Crios by Susana Balbo
2007 Rose of Malbec
Mendoza Argentina

The 2007 Rose of Malbec is medium pink with an expressive bouquet of strawberry and cherry. The wine is medium-bodied with lots of glycerin giving the wine a smooth palate feel. Dry in style, the wine has rich flavors, excellent acidity, and a lengthy finish. Drink this remarkably food-friendly wine over the next 1-2 years.

Pavilion
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Vivid ripe blackberry, blueberry and plum notes are intense and flavorful, with cedar, tobacco and savory notes and polished tannins. Drink now.

MacMurry Ranch
2006 Pinot Gris
Sonoma Coast

Succulent and crisp; those two words are what you want in a California Pinot Gris, and you get them here. The pear, pineapple, peach and fig flavors are balanced with refreshing acidity, while a touch of oak and sur lie aging adds accents of smoke and creamy vanilla.. An Editors' Choice Award.

Mas des Bressades
2005 Cabernet/Syrah
Languedoc Roussillon

The 2005 VdP Gard Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah possesses plenty of black fruit, licorice, mint, and earth characteristics offered in a medium to full-bodied, richly fruity style. It should age nicely for 5-6 years.

Peter Lehmann
2005 Shiraz
Barossa Valley

Round and generous. A lively mouthful of cherry, tobacco and earthy spice flavors, lingering impressively on the focused finish. A tinge of savory beet adds interest. A Wine Spectator Smart Buy.

Bodegas Mano a Mano
2005 Venta La Ossa
La Mancha Spain

Opaque violet. Sexy, oak-spiced cherry and cassis aromas offer an array of Asian spices, vanilla and mocha. Suave dark fruit liqueur flavors are velvety and seemingly tannin-free. Gains focus on the sappy, sweet finish. Oaky, yes, but also packed with concentrated fruit.

Louis Claude Desvignes
2005 Morgon Cote du Py
Beaujolais

Vivid red. Bright, high-pitched red fruit aromas with zesty mineral and spice accents. Pure and energetic, with crisp wild strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb flavors, a hint of cracked pepper and a deeper graphite quality. Impressively fresh and packed with red fruit on the long, penetrating finish. I marginally prefer this to the Javernieres, which is a denser, more powerful wine right now.

Allegrini
2004 Palazzo Della Torre
Veneto

 It reveals a plump, juicy personality loaded with perfumed, jammy fruit, roasted coffee beans and new leather. Although it is absolutely irresistible today, a few additional months of bottle age should help soften the wine further. It is a gorgeous effort at this level and a terrific value.

Vina Godeval
2006 Godeval
Valdeorras Spain

Greenish gold. Spicy quince and pear aromas are deepened by smoky lees and sharpened by white pepper and ginger. Very dry, with sharply focused citrus and green apple flavors and slow-mounting spice character. Picks up an earthy tarragon quality on the long, sappy finish. This is drinking wonderfully.

Faiveley
2005 Bourgogne Chardonnay
Burgundy

Outstandingly rich, ripe nose given the price; scents of luscious peach, baked banana and butter. Beautifully textured flavors of stone fruit and lots of butter. Caramel in the finish.

Adriano Marco & Vittorio
2006 Sauvignon Blanc Langhe
Piedmont Italy

A very well-perfumed Sauvignon Blanc with aromas of lemon and smoke, somewhat reminiscent of a well made Gavi di Gavi. Properly fruited with nice mineral flavors ending long, fresh and abundantly clean.

Vina Nora
2006 Albarino
Rias Baixas Rias Spain

Green-gold color. Impressively aromatic nose features fresh pear, honeysuckle and mineral scents. Brisk, sharply focused orchard fruit flavors pick up sweeter melon and peach notes on the long, sappy finish. I like this wine's delicate touch.

Schiavenza
2004 Barbera d'Alba
Piedmont

Nice aromas of berries and fresh flowers. Soft and fruity with a slight hint of chocolate. Finishes fresh and clean with mild tannins. Highly enjoyable.

Charles Cimicky
2005 Trumps Shiraz
Barossa Valley

The 2005 Shiraz Trumps (100% Shiraz from 10- to 60-year-old vines aged 16 months in used American wood) is one of the great values in South Australian Shiraz. This super-intense, mouth-staining, and mouth-filling cuvee is all about gorgeously pure black fruits kissed with sweet oak presented in a full-bodied, beautiful, multilayered, textural, hedonistic style. Consume it over the next 3-4 years.

Yasa
2006 Macabeo Old Vines
Calatyud Spain

Pale yellow. Spicy yellow plum and pear aromas are brightened by zesty minerals and quinine. Sweet pear and white peach flavors are perked up by spicy white pepper. Refreshing, precise and easy to drink; this has striking complexity and depth for the price.

Piping Shrike
2005 Shiraz
Barossa Valley

Winemaker Charles Cimicky has fashioned a terrific value from 100% Shiraz aged in American hogshead and smaller French barrels. It is another examples of what can be acheived by top quality winemaking in the Barossa's finest viticultural areas. The 05' Shiraz exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with superb blackberry, spice box, pepper, and cedar characteristics. Full-bodied, opulent, and fleshy, this hedonistic offering should be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years.

MezzaCorona
2005 Reserve Pinot Grigio
Trentino Italy

Here's a Pinot that will surprise you, 60% of the juice is barrel fermented in 1-2 years old barrels. It picks up some vanillin richness and elegance not normally found in Pinot Grigio. Very good fruit and well-balanced. Highly Enjoyable.

Verget
2006 Saint Veran
Burgundy

Pale gold. Sexy, strongly floral bouquet of tangerine, pear chalky minerals and fresh flowers. Racy lime and green apple flavors are sharply focused and complemented by subtle minerality, which extends through the long, spicy finish. No excess fat on this one.

Cellars Can Blau
2006 Proprietary Blend
Monstant Spain

The 2006 Can Blau is one of the finest values in the marketplace. Composed of 40% Carinena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha, this purple-colored wine has great aromatics for the price point. It offers up smoke, pain grille, pencil lead, scorched earth, blueberry, black cherry, and blackberry. Balanced, round, and ripe on the palate, the wine already reveals some complexity and enough structure to blossom for another 2-3 years. Drink this lengthy effort over the next 6-8 years.

Honig
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley

Restaurateurs will be interested in this wine for its food-friendliness and price. All stainless-steel fermented, it's totally dry and very crisp in acidity, with complex lemongrass, gooseberry and vanilla flavors, and a pink grapefruit finish. It's the kind of wine that will go well with almost everything. Great wine, great value.

Maso Canali
2007 Pinot Grigio
Trentino Italy

Maso Canali uses the Passitio method of rack-drying a small portion of the grapes to add complexity and flavor to the wine. Maso offers apricot aromas, with  enticing flavors of peach and pear leading into a clean finish. Winery notes.

Bodegas Naia
2006 White Blend
Rueda Spain

A creamy texture carries orange, guava, almond and light vanilla flavors in this polished white, which has lively acidity and wears its weight with grace. Verdejo. Drink now through 2010. A Wine Spectator Smart Buy.

Dehesa de Rubiales
2004 Olaia
Vines de la Tierra, Spain

A unique blend of 50% Prieto Picudo, 45% Tempranillo & 5% Merlot. Starting out from an outstanding vintage, this blend offers up smoky aromas and flavors, along with blackfruit, cassis and a bit of vanillin oak character. Excellent Value.

Pra
2006 Soave Classico
Veneto Italy

Pra's 2006 Soave Classico offers a honeyed core of sweet fruit with excellent length and an attractive note of smokiness that gives the wine a sense of proportion and balance. It is a terrific value.

Valentin Bianchi
2003 Malbec Famiglia
Mendoza Argentina

Fleshy, fruit-driven version, with creamy layers of blackberry, fig and plum. Plenty of toast and cocoa here too, lending a slightly firm feel to the finish, but still lots of fruit. Drink now through 2007.

Gramona
2005 Gessami Blanco
Penedas Spain

Bright yellow. Zesty, floral aromas of bright peach, pear and mineral-no surprise, as this is 30% each of Muscat d' Alexandrie, Muscat de Frontignan and Sauvignon Blanc, with 10% Gewurtz. Dry and fresh on the palate, bright stony tone adding verve to the brisk pear and peach flavors. Finishes with good length and a lingering note of candied citrus peel.

Hare's Chase
2004 Red Blend
Barossa Valley

Hare’s Chase is a reliable producer of Australian reds. Their value-priced 2004 Red Blend (70% Shiraz, 16% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and tiny amounts of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon) offers a dark ruby/purple color as well as aromas of cherries, black currants, and flowers, a graceful entry on the palate, no hard edges, lush fruit, surprising elegance (a characteristic of the finest 2004s), admirable freshness and purity, a layered mouthfeel, and medium-bodied flavors.

Torbreck
2007 Woodcutters Semillon
Barossa Valley

TAlthough not typically lemony, this wine exhibits more complex aromas of smoked almonds and honeysuckle as well as buttery textures from the natural malolactic fermentation. The palate displays a spicy mineral flintiness with exotic fruit flavors. Winemaker's notes.

List Price: $17.99 Sale Price: $ 14.99

W2B - 89

Bodega Hidalgo
2001 Arviza Crianza
Rioja Spain

The 2001 Hidalgo-Arviza Crianza is medium ruby-colored with an attractive perfume of earth, cedar, tobacco and red currants. Medium-bodied, on the palate it is seamless with intense cherry and red currant flavors, and considerable elegance. This excellent value can be enjoyed now but its impeccable balance suggests that it will have substantial staying power of at least a decade.

Domaine Ligneres
2002 Aric
Corbieres France

Lush, with a silky texture. Shows vibrant red cherry, spice and red berry flavors, which finish with chocolate and hints of vanilla. Very refined, structured and still quite fresh. Carignane, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Drink now through 2012.

Winner's Tank
2006 Shiraz
Langhorne Creek Australia

The 2006 Winner’s Tank Shiraz is a perennial Best Buy. It spent 9 months in tank with French oak staves. Purple-colored, it has a wonderfully expressive perfume of plum, black cherry, and blueberry compote. This leads to a full-bodied, seamless, rich wine with a long, pure finish. This is an ideal, every-day wine worth buying by the case. It is an awesome value.

Kaesler
2006 Semillon Old Vines
Barossa Valley

Bright straw. High-pitched mineral- and fresh grass-accented citrus aromas are reminiscent of Sancerre. Lively lemon/lime and green apple flavors are precise and concentrated, with lipsmacking acidity carrying through the finish. Impressive for its balance of power and precise citrus and mineral flavors.

Gordon Brothers
2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Columbia Valley

Firm and detailed, this light on its feet Sauvignon Blanc has a wonderful spiciness, as if it's been dappled with sweet pepper. The friut is just ripe enough to capture the grassy sweetness of the grape, and it holds itself together well into a long and satisfying finish. Elegant and beautifully proportioned, this is a real pleasure to sip.

Silverado Vineyards
2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley

Bright, brilliant green-yellow; with aromas of mineral, flint, grapefruit, tangerine and fresh green apple; crisp on the palate with flavors of citrus and white fig; very fruity with a firm lingering finish through the finish.

Domaine Ehrhart
2005 Pinot Gris Im Berg
Vin D'Alsace

If you're looking for a full & rich tasting Pinot Gris, here it is! It's well-balanced between acid/sugar to let you enjoy its high-lighted spiciness. A bargain at this price.

Ferrari-Carano
2006 Fume Blanc
Sonoma County

This attractive Fume exhibits a nicely proportioned blend of figs, melons and fresh grasses, and seasons that mix with a touch of sweet oak. Medium-full-bodied and slightly fleshy in feel, it has a little more "juiciness" about it than a good many of the wines in this month's pool of contenders, and, even if a touch tangy right at the end, it is a solid success whose acidy snap makes it a good foil to creamy sauces.

Perez Cruz
2004 Malbec Reserva Limited Edition
Maipo Valley

The force of the place emerges here before the varietal character: Its upfront menthol aroma is a marker for Alto Maipo, then the bright cherry and violet flavors of Malbec appear, offering fruitier and more seductive angle to the wine. For pasta with pesto.

Izadi
2001 Reserva Blend
Rioja Spain

Made from 75% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 10% Mazuelo. Aged for 25 months in a mix of American & French oak. The wine certainly picks up some nice vanillin character. It's a bit rustic, but at the same time it's rich & bold. If you're not in a hurry, you can lay this down for another 7-10 years.

Domaine A. Mazurd
2000 Cotes du Rhone
Southern Rhone Valley

Every once in awhile you just get lucky! This wine is simply gorgeous for the price. Beautiful aromas that are reminiscent of blue fruits, then this sweet, spice rolls around your palate with a nice touch of tobacco & pepper. It's truely an amazing value for the money.

Terlato
2006 Pinot Grigio
Russian River Valley

The fragrances of lemon blossoms and honeysuckle hit your nose as soon as you pop the cork on this seductive white wine. It’s so flavorful, so long in fruit and exotic in spices, and finishes mercifully dry. Twenty percent of barrel fermentation adds the perfect touch of creaminess. EDITORS' CHOICE.

Altanuta
2006 Pinot Grigio
Valdadige

A very fresh and exciting Pinot Grigio. Beautiful aromas that are floral, citrusy and with subtle hints of apricot. On the palate it is bright, focused and clean.

Alamos
2006 Pinot Noir Seleccion
Mendoza Argentina

Alamos Selección Pinot Noir 2006 is an elegant, delicate and complex wine. Of a red garnet color, the nose is fresh with crisp cherry and strawberry flavors interwoven with candied fruit aromas and spice. Oak aging adds subtle vanilla and liqueur notes. On the palate, an initial sweetness leads to a complex, unctuous, light-structured wine, with soft, round tannins and a long, persistent finish. Winemaker notes.

Argiolas Costera
2006 Red IGT
Sardinia Italy

The 2006 Costera Isola dei Nuraghi (100% Cannonau) is another knock-out effort from Argiolas. It reveals masses of super-ripe fruit bacon fat and licorice flavors. Today the fruit remains enshrouded in a wall of tannins so a year or two of further bottle age is called for, but this is a magnificent wine especially at this level. Cannonau is believed to be a descendant of Grenache and this wine will especially appeal to readers who enjoy the flavor profile of wines from the Southern Rhone.

Bodegas Castano
1999 Solanera
Monastrell Spain

This spectacular, opaque black/purple-colored, seamless, fabulously concentrated offering is deep and chewy, with glorious quantities of earthy black cherry/blackberry fruit, full body, velvety, sweet tannin, and a mouthcoating, long, concentrated finish with no hard edges. The oak has been totally absorbed by the wine's wealth of fruit. It is an astonishing value. Consume it over the next decade.

Tapestry
2005 Chardonnay
McLaren Vale

This is a lush, richly textured Chardonnay that showcases ripe peach and melon wrapped in a soft cocoon of vanilla and buttered toast. Yes, the  wine woody, but the fruit matches the oak's intensity. Ends long, marked by dried spice nuances.

Finca Luzon
2005 Altos de Luzon
Jumilla Spain

50% monastrell and 25% each of cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo) Dark red. Suave, oak-spiced cherry and cassis on the nose, with a gentle vanilla undertone. Sweet dark fruit flavors are round and supple, with soft tannins building on the back. Picks up a spicy quality on the long, juicy finish. The fruit and oak work very well together.

Rizzi
2006 Dolcetto
Piedmont Italy

The grapes for this wine are grown in the prestigious Fondetta vineyard within the Rizzi Cru. No wood is used in the production of this wine to retain the true character of the fruit. Fresh and fragrant, it has soft tannins and a pleasant hint of almond in the finish. Dolcetto is a great everyday wine that is suite for both meat and fish dishes. Importer's notes.

Domaine du Poujol
2003 Proteus
Languedoc-Roussillon

Refined and structured, with pure-tasting red cherry, rose petal and mineral flavors. This shows real finesse and style, with a lingering finish of spice and baker's chocolate. Drink now through 2007. Only 850 cases imported.

Bodegas Ramirez de la Piscina Crianza
2001 Tempranillo
Rioja

Medium-deep red. Musky aromas of plum, currant, tobacco and earth, complicated by smoky oak and a flinty nuance. Dense, ripe and sappy, with slightly peppery flavors of currant and chocolate. Finishes with good length and sap. This bodega is now using higher-quality fresher oak barrels.

MezzaCorona
2003 Teroldego Riserva
Trentino

Very floral and minerally on the nose, with a hint of black grape. Medium-bodied, with firm, fruit-coated tannins and a slightly raw feel to the finish. Good value. Best after 2007.

Handley
2006 Pinot Gris
Anderson Valley

There's a coastal freshness to this wine's luscious fruit, and that freshness lasts. Plump and delicious when first poured, the citrus and nectarine flavors deepen and feel more structured the next day. It  has the mouthwatering effect of a bite of crisp cucumber, with the textural roundness for fleshy fish, like roast halibut.

Cleto Chiarli
nv Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro
Villa Cialdini 

The absolute perfect aperitif; light and delicate with only 11% alcohol. This is a single estate DOC Lambrusco which was awarded 2 glasses by Gambero Rosso . A generous fragrant bouquet of blackberry and blueberry fruit in particular introduces a juicy palate and a well-judged, enjoyably, dry and smooth finish.

Dashwood
2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough New Zealand

This Sauvignon Blanc bears an intriguing range of green scents, from kiwi to fennel and shiso. Both lush and fresh, it's a generously textured white for yellowtail sashimi.

Rei Brigo
2005 Albarino
Rias Baixas

This is  fresh and clean. Very aromatic with nice tropical scents of pineapple and also quite floral on the nose. The fruit and acid balance are right in line. One of the most perfect seafood wines.

Bodegas Nekeas Vega Sindoa
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo
Navarra Spain

60/40 blend. Deep ruby. Smoky cherry and cassis scents are complicated by musky underbrush, pepper and iron; this smells like a Graves. Deep, vivid flavors of redcurrant, cherry and licorice are  nicely supported by suave tannins. Finishes with expansive, strikingly fresh cherry flavor and impressive length. This would be a great ringer in a flight of $50 Cabernets.

Terra Andina
2006 Carmenere Reserva
Rapel Valley Chile

Dark and deep red. Complex with grilled red pepper, raspberry and blackberry fruit, dried plums mingled with tobacco and mocha. Velvety texture with soft and voluptuous tannins in a nicely integrated finish. Winemaker's notes.

Fattoria Lucignano
2005 Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Tuscany

Medium intensity ruby red.  The nose on this wine is intense, overflowing with fruity aromas of black cherry and violets. Soft and medium bodied on the palate it balances rather present tannins with moderate acidity.  An ideal accompaniment to pasta dishes, medium aged cheese. Winemaker's notes.

Mulderbosch
2005 Chenin Blanc
Stellenbosch South Africa

Bold and spicy, with ginger and graham cracker on the nose, followed by notes of brioche, mineral, lemon zest and chamomile. The long finish shows great cut. Drink now through 2008.

Bodegas Muga
2006 Rioja Blanc0
Rioja Spain

Light yellow. Leesy apple and pear on the nose, with a zesty white pepper topnote. Sappy orchard fruit flavors are braced by firm acidity and finish with notes of dried nuts and peach pit. This distinctly stony white is a good aperitif call.

Felsina
2005 Chianti Classico
Tuscany

Alluring nose of violets and rose petals with a whiff of talcum powder. Ripe blackberry flavors balanced by vibrant acidity and firm tannins that close on a smoky black pepper note.

Domaine du Joncier
2004 Lirac
Southern Rhone Valley

Lirac, which sits on the right bank of the Rhone Valley is comprised of the same blend that goes into most Chateauneuf du Pape; Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The nose is jammed packed with raspberries and strawberries. The wine is so rich and full on the palate that you can't help but to have a second glass.

Layer Cake
2007 Malbec
Mendoza Argentina

The wine has a dense, purple core with a brilliant red rim. Black fruit is abundant in the nose followed closely by anise, chocolate and very pleasant touches of spice. Soft, lush and fragrant, Layer Cake Malbec is an intense mouthful of fruit-driven wine, finishing with very soft tannins. Winery notes.

Ballentine Vineyards
2007 Chenin Blanc Old Vines
Pocai Vineyard Napa Valley

The Pocai Vineyard dates back to 1906, a gravelly site on the west side of the Silverado Trail near Calistoga. The Chenin that grows here has a distinctly mineral character in 2007, layered with flavors of lemon cream and apple. It finishes pithy and tart, a match for spicy green papaya salad.

Catena
2006 Chardonnay
Mendoza Argentina

Yellow with a gold tinge. Deeply pitched aromas of stone fruits, spices, honey, flowers, dusty stone and toasty oak; showed a note of apricot candy with aeration. Rich, ripe flavors of peach, apricot and sexy oak spices show a lovely sweetness. More viscous than the Alamos chardonnay but kept fresh by strong acidity. This silky, very concentrated wine finishes with an impressively persistent flavor of ripe apricot. Catena continues to be in a class of its own for chardonnay in Argentina.

Bodegas Juan Gil
2005 Juan Gil
Jumilla Spain

An expressive red, with blackberry, kirsch, chocolate and cola flavors in a plush texture. A modern style, but notes of game and leather keep this grounded. Monastrell. Drink now through 2011. Only 1,000 cases made.

Chateau Ste. Michelle
2006 Chardonnay
Indian Wells District Columbia Valley

The warmth of the Wahluke Slope consistently produces Chardonnays with an appealing tropical fruit character. The 2006 bottling delivers pineapple, butterscotch, and vanilla aromas with notes of brown sugar and spice. The Indian Wells Chardonnay is soft and rich yet maintains a beautiful elegance. I like this wine with scallops, scampi or pasta with slightly richer sauces. Winemaker's notes.

iL Brecciarolo
2002 Rosso Piceno
Marche Italy

The “Superiore” on this label means the wine is required to have at least 1 year of oak aging. Composed of 60% Sangiovese & 40% Montepulciano. Lots of aromas and flavors of bright cherries, dried fruit, raisins and prunes. Highly enjoyable and will get better with time.

Villa de Ontur
2006 Monastrell
Jumilla

Enticing aromas of raspberry jam arouse your sense of smell. It has juicy flavors of red berries and dark fruits with a hint of mineral. There's simply no tannins here to get in the way. Finishes clean and fresh.

Leeuwin Estate
2002 Siblings Shiraz
Margaret River Australia

Leeuwin's Siblings Shiraz is a intended to be ready on release. But instead of creating the kind of simple, jammy Shiraz in vogue at the moment, winemaker Paul Atwood focused on the refinement and red-fruited complexity Margaret River can bring to the grape. This is subtle and evolved, with luscious raspberry and strawberry flavors and the mineral acidity of Shiraz that transforms alcohol into white pepper spice.

Dante Rivetti
2005 Barbera d'Alba Mara
Piedmont

This Barbera d'Alba is more toward the medium to full-bodied style. The fruit is very fresh with raspberries and the acidity is quite lively. Very appealing and a lot of Barbera here for the money.