the considerable tannins. Vin de garde, about $750 or so a case. 93-95 points.

1998 Barolo "Per Cristina" (Clerico)
Spicy and bright, this soft, relatively easy Barolo is the flip side of the coin from the Pira "Marenca." This is a friendly Barolo, something to drink younger. It is multi-layered and sensually textured, very appealing and absolutely charming. I don't think it is a threat to become a great wine, like the Marenca on this page, but it is hard to resist. 90-92 points.

2001 Barbera Superiore (Parusso)
Oh, baby! I really loved this special Barbera,  a sort of reserve bottling. Mouthfilling, rich, ripe and round, this powerful, and deep wine produces a sensual feel in the mouth, with plenty to chew on. It's not exactly your traditional Barbera, which may offend some. But others will ogle this wine's beautiful fruit. 94 points.

1997 Montiano (Falesco)
Soft, velvety and friendly, this wine expands in a slow, deliberate way with air, and delicious cherry notes pop up. It has very supple tannins and enough brightness to give it some lively notes, too. Delicious, and gently charming. It is drinking nicely now. 92 points.

1997 Brunello di Montalcino "Le Potazzine" (Gorelli)
Sexy and sweet, this flavorful, rich Brunello is a fine example of modern winemaking. It is sweet on the finish, ripe in the mid-palate, and has more than respectable depth. It also has supple, very ripe tannins that provide some liveliness and structure with little astringency. This doesn't, perhaps, add enough complexity or intensity to merit a truly great score, but it's pretty fine as is. 92 points.

1997 Amarone Costasera (Masi)
Smooth and easy, this is an awfully civilized Amarone, one that, in fact, may leave purists unhappy. In fact, it may not make anyone overly happy. If it has more control and restraint than an Amarone fan would want, it lacks the purity, structure depth and class of, say, an Allegrini in this vintage. Still, this has some advantages, even if it seems older than it should, and somewhat flabby. It has tasty, maturing, if mildly sweet fruit, and a certain gentlemanly demeanor that kind of grows on you. This is not bad wine--don't misunderstand. It just seems lacking in distinction. 87 points. NOTE: A few weeks later, I opened another bottle of this, and it was much better. Despite some of the same characteristics, it had a distinctive earthiness, more weight, and developed better in the glass. Closer to 90 points. 

1988, 1995, 1997 and 1999 Brunello di Montalcino (Pertimali)
Let's take 'em together. Light in color, with some browning on the rim, the '88 seemed to feature drying fruit and a certain sourness at first. I had little hope for it. Some air really helped it, and it became rather elegant, with a chocolately note, and some intensity. It was a bit coarse at times, tannin dominated, a bit short on fruit, although some sweet fruit poked through. There were moments when I was liking this a lot, but it started slow, and started to fade too quickly. So, I'd say, drink up.  The 1995 is is a powerful brute. big, burly and intense, with considerable depth, it is tight and unready, and lacking in charm at the moment. Some air calmed it down a little, and the fruit got sweeter and sweeter, a good sign. This is at a stage where it's hard to evaluate, though. It is just a bit too tight for its own good, and disjointed. I think it has a future though. I do have some balance concerns considering the ferocity of the tannins showing here.  The 1997  is simply lovely, softer and more sensual than the 1995. It is stuffed, too, but still very lively and intense. Here, though, the liveliness serves to showcase luscious fruit, not obscure it. It picks up weight with air and evolves beautifully. Great fruit, great structure. The 1999  is grapey and young, lush and delectable. It features little but sweet, exuberant, primary fruit at the moment, but there are big, big tannins lurking underneath. This will rival the '97, and perhaps surpass it, but it needs to acquire some grace and maturity. Even if it is kinda hard to resist now.  For the 1988: 86 points. For the 1995: 90+ points.  For the 1997: 95 points. For the 1999: 94+ points.

1995 Brunello di Montalcino (Valdicava)
How sexy can Brunello be?  This has a beautiful, seductive texture, and it was hard to resist. Soft and sweet at first, the fruit was amazingly ripe and fresh, and sweeter than most Brunello gets. That wasn't all, though. There were plenty of tannins in the back, and this wine is beautifully structured, very intense, and it shows more and more intensity as it airs out. I think if this develops well in the cellar, it's a big star. 94+ points.

1994 Brunello di Montalcino (Soldera)
A long way off of the 1990, for sure. But that's to be expected. This, to me, seemed a bit unbalanced, with more tannins than the fruit could withstand. For all of that, there was a lot here to like, sweet fruit, a gripping finish and a certain zestiness. But on this wine, it always came back to the tannins, and a couple of hours later, it was still too tannic, and a bit astringent. A lot of good stuff here, but it will have to prove to me that it will have some charm at some point in its life. 90 points.

2002 Merlot (Falesco)
Focused, and wrapped tightly, this wine is not quite as lush as some vintages, or as sweet, but I had to admire its intensity and core. If this had been served blind, I would've guessed Bordeaux, for sure. It just had that kind of feel to it, elegant, with a fine finish and a solid, but unassuming mid-palate. Still a good value--but the price is climbing close to $20 in my state. 88 points.

2000 Chianti Classico "Riserva Ducale" (Ruffino)
Whew. For some, this is an archetype Chianti. What a crock. Light, thin and insipid, this has a little bit of tang to it with some air, but mostly seems formless, unstructured and relatively mute. Pretty boring for a wine pushing close to $20. 83 points.

2000 Chianti Classico "Peppoli" (Antinori)
This isn't exactly profound, nor very deep, but it had a very charming demeanor that I liked a lot. Lively and zesty, with sweet fruit, this was very bright and easy to drink. Under $20, and a pretty good deal. 87 points.

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Cotes du Rhone "Coudoulet" (Beaucastel)
Bright, with an excellent and typical flavor profile, this wine also managed a soft, velvety texture that rolled around your mouth and seemed sensual. It also seemed a bit too light and simple, though, for Coudoulet in a great vintage. It picked up some weight with air, but never seemed to reach the distinction I would have hoped for. 88 points.

1996 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve (Rayas)
Tasting like syrah, this wine is gamey, has those animal fat notes, and prominent flavors.  It seems a bit bretty, too. Its color is light and the body is as well; there is little depth here, and it seems unbalanced as the powerful tannins assert themselves. This is made in vins de garde style, but I fear the fruit here will not even come close to keeping up with the tannins. Too thin, disjointed, and rather disappointing. 85 points.

1990 Cote Rotie "La Turque" (Guigal)
Gripping and powerful, this wine seems not to be particularly thick, but it grabs you at every turn anyway. It projects tons of flavor, bacon fat, game and strawberry, and the finish is long and beautiful. I love wines that are intense and gripping, and this is that, but I did wonder whether the mid-palate might have showed a bit more concentration earlier in its life. It was, however, a wine that showed even more power and development with air. Rather impressive, but in an odd sort of way, I can't say I entirely warmed up to it. I liked it a lot, rather than fell in love. 94 points.

2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Mon Aieul" (Pierre Usseglio)
I think I underrated this in my last note, when the wine just seemed too tightly wound. This time, it was double decanted the night before, and showed incredibly seductive, rich and ripe fruit, with good acid on the back. Lush and flavorful, this wine sold me this time. But, hey, I did put a "+" on it last time. 95 points.

1997 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Marie Beurrier" (Bonneau)
Showing game and barnyard at first, and not much else, this seemed a bit thin and bright and that's that. But it wasn't that. You know the story. Boy meets wine. Boy sits with wine. Wine changes from Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan. Ok, this isn't the biggest or best Marie Beurrier ever, as it is a bit lighter than usual, but it knits together beautifully, shows lotsa flavor, and becomes a very sexy wine. 91 points.  

1990 Hermitage (Chave)
Stunning Hermitage....Sweet, powerful and deep, this shows a gripping finish, some notes of bacon (not as overwhelming as the last time I had this...) and great structure. For me, though, the primary attraction was the gorgeous fruit, throwing off waves of flavor effortlessly and endlessly. This is prime time wine, mouthfilling and simply gorgeous. If this isn't what you want in a syrah, what is? 96 points. 

1978 Chateauneuf du Pape "Les Cailloux" (Brunel)
Fully mature and wide open, this does give some signs of needing to be drunk, but there was  a lot here to like--and I don't make excuses for mature wine. The wine was harmonious and elegant, open and expansive, chock full of lovely strawberry flavor. There were some oxidative notes and I wouldn't decant this, but it drank just fine for now. 90 points.

2000 Cotes du Rhone "Cuvée Pascal" (Gramenon)

Not quite ready to drink, this is still very approachable and utterly charming. Exuberant and racy, spicy and flavorful, it is a wine that seems not to care if you find it profound, as long as you find it, and drink it with a smile on your face. It's a bit tight now, and to its credit it shows structure and delineation to go with the fruit, but it doesn't take long for the delicious fruit to sally forth. A lot of fun, a little decadent and delicious. 93 points. 

2001 Grenache (The Fifteen)
This flamboyant wine brags about its high alcohol content (15%), and is often very sweet, with heavy kirsch notes. This year is not too much different. The sweetness is toned down a bit, but the wine is deep and big, a bit too hot, and very exuberant. It seems a bit less tannic this year than in some years past. It reminds me of Aussie grenache, often.  Some will view it as clumsy, artificially sweet and ponderous, others will love its flavor profile and power. At about $10 in my region, it is a good value if you like its style. These days, I don't, and in particular I think it is routinely hot, but your mileage may differ. 86 points.

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)
2001 Tinto (Finca Sandoval)
This wine, mostly syrah, is pretty hard to get a firm grasp on at this point because the tannins were so aggressive, and somewhat astringent, too. I had some time to sit with it, but it was not decanted. Inky black and very intense, it has a sexy nose, with some oak notes, and good depth for its $20-ish price range. I think this is going to be an excellent wine---it has good stuffing and structure. But given its position as a new flagship release in Spain, it's hard to predict with certainty whether they got it all right, so let's be conservative and see if cellaring is the answer--or if the tannins just win out. 89+ points.

2002 Viura-Chardonnay (Ochoa) QPR Winner 
This is a 50/50 blend of each varietal, and has a retail price around $10. That's a very good deal for a wine with an interesting and fairly complex bouquet, and tasty palate. It is short of depth, as you might expect, but it had enough so that it gained some weight in the glass. At the outset, I thought this had a rieslaner nose. But after everything came together, it became itself, showing some rubbery notes, I thought. I'm not sure that change was entirely a good thing, but it never became particularly offputting; in fact, I continued to find it interesting. A good value for immediate drinking. 85 points.

2003 Muscat (Sumarroca) 
This dry, Penedes Muscat opened very light and very simple, and even at $10 or so, it wasn't entirely intriguing. This is a very subdued Muscat, as the aromatics do not jump out of the glass, and at first you're not even sure it is particularly typical. Very gradually, it began to taste and smell like Muscat, and even picked up a bit of weight, with nice burst of acid on the finish. It is a style that will still please a lot of drinkers, and will be an appealing house pour, but true Muscat fanciers will wonder where their flamboyant wine has gone. It is hard to compare year old memories, but this seems less aromatic than the 2002 in particular, and is surely a lot more subtle than most any other Muscat you can name in general.  Like the 2002,  it is subtle on the palate, too, but perhaps better integrated.  In most respects this is probably better wine than the '02, but the aromatics I recall on the 02 seemed better, and isn't that what a real Muscat fancier wants? Those less concerned with the glory of Muscat will like this better. 85 points.

2003 Albarino (As Laxas) 
At about $18, this comes with a more serious price than the two whites above, but also a more serious demeanor. There's a touch of grass, and some exuberance, it picks up considerable weight in the glass, shows good acid in the back, and sports a respectable finish. It feels weighty and serious. I'd drink it rather young, though, and it was doing pretty well now.  88 points.

2002 Graciano-Garnacha (Ochoa)  
This will be a crowd pleasing wine in some crowds, but others will find it candied and a bit odd. The nose is incredibly fruity, presaging a sweet, strawberry-laced palate. It is heavy on kirsch and violets, and very black in color. I'm fairly sure no one dropped a jar of Chambord in the vat. :) Some aeration let this find some degree of balance, but it always remained a touch too eccentric. It sure delivers a lot of flavor,  has a nice texture, and would make a great party wine. But many will find this too close to strawberry Kool-Aid for comfort. About $10. 82 points. 

2001 Garnacha (Lelia)   QPR Winner 
This Navarra Garnacha is a mere $7 or so, and it can be found probably for less, and it is very impressive in that price range. As you might expect, it is a little light, and its depth is questionable, but it has structure and backbone, and a surprisingly big finish. I like the cherry fruit notes that popped up, too. The big question I had with this wine was its tannin level--it may be a bit much for the fruit as time goes on, and there was some astringency, perhaps too much for a wine you don't expect to hold or cellar for very long. Still, for seven lousy dollars, this packs in a lot of value. 85 points.

2003 Garnacha Rosé (Ochoa) QPR Winner 
The nose on this is candied and exuberant, and I thought it was going to be a replay of the Ochoa Graciano-Garnacha above. There is a trend here in the aromatics being produced, I think. This was way more successful on the palate, however, showing spice and tangy notes, fruity but dry. It also had rather nice weight for a pink. It was a bit too flamboyant on the nose still for my taste, but in pink this somehow seems acceptable, even inviting. Well priced at about $9.  84 points.

2003 Tinto Vi Negre Jove (Arret)  QPR Winner 
At about $9, this is a fine bargain from the Terra Alta region. It is a carignan/cabernet/grenache blend, and it is completely charming. It has nice focus, a bright, flavorful attack, and lotsa character. There's just a hint of kirsch on the bouquet. It is admittedly a bit light, and it is a "drink me now" wine that can't justify a higher score. It won't cellar well in my view, and it would be a mistake to try to do so.  If you take it for what it is, a wine that  is elegant and charming, light on its feet and easy to drink on release, it's a big winner at the price. I give this extra points for its charm, but note that its lack of depth will mean it declines rather quickly. 86 points.

2003 "Seleccio" (Arret)  QPR Winner 
This is the older vines version of the Tinto, above, and as nice as the Tinto is, this pretty much blows it off the table. It is an extra $2, selling for the princely sum of $11. Can you handle that? It shows power and tannin, fine structure and backbone. It is chock full of cherry fruit flavor underneath, and manages to remain supple and friendly. Excellent value. I'd be curious to see if this will still be drinking well in five years.  Put "California" on the label and double the price. No one would blink an eye. I'm usually pretty cautious about rating unknown estates this highly, especially at this price level, because without a track record it is harder to figure out where the wine is going. But what the heck.  90 points.

2002 Tempranillo (Ramblilla)  QPR Winner 
At about $8, this is a solid bargain from Ribera del Jucar. It has a nice balance of tannin and fruit, in fact, some delectable fruit flavors, and shows some power, too. The only question is whether it shows a little too much power for the depth of fruit, but at just $8, this is about what you can ask for at that price level, and it probably will even develop a little with short cellaring. 87 points.

2000 Tempranillo Crianza (Ramblilla)  QPR Winner 
At about $11, this Crianza shows oakier and softer than its little brother, above, but not necessarily better.  It is sweet and sexy, and the oak gives it a softer, rounded feel, and some pleasing aromatics. The tannins are under control here and the wine has a gentle, rather seductive feel to it. All that said, some will think it's too oaky and not as good as the focused non-oaked wine, above. Others will swoon for this.  Pick 'em. 87 points.

2003 Tinto (Monte Negro)  QPR Winner 
Sweet and charming, this Ribera del Duero had almost a Burgundian feel to it, showing ripe tannins and projecting a lively, bright demeanor.  Young and exuberant, its tempranillo fruit is delectable, too, and it sported a gripping finish.  About $13.50, and more fun at the moment than the score might indicate. This is no more charming that the  Arret Tinto, above, at the moment (perhaps less so), but this does promise to have a bit of a longer shelf life, I think. Drink young, though. Lack of depth will be its undoing in the long haul. 87 points.  

2002 Semi-Crianza (Monte Negro)
Sharp and simple, this had its moments, but seemed dull and too easy, despite being close to $17, more than the '03 Tinto, above. It was hard to find the fruit on opening, although there eventually was some. Stolid and routine, and a poor value on this page considering how much more wine you can get for several dollars less.  83 points.

2001 Crianza (Monte Negro)
Two versions of this were presented, one opened a few hours earlier, and one opened the prior day. The bottle opened the prior day held beautifully, but the right thing to do here was double decant this for a few hours. That bottle was sexy and often beautiful, showing blackberry fruit mingling with vanillin oak notes. There's a touch of Chambord on the nose, but the wine is well integrated in that respect, vigorous and lively. Some will object to the oak, but I didn't find it too intrusive, and it contributed to a fragrant nose. About $25.  90 points.

2001 Garnacha "Las Rocas Vinas Viejas" (San Alejandro) QPR Winner 
For the ridiculous sum of $10.50, this is simply one of the tastiest, most enjoyable cheap wines I've ever had in my life.  Certainly, considering price inflation lately, it is amazing.  If I have any question about it, it would only concern its ageability; I don't think it will hold terribly well. It is a bit simple in that regard.  It drinks beautifully now, and I'd hate to see that beautiful fruit disappear with age. Nonetheless, this is simply gorgeous for immediate drinking. Impeccably balanced, lush but with focus, this has beautiful black cherry notes with hints of strawberry, and a seamless, smooth impression on the palate. It is flavorful, but not eccentric. Some Grenache-based wines are becoming so oddly sweet these days they have notes of kirsch and chambord. Not here, where this retains typicity. It is simply sensual and gorgeous. Its fruit is delectable. With air, some lively, supple tannins popped up, a very good sign considering how soft the wine showed at first. It was brighter but not as interesting the next day.  $10.50? Wow. Do not confuse this with the regular version--this is the Old Vines. It loses some points because I pretty much think this is a "drink now" wine that will not tolerate much cellaring, but for drinking now it will provide even more fun than the score indicates. 90 points. NB: other bottles have not shown nearly as well, much closer to 86-87 points, with many noting that the wine seems to fall off the table fast when open. The importer has admitted bottle variations and inconsistencies. At the price--still a good deal, but not a wonder wine every time.

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