| 8521 | 8520 | US | An intriguing, distinctive nose combines hickory smoke, baked raspberry and a touch of sage. Dark-red cherry and cranberry meet with thyme on the sip, where swirling flavors strive to find a centerline. | | 87 | 16 | California | Central Coast | Central Coast | Matt Kettmann | @mattkettmann | Layer Cake 2014 Pinot Noir (Central Coast) | Pinot Noir | Layer Cake |
| 8522 | 8521 | US | Barrel aromas are out front with notes of wood spice, vanilla and cocoa followed by dark cherries and herb, starting to show a bit of age. The palate is fruit filled but shows the restraint of the vintage. The oak seems a bit overweighted. | | 87 | 25 | Washington | Red Mountain | Columbia Valley | Sean P. Sullivan | @wawinereport | Liberty Lake 2011 Merlot (Red Mountain) | Merlot | Liberty Lake |
| 8523 | 8522 | US | This variety is an extreme rarity in this appellation. This one offers aromas of wet penny, spice and red fruit. The palate is medium bodied, with the tannins bringing some grit. | | 87 | 28 | Washington | Red Mountain | Columbia Valley | Sean P. Sullivan | @wawinereport | Liberty Lake 2012 Tempranillo (Red Mountain) | Tempranillo | Liberty Lake |
| 8524 | 8523 | US | This is a dark, intensely astringent wine with so much grape and oak tannin that it's challenging to enjoy now. Since PV is known as a grape that provides color and tannin in Bordeaux wines, it's no wonder that it's so stiff today. It will drink best after 2020. | Reserve | 87 | 30 | California | Mendocino | | Jim Gordon | @gordone_cellars | Parducci 2013 Reserve Petit Verdot (Mendocino) | Petit Verdot | Parducci |
| 8525 | 8524 | Italy | Made entirely with Trebbiano and vinified in oak, this opens with aromas of mature orchard fruit, citrus, chopped herb and a whiff of toast. The linear, rather lean palate offers toasted almond, coffee, oak and green pear. | Tribiana | 87 | 20 | Tuscany | Toscana | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Pieve de' Pitti 2013 Tribiana Trebbiano (Toscana) | Trebbiano | Pieve de' Pitti |
| 8526 | 8525 | Italy | Made with Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Foglia Tonda and Pugnitello, this offers delicate aromas of black cherry and cinnamon. The aromas cross over to the easygoing palate together with a hint of thyme and smooth, pliant tannins. Enjoy soon. | Valente | 87 | 19 | Tuscany | Toscana | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Podere Il Castellaccio 2014 Valente Red (Toscana) | Red Blend | Podere Il Castellaccio |
| 8527 | 8526 | Italy | Made entirely with Sangiovese, the shy nose eventually reveals red berry and a hint of thyme. The straightforward easygoing palate delivers red cherry and clove alongside smooth tannins. Enjoy soon. | Dinostro | 87 | 20 | Tuscany | Toscana | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Podere Il Castellaccio 2015 Dinostro Sangiovese (Toscana) | Sangiovese | Podere Il Castellaccio |
| 8528 | 8527 | US | This softly layered wine has a tannic bite that undergirds its lighter stylistic approach. Currant, cedar and vanilla play on the palate in pleasant, straightforward ways. | | 87 | 28 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Franciscan 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Franciscan |
| 8529 | 8528 | France | This grand estate was once a hunting ground for an even grander nearby chateau. The cru wine that's now produced here is crisp and fruity, streaked through with acidity and red currants. It has a touch of tannin as well as minerality. Drink from late 2017. | Château de Nervers | 87 | 20 | Beaujolais | Brouilly | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Georges Duboeuf 2015 Château de Nervers (Brouilly) | Gamay | Georges Duboeuf |
| 8530 | 8529 | France | This is a family-owned estate whose wines is made by Georges Duboeuf. It is structured and firmly concentrated, more tannin than fruit. That gives the wine a lean character that seems to miss out on fleshy and fruit. Give it a little time and drink from late 2017. | Clos des Quatres Vents | 87 | 20 | Beaujolais | Fleurie | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Georges Duboeuf 2015 Clos des Quatres Vents (Fleurie) | Gamay | Georges Duboeuf |
| 8531 | 8530 | US | Blackberry and boysenberry flavors so ripe they seem sweet fill out this smooth, full-bodied wine. The texture is soft and not at all tannic, letting the potent fruit flavors flow easily through the finish. | | 87 | 16 | California | California | California Other | Jim Gordon | @gordone_cellars | Great American Wine Company 2013 Zinfandel (California) | Zinfandel | Great American Wine Company |
| 8532 | 8531 | US | Waxy citrus skins and pressed apple notes are accented by a whiff of pine in this racy light-footed Riesling. It's just a shade off dry, with an invigoratingly brisk texture. Drink now through 2019. | | 87 | 28 | New York | Finger Lakes | Finger Lakes | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | 240 Days 2015 Riesling (Finger Lakes) | Riesling | 240 Days |
| 8533 | 8532 | US | Aromas of red fruit and herb are followed by light but pure cherry flavors. It provides a lot of easy-drinking appeal. | | 87 | 19 | Washington | Columbia Valley (WA) | Columbia Valley | Sean P. Sullivan | @wawinereport | Boomtown 2014 Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA)) | Merlot | Boomtown |
| 8534 | 8533 | US | A mix of unidentified red varieties, this wine opens slowly, without much in the way of aromatics. Weedy sage, tobacco and a grip of tannin give it weight and richness alongside its full body, as a bramble of blackberry and currant weave within. | The Count Founder's | 87 | 20 | California | Sonoma County | Sonoma | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Buena Vista 2014 The Count Founder's Red (Sonoma County) | Red Blend | Buena Vista |
| 8535 | 8534 | US | Cutting lemon, lime and tangerine flavors lend puckering refreshment to this light-bodied dry Riesling. It's lean in style but invigorating and fresh. A hint of zest adds bite to a lingering finish. Drink now through 2020. | Dry Estate Bottled | 87 | 16 | New York | Finger Lakes | Finger Lakes | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | Sheldrake Point 2015 Dry Estate Bottled Riesling (Finger Lakes) | Riesling | Sheldrake Point |
| 8536 | 8535 | Italy | You'll find aromas of wild berry, violet and a touch of leather in this wine. Straightforward by Brunello standards, the medium-bodied no-frills palate offers dried cherry and dark baking spice alongside solid tannins. It has a rather abrupt finish. Drink through 2020. | | 87 | | Tuscany | Brunello di Montalcino | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Sommavite 2010 Brunello di Montalcino | Sangiovese | Sommavite |
| 8537 | 8536 | US | Intensely fruity, almost tropical, on the nose, this juicy Chardonnay is chock full of fresh pineapple, melon and mango flavors. While not complex, it's a fun, widely appealing wine marked by bright acidity and luscious mouthfeel. Enjoy now through 2019. | Estate Reserve | 87 | 16 | New York | Finger Lakes | Finger Lakes | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | Stony Lonesome 2015 Estate Reserve Chardonnay (Finger Lakes) | Chardonnay | Stony Lonesome |
| 8538 | 8537 | Italy | A blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, 17% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot, this has aromas of French oak and black-skinned fruit. The dense palate delivers plum, toast and a hint of chocolate alongside rather abrasive tannins. | Dianne | 87 | 50 | Tuscany | Toscana | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Tenuta Cappellina 2013 Dianne Red (Toscana) | Red Blend | Tenuta Cappellina |
| 8539 | 8538 | Italy | Made with 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, this shows subdued aromas of dark berry and cooking spice. The straightforward palate doles out crushed plum and clove alongside assertive tannins. | Alle Viole | 87 | 27 | Tuscany | Toscana | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Tenuta di Ceppaiano 2015 Alle Viole Red (Toscana) | Red Blend | Tenuta di Ceppaiano |
| 8540 | 8539 | Italy | This blend of Sangiovese and 10% Merlot opens with delicate aromas of violet, berry and baking spices. The palate delivers black cherry, toast and clove alongside close-grained tannins that grip the finish. | Crognolo | 87 | 35 | Tuscany | Toscana | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Tenuta Sette Ponti 2014 Crognolo Red (Toscana) | Red Blend | Tenuta Sette Ponti |
| 8541 | 8540 | US | Sugary peach and a taste of stone surround a lifted, floral undercurrent in this wine that takes on a richer, creamier midpalate and hearty oak as it finishes. | | 87 | 18 | California | Sonoma County | Sonoma | Virginie Boone | @vboone | The Federalist 2014 Chardonnay (Sonoma County) | Chardonnay | The Federalist |
| 8542 | 8541 | US | While ripe nectarine and grapefruit notes are bold on the nose, the palate of this medium-bodied Gewürztraminer is a bit demure. It's a refreshing easy-drinking white, however, offering delicate hints of lychee, citrus and guava flavor. Drink now through 2019. | | 87 | 19 | New York | Finger Lakes | Finger Lakes | Anna Lee C. Iijima | | Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2015 Gewürztraminer (Finger Lakes) | Gewürztraminer | Thirsty Owl Wine Company |
| 8543 | 8542 | Chile | Citrusy aromas include pithy notes and a metallic hint of tin. This is more chunky in feel than tight, with moderate snap and acidity. Flavors of citrus fruits and green herbs end with mild acidity. | La Joya Gran Reserva | 87 | 15 | Colchagua Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Viña Bisquertt 2016 La Joya Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (Colchagua Valley) | Sauvignon Blanc | Viña Bisquertt |
| 8544 | 8543 | US | This 100% varietal wine offers a simplicity of blueberry, black licorice and chocolate wrapped in integrated tannin and oak. Full bodied and ripe, it softens in the glass to a rounded finish. | Estate | 87 | 65 | California | Rutherford | Napa | Virginie Boone | @vboone | William Harrison 2012 Estate Cabernet Franc (Rutherford) | Cabernet Franc | William Harrison |
| 8545 | 8544 | Chile | This varietal Sauvignon Gris isn't as aromatic as the more pungent Sauvignon Blanc. In the mouth, this is medium in body, with good overall texture. Dry racy flavors of scallion and bitter melon are not exuberant but turn fruitier on the finish. | Isidora | 87 | 15 | Maule Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Cousiño-Macul 2015 Isidora Sauvignon Gris (Maule Valley) | Sauvignon Gris | Cousiño-Macul |
| 8546 | 8545 | Italy | Aromas of fragrant blue flower and wild berry waft out of the glass. The easygoing no-frills palate offers juicy wild cherry and a hint of baking spice alongside supple tannins. It's enjoyable but already accessible and extremely straightforward by Brunello standards. Drink through 2019. | | 87 | 35 | Tuscany | Brunello di Montalcino | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Bonacchi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino | Sangiovese | Bonacchi |
| 8547 | 8546 | Italy | Woodland berry, blue flower, dried mint and a whiff of sunbaked soil take center stage on this easy-drinking red. The straightforward palate offers ripe red cherry and ground pepper alongside round, supple tannins. | Guadalmare | 87 | 15 | Tuscany | Morellino di Scansano | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Castellani 2015 Guadalmare (Morellino di Scansano) | Red Blend | Castellani |
| 8548 | 8547 | France | The Chermette family has produced a rich generous cru wine. It is structured and dense with some firm tannins from maturing in wood. It also has a generous black plum and cherry fruits that are developing well. Drink this wine from late 2017. | Les Garants | 93 | 27 | Beaujolais | Fleurie | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Domaine du Vissoux 2015 Les Garants (Fleurie) | Gamay | Domaine du Vissoux |
| 8549 | 8548 | Austria | The merest touch of passion fruit enriches the ripe pear fruit apparent on the nose with a hint of the tropics. The palate is wonderfully zesty and the gorgeous grapefruit freshness harnesses all the ripe fruit into a driven force of joy. This is concentrated, juicy and utterly moreish. | Ehrenfels Reserve | 93 | 44 | Kremstal | | | Anne Krebiehl MW | @AnneInVino | Proidl 2015 Ehrenfels Reserve Grüner Veltliner (Kremstal) | Grüner Veltliner | Proidl |
| 8550 | 8549 | US | Dark gold in color, this appellation wine is tropical and salty, medium bodied with a strong taste of lemon preserves. Its fuller, richer nature is complemented by fresher streaks of grapefruit and mandarin, with a mineral component of wet stone. | | 93 | 40 | California | Carneros | Napa-Sonoma | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Ram's Gate 2014 Chardonnay (Carneros) | Chardonnay | Ram's Gate |