| 105961 | 105960 | Italy | This opens with aromas of blue flower, rose, almond paste, forest berry and sweet spice. The palate offers fresh berry fruit and a compact, streamlined feel. | Il Moro | 88 | | Sicily & Sardinia | Sicilia | | | | Valle dell'Acate 2009 Il Moro Nero d'Avola (Sicilia) | Nero d'Avola | Valle dell'Acate |
| 105962 | 105961 | Italy | Il Frappato delivers loads of zest and bright aromas of berry, chopped mint, cola and ginger. There's a note of black pepper on the palate, followed by some almond bitterness. | Il | 88 | 20 | Sicily & Sardinia | Vittoria | | | | Valle dell'Acate 2011 Il Frappato (Vittoria) | Frappato | Valle dell'Acate |
| 105963 | 105962 | US | The same Bell as the well-known Napa Valley winery, Bell extends its reach into Oregon to make this lip-smackingly good Pinot Gris. Gooseberry, melon, kiwi and grapefruit flavors swirl across the tongue, leaving a clean, fresh and very fruity wake. The moderate alcohol is an added bonus. | | 88 | 22 | Oregon | Willamette Valley | Willamette Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Bell 2011 Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley) | Pinot Gris | Bell |
| 105964 | 105963 | Chile | As usual for Casa Silva, this Carmenère is foreceful, minty, herbal and spunky on the nose, with a bold fruit aroma. The mouthfeel is robust and juicy, and the flavors run from herbal plum to berry to carob. The finish is herbal, with length and texture. | Los Lingues Gran Reserva | 88 | 22 | Colchagua Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Casa Silva 2009 Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carmenère (Colchagua Valley) | Carmenère | Casa Silva |
| 105965 | 105964 | France | Dense and dark in color, this wine has a black currant flavor. The tannins are ripe and soft, and the texture has a fresh lilt to it from the acidity and fruitiness. Only on the finish do the youthful tannins show, promising medium-term aging. | | 88 | 22 | Bordeaux | Médoc | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Bessan Ségur 2010 Médoc | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Bessan Ségur |
| 105966 | 105965 | France | Made using fruit sourced from vineyards on the highest terrace above the Tarn River, this fruity wine is made to be consumed young. It has a touch of minerality and some firm tannins, but the red berry fruit and flower note is already attractive. A blend of Négrette, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. | Classic | 88 | 14 | Southwest France | Fronton | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Bouissel 2010 Classic Red (Fronton) | Red Blend | Château Bouissel |
| 105967 | 105966 | France | From the eastern slopes of the hill of Brouilly, this attractive, open and fruity selection shows a fine red-fruit character that's laced with fresh acidity. It has a firm structure, which creates a solid base for the fruitiness. Drink now. | Château de Saint Lager | 88 | 16 | Beaujolais | Brouilly | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château de Pizay 2011 Château de Saint Lager (Brouilly) | Gamay | Château de Pizay |
| 105968 | 105967 | France | Soft and already approachable, this is a red-fruited wine, with ripe, well-integrated tannins and juicy acidity. It's round, fruity and ready to drink. | Tertre-Perdigous | 88 | 16 | Southwest France | Cahors | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château du Port 2010 Tertre-Perdigous Malbec (Cahors) | Malbec | Château du Port |
| 105969 | 105968 | France | This is herbaceous, but it also has a ripe yellow-fruit character. It is fresh and crisp, with a great depth of flavor. Its bright acidity and tight-textured finish make this a food wine. | Comtesse de Ségur | 88 | 20 | Southwest France | Montravel | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Laulerie 2010 Comtesse de Ségur (Montravel) | Bordeaux-style White Blend | Château Laulerie |
| 105970 | 105969 | France | A classically structured wine, this has a smoky wood flavor that's balanced by a fresh black-currant note. It has a juicy edge, a dark chocolate note and a slight bitterness that should fade. This needs to age for 4–5 years. Château Loudenne is situated by the Gironde estuary. | | 88 | 24 | Bordeaux | Médoc | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Loudenne 2010 Médoc | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Loudenne |
| 105971 | 105970 | France | Using fruit sourced from a 20-acre vineyard in Castillon, this is dominated by Merlot, with a touch of perfumed Cabernet Franc. It has an age-worthy structure, showing good balance, firm tannins and ripe fruit. | | 88 | 19 | Bordeaux | Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Moulin de Clotte 2010 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Moulin de Clotte |
| 105972 | 105971 | France | The intense herbaceous aroma is softened on the palate by the wine's lemon-curd flavor and smooth texture. Rich with intense fruitiness, this has notes of black currant and pink grapefruit, with bright acidity on the finish. | Fleur du Périgord | 88 | 19 | Southwest France | Bergerac Sec | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Thénac 2011 Fleur du Périgord White (Bergerac Sec) | Bordeaux-style White Blend | Château Thénac |
| 105973 | 105972 | France | This wine is named after a windmill on the Conti family property. It is rich, with a spicy new-wood flavor. While it has plenty of structure, the acidity is subdued. | Moulin des Dames | 88 | 45 | Southwest France | Bergerac Sec | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Tour des Gendres 2010 Moulin des Dames White (Bergerac Sec) | Bordeaux-style White Blend | Château Tour des Gendres |
| 105974 | 105973 | Italy | This Nero d'Avola from the Agrigento area of southern Sicily opens with spicy nuances of cumin, clove and nutmeg, followed by plush red-fruit and dusty mineral endnotes. The palate is polished, bright and finely textured. | | 88 | 14 | Sicily & Sardinia | Sicilia | | | | D'Alessandro 2010 Nero d'Avola (Sicilia) | Nero d'Avola | D'Alessandro |
| 105975 | 105974 | France | This is firmly tannic, with dark berry and black cherry fruits. Minerally and textured, it shows the full effect of Beaujolais's granite soil. It also has a rich feel that will evolve over the next several months. | La Carrière | 88 | 28 | Beaujolais | Chénas | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Domaine Chasselay 2011 La Carrière (Chénas) | Gamay | Domaine Chasselay |
| 105976 | 105975 | US | Sweet graham cracker abounds, wrapped around a tart, lightly spicy note of apple. It's an interesting combination, a bit unusual, but it works. | | 88 | 20 | Oregon | Rogue Valley | Southern Oregon | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | J. Scott Cellars 2011 Chardonnay (Rogue Valley) | Chardonnay | J. Scott Cellars |
| 105977 | 105976 | Italy | This Riserva shows sweet ripe fruit, with rum cake, blackberry jam and cinnamon-cream notes. Some bright cherry and prune accents also appear. | 50 Vendemmia Riserva | 88 | 16 | Southern Italy | Salice Salentino | | | | Leone de Castris 2009 50 Vendemmia Riserva Red (Salice Salentino) | Red Blend | Leone de Castris |
| 105978 | 105977 | US | This dry, full-bodied wine has lots of rich, exuberant blackberry and black currant flavors accented by smoky oak. It's a little heavy, and not likely to age, so decant it for a few hours before service. | | 88 | 50 | California | Santa Cruz Mountains | Central Coast | | | Martin Ray 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Cruz Mountains) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Martin Ray |
| 105979 | 105978 | US | This manages to combine instant drinkability with Napa complexity, resulting in a really nice wine. Although it's not an ager, it rises to the occasion with sweetly ripe raspberries, cherries and blackberries, plush, polished tannins and a lovely coating of smoky oak. | Reserve | 88 | 30 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | Martin Ray 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Martin Ray |
| 105980 | 105979 | Italy | Aged in oak, this blend of Chardonnay and Insolia offers bold aromas of white rose, honey and stone fruit, with a soft, round palate. The creamy finish would pair well with a crab cake or a spicy Thai mango salad. | Bidis | 88 | | Sicily & Sardinia | Sicilia | | | | Valle dell'Acate 2010 Bidis White (Sicilia) | White Blend | Valle dell'Acate |
| 105981 | 105980 | Chile | This is a full and chunky wine, with thick blackberry and varietally correct herb aromas. The palate has a firm feel and good texture, while the flavors of herb, chocolate, pepper and black fruit settle on a secure, fresh and lively finish. | La Capitana Barrel Reserve | 88 | 17 | Cachapoal Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Viña La Rosa 2010 La Capitana Barrel Reserve Carmenère (Cachapoal Valley) | Carmenère | Viña La Rosa |
| 105982 | 105981 | France | A crisp and fruity blend of the herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc and the creamy Loin de l'Oeil, this has apple and grapefruit flavors. It has a bright feel, with a hint of mineral on the finish. | Château Baron | 88 | 14 | Southwest France | Gaillac | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Georges Vigouroux 2011 Château Baron White (Gaillac) | White Blend | Georges Vigouroux |
| 105983 | 105982 | Chile | Peach, apple and pear aromas are smooth and easy to like. The mouthfeel is juicy and fresh, which Leyda Valley is known for, while the flavors of citrus, apple and nectarine come with acid-driven snap. As a whole, this is more fruity and focused than oaky and heavy. | Gran Reserva Cuvée | 88 | 20 | Leyda Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Misiones de Rengo 2011 Gran Reserva Cuvée Chardonnay (Leyda Valley) | Chardonnay | Misiones de Rengo |
| 105984 | 105983 | US | Kind of clunky now. Bigtime tannins make it astringent, and the fruit flavors, of blackberries and sour cherry candy coated with oak, feel ripely heavy on the palate. Yet it's a clean wine, and could surprise down the road. Try after 2012. | Perspective | 87 | 80 | California | Rutherford | Napa | | | Tres Sabores 2006 Perspective Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Tres Sabores |
| 105985 | 105984 | US | This is a robust wine. It has big, thick tannins, and the dryness accentuates a slightly rustic character. The flavors are well developed and complex, with blackberries veering into currants and a touch of raisin. | Estate | 87 | 35 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | Tres Sabores 2007 Estate Zinfandel (Napa Valley) | Zinfandel | Tres Sabores |
| 105986 | 105985 | US | With ripe blackberry and cherry flavors, the fruit of this dry wine stands out, making it enjoyable despite very tough tannins that currently make it astringently sandpapery. A good effort, although the challenge for Unti is to tame those fierce tannins. | | 87 | 26 | California | Dry Creek Valley | Sonoma | | | Unti 2006 Syrah (Dry Creek Valley) | Syrah | Unti |
| 105987 | 105986 | US | A fresh, crisp, clean young Pinot Noir that shows the silkiness and relative transparency of many Carneros Pinots. It's a bit thin, compared to more full-bodied versions, but elegant and dry, with flavors of cherryskins, cola and sandalwood. Now–2012. | Vero | 87 | 28 | California | Carneros | Napa-Sonoma | | | Verotto 2006 Vero Pinot Noir (Carneros) | Pinot Noir | Verotto |
| 105988 | 105987 | US | An impressive effort, with reticent black currant and cassis tones upfront followed by pomegranate in the mouth. There's good depth of flavor here though the marked acidity and broad tannins require pairing with hearty fare. Better after 2010. | | 87 | 23 | New York | Finger Lakes | Finger Lakes | | | Wagner 2007 Meritage (Finger Lakes) | Meritage | Wagner |
| 105989 | 105988 | US | A little rough and scoury, but fine and crisp and clean, with a slight sweetness from the dosage enriching the citrus, apple, yeast and vanilla flavors. Fancy and elegant. | Brut Rosé | 87 | 35 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | J Vineyards & Winery NV Brut Rosé Sparkling (Russian River Valley) | Sparkling Blend | J Vineyards & Winery |
| 105990 | 105989 | US | A bit overripe and hot in alcohol. That's the price of getting such rich fruit flavors. Dark chocolate, blackberry preserves, red currants, black raspberries and spicy satsuma flood the mouth, leading to a super-spicy finish. | Grandmère Old Vine | 87 | 12 | California | Amador County | Sierra Foothills | | | Kirkland Signature 2007 Grandmère Old Vine Zinfandel (Amador County) | Zinfandel | Kirkland Signature |