Chateau Mouton Rothschild
1982 Bordeaux Blend
Pauillac

This wine remains one of the legends of Bordeaux. It has thrown off the backward, youthful style that existed during its first 25 years of life, and over the last 4-5 years has developed such secondary nuances as cedar and spice box. The creme de cassis, underlying floral note, full-bodied power, extraordinary purity, multilayered texture, and finish of over a minute are a showcase for what this Chateau accomplished in 1982. The wine is still amazingly youthful, vibrant, and pure. It appears capable of remaining fruity and vibrant in 2082! Thank God it is beginning to budge, as I would like to drink most of my supply before I kick the bucket. This is a great, still youthful wine, and, on occasion, one does understand the hierarchy of Bordeaux chateaux when you see the complexity and brilliance of this first-growth. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.

Chateau L'Evangile
2005 Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol

Dark in color, almost purple black, with pure tapenade and hints of ripe plum and berry. Full-bodied, with layer upon layer of velvety tannins and chocolate, berry, vanilla and tea flavors. Lasts for minutes. I am blown away by this wine. This has been amazing since the moment I tasted it from barrel. Reminds me of the superb 1950. Best after 2015.

Colgin
2006 IX Proprietary Red Estate
Napa Valley

From the Pritchard Hill Vineyard, the 2006 IX Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The good news is that there are 1,500 cases of this cuvee. It, too, reveals the noble sweetness of tannin, the extraordinary rich, intense mouthfeel, and sumptuous aromas of flowers, burning embers, blackberries, blueberries, spice box, and cedar. With extraordinary intensity, beautiful purity, a texture and flavors that build incrementally on the palate, and a significantly long finish, this is a perfect wine.

Charles Smith
2008 Royal City Syrah
Washington State

The 2008 Royal City Syrah was sourced from the Stoneridge Vineyard. It displays a soaring perfume of sandalwood, garrigue, lavender, smoke, bacon, game, blueberry, and black raspberry. Super-concentrated, it deftly marries power and elegance in a seamless wine that should see its 20th birthday in peak form. 
 

Aubert
2009 Chardonnay
Lauren Vineyard Sonoma Coast

When I am tasting with Mark Aubert, it always seems to be that his personal favorite is the Lauren Vineyard. Another blockbuster, the 2009 Chardonnay Lauren Vineyard is slightly less dense and lower in alcohol than the 2008. Its straw/green color is followed by crisp aromas of apple butter, lemon oil, orange blossoms, brioche and a subtle hint of smoke. The remarkable characteristic in all these Chardonnays is how little influence their 100% new French oak aging has had in their aromatic and flavor profiles. This 2009 should drink well for 7-8 years. 

Quilceda Creek
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is made up of 88% Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Quilceda Creek is a partner in the vineyard), 10% Red Mountain Cabernet, and 2% Merlot from the Palengat Vineyard. As good as the Palengat cuvee is, the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon takes it to another level. A slightly brooding bouquet displays aromas of sandalwood, exotic spices, incense, violets, and wild berry notes. On the palate it has extra layers of fruit, exceptional complexity, impeccable balance, and a 60-second finish. Jay Miller.

Quilceda Creek
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is made up of 88% Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Quilceda Creek is a partner in the vineyard), 10% Red Mountain Cabernet, and 2% Merlot from the Palengat Vineyard. As good as the Palengat cuvee is, the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon takes it to another level. A slightly brooding bouquet displays aromas of sandalwood, exotic spices, incense, violets, and wild berry notes. On the palate it has extra layers of fruit, exceptional complexity, impeccable balance, and a 60-second finish. Jay Miller.  

Spottswoode
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

This opulent wine offers up loads of blue and black fruits intermixed with licorice, a hint of lead pencil shavings, and of course, the telltale floral notes that seem to be a part of this estate vineyard. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, but seamless, rather exuberant and flashy by Spottswoode’s standards, but so pure, deep, and rich, one gets the impression that if Chateau Margaux were making Cabernet Sauvignon in St. Helena, it might well taste like this. There is virtually no noticeable oak, given the extravagant richness of the wine, and the balance and elegance, combined with the sensational texture, power, and length, are awesome. This should be a historic Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 30+ years.

Saxum
2008 Red Blend 
Booker Vineyard Paso Robles

The 2008 Booker Vineyard (92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre, which had also been bottled immediately before my visit) has an opaque purple color and a wonderfully sweet nose of black cherry, black currant, licorice, incense, and some Asian spices. The wine has seamless lushness, a voluptuous texture, stunning purity, and a very long, 40-second-plus finish. Booker is another top site that I believe was planted with Justin Smith’s help. It is a 40-acre vineyard sitting on similar limestone soils. This incredible wine would probably benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, as the structure is more present, no doubt due to the high level of Syrah in the wine. It should evolve for 10-15 more years.

Nicolas Catena Zapata
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Mendoza Argentina

The flagship, the 2007 Nicolas Catena Zapata, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It delivers an enthralling aromatic array of pain grille, pencil lead, mineral, espresso, mocha, incense, lavender, black currant, black cherry, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied, powerful yet elegant effort with great depth and volume, precision balance, and a voluptuous personality (a D-cup of a wine). It conceals plenty of structure and will effortlessly evolve for 6-8 years, drinking well through 2032 if not longer.

Shirvington
2001 Shiraz 
McLaren Vale

The 2001 Shiraz may be even more momentous than the Cabernet Sauvignon. There are nearly 1,000 cases of this blockbuster, opulently-styled, black beauty. Its inky/purple color is followed by an exceptional bouquet of black fruits, espresso roast, charcoal, and smoke. With great ripeness, intensity, purity, that fabulous seamless texture the Marquis team routinely obtains, and a finish that lasts more than a minute, it should offer profound drinking for at least a decade. 

Yalumba Octavius
2001 Shiraz 
Barossa Valley

Produced from yields of 1.2 tons of fruit per acre, the 2001 Shiraz Octavius spent 20 months in both French and American oak. A blockbuster, structured Shiraz with oodles of personality/soul, it offers a sumptuous bouquet as well as flavors of chocolate, white flowers, blackberry and cassis liqueur, prunes, figs, roasted meats, and burning embers. This full-bodied, hugely extracted, monster Shiraz has amazing balance and symmetry for its large-scaled style. It needs another 1-3 years of cellaring, and should last for 12-20 years, based on the longevity of some earlier examples. For instance, a gorgeous 1994 Octavius, drunk in 2004, had a decade of life remaining. A 1966 Shiraz/Cabernet The Signature tasted next to it, was still in spectacular shape. 

Two Hands Ares
2002 Shiraz
Barossa Valley

Virtually perfect, the 2002 Shiraz Ares (100% Shiraz from an ancient Barossa vineyard) spent 8 months in old oak, and 12 months in new French wood. Inky/blue/black to the rim, with an extraordinary nose of smoked meats, camphor, blackberries, creme de cassis, and a notion of bacon fat in the background, this is great stuff. Full-bodied with a sensational texture as well as stunning purity, balance, and length (the finish lasts nearly a minute), Michael Twelftree believes it has at least 20 years of cellaring potential, and I see no reason to disagree. Like many of the finest wines of South Australia, it is accessible now.

Rudd 
2007 Oakville Estate Red
Napa Valley

The flagship wine, the 2007 Proprietary Red from Oakville is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. A prodigious effort, it boasts a dense purple color along with gorgeously complex aromatics reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of a first-growth Pauillac and a top Graves. Notes of burning embers, forest floor, creme de cassis, blackberries, espresso, and a hint of chocolate soar from the glass of this full-bodied, well-delineated, structured wine with tremendous depth and texture. This awesome red is a future legend in the making. Give it 4-5 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 30-35 years.

Taylor Fladgate 
2003 Vintage Porto
Portugal

The 2003 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port improved each time I raised it to my nose or mouth. It displays a black color and a salty, graphite-laced nose packed with sweet black fruits that is reminiscent of a stellar vintage of Chateau Latour. With air, notes of molasses, burnt sugar, spices, and jammy plums emanate from the glass. Full-bodied, hugely dense, immensely rich, as well as thick, this behemoth is also amazingly balanced and harmonious. Raisins, molasses, licorice, black cherries, plums, and a distinctive note of violets are found in its complex, seamless character. Its interminable finish reveals additional notes of chocolate, kirsch, red as well as black currants, dark cherries, and rose blossoms. Armed with exceptional power, depth, and purity, this Taylor will proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest ever crafted by the Fladgate Partnership. Projected maturity: 2035-2060. Pierre Rovani. 

Chateau Palmer 
1989 Bordeaux Blend
Margaux ( 12 pk OWC )

Fairly light color, in contrast with the darker 1990. Elegant and complex bouquet, featuring a cornucopia of scents including jammy black fruits, cedar, mild spices, camphor, toast, tobacco, leather, truffle, and eucalyptus. Elegant in the mouth as well; full-bodied, yet refined and graceful. The 1989 is in perfect balance, with soft tannins and good acidity mingling effortlessly with the fruit. Extremely long, consistent, mesmerizing finish. In a “show of hands” voting, it was the 1989 that proved to to the “Wine of the Night,” beating the 1990 by two votes. It was almost as good as the 1961! ( OWC from inception )

Finca Allende
2004 Aurus
Rioja Spain

The 2004 Aurus is not quite as large-scaled as the 2005 but makes up for it with elegance. This stylish wine has a splendid perfume of sandalwood, incense, truffle, Asian spices, lavender, and black cherry leading to an already complex, spicy, savory wine with superb volume and mouth-coating flavors. Give it another 4 years of cellaring and drink it through 2034. Collectors will discuss the merits of 2004 and 2005 for many years to come. Jay Miller.

Harlan Estate
2006 Red
Napa Valley

Intense aromas of black pepper, blueberry, blackberry, tar, and black licorice. Full bodied, with amazing length and a toned muscular character. This lasts for minutes. Like a world class ballerina. It is held back and beautiful. Please leave this alone until 2015!

Harlan Estate
2004 Red
Napa Valley

The 2004 Harlan Estate is probably the most precocious and accessible Harlan Estate that this perfectionist team has made. Already compelling, the wine has notes of roasted coffee, charcoal, blackberry, spring flowers, and some background sweet, toasty notes. Dense, fleshy, exuberant, even flamboyant by the standards of Bill Harlan, this wine exhibits no jaggedness or rough edges, has relatively high tannins, but they melt away on the palate. The wine is sensationally well-endowed, long, and rich – a tour de force in winemaking.

Saxum
2009 Red Blend
James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles

Simply put, the 2009 James Berry Vineyard is one of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted from California, or anywhere for that matter. Bright, floral aromatics lead to expressive red fruit in this impossibly elegant, dazzling wine. A melange of rose petals, mint and licorice follows as the James Berry shows off its breathtaking clarity and finesse. Fine-grained, chalky tannins frame the exceptional finish. Frankly, I am surprised this is the first wine of the tasting. Where does one go from here? Antonio Galloni.

Saxum
2008 Red Blend
James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles

Dense purple, with sweet notes of barbecue smoke and meats as well as roasted herbs, extravagant black cherry, black currant, and blackberry fruit are all present in this wine, but there is plenty of underlying structure that comes from both the minerality and the Mourvedre component. Pure, full-bodied, but again, impressively elegant and nuanced, this is a tour de force and another prodigious example of this extraordinary vineyard site.

Araujo
1995 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley

I believe the 1995 is the finest produced under the Araujo regime. It is close to perfection. The wine combines extraordinary power and richness with remarkable complexity and finesse. The saturated purple/black color is followed by aromas of sweet vanillin intermixed with riveting scents of black currants, minerals, exotic spices, coffee, and toast. There is nothing garish about this subtle yet powerful giant of a wine. A Napa Valley classic, it is full-bodied and extremely rich, yet retains its sense of balance and symmetry. This fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon should age effortlessly for 30 or more years. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.

RP  98

( 1.5 lt ) Sale Price: $678.99

Chateau Petrus
2008 Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol

Hundred Acre
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Ark Vineyard Howell Mountain Napa Valley ( 3 pk OWC )

Joseph Phelps
2008 Insignia
Napa Valley

The blend of the 2008 Insignia, 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot, is not terribly different from the 2007. However, I suspect the production will be a lot less given the frost damage in early spring. The color is an inky/purple and the wine shows lots of cassis, blueberry, graphite and floral notes, good acidity, stunning concentration and purity, and a long finish. Another great success for Phelps, the 2007 and 2008 Insignias may be the best back-to-back vintages they have produced since 1995 and 1994. The 2008 has some tannins to resolve whereas the 2007 has already assimilated them. It appears the 2008 will require 2-3 years of bottle age, but should last for three decades. 

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
1986 Bordeaux Blend
Pessac Leognan ( 6 pk OWC 1.5 lt )

An extremely impressive, yet slightly hard wine; still closed, but could be as great as the 1952. Dark ruby in color and very aromatic, with a rich cherry aromas. Full-bodied, with full tannins and plenty of fruit, yet very closed and tight on the finish.--La Mission-Haut-Brion vertical. Best from 1998 through 2000. OWC from inception. 

Clinet
1990 Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol

A sensational effort, and one of the two finest Clinets made before the 2008, this prodigious wine made by the late Jean-Michel Arcaute has always been a sprinter out of the gate. Even at age 19, it continues to strut its stuff. A dense blue/garnet/purple hue exhibits slight lightening at the edge, and the gorgeous nose offers up aromas of sweet blueberries, licorice, smoke, acacia flowers, and camphor. Full-bodied with silky tannins, low acidity, and terrific purity, this 1990 has hit its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for another decade. 

Pichon-Longueville Baron
1990 Bordeaux Blend
Pauillac

A remarkable vintage for Pichon Longueville Baron, 1990 is one of this estate’s two or three finest wines made in the last 40 years. Still inky/blue/purple-tinged to the rim, it reveals an extraordinary bouquet of charcoal, incense, creme de cassis, blue and black fruits, and a hint of licorice as well as an impressively long finish. While drinkable, its evolution is extremely slow, and I would not be surprised to see it last another two decades or more.

Louis Roederer
2004 Cristal
Champagne

The 2004 Brut Cristal has put on quite a bit of weight since I first tasted it earlier this year. It is a powerful, structured Cristal layered with considerable fruit. Chardonnay seems to play the leading role in 2004, at least today. Cristal is often accessible young, but that is far from the case here. This is a serious, painfully young Cristal that will require considerable patience. Readers who are willing to spend some time with the wine today will find a super-impressive, complete Cristal. The 2004 Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Antonio Galloni. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )

Ridge
2008 Monte Bello
Santa Cruz Mountains

The 2008 Monte Bello is striking. It is a decidedly muscular Monte Bello endowed with layers of dark fruit. Tobacco, mint, asphalt and crushed rocks develop in the glass, adding tons of complexity and finesse. A long, saline finish rounds things out beautifully. In 2008 the cold growing season stretched into October and the wine definitely has the feel of a cool vintage. The spring frost and the second year of drought conditions lowered yields significantly. Yields were just 1.25 tons per acre on average, but some of the older vineyards came in at less than 1 ton per acre. The balance of fruit, tannin and structure is simply extraordinary, but the wine needs time, most likely lots of it. In 2008 the blend is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. Antonio Galloni. ( 3 bottle minimum purchase ) 

Antinori
2007 Guado al Tasso
Tuscany

Guado al Tasso is a wine that will make you fall uncontrollably in love with Italy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are expertly blended to produce amazing intensity, purity and texture. You’ll appreciate aromas of mineral, ripe fruit, leather, tobacco and chocolate.
 

Kongsgaard
2008 The Judge Chardonnay
Napa Valley

The 2008 Chardonnay The Judge is exquisite. Full-bodied with layer upon layer of ripe stone fruits, crushed rocks, and floral notes, it is a honeyed, super-rich Chardonnay displaying a hint of tropical fruits in the long, 40-second finish (a remarkable length for a Chardonnay). This brilliant effort should last for 8-10 years.

Spottswoode
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

A beautiful Cabernet nose with masses of black currants and sun baked stones. Full bodied, with heavy tannins and a big complex structure. The long finish rounds out this sleeping giant. Six to eight years from now this will be very ready to go. Pull the cork in 2018.

Elderton
2005 Command Shiraz
Barossa Valley

La Massa
2007 Giorgio Primo
Tuscany 

Torbreck
2005 Descendant
Barossa Valley

Torbreck
2005 The Factor Shiraz
Barossa Valley

Quilceda Creek
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Galitzine Vineyard Columbia Valley

Chateau Guiraud
2005 Sauternes
Bordeaux

Sequana
2007 Pinot Noir
Sundawg Ridge Green Valley

Beringer Private Reserve
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon 
Napa Valley

Napa Angel
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Aurelio's Selection
Napa Valley

From Chilean winemaker, Aurelio Montes,  this 100% Cabernet shows massively concentrated flavors of ripe blackberries and cassis, with richer notes of dark chocolate, anise, spices and smoky cedar. What an amazing tannin structure, intricate, fine and complex. A wine to drink now for sheer opulence or to age for at least a dozen years.

La Serena
2006 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

Beautifully perfumed, this red features rose, peony, black currant, tar and licorice aromas and flavors. This is ripe and dense, with well-integrated tannins and acidity that funnel the fruit and savory notes into a long aftertaste. Complex and intense. Best from 2013 through 2026. 1,600 cases made.

Dalla Valle
2008 Maya
Napa Valley

The 2008 Maya boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of blue, black and red fruits, crushed rock, spice box, licorice and subtle wood. Full-bodied, multilayered, pure and deep, this is a striking, seamless wine with flawless balance and great concentration as well as length. Multiple dimensions, incremental richness and a 45-second finish suggest this beauty is one of the top wines of the vintage.

Chateau de Beaucastel
2009 Chateauneuf du Pape
Southern Rhone Valley

One of the more endowed 2009s, this is packed with dark smoldering cocoa, mesquite, tobacco and roasted fig notes, all inlaid with pure cassis and plum preserves fruit flavors. Long and authoritative on the finish, with singed vanilla bean and tar adding length and dimension. Best from 2015 through 2026.

Tensley
2009 Syrah
Colson Canyon Vineyard Santa Barbara County

Deep purple color and intense extraction are what come to mind when looking at a glass of 2009 Colson Canyon Syrah. Once you taste it, it does not disappoint. Sunny, warm days and cool nights have given this wine an extraordinary concentration of blackberries and black stone fruit. Low yields and stressing the vines by watering as little as possible has filled this wine with firm but round tannins leading to a lush mouthfeel and long finish. Notes of bittersweet chocolate and smoked meats add to the layers of flavor in this deeply complex wine. Enjoy The Colson now (with some decanting) or enjoy with any red meat or big pasta dish for 10 to 15 years. Winery notes.

 

QPR  96

Sale Price: $32.99

Futo
2005 Red Blend
Oakville Napa Valley ( 3 pk OWC )

Smooth, rich and generous, showing plush, supple, deeply concentrated currant, blackberry and wild berry flavors, with savory herb, cedary oak, mineral and pebble notes. Impressive for its combination focus, depth, purity of flavor and finesse. Drink now through 2014. Only 500 cases made. 

Pahlmeyer
2007 Red 
Napa Valley

The sensational 2007 Proprietary Red Wine (a 7,000-case blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) is slightly more restrained aromatically than the Merlot, but there is no doubting its extraordinary bouquet of subtle smoked meats, oak, mountain wild flowers, blueberries, blackberries, coffee, and cassis. Super-rich and full-bodied with noticeable, but stunningly sweet tannins, it possesses a rare minerality and definition, characteristics that seem to be found across the board in Napa’s 2007s. This dense, powerful red needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and should have 25 years of life ahead of it.

Pahlmeyer
2007 Red 
Napa Valley

The sensational 2007 Proprietary Red Wine (a 7,000-case blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) is slightly more restrained aromatically than the Merlot, but there is no doubting its extraordinary bouquet of subtle smoked meats, oak, mountain wild flowers, blueberries, blackberries, coffee, and cassis. Super-rich and full-bodied with noticeable, but stunningly sweet tannins, it possesses a rare minerality and definition, characteristics that seem to be found across the board in Napa’s 2007s. This dense, powerful red needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and should have 25 years of life ahead of it.

Michele Castellani
2005 Amarone Classico Cinque Stelle
Veneto

Dense, with concentrated, balanced aromas of prune, date and polished oak. Full and compact, delivering layers of ripe fruit and fine, soft tannins that give a light pull on the long, long finish. A super Amarone, with elegance and length. Like cashmere. Drink now through 2012. Only 1,200 cases made. 

Merus
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Rich and concentrated, with a generous mix of currant, blackberry, wild berry and mocha-laced oak. Intense, yet avoids being heavy, turning sleek and elegant. Deftly balanced and tightly focused, with a complex, lingering finish that ends with hints of herb and black olive. Drink now through 2015. Only 875 cases made.

iL Paradiso di Frassina
2006 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

I love the decadence and richness here with dark fruits, meat and very ripe plums. Full bodied, with a dense and beautiful palate. Ripe black cherries, with flowers. Such pure fruit. Powerful tannins, yet polished and elegant. Beautiful length. Give it three to four years of bottle age. This is phenomenal and made from organic grapes James Suckling.

JS  96

Sale Price: $59.99

Clos Mogador
2008 Red Blend
Priorat Spain

The red wines begin with the flagship 2008 Clos Mogador. It is made up of 40% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Dense purple in color, it sports an expansive bouquet of liquid minerality, wood smoke, game, Asian spices, truffle, and blackberry. Opulent on the palate with layered fruit and precision balance, this loaded Priorat provides a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2023. Jay Miller.
 

RP  96

Sale Price: $69.99

Neely
2009 Chardonnay Holly's Cuvee
Santa Cruz Mountains

An exuberant, full-throttle Chardonnay from the same winemaking team that makes the Varner wines, Neely’s 2009 Chardonnay Holly’s Cuvee displays tremendous opulence along with abundant notes of lemon and orange custard, pear, and pineapple as well as a strong underlying minerality. With beautiful fruit and purity, it should drink well for 5-7 years. 

Aubert Vineyards
2009 Chardonnay
Reuling Vineyard Sonoma Coast

One of my favorite Aubert offerings that typically has a Montrachet-like character emerges from the Reuling Vineyard. Made from a suitcase clone from Burgundy’s most famous vineyard, it is an extraordinary effort. Readers looking for staggering levels of minerality and depth of flavor should check out this Chardonnay. The 2009 Chardonnay Reuling Vineyard may be the richest 2009 Aubert made. It is close in quality to the complexity and intensity of the 2009 Chardonnay UVSL. The 2009 Reuling reveals abundant notes of fruit blossoms, honeysuckle, apple skins, pears and a liqueur of crushed rocks. Superb intensity, medium to full body and a long finish make for a sensational wine.

Henry's Drive
2001 Reserve Shiraz
Padthaway Australia

Some might feel the 2001 Shiraz Reserve is too much of a good thing, but it is neither port-like, pruny, nor flat. It is simply crammed with concentrated blackberry and cassis fruit in an obvious but spectacularly textured style. It possesses considerable nuances. Loaded and thick, with low acidity and huge amounts of tannin, all concealed by lavish quantities of fruit and extract, this stunning wine can be drunk now, but should age effortlessly for 7-10 years, possibly longer. No one really knows for sure given the fact that these are young vines and moderately high tonnage.

Bond
2002 Melbury
Napa Valley

An exquisite effort, the 2002 Melbury Proprietary Red boasts a dense purple color to the rim along with a sweet perfume of acacia flowers, blueberry pie, licorice, and a hint of hot rocks. A wine of great intensity, tremendous voluptuousness and opulence, fabulous purity, low acidity, and silky tannin, this stunning 2002 can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years. 

Bond
2001 Vecina
Napa Valley

The most backward, earthy, muscular/masculine wine of the group is the 2001 Vecina. Still quite tightly knit, with loads of rugged tannins as well as distinctive notes of graphite and earth reminiscent of a St.-Estephe such as Chateau Montrose, the wine displays sweet, earthy blueberry and blackberry fruit, but then the tannins kick in. This full-bodied, massive wine needs a good 5-7 years of cellaring at the minimum, and whether it ever approaches the seamless/flawless perfection of a St. Eden or Melbury remains to be seen. 
 

Bond
2004 Vecina
Napa Valley

The 2004 Vecina shares an opaque ruby/purple color, smells of wet steel, crushed rocks, spring flowers, forest floor, and plenty of cedar and chocolatey black currant and blackberry notes. A huge, spicy, complex nose is followed by a wine of impressive ripeness, full-bodied power, and a multi-dimensional mouthfeel with huge amounts of glycerin, fruit, and thickness. This is a connoisseur’s treat, and despite the fruit-forward character of the vintage, this wine ideally needs 2-4 years of bottle age and should keep for 30-35+ years. 
 

Bond
2002 St. Eden
Napa Valley

The inky/purple-tinged 2002 St. Eden Proprietary Red reveals notes of unlit cigar tobacco, beautiful blueberry and creme de cassis fruit, and notions of licorice, spice box, and incense. It is full-bodied, with wonderful sweetness and plumpness as well as a meaty richness that cascades over the palate with a seamlessness that must be tasted to be believed. 
 

Turley Wine Cellars
2006 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard
Napa Valley

Never disappointing, and usually one of the finest Petite Syrahs made in California, the 2006 Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard once again hits on all cylinders. A blockbuster Petite Sirah, inky purple in color with a glorious nose of charcoal, black raspberry, blueberry, creme de cassis, licorice, and crushed rocks, it is very full-bodied, powerful, with sweet tannin, decent acidity, and a 45+-second finish. This is an infantile wine that will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and last 25-30+ years.

Quilceda Creek
2007 Red Blend
Palengat Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills

The 2007 Palengat Proprietary Red Wine is made up of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, with the balance Merlot and Petit Verdot. Deep purple in color, it delivers a captivating nose of olives, herbs, Asian spices, blackberry, and plum. Medium to full-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has outstanding volume and concentration, an opulent texture, and a suave personality. Already complex, it will continue to evolve with another 5-7 years of cellaring. Drink it from 2015 to 2027. Jay Miller.

MollyDooker
2005 Enchanted Path
McLaren Vale

The 2005 Enchanted Path (66% Shiraz and 34% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in primarily American oak, 60% new) is fashioned from relatively young vines. It reveals an amazing opaque purple/blue/black color (always a hallmark of Marquis wines), a full-bodied, powerful, smoky nose, extravagant layers of fruit, spice, glycerin, and extract, full body, superb intensity, tremendous richness, and a seamless personality. It is a textbook example of a southern Australian red at its richest, fullest, and most pure. For consumers with open minds and progressive palates, this amazing red should age beautifully for 10-15 years.

Fuligni
2006 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

Fuligni’s 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the stars of the vintage. Sweet floral notes weave through a core of expressive red fruit as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2006 shows incredible purity and finesse, most notably in its silky, polished tannins. This isn’t a blockbuster, but rather a wine that conquers through its sheer finesse. The wine spent 27 days on the skins. The volume and weight are influenced by the modern school, everything else is traditional all the way. The 2006 is the first vintage in which the percentage of French oak has been dropped to 25%, which has allowed the purity of the fruit to shine through to a degree that I have seldom, if ever, seen here. Rain during June naturally lowered yields and may partly explain why Fuligni’s 2006 is so phenomenal. Simply put, readers won’t want to miss this superb Brunello. Antonio Galloni. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )

Kongsgaard
2005 Roussanne/Viognier
Napa Valley

The best white Rhone Ranger made north of San Francisco is Kongsgaard’s blend of Roussanne and Viognier, a blend that he plays with and changes every year depending on what the vintage gives. The 2004 was a letdown after several thrilling vintages, but I have to say that the 2005 is possibly the best he has yet made. A 120-case blend of 63% Roussanne, and 37% Viognier, it is right up there with the great Sine Qua Non blended white from the Santa Barbara region. An unbelievably exotic nose of litchi, high class perfume, sweet apricots, and tropical fruits with hints of lilac is followed by a wine of great intensity, tremendous acidity, and a flamboyant personality.

Chateau Margaux
1983 Bordeaux Blend
Margaux ( 12 pk OWC )

The 1983 Margaux is a breathtaking wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes achieved perfect maturity in 1983, and the result is an astonishingly rich, concentrated, atypically powerful and tannic Margaux. The color is dark ruby, the aromas exude ripe cassis fruit, violets, and vanillin oakiness, and the flavors are extremely deep and long on the palate with a clean, incredibly long finish. This will certainly be a monumental wine, but it remains stubbornly backward and at least a decade away from maturity. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030.

Harlan Estate
2003 Maiden
Napa Valley

This second label of Harlan Estate comes from the estate vineyard, and shares much in common with the main wine, which is a bit more focused and concentrated. The similarities include the briary, wild herb scents of sage and thyme that complex the ripe red cherry pie filling fruit, cocoa, cola and licorice. As with the main wine, the tannins here are gorgeous. This is a balanced, harmonious wine that combines power and elegance.

Leonetti Cellar
2008 Merlot
Columbia Valley

This is 100% varietal, from the Loess, Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge, and Mill Creek Upland vineyards. A deep, intense take on Merlot, it's so dark and concentrated that it dances on the edge of bitterness, but in a style reminiscent of the finest Italian Merlots, that use that flavor to define and elucidate a dark and potent wine. In the mouth it fills out with luscious cherry and plum and blackberry fruit, baking chocolate, coconut and nougat. Yet it remains sleek and stylish, with a strong licorice note. Cellar Selection.

WE  96

*Sale Price: $64.99

Leonetti Cellar
2007 Reserve
Walla Walla Valley

The 2007 Reserve is composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc aged for 23 months in new and seasoned French oak. Deep purple colored, it displays aromas of pain grille, earth notes, espresso, violets, black currant, and blackberry. Dense and rich on the palate with restraint and elegance, this lengthy effort will reward 5-7 years of patience from those who buy it. Jay Miller.

RP  96

*Sale Price: $129.99

Robert Mondavi
2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Pure, rich and concentrated, this bold, graceful wine offers a deep core of earthy currant, blackberry and plum, with hints of herb, mocha and black licorice, giving it uncommon complexity and depth. Ends with firm tannins and a long, persistent finish. Best from 2010 through 2017.

WS  96

Sale Price: $99.99

Torrin
2008 The Maven
Paso Robles

A wine of amazing finesse and refinement, with a gorgeous purity of ripe dark fruit, showing complex plum, crème de cassis, wild berry, blackberry, blueberry, spice and black licorice notes. Full-bodied, elegant and graceful, this is seamless in texture, ending with a long, focused, detailed finish. No wonder it's so delicious. This uses Grenache from Saxum's James Berry Vineyard. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2021. Only 98 cases made.

WS  96

Sale Price: $128.99

Kaesler
2006 Shiraz Old Bastard
Barossa Valley
 

Saxum
2008 Bone Rock
James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles

The 2008 Bone Rock (84% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and the rest Grenache) exhibits a chalky minerality intermixed with floral blackberry and blueberry fruit. Some subtle spice is present in this wine, which is made with a high percentage of whole clusters, yet no stemminess is apparent. Unctuously textured, it is one of the thickest and most viscous of any of the 2008s. The wine has profound concentration yet impressive delineation and acidity in the background.

RP  96

Sale Price: $199.99

Domaine Raymond Usseglio
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale
Southern Rhone Valley

The blockbuster 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale (90% Grenache and 20% other authorized varietals) comes from a vineyard planted in 1902. Aged 80% in tank and 20% in small wood barrels, it may be the finest wine I have yet tasted from Raymond Usseglio. This exquisite offering is Burgundian-like in its floral minerality mixed with dense kirsch liqueur and garrigue notes. Full-bodied, sensationally rich, and large-scaled as well as fresh, vibrant, and precise, this sensational effort can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.

RP  96

Sale Price: $69.99

Cheval des Andes
2006 Bordeaux Blend
Mendoza Argentina

The 2006 Cheval des Andes was bottled in early 2008 but has not yet been released. The 2006 vintage is superb throughout Mendoza and this wine, as in many other bodegas I visited in April 2008, shows off the extra dimension of complexity made possible in an exceptional year. The wine is composed entirely of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a bit more saturated than the 2005 with a splendid perfume of pain grille, mineral, espresso, black cherry, and black raspberry that leaps from the glass. More opulent and layered than the 2005, it also conceals a bit more structure. The finish seems to go on and on. Drink it from 2015 to 2035. Jay Miller. 

RP  96

Sale Price: $59.98

La Ferme Du Mont
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cotes Capelan
Southern Rhone Valley

The dense ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cotes Capelan is an outrageously rich, complex wine exhibiting beautiful creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice, forest floor, and spring flower-like aromas. It is fresh, voluptuous, and opulent in the mouth, but the fresh acids and vibrancy give it exceptional precision as well as a refreshing style despite its weight, richness, and length. This is a superb, young Chateauneuf du Pape from an up-and-coming star of the appellation. Give it 1-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following two decades.

RP  96

Sale Price: $59.99

Isole e Olena
2007 Cepparello
Tuscany

The 2007 Cepparello (Sangiovese) makes a case for itself as one of the finest wines ever made at Isole e Olena.  It is an open, sublime Cepparello endowed with tons of clarity and definition. The ripe red fruit floats on a core of refined, silky tannins that caress the palate with exceptional elegance and finesse. As the wine sits in the glass its inner perfume gradually emerges, leading to an eternal, beautifully crafted finish. Antonio Galloni. ( 3 bottle minimum purchase )

RP  96

Sale Price: $53.99

Marcassin
2006 Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast

The 2006 Pinot Noir Marcassin Estate has also shut down considerably since last year. Even though it was decanted, it just began to reveal its ultimate potential. Notes of forest floor, plums, black cherries and raspberries intermixed with notions of blueberries and smoked meats are found in this dark plum/ruby/purple-tinged wine. Clos de la Roche-like, it exhibits sweet tannin and impressive depth, but as mentioned above, it has tightened up considerably over the last year and is probably best forgotten for another 1-2 years. It should provide immense pleasure over the following 10-15 years.

RP  96

Sale Price: $224.99

Marcassin
2006 Chardonnay
Sonoma Coast

As for the 2006 Chardonnay Marcassin Estate, it is a more mineral-dominated wine displaying a liqueur of crushed rocks/wet stones, pears, and subtle smoky, honeysuckle, quince, and citrus oil notes. It also possesses exceptional length and richness as well as a full-bodied mouthfeel. Given the history of the vintage and the challenging conditions for Chardonnay, I would suspect these wines will evolve quickly by Marcassin's standards, meaning they are probably best drunk in their first decade of life.

RP  96

Sale Price: $199.99

Gramercy Cellars
2009 John Lewis Syrah
Walla Walla

Even better is the 2009 Syrah John Lewis which spent 24 months in barrel. It flaunts an extra dimension of complexity in its captivating perfume. Notes of bacon, sausage, garrigue, lavender, pepper, and assorted black and blue fruits are followed by a satin-textured, suave, rich Syrah which deftly combines elegance and power. This lengthy effort may well see its 20th birthday in peak form. Jay Miller.

RP  96

Sale Price: $105.99

Araujo
1993 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley

It is a mind-boggling Cabernet Sauvignon that is remarkably well-balanced for its size and intensity. The color is an opaque purple, and the nose offers up smoky, chocolatey, blackcurrant, licorice, and mineral scents. On the palate, the wine reveals fabulous density, concentration, sweetness of fruit as well as tannin, and a 30-40 second finish. Although there is a high percentage of new oak, this wine has completely soaked it up, a testament to its extract and concentration of fruit. While the wine displays a certain precociousness, unusual for a 1993, there is plenty of tannin lurking in the finish, but it is well-concealed by the wine's exceptional richness. This beauty is destined to age effortlessly for 20-25 years.

RP  96

( 1.5 lt ) Sale Price: $799.99

Quintessa
2007 Red 
Napa Valley

There is a sense of sophistication and well-managed ripeness that seem a constant in the best Cabernets of the vintage, and both are apparent in this complex and very well-crafted wine. A nice splash of sweet oak highlights the very keen curranty fruit in its aromas and continues on as a sympathetic partner to themes of cassis and black cherries in the wine's lengthy and beautifully proportioned flavors. Ageworthy by dint of its balance rather than for forbidding astringency, this is one to hide away for at least a half dozen years and more.

CG  96

(1.5 lt) Sale Price: $199.99

Numanthia
2006 Termanthia
Toro Spain

The 2006 Termanthia is a glass-staining opaque purple color. The aromatics are a bit taciturn at the moment but with coaxing, brooding black fruits, wood smoke, pencil lead, tar, espresso, and blackberry aromas emerge. On the palate, the wine is large-scaled, dense, and nearly impenetrable. The fruit is there; it is just densely packed and tightly wound. Give it a decade in the cellar and start drinking it from 2020 through 2046. Jay Miller.

RP  96

*Sale Price: $178.99

Numanthia
2006 Termanthia
Toro Spain

The 2006 Termanthia is a glass-staining opaque purple color. The aromatics are a bit taciturn at the moment but with coaxing, brooding black fruits, wood smoke, pencil lead, tar, espresso, and blackberry aromas emerge. On the palate, the wine is large-scaled, dense, and nearly impenetrable. The fruit is there; it is just densely packed and tightly wound. Give it a decade in the cellar and start drinking it from 2020 through 2046. Jay Miller.

RP  96

( case of 4 bottles ) Sale Price: $559.96

Kapcsandy Family Winery
2007 Estate Cuvee
State Lane Vineyard Napa Valley

The 2007 Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard (a 750-case blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) boasts an inky/plum/purple color as well as a complex bouquet of melted licorice, chocolate, creme de cassis, mocha, and sweet forest floor aromas. Full-bodied and layered with exquisite purity, texture, and length, this large-scaled offering reveals a supple texture along with 20-25 years of drinkability. It is a seductive yet extraordinarily complex wine that should prove to be a future super-star.

RP  96

Sale Price: $129.99

Andrew Will
2007 Red Blend
Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard

A completely different blend from the winery’s 2006 Ciel, this reflects Chris Camarda’s growing enchantment with Cabernet Franc, which is now 45% of the blend. Most of the rest is Merlot—a Right Bank style. The concept works. It captures the sleek minerality of the site, and puts the fruit into tight, laser- like focus. The wine seems almost crystalline—sharpedged and reflective, with penetrating angles and offset flavors. Cellar Selection.

Long Shadows Pedestal
2006 Merlot
Columbia Valley

8% Cabernet Sauvignon; 4% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec. If this finely crafted wine is just a bit closed, it nonetheless delivers a fair dollop of concentrated black cherry fruit together with rooty and creme brulee richness in its layered aromas. Its slight tightness continues in the mouth, yet here the wine unbends just a touch more and offers complete and convincing proof that the depth and concentration presaged by the wine's early smells are wholly at hand. Rich, extracted, amply tannic and, yes, somewhat drying today, this one has all the pieces in place to mature handsomely over the next decade.

Bond
2004 Pluribus
Napa Valley

A rich, opulent, fleshy style, brimming with ripe black cherry, wild berry and currant flavors that are supple and well-focused, keeping the fruit well-centered and ending with ripe tannins that have a nice earthy, cedary edge. There's wonderful length on the finish. Best from 2009 through 2018. Only 630 cases made.

Chateau Montrose
1982 Bordeaux Blend
St. Estephe

Intense aromas of kirsch, currant and spice follow through to a full-bodied palate, with round, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This is complex, changing on the nose and palate. Layered and structured. Will improve for many years to come.

Catena Zapata
2006 Argentino Vineyard Malbec
Mendoza Argentina

The 2006 Malbec Argentino is a blend of the Nicasia and Adrianna Vineyards with the same elevage. As so often happens, the combination is better than either of the individual components. It is more complex aromatically, seems more opulent, has tons of flavor, and a lengthy, 60-second finish.

Saxum
2009 Broken Stones
Paso Robles

The 2009 Broken Stones is sourced from all of the estate’s vineyards, which in this vintage includes Padereweski fruit for the first time, although most of the fruit was sourced from James Berry. Today it comes across as rather tightly wound and implosive, although with air the wine’s potential becomes more evident. Dark cherries, licorice and smoke wrap around the intense finish. Floral notes add the final layers of complexity and nuance. This is another fabulous effort. In 2009 the blend is 60% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Petite Sirah and 8% Grenache. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. Antonio Galloni.

Saxum
2007 Broken Stones
Paso Robles

The 2007 Broken Stones (71% Syrah, 18% Grenache, and 11% Mourvedre) is a gorgeously seamless wine with an inky/blue/purple color, a tight but promising nose of blue and black fruits, incense, charcoal, and extraordinarily pure black raspberry and blackberry fruit, fabulous concentration in the mouth, velvety, well-integrated tannins, and a mind-bogglingly long finish. This wine will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and should keep for 15 or more.

Buccella
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from multiple fruit sources in Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, Coombsville, Oak Knoll and Carneros, was aged in 100% new French oak. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits an opaque purple color, great intensity and a sweet nose of blue and black fruits intermixed with toasty oak, lead pencil shavings and forest floor. Rich, layered and full-bodied with silky tannins, this broad, savory 2008 should drink well for 15 or more years.

RP  95

Sale Price: $124.99

Chateau Palmer
1989 Bordeaux Blend
Margaux ( 12 pk OWC )

One of the superstars of the vintage, Palmer’s 1989 retains a dark plum/purple color with some pink and a hint of amber creeping in at the rim. A big nose of charcoal, white flowers (acacia?), licorice, plums, and black currants comes from the glass of this elegant, medium to full-bodied, very concentrated, seamlessly made wine. Gorgeous and seemingly fully mature yet brilliantly balanced, this wine may well turn out to be a modern-day clone of the glorious 1953. Anticipated maturity: Now-2020. Last tasted, Last tasted, 5/02. ( OWC from inception )

RP  95

Sale Price: $289.00

Pahlmeyer
2009 Chardonnay
Napa Valley

Valdicava
2003 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

Lamborghini Campleone
2000 Red Blend
Umbria

Ravenswood
2007 Zinfandel
Teldischi Vineyard Dry Creek Valley

Full-bodied on the palate with its suppleness running to a bit of flesh, but balanced quite well, this wine tightens up and finds structure figuring prominently in its latter half. It is made in the classic, sweet berry, light spice mold of the Dry Creek Valley and is bound to entertain all but the most power hungry Zin fans. 

CG  95

Sale Price: $24.99

Araujo
1994 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley

The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is just beginning to emerge from a period of post-bottling dormancy. Like its siblings, it exhibits an impressively saturated dark purple color. This wine is intent on revealing its charms at a relatively early age given its knock-out aromatics. Although slightly less powerful than the 1993 and marginally less concentrated than the 1995, the 1994 is still a profoundly rich, silky-textured wine with an uncanny balance between its smooth tannin and layers of cassis and blackberry/mineral-tinged fruit. This wine is particularly impressive if it is first decanted for 45 or so minutes. It will age well for 15-20 years.

RP  95

( 1.5 lt ) Sale Price: $498.99

Paul Autard
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee La Cote Ronde
Southern Rhone Valley

A stunner, combining the rich currant, fig and boysenberry fruit of the vintage with the region's characteristic charred apple wood, graphite, aged tobacco and black tea notes. The long, invigorating finish is supported by riveting acidity and well-embedded grip. When power and finesse work together, it's a beautiful thing. Drink now through 2025. Only 400 cases imported.

WS  95

Sale Price: $49.99

Bond
2004 Melbury
Napa Valley

Readers looking for a fruit-forward vintage should check out the 2004 Melbury. A sensational wine with an inky bluish/purple color, fabulous blueberry and blackberry fruit with hints of lead pencil, acacia flower, pain grille, and spice, the tannins are supple and the wine exuberant, flamboyant, ripe, rich, and long. This is sensational stuff that can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years.

RP  95

Sale Price: $224.99

Colgin
2006 IX Syrah Estate
Napa Valley

An amazing Syrah, vivid, juicy and concentrated, with blackberry and wild berry fruit providing the centerpiece to this complex, full-bodied beauty, which reveals hints of mineral, spice and pebble as it unfolds, ending with firm, chunky fruit flavors.

Colgin
2007 IX Syrah Estate
Napa Valley

There are only 475 cases of the 2007 IX Syrah Estate, which offers up flowery, roasted meat, balsamic, tar, and blackberry characteristics in a full-bodied format. The wine reveals sweet tannin, and layers of fruit, including a note of lavender that emerges as the wine sits in the glass. It should drink well for a decade.

Mount Eden Vineyards
2008 Chardonnay Estate
Santa Cruz Mountains

Yet another in a line of great Chardonnays from this producer. Very rich and intense, deeply concentrated and perfumed, deliver- ing detailed flavors of white peach, honeysuckle, fig and citrus. Full-bodied, sleek and leesy, with a long lingering finish. Drink now through 2018.

Michelle Castellani
2007 Amarone Classico Cinque Stelle
Veneto

Tar and leather notes, with dense tannins, frame and focus this powerful red, which is layered with subtle hints of kirsch, coffee liqueur, dried herbs and grilled nuts. It's tightly meshed right now, but with a seamlessness that creates an overall elegant style—the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. The very long finish echoes smoke and kirsch notes. Best from 2015 through 2032. Only 500 cases made. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )

Dumol
2007 Chardonnay Isobel
Green Valley Russian River

Slightly more color is evident in the medium-straw/light gold-hued 2007 Chardonnay Isobel. It took nearly a year for this cuvee to finish its malolactic fermentation, and it reveals more roasted hazelnut, tropical fruit, honeysuckle, peach jam, and marmalade characteristics. Made from fruit grown in the Charles Heintz Vineyard (the source of terrific Chardonnays from other producers such as Williams-Selyem), DuMol’s offering possesses very good acidity, and is a candidate for a decade of aging.

Forman
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate may be one of Ric Forman's finest wines to date (keep in mind he was producing some of the great Sterling Cabernet Sauvignons of the early 1970s). The 2007 is a slightly more voluptuous, flamboyant, and exuberant version of the 2006. The color is a healthy dense purple, and the bouquet reveals plenty of creme de cassis, licorice, wood smoke, and forest floor notes, a soaring, multidimensional, velvety, full-bodied texture, and ripe tannins. The sweetness of the tannins and the wine's lush, heady texture are reminiscent of a ripe Pomerol. It will evolve over two decades.

Domaine William Fevre 
2008 Chablis 1er Vaulorent
Burgundy

Blueberry and raspberry distillate as well as fresh lime, grapefruit and crushed stone both intrigue and invigorate on the nose, impressions reinforced on a palate that combines real richness of texture as well as succulence of fruit with bright acidity, citrus rind pungency, berry skin tartness, and a depth of marine mineral nuances. Vibrantly interactive and faintly sizzling in finish, this practically takes your breath away, and should continue dazzling for a decade or more. David Schildknecht.

RP  95

Sale Price: $49.99

Joseph Phelps 
1992 Insignia
Napa Valley

The 1992 Insignia, the flagship proprietary wine of the Joseph Phelps portfolio, is a 67% Cabernet Sauvignon / 33% Merlot blend. The wine is extraordinary, with an opaque purple color, a big, spicy, licorice, vanillin, smoky, cassis-scented nose, sweet, ripe, massive flavor concentration, and well-integrated acidity and tannin, which make for an unctuous texture and a juicy mouthful of wine. It should drink well for 20+ years. It may be the most opulent and hedonistic Insignia since the debut release in 1974. 

RP  95

(1.5 lt) *Sale Price: $299.99

Concha Y Toro 
2006 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon
Puente Alto Maipo Valley Chile

The 2006 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is a glass-coating opaque purple with an alluring bouquet of toast, tobacco, cedar, leather, mocha, and blackcurrant. Sweet, voluptuous (but not in a fruit bomb kind of way), layered, and complex already, its superb balance will ensure at least a decade of evolution and it should drink well through 2036.

RP  95

Sale Price: $49.99

Bodegas Sierra Cantabria
2006 Amancio
Rioja Spain

The 2006 Amancio is more approachable. A deep purple in color, it displays aromas of pain grille, mineral, espresso, lavender, black cherry and blackberry. Dense and full-flavored on the palate, it has a smooth texture, excellent balance, and several years of aging potential. Drink it from 2014 to 2026. Jay Miller. 

RP  95

*Sale Price: $119.99

Bond
2003 St. Eden
Napa Valley

The 2003 St. Eden offers full-bodied, sweet cigar tobacco, spice, licorice, and meaty characteristics, good richness and fatness, and huge concentration and intensity. Performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel, it is a strong candidate for the top wine of the vintage. Already accessible, this beauty should age effortlessly for 15-20 years.

RP  95

Sale Price: $193.99

Tenuta di Trinoro
2007 Rosso Toscano
Tuscany

The estate’s Grand Vin, the 2007 Tenuta di Trinoro, is shaping up to be one of the vintage’s finest successes. A dark, richly-textured wine, the 2007 Tenuta boasts a seamless core of ripe fruit that flows onto the palate in a stunning expression of sheer elegance. This super-ripe, explosive wine offers spectacular density and richness in a full-bodied, immensely rewarding style. Hints of new leather, spices, grilled herbs and minerals linger on the sublime close. In 2007 Tenuta di Trinoro is 35% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Antono Galloni.

RP  95

*Sale Price: $199.99

Vistalba
2007 Corta "A"
Mendoza Argentina

A wine that makes you take notice. The bouquet is intense, with minerality, char, huge black fruit aromas and handsome shadings of chocolate and coffee. Power and purity come on like gangbusters, and the flavors are a classic mix of blackberry, cassis and fine Swiss chocolate. Heady, smooth and impressive.

Torrin
2008 The Banshee
Paso Robles

Amazingly smooth and polished, gushing with ripe blackberry, berry jam, crème de cassis and black licorice flavors, with dashes of menthol and road tar and hints of dried herbs. Full-bodied, intense, focused and deeply concentrated, with a modest tannic grip on the finish. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet. Only 94 cases made.

Beringer Private Reserve
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

One of the finest Private Reserves made over the last two decades, this phenomenal wine is obviously still an infant in terms of development, but it exhibits a dense purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of blackberries, white chocolate, licorice, tobacco leaf, smoky barbecue, charcoal and a burning ember-like note reminiscent of a Graves from Bordeaux. A dense, luscious, full-bodied, opulent style, with sweet tannin, this locked and loaded, intense, full throttle Private Reserve should be accessible in 5-6 years and last for 25-30.

RP  95

*Sale Price: $84.99

Felsina
2006 Fontalloro
Tuscany

Chocolate, blackberry and black cherry aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a deep concentration of fruit. Powerfully rich and polished. Big and structured. A blockbuster Sangiovese. Best after 2012. 3,300 cases made. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )

Continuum
2008 Red Blend
Napa Valley

(71% cabernet sauvignon, 17% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot and 5% merlot):  Good full medium ruby.  Aromas of dark berries, dark chocolate and graphite minerality, lifted by a whiff of orange peel; vibrant and cool but not green.  Large-scaled and voluptuous yet light on its feet, with lovely floral perfume to the flavors of black cherry, minerals and sexy caramel oak.  This very young and broad wine finishes with well-buffered ripe tannins, captivating sweetness and superb aromatic persistence.  Seems every bit as strong as the 2007 bottling, and perhaps even more refined.
 

ST  95

( 1.5 lt ) Sale Price: $298.99

Amon Ra
2010 Shiraz
Barossa Valley

Amon-Ra 2010 is a dark purple with youthful hues, the nose is a compelling mix of dark stone fruits, coffee and blackberries. Supremely focussed yet rich and rewarding on the palate, the flavours are intense yet restrained as is the Amon Ra style. Astounding purity of expression and multilayered structure will allow this wine to mature with elegance for decades to come. Winery notes.

QPR  95

Sale Price: $89.99

Hall
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

As for those in bottle, my favorite is the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa. Most of this comes from the Sacrashe Vineyard as well. A dense, full-bodied wine with lots of creme de cassis, charcoal, licorice and forest floor, the wine is opulent and already delicious and powerful. It should continue to drink well for at least 12-15+ years.

RP  95

Sale Price: $39.99

Donelan Family Wines
2009 Syrah Cuvee Christine
Sonoma Coast

2009 Cuvée Christine presents a seamless and supple side of Syrah. The wine is built around hilltop Syrah from Windsor Oaks Vineyard, which is complemented with specifically selected barrels of our other sources such as Obsidian, Kobler, and Walker Vine Hill. I love the aromatics of the wine, which seem quintessential Syrah with meaty, fruity, and spicy notes layered together. We are also proud of its balanced, firm mouth feel that inspires another sip and another glass...and dare we say another bottle. Please drink with a happy heart. Winery.

QPR  95

Sale Price: $47.99

Robert Foley
2007 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley

The black/purple 2007 Petite Sirah may well be around in 50-60 years, when most of us will be pushing up daisies. In fact, it probably needs to be forgotten for 8-10 years. A massive, pedal-to-the-metal Petite Sirah that looks like pen ink, the wine displays notes of creosote, pepper, spice box, blackberry, and blueberry, with hints of incense and floral undertones. It is dense and almost looks like syrup being poured into a glass. It is obviously not for everybody, as it is certainly a controversial New World wine, but these wines will become more and more civilized as they age, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is spoken of with reverence 40-50 years from now.

Bond
2002 Vecina
Napa Valley

The big, rich, brawny 2002 Vecina Proprietary Red is a primordial, tannic beast with a beef blood-like concentration, a huge, opaque purple color, and notes of scorched earth, blackberries, chocolate, camphor, roasted meats, and cassis. It’s as if I took an aged porterhouse steak from Peter Lugar’s famed restaurant, put it in a Cuisinart, and aged it in new French oak. Give this amazing wine 5-6 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 20-25 years.

Allende
2004 Pago del Calvario
Rioja Spain

The 2004 Calvario is sourced from a single vineyard planted in 1945 and is composed of 90% Tempranillo, 8% Grenache, and 2% Graciano. The wine was aged for 14 months in 100% new French oak and bottled unfiltered. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up an expressive nose of toast, vanilla, spice box, floral elements, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur which leaps from the glass. This is followed by a mouth-filling wine with oodles of flavor, great definition, and plenty of ripe tannin leading to a finish lasting nearly a minute. Still an infant developmentally, the wine begs for another 6-8 years in bottle. It should last for at least 25 years. Kudos to Finca Allende for a magnificent set of 2004 Riojas!

Capanna
2006 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

Wonderful aromas of chocolate, crushed berries and raspberries, with vanilla and toasted oak undertones. Full-bodied, with deliciously ripe fruit and loads of berries, chocolate and coffee bean character. Love the length and beauty here. Best after 2013. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )
 

JS  95

*Sale Price: $39.99

Dalla Valle
2006 Maya
Napa Valley

Tight, firm and structured, with a rich, focused beam of blackberry, black cherry, currant, herb and anise. Full-bodied, intense and concentrated, this unfolds slowly and enticingly to reveal extra dimensions of complexity and nuance, getting better with every sip. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2010 through 2017. Only 300 cases made.

Merus
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Merus’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits an inky/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of blueberry liqueur intermixed with graphite, charcoal, cassis, and spice. The wood seems pushed to the background given the extraordinary concentration of fruit. Full-bodied, powerful, and rich with chocolaty espresso notes intermixed with blackberries and blueberries, this pure, impressively textured, long Cabernet should evolve for two decades.

Merus
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec and Petit Verdot) boasts an inky/purple color along with a rich bouquet of creosote, blueberries, blackberries, sweet earth, and smoky, spicy oak. With full body, abundant fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, a multilayered mouthfeel, and stunning upside potential, it is accessible enough to be drunk in 2-3 years, or cellared for two decades.

Aubert Vineyards
2009 Chardonnay
Larry Hyde & Sons Los Carneros

The lighter-styled 2009 Chardonnay Hyde and Sons Vineyard exhibits a greenish hue to its light gold color, medium to full body and juicy orange marmalade, lemon oil, crushed rock and poached pear characteristics. With good acidity as well as lower alcohol than the 2008, it, too, should drink well for 5-7 years.

Quintessa
2007 Red Blend
Rutherford Napa Valley

A very fine Cab from the estate, which is in the north-central part of the Rutherford appellation. Judging from the tannins, it’s too youthful to drink now, with a tight, astringent mouthfeel and fleshy, unintegrated oak. But the flavors are extraordinary. They flood the mouth with the essence of Cabernet, with ripe blackberries, black currants, raspberries and mocha, and the spicy finish lasts for a full minute. Give it until 2013, and it should provide great drinking through 2019, at least.

WE  95

*Sale Price: $109.99

Winter
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Offers gorgeous fruit, with amazing purity of flavor, delivering rich, concentrated, supple layers of currant, blackberry, black licorice and mocha, with subtle loamy earth. Ends with a long, full and persistent finish. Drink now through 2019. Only 680 cases made.

WS  95

Sale Price: $129.99

Henry's Drive
2003 Reserve Shiraz
Padthaway Australia

The 2003 Shiraz Reserve, which I assume is made from the richest barrels, has all the same characteristics of the regular bottling, with more weight, opulence, and persistence. The 16% alcohol is beautifully concealed by its prodigious concentration. Readers who love the extroverted personalities of these wild and crazy Australian reds should drink it over the next 10-12 years.

RP  95

Sale Price: $49.99

Sbragia Family Vineyards
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Monte Rosso Vineyard Sonoma

One for the cellar. It's vibrantly rich and forward in blackberries, black cherries, plums, dark chocolate and sweet smoky new oak, yet very tannic. Creates an astringency that lasts through the spicy finish. It would be a pity to open it before 2012, and will last for years after.

Rubicon Estate
2008 Cask Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford Napa Valley

Gorgeous, elegant and ageworthy. With a softly tannic structure, it's drinkable now, but should age and gain complexity for 10 years. Dry and smooth, it has complex flavors of blackberries, black cherries, currants, red licorice, cola and oak. Give it some time to breathe. Now-2017.

Robert Mondavi
2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The full-bodied, powerful, pure 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is another outstanding effort revealing notes of spring flowers, toasty oak, creme de cassis, licorice, and graphite. One would have to go back to the 1990, 1991, 2001, or 2002 to find a Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve this impressive. The 2007 should evolve for 20-25 years. 
 

Robert Mondavi
2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Weaves together a complex array of ripe, rich currant, anise, smoky oak and black cherry. Dense, concentrated and persistent, with great depth and focus. Ends with an amazingly long, richly flavored finish. Best from 2008 through 2018. 
 

Venge Family Reserve
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville Napa Valley

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve is an exceptional 2006. Blackberry liqueur intermixed with creme de cassis, licorice, incense, and floral notes as well as a hint of subtle oak emerge from the glass of this full-bodied, super-concentrated, rich, intense wine. A baby in terms of its potential development, it will benefit from 5-10 years of bottle age and should drink well for 20 or more years - that's a given.

RP  95

Sale Price: $94.99

Frescobaldi Castelgiocndo
2006 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

Frescobaldi’s Brunello always delivers great quality in just about any vintage. Gorgeous nose of ripe berries and slice plums with an almost peach undertone. Full bodied, with a solid core of gorgeously clean and clear dark fruits. Dense and integrated tannins on the finish. So long and fascinating. Best after 2013.

JS  95

Sale Price: $49.99

Turley Wine Cellars
2008 Zinfandel
Hayne Vineyard Napa Valley

A classic Zinfandel emerges from a vineyard in St. Helena, the 2008 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard. As always, the 2008 is a prodigious effort. Dramatically better than the 2007, 2006, or 2005, it reveals a dense purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of pure black raspberries, creme de cassis, licorice, roasted herbs, and pepper. Dense, with massive body and flavor concentration yet silky tannin and well-integrated spice, acidity, and alcohol, this wine should drink well for 10-12 years.

RP  95

Sale Price: $74.99

Beaulieu Vineyard
2006 George de Latour Private Reserve
Napa Valley

Even in this vintage, which was not so great, Beaulieu has succeeded with this dramatic, classic Cabernet Sauvignon. It's absolutely delicious, offering a range of blackberry, black currant and cedar flavors, complexed with notes of chocolate, anise, sweet smoky leather and Asian spices. Beautiful now for its velvety softness, but has the inherent structure to last for a long time. Through 2013, and much longer if you like older Cabernet.

Gran Elias Mora
2005 Tempranillo
Toro, Castilla Leon Spain

This red has an iron grip now, but there's impressive concentration, and once the tannins release, it shows rich cassis, coffee, anise and tar notes that unfold on the finish. Great density and balance. Best after 2009. Only 830 cases made.

Warre's 
2007 Vintage Porto
Portugal

I love the nose on this, with blackberry, black licorice, and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, medium sweet and very, very dense. What seductive mouthfeel, with polished, round tannins that caress the palate. This may be better than the fantastic 1994. 
  

Catena Zapata 
2006 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard
Mendoza Arentina

The 2006 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard received the identical elevage as the Nicasia cuvee. It has a racier personality with a silky palate feel, sweet flavors, and exceptional length. It, too, merits 6-8 years of cellaring and will present a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2026.
 

Domaine Saint Damien 
2007 Gigondas Cuvee Louisiane
Southern Rhone Valley

The 2007 Gigondas Louisiane (80% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault from 70- to 80-year-old vines) merited 98 points at one tasting, but I’ll be conservative here. This amazing wine possesses a dense purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of a liqueur of rocks intermixed with cassis, kirsch, licorice, incense, and spring flowers. Made from incredibly low yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare (which no doubt explains the remarkable focus, concentration, richness, and 50-second finish), this historic Gigondas is a tour de force in winemaking. It should drink well for 20+ years.

Ridge Vineyards
2009 Lytton Springs
Dry Creek Valley

The 2009 Lytton Springs is the biggest and most structured of these 2009 Zinfandel-based reds, largely owing to the earthier soils and the presence 23% Petite Sirah. Black fruit, plums, tar, licorice and smoke are some of the notes that flow from this generous, inviting red. The Lytton Springs is fairly structured, and can definitely benefit from another year or two (perhaps more) in bottle. The blend is 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah and 5% Carignane. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2029. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )

Chateau Les Asteries
2005 Bordeaux Blend
St. Emilion

Part of the garagiste efforts from Jonathan Malthus, Les Asteries is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 reveals spicy, oaky aromas intermixed with scents of chocolate, blackberries, espresso roast, and graphite. This thick, juicy, modern-styled St.-Emilion offers impressive concentration, purity, and depth in its flamboyant personality. Very impressive! Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025.
 

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines 
2007 Grand Cru Classe Sauternes
Bordeaux

This has a much more precocious nose than other 2007s: honey, apricot, peach, a touch of spice, mandarin and a soupcon of warm alcohol, in other words, quintessential Doisy-Vedrines. The palate is full-bodied, viscous on the entry and maintaining good balance, fine acidity cutting through the rich honey, quince and apricot fruit, with great definition and vitality towards the botrytis-rich finish. There is real pedigree here, and the 2007 surely represents their best wines since the triumvirate of 88, 89, and 90. This is a benchmark Doisy-Vedrines. Drink 2015-2045.

Two Hands
2005 Aerope
Barossa Valley

Medium red. An exotic bouquet includes raspberry, candied cherry, sandalwood, vanilla and pungent herbs. Lush, creamy and sweet, with deeply concentrated red fruit and smoky herb flavors and deftly knit, silky tannins. Finishes on notes of pure red berries and red licorice, with outstanding persistence. Twelftree says that this wine represents his eight best barrels of grenache, from vines ranging from 50 to 80 years of age, and is their stab at "a luxury Chateauneuf."

ST  94

Sale Price: $58.99

Dalla Valle
2007 Collina Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2007 shows notes of fresh cherry, plum and cinnamon stick on the nose. Tannins are soft, but the fruit intensity gives the wine significant length, and the bold fruit flavors are enhanced by notes of cardamom, citrus peel, and black tea. While it may continue to evolve for many years, the Collina Dalla Valle is intended for immediate enjoyment. Winery notes.

QPR  94

Sale Price: $109.99

MollyDooker
2010 The Velvet Glove
McLaren Vale Australia

Dark black violet in color, this wine has an intensely spiced nose with fruit aromas of fresh raspberry, plum and blueberry with an edge of tar, mocha and blackberry jam extending the complexity. The palate shows amazing purity of fruit with delicate flavours, fine oak tannins and creamy oak. Simply unique it has the ability to coat your entire mouth with the softest of textures yet unleashes such an intense and amazing array of fruit, completely rich and voluptuous with undeniable elegance. The grapes were grown on the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% new American oak. Winery notes.

QPR  94

*Sale Price: $139.99

Pride Mt. Vineyards
2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma and Napa Counties

Bright ruby-red. Expressive nose offers black cherry, black raspberry, coffee, smoked meat and minerals. Essentially silky in texture but juicy and youthfully tight, with terrific purity of dark fruit and mineral flavor. This impressively intense wine seems more primary today than the reserve claret. Finishes very long and minerally, with building, fine-grained tannins. These top 2004 cuvees boast terrific acidity for the vintage and are likely to evolve slowly.

ST  94

Sale Price: $99.99

Damilano
2006 Barolo Cannubi
Piedmont Italy

Starts out supple, with the smooth texture framing black cherry, bitter almond and licorice notes. A firm base of tannins is offset by sweet fruit, as this glides to a lingering aftertaste of tobacco, spice and cherry. Best from 2013 through 2032.

WS  94

*Sale Price: $49.99

Loring
2010 Pinot Noir
Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands

Combines dense, fresh earth, snappy wild berry, underbrush and mineral notes, fanning out and gaining depth and richness. Ends with a touch of black licorice and spice.

WS  94

Sale Price: $44.99

Altamura
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Combines very ripe, spicy dark berry fruit that's even a touch racy, with a firm backbone and a well-structured mix of acidity and tannins. The fruit is potent and concentrated, yet also shows a suppleness and measure of grace. Should only get better. Drink now through 2024. 

WS  94

*Sale Price: $79.99

Chateau Mouton Rothschild
1983 Bordeaux Blend
Pauillac

Super-refined 1983 Bordeaux with an excellent deep ruby color and intense cigar-box, plum and berry aromas and flavors; there's even a hint of mint. It's full-bodied but very reserved in style with fine tannins and a seductively long finish.

WS  94

( 3 lt double magnum ) Sale Price: $1999.99

Campo Eliseo
2005 Tempranillo
Toro, Castilla Leon Spain

Savory and sanguine notes add focus to the ripe, sweet fruit flavors of blackberry, fig and chocolate. The texture is broad but smooth, with crisp acidity to keep this focused. This is plenty oaky, but still quite traditional in style, boasting earthy, gamy notes. Better than previously reviewed. Drink now through 2016. Only 833 cases made.

WS  94

*Sale Price: $71.99

Montes
2007 Purple Angel Carmenere
Colchagua Valley Chile

The 2007 Purple Angel is a blend of Carmenere and Petit Verdot that might be the only competition for Terrunyo's Carmin de Peumo for top Carmenere-based wine in Chile. Purple/black in color, it displays a splendid nose of exotic spices, herbs, lavender, incense, blueberry, and blackberry. Dense, chewy, and opulent on the palate, this is a rich, already complex offering that is meant strictly for pleasure-seekers. Enjoy it from 2013-2022.

RP  94

Sale Price: $49.99

Antinori
2008 Tignanello
Tuscany

The 2008 Tignanello is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. The 2008 isn’t a huge or obvious Tignanello, rather it is a wine that impresses for its sublime elegance and precision. Understated layers of fruit caress the palate like cashmere in this impeccable, soft wine. There is not a hard edge to be found. Black cherries, tobacco, smoke and licorice are some of the notes that come through on the finish. The flavor profile is decidedly on the dark side, but the wine’s structure is medium in body and intensity. In 2008 the Tignanello has more energy, focus and length than the Solaia. It is a fabulous achievement! The 2008 Tignanello is 80% Sangiovese aged in 300-liter French oak barrels (1/3rd new), 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, both aged in 100% new 225-liter French oak barriques. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. ( 3 bottle minimum purchase )

RP  94

Sale Price: $69.98

Remelluri
2007 Red Blend
Rioja Spain

The 2007 Remelluri is composed of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, and 5% Garnacha fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 16 months in seasoned French and American oak. Deep purple in color, it reveals an already complex bouquet of exotic spices, leather, violets, mineral, and assorted black fruits. In the glass it is succulent with plush fruit, terrific grip and volume, and a lengthy, rich, supple finish. It can be approached now but is likely to continue filling out for several more years. Jay Miller. ( 6 bottle minimum purchase )

RP  94

Sale Price: $29.99

Spring Valley Vineyard
2004 Frederick
Walla Walla Valley

The 2004 Frederick further raises the bar. Composed of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, this is Spring Valley’s interpretation of a classified growth Saint-Julien. Purple-colored, it offers up an expressive array of pain grille, pencil lead, espresso roast, black currants, and blackberry liqueur scents. Full-bodied, with layers of spicy black fruits, and terrific integration of oak, fruit, and acidity, this packed wine has a 60+ second finish. Give it 6-8 years in your cellar and drink it through 2040. Jay Miller.

RP  94

Sale Price: $39.99

Domaine Santa Duc
2007 Gigondas
Southern Rhone Valley

The 2007 Gigondas Tradition, a 3,000-case cuvee, is a big-time sleeper of the vintage and well-worth latching onto, since its availability is very good. Dense purple to the rim, with an exquisite nose of charcoal, blueberry and blackberry fruit, chalk, and floral notes, the wine is rich, full-bodied, with sensational concentration, admirable purity, and beautiful texture and length. The wine is still young and unevolved, but it is very accessible. The acids buttress the wine’s substance, and give it vibrancy and focus. Drink it over the next 10+ years.

RP  94

Sale Price: $39.99

Epoch Wines
2007 Authenticity Red Blend
Paso Robles

Perhaps the densest wine, with the most structure and potential for 10+ years of evolution, is the 2007 Authenticity, a blend of 88% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre. Extraordinarily rich, with notes of camphor, creme de cassis, blackberry, licorice, and graphite, the wine is dense, full-bodied, still somewhat tannic, but pure and beautifully layered, with admirable equilibrium. Give this wine another 1-2 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 10-12+ years.

RP  94

Sale Price: $79.99

Epoch Wines
2007 Ingenuity Red Blend
Paso Robles

The 2007 Ingenuity (another intriguing blend of 46% Grenache, 43% Syrah, and the rest Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, and Tempranillo) has a dense ruby purple color and a slightly more reserved, restrained style when compared to the exuberant Veracity. Much more delineation and minerality are present in this wine, which exhibits plenty of red and black fruit as well as note of graphite, crushed rock, and spring flowers. The sweetness of the tannin and the seamless, silky integration of all the component parts are impressive, and the wine is capable of drinking well for another 5-8 years.

RP  94

Sale Price: $79.99

Keenan
2008 Cabernet Franc
Spring Mountain District Napa Valley

The 2008 Cabernet Franc (100% Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyard planted at a 2000 foot elevation) now represents 524 cases. Cabernet Franc has performed brilliantly at this height, and this is another example of the potential of Spring Mountain. This dense purple-hued wine is richly fruity with a beautiful floral, blueberry, raspberry and black currant-scented nose, good underlying minerality and a gorgeous fruit intensity without any sense of heaviness (14.3% alcohol). Elegant, pure and well-textured, this is a stunning Cabernet Franc to drink over the next decade.

RP  94

Sale Price: $54.99

Epoch Wines
2007 Veracity Red Blend
Paso Robles

The 2007 Veracity, a blend of 48% Grenache, 39% Mourvedre, and the rest Syrah, is a sexy style of wine with a beautiful nose of kirsch, black currant, lavender, and sweet earth. A healthy dark ruby color, the wine is succulent, fleshy, full-bodied, and totally charming. It is impossible to resist, yet it should drink well for another 5-6 years.

RP  94

Sale Price: $79.99