| 67501 | 67500 | US | This is the winery's low production barrel selection reserve. It shows big, zingy acidity and spicy, jammy flavors of raspberries and cherries, and is totally dry. The alcohol is refreshingly low. Tastes a bit direct now. Give it until early 2011 to calm down. | Dionysus | 87 | 55 | California | Arroyo Grande Valley | Central Coast | | | Perbacco Cellars 2007 Dionysus Pinot Noir (Arroyo Grande Valley) | Pinot Noir | Perbacco Cellars |
| 67502 | 67501 | Italy | This Barbera d'Alba opens with moderate, less exaggerated aromas of ripe fruit, prunes and plums. There's also a very distinct oak note at the back that resembles Spanish cedar or mesquite. It does, however, offer nice pulp and succulence on the finish. | | 87 | 17 | Piedmont | Barbera d'Alba | | | | Pe're Alessandro 2007 Barbera d'Alba | Barbera | Pe're Alessandro |
| 67503 | 67502 | Romania | Elegant and feminine on the nose with lovely cassis, toasted oak and violet notes, this medium-bodied Cab is another excellent bargain from Romania's Prahova Valley. Sturdy tannins and a pleasant astringency add structure to the luscious, ripe red fruits on the palate. It's high in acid, but well balanced, ending in a puckery, sour cherry finish. | Reserve | 87 | 10 | Dealurile Munteniei | | | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | Prahova Valley 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Dealurile Munteniei) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Prahova Valley |
| 67504 | 67503 | US | This is a very dry, soft Merlot. At the age of four years, it's fully resolved and ready to drink now. Shows polished cherry, currant, spice and cedar flavors, finished with a bite of acidity. | | 87 | 22 | California | Paso Robles | Central Coast | | | Still Waters 2006 Merlot (Paso Robles) | Merlot | Still Waters |
| 67505 | 67504 | Italy | In beautiful Tenuta La Marchesa is a palace from the 1700s often used in film and for weddings, but it is especially known for its production of Gavi white wine. This light and luminous Cortese-based wine is indeed special with light, fragrant floral touches and a delicate personality overall. | Saula | 87 | 19 | Piedmont | Gavi | | | | Tenuta La Marchesa 2008 Saula (Gavi) | Cortese | Tenuta La Marchesa |
| 67506 | 67505 | US | Good acidity on this clean, vibrant wine, with interesting pineapple, orange, pear and honeysuckle flavors. If you like your wines a little sweet, try it as an interesting alternative to Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris. | Camp 4 | 87 | 20 | California | Santa Ynez Valley | Central Coast | | | Tercero 2009 Camp 4 Grenache Blanc (Santa Ynez Valley) | Grenache Blanc | Tercero |
| 67507 | 67506 | US | There's so much raspberry, cherry, cola, clove, cinnamon and pepper flavor in this wine, it's hard to know where to begin. It's also dry, with smoky, vanilla oak notes. Yet it lacks the vital structure a good Rhône blend wants in order to house all this richness. Drink now. Grenache-Syrah. | Beespoke | 87 | 38 | California | Santa Ynez Valley | Central Coast | | | Jorian Hill 2007 Beespoke Red (Santa Ynez Valley) | Rhône-style Red Blend | Jorian Hill |
| 67508 | 67507 | US | Good and dry, with very soft, refined tannins and complex flavors. Suffers a bit from arch acidity, but a nice steak should balance it. The delicious flavors include blackberry and cherry jam, licorice, charred meat and a hefty dose of freshly crushed black pepper. | | 87 | 24 | California | Santa Ynez Valley | Central Coast | | | Jorian Hill 2007 Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley) | Syrah | Jorian Hill |
| 67509 | 67508 | US | Feels like Chardonnay, with full-bodied vanilla cream, pineapple and buttered toast flavors, but veers in its own direction with a strong note of tangerines. Delicious now with seared scallops. | | 87 | 16 | California | Sonoma County | Sonoma | | | Valley of the Moon 2009 Pinot Blanc (Sonoma County) | Pinot Blanc | Valley of the Moon |
| 67510 | 67509 | Italy | Coffee bean, leather and tobacco tones are surrounded by delicate aromas of wild berry, violet and spice. The tannins are tight and bone dry, making for a good pairing with cheese fondue. | Braja Riserva | 87 | | Piedmont | Roero | | | | Deltetto 2006 Braja Riserva (Roero) | Nebbiolo | Deltetto |
| 67511 | 67510 | US | A little soft in texture, but interesting for its mosaic of blackberry, pepper, smoked meat, currant and balsam flavors, and the way the firm tannins provide structure. This bone-dry, big-boned Syrah was grown in the San Bernabe Vineyard of the southern Salinas Valley. | Blow Sands | 87 | 25 | California | Monterey | Central Coast | | | Fog Head 2007 Blow Sands Syrah (Monterey) | Syrah | Fog Head |
| 67512 | 67511 | Chile | Dark, fruity and common in every way, but sometimes that's all you need. The wine has a clean, ordinary cassis and berry nose followed by a juicy palate with dark fruit flavors that show accents of vanilla, spice and chocolate. Totally drinkable and likable. | Estate Bottled | 87 | 8 | Lontué Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Korta 2009 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon (Lontué Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Korta |
| 67513 | 67512 | US | A nice Chardonnay that shows ripe pineapple, green apple and pear flavors, with added smoky richness from oak, and the finish is dry and crisp. A good price for a wine of this quality. | | 87 | 17 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | Lake Sonoma 2009 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) | Chardonnay | Lake Sonoma |
| 67514 | 67513 | Chile | Thick and meaty on the nose, with aromas of cola and spice. The palate has a tight structure, some sharpness and spicy, braised-fruit and tobacco flavors. Finishes mostly in the spice zone, with dried fruits and a spot of leftover acidic bite. Good for a basic Cabernet-Carmenère blend. | Aliwen Reserva | 87 | 13 | Rapel Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Undurraga 2008 Aliwen Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenère (Rapel Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenère | Undurraga |
| 67515 | 67514 | US | Starts off with oaky, jammy aromas of cherries and raspberries, and tastes a little sweet in fruit pastry, with the baked crust. Seems a little one-dimensional, although that dimension is a very delicious one. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. | Rutherford Red | 87 | 80 | California | Rutherford | Napa | | | William Harrison 2007 Rutherford Red Red (Rutherford) | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | William Harrison |
| 67516 | 67515 | Italy | Here's a very ripe expression of Roero Riserva with jammy aromas of strawberry and blueberry. The softness of the mature fruit, however, is tightly pulled back by the natural dryness and bitterness of the Nebbiolo tannins. | Roche dra Bossora Riserva | 87 | | Piedmont | Roero | | | | Michele Taliano 2006 Roche dra Bossora Riserva (Roero) | Nebbiolo | Michele Taliano |
| 67517 | 67516 | Italy | Made with the little-known Ruché grape that is believed to be native of the Asti area of Italy's Piedmont region, this bright and ruby-colored red wine offers floral and simple berry aromas. It shows freshness and structure, making it a good pairing partner to pasta or quiche lorraine. | La Tradizione | 87 | 22 | Piedmont | Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato | | | | Montalbera 2008 La Tradizione (Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato) | Ruché | Montalbera |
| 67518 | 67517 | US | Here's a rich Chardonnay notable for plenty of fruit, and also for brisk acidity. It's creamy smooth, with pineapple, Meyer lemon and lime flavors that are almost sweet in the finish, but pull back in favor of minerality. | | 87 | 28 | California | Edna Valley | Central Coast | | | Perbacco Cellars 2008 Chardonnay (Edna Valley) | Chardonnay | Perbacco Cellars |
| 67519 | 67518 | US | Somewhat rugged, with edgy tannins, but very flavorful, a nice wine to have with Italian-inspired pasta dishes. Made from Syrah and Sangiovese, with a splash of Cabernet, it's dry and tart, and shows blackberry, cherry and currant flavors. | Rosso di Sonoma | 87 | 25 | California | Sonoma Valley | Sonoma | | | Petroni 2007 Rosso di Sonoma Red (Sonoma Valley) | Red Blend | Petroni |
| 67520 | 67519 | Romania | This bargain Pinot Noir is a pleasant surprise from Romania's Prahova Valley with pretty aromas of black cherries, bark and menthol. Concentrated plum and cherry flavors are countered by darker notes of coffee grinds, earth and bramble. Medium bodied with balanced tannins and acidity, it's a straightforward, everyday kind of wine, but a promising start for Romania's wine industry. | Reserve | 87 | 10 | Dealu Mare | | | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | Prahova Valley 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir (Dealu Mare) | Pinot Noir | Prahova Valley |
| 67521 | 67520 | US | Here's a soft, high alcohol, slightly hot Zin, lacking in acidity. What it lacks in structure, it more than makes up for in sheer, exuberant taste. Floods the mouth with raspberries, cherries, dried fruits, dates, bacon, prosciutto, vanilla, smoky sandalwood and all sorts of other umami flavors. | | 87 | 24 | California | Paso Robles | Central Coast | | | Rangeland 2007 Zinfandel (Paso Robles) | Zinfandel | Rangeland |
| 67522 | 67521 | US | From the dark color, plummy aroma and heavy mouthfeel, you know this is a big, ponderous Pinot Noir. Nothing light or silky about it. Packs a punch with red berry, mushroom, red currant and smoked meat flavors, with the tannic pack of a Syrah, and finishes very dry. Aging is a gamble. | | 87 | 28 | California | Santa Maria Valley | Central Coast | | | Riverbench 2008 Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley) | Pinot Noir | Riverbench |
| 67523 | 67522 | US | Aged 24 months in a combination of French and American oak, it's brooding with notes of baking spices, dark fruit, coffee and chocolate. There's a pleasing sense of balance save for some grittiness to the tannins that distracts. | | 88 | 30 | Oregon | Rogue Valley | Southern Oregon | Sean P. Sullivan | @wawinereport | David Hill 2010 Tempranillo (Rogue Valley) | Tempranillo | David Hill |
| 67524 | 67523 | Portugal | This structured, dense and smoky wine features dry tannins and a mineral texture. It has blackberry fruitiness to go with this scaffolding, so it will develop well to give a ripe, full, rich wine. Wait until 2015. | Patamar Reserva | 88 | 10 | Douro | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | DFJ Vinhos 2011 Patamar Reserva Red (Douro) | Portuguese Red | DFJ Vinhos |
| 67525 | 67524 | US | Savory as a weathered leather chair, this vintage of Fenaughty is all spice, smoke and meat, smooth and structured, and remarkably low in alcohol, a feat that's probably pretty challenging to achieve in the Foothills. The firm tannins should keep this fine specimen going for a while in the cellar. | Fenaughty Vineyard | 88 | 40 | California | El Dorado | Sierra Foothills | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Donkey & Goat 2011 Fenaughty Vineyard Syrah (El Dorado) | Syrah | Donkey & Goat |
| 67526 | 67525 | Spain | Friendly aromas of apple and stone fruits are inviting and clean. This is cutting on the palate, but not overly so, with a good feel and cleansing acids. Apple and lime flavors finish bright and uncomplicated. | | 88 | 18 | Northern Spain | Rueda | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Finca Montepedroso 2013 Verdejo (Rueda) | Verdejo | Finca Montepedroso |
| 67527 | 67526 | Austria | It shows an altogether riper aspect of Grüner. Yellow pear, yellow plum and notions of peach appear and give way to a rounded, generous palate with lots of phenolic backbone and structure. It can definitely shine with substantial food. | Steinberg | 88 | 18 | Wagram-Donauland | | | Anne Krebiehl MW | @AnneInVino | Fritsch 2013 Steinberg Grüner Veltliner (Wagram-Donauland) | Grüner Veltliner | Fritsch |
| 67528 | 67527 | US | This is a Captain America-sized Zin, muscular and strong in walls of huge, dusty dark fruit. Firm in tannins, juicy and swirling in vanilla and cinnamon toast flavors, it spent 22 months swaddled in French oak, an imprint that lets itself be known in the wine. Lay this baby down until 2015 or so, or let it breathe before enjoying with racks of ribs. | Lizzy James Vineyard | 88 | 35 | California | Lodi | Central Valley | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Harney Lane 2011 Lizzy James Vineyard Zinfandel (Lodi) | Zinfandel | Harney Lane |
| 67529 | 67528 | Italy | Subtle aromas of citrus, yellow apple and stone fruit are accented with a whiff of flint. The palate offers lemon zest, grapefruit, white spices and mineral alongside bright acidity. Omniwines Distribution, Astor Wines. | | 87 | 23 | Northeastern Italy | Alto Adige | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Weingut Niklas 2012 Kerner (Alto Adige) | Kerner | Weingut Niklas |
| 67530 | 67529 | US | More full-bodied than the past couple of vintages, the 2012 Estate bottling features fruit flavors of rhubarb and cranberry, a light sprinkling of peppery herb, and drying tannins, with a bit of clay in the aftertaste. | Estate | 87 | 30 | Oregon | Willamette Valley | Willamette Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Willamette Valley Vineyards 2012 Estate Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) | Pinot Noir | Willamette Valley Vineyards |