11611 | 11610 | Argentina | Chunky berry and cured meat aromas turn sweaty and herbal with airing. In the mouth, this is wholly basic. Flavors of soupy, herbal berry fruits lack definition, while the finish deals molasses and peppery bitterness. | Phebus Reserva | 83 | 16 | Mendoza Province | Mendoza | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Fabre Montmayou 2010 Phebus Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Fabre Montmayou |
11612 | 11611 | Italy | Brachetto is an easy dessert wine with a mild ruby color and intense aromas of raspberry and blueberry. The wine is exceedingly simple and straightforward with loads of fresh berry fruit, bitter almond, and not much else. | | 83 | 13 | Piedmont | Piedmont | | | | Prima Mazzo 2011 Brachetto (Piedmont) | Brachetto | Prima Mazzo |
11613 | 11612 | US | A little unripe, with a vegetal tug that pulls down the score. Beyond hints of steamed broccoli you'll find some raspberry and cherry fruit, with lots of sweet, toasty oak and keen acidity. | | 83 | 15 | California | Sonoma County | Sonoma | | | River Road 2011 Pinot Noir (Sonoma County) | Pinot Noir | River Road |
11614 | 11613 | US | Intensely ripe, this is a straightforward wine with upfront cherry jam and oak flavors. Not much else going on, but it's fine for a party. | | 83 | 15 | California | California | California Other | | | Spellbound 2011 Merlot (California) | Merlot | Spellbound |
11615 | 11614 | Portugal | It is the Verdelho that gives this wine its attractive, perfumed character. Crisp and bright with a tangy, lemon zest texture, the wine is rich. fruity and ready to drink. | | 85 | 10 | Tejo | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Casal da Coelheira 2016 White (Tejo) | Portuguese White | Casal da Coelheira |
11616 | 11615 | US | The aromas smell disjointed, with notes of barrel spice, vanilla and maple syrup. The palate is quite sweet and ripe, with abundant baking-spice accents. | Coyote Canyon Vineyard | 85 | 25 | Washington | Horse Heaven Hills | Columbia Valley | Sean P. Sullivan | @wawinereport | Coyote Canyon 2013 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Primitivo (Horse Heaven Hills) | Primitivo | Coyote Canyon |
11617 | 11616 | Italy | This simple white has subdued aromas of white spring flower and white stone fruit. The no-fuss, rather diluted palate offers hints of white peach, green apple and a whisper of white almond. | | 85 | 18 | Tuscany | Vernaccia di San Gimignano | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Signano 2015 Vernaccia di San Gimignano | Vernaccia | Signano |
11618 | 11617 | Portugal | Blending Touriga Franca, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet, this is an attractive young wine. With both acidity and tannins already integrated into the ripe black fruit, it is a wine to drink young. | | 85 | 15 | Tejo | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Terra Silvestre 2015 Red (Tejo) | Portuguese Red | Terra Silvestre |
11619 | 11618 | Chile | Light simple citrus aromas fall halfway between punchy and vacuous. This feels wet but basic, while briny flavors of pickled cucumber and scallion blend with citrus notes. A fair finish is fresh and light. | | 85 | 11 | Curicó Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Terrapura 2016 Sauvignon Blanc (Curicó Valley) | Sauvignon Blanc | Terrapura |
11620 | 11619 | France | Structured with a core of tannin, this is a ripe wine. It has layers of red fruit and attractive acidity, showing the potential to last a few more months before drinking. | Rouge Carmin | 85 | 15 | France Other | Vin de France | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Vins Descombe NV Rouge Carmin Red (Vin de France) | Red Blend | Vins Descombe |
11621 | 11620 | US | There's a funky, foxy note and a sour edge to this wine, which seems disjointed, or perhaps still showing a little bottle shock. Component flavors include sour plum and wild cherry, and the finish is leathery and tannic. | Trouble | 85 | 30 | Oregon | Willamette Valley | Willamette Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | A Blooming Hill Vineyard 2015 Trouble Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) | Pinot Noir | A Blooming Hill Vineyard |
11622 | 11621 | US | Smoky char takes on a grilled meatiness in this wine, a fatness of bacon and blackberry jam emphasizing the intense ripeness and grip of it all. Blackberry jam and vanilla sweetness underscore its big personality. | Maestro Collection Ranch 11 | 85 | 34 | California | St. Helena | Napa | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Beaulieu Vineyard 2013 Maestro Collection Ranch 11 Zinfandel (St. Helena) | Zinfandel | Beaulieu Vineyard |
11623 | 11622 | Portugal | With the smooth Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz making up the body of this ripe wine, it has a generous, fruity character. The tannins are a support to this fine fruit and rich aftertaste. Drink this young wine now for its fruit or wait until 2018 for it to soften and round. | Colheita | 85 | 12 | Douro | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Casa de Cambres 2015 Colheita Red (Douro) | Portuguese Red | Casa de Cambres |
11624 | 11623 | Portugal | Named after the crickets, or cicadas, whose song fills the summer nights, this soft and lightly perfumed wine has citrus and apple fruit flavors, a tangy, flinty texture and plenty of acidity. Drink now. | Cigarra Branco | 85 | 8 | Lisboa | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Casa Santos Lima 2015 Cigarra Branco White (Lisboa) | Portuguese White | Casa Santos Lima |
11625 | 11624 | Portugal | This wood-aged reserve wine has structure and fine dry tannins. Under that the black fruits are still developing. Give it another year in the cellar before drinking. | Reserva | 85 | 13 | Tejo | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Casal da Coelheira 2014 Reserva Red (Tejo) | Portuguese Red | Casal da Coelheira |
11626 | 11625 | US | A blend of Zinfandel with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Merlot, this wine takes on a heady mix of herbal cedar, tobacco leaf, tar and subdued blackberry within a context of charred oak and dense body. | Cinema | 85 | 40 | California | Sonoma County | Sonoma | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Director's Cut 2013 Cinema Zinfandel (Sonoma County) | Zinfandel | Director's Cut |
11627 | 11626 | Chile | With almost no color, this Chardonnay smells simple and sulfuric, sort of like a match box. Lean and monotone across the palate, this offers pithy, slightly bitter citrus flavors in front of a similar tasting finish. | Los Vascos | 85 | 13 | Central Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) 2016 Los Vascos Chardonnay (Central Valley) | Chardonnay | Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) |
11628 | 11627 | US | There's a light whiff of nail polish remover here, and little evidence of ripe fruit. Some flavors of stem come up with the tannins, and overall this is a wine best drunk soon. | Estate | 85 | 25 | Oregon | Willamette Valley | Willamette Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Emerson 2014 Estate Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) | Pinot Noir | Emerson |
11629 | 11628 | Italy | Made entirely with Montonico, this has subdued aromas of white peach, pear and hay. The aromas carry over to the informal, abrupt palate alongside fresh acidity. Drink soon. | Pollino Bianco | 85 | | Southern Italy | Calabria | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Ferrocinto 2015 Pollino Bianco Mantonico (Calabria) | Mantonico | Ferrocinto |
11630 | 11629 | Chile | Cherry and plum aromas come with a note of rubbery latex, like a Band-Aid. This feels compact and dense, as if the palate were balled up. Medicinal black cherry and chocolate flavors finish in a bunched blocky mass. | Reserva | 85 | 10 | Maule Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Chilensis 2014 Reserva Carmenère (Maule Valley) | Carmenère | Chilensis |
11631 | 11630 | US | Merlot needs more concentration than this in order to really shine as a stand-alone varietal wine. This is thin, green, and simply generic. Pomegranate fruit peeks through, quickly overlaid with weedy tannins. | | 85 | 25 | Oregon | Applegate Valley | Southern Oregon | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Plaisance Ranch 2014 Merlot (Applegate Valley) | Merlot | Plaisance Ranch |
11632 | 11631 | Chile | Briny aromas of green olive and popcorn lead to a flat wide palate. This tastes salty, oaky and short on fresh-fruit flavors. A plump chunky palate, much like the nose, comes across flat and low on pulse. | | 85 | 16 | Casablanca Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Ritual 2015 Chardonnay (Casablanca Valley) | Chardonnay | Ritual |
11633 | 11632 | US | The aromas are extremely tight on this bottling, even after hour so being opened, with just the hint of black plum emergent. Chewy tannins show most strongly on the sip, which is also so restrained that not much more than dark fruit and dense coffee shows. | Estate Reserve | 85 | 22 | California | Paso Robles | Central Coast | Matt Kettmann | @mattkettmann | San Simeon 2012 Estate Reserve Syrah (Paso Robles) | Syrah | San Simeon |
11634 | 11633 | Australia | Once past a distracting note of tire rubber, this rosé of Grenache offers aromas of wet stone and watermelon rind. Berry fruit emerges on the palate, while the dry finish picks up hints of chocolate. Drink now, but maybe give it a quick splash into a decanter to see if that improves it. | | 85 | 23 | South Australia | Barossa Valley | | Joe Czerwinski | @JoeCz | Schwarz Wine Company 2015 Rosé (Barossa Valley) | Rosé | Schwarz Wine Company |
11635 | 11634 | Chile | On the nose, this gold-colored Viognier is gritty and burnt smelling, like a field or haystack on fire. Flavors of pithy citrus peel and oak resin include tropical notes as well as mild bitterness. On the finish, this tastes of nectarine, the skins and pit included. | Special Reserve | 85 | 15 | Colchagua Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Siegel 2015 Special Reserve Viognier (Colchagua Valley) | Viognier | Siegel |
11636 | 11635 | US | Low in oak and high in acidity, this wine shows an earthy underbelly of lemon met by more nuanced vanilla. | | 85 | 38 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | Virginie Boone | @vboone | Viszlay Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) | Chardonnay | Viszlay Vineyards |
11637 | 11636 | France | This soft and cushiony wine has light red cherry fruit, gentle tannins and an attractively soft, fruity aftertaste. Drink now. | | 85 | 20 | Burgundy | Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Labouré-Roi 2015 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits | Pinot Noir | Labouré-Roi |
11638 | 11637 | France | This fruity wine, free from any oak aging, revels in its attractive tropical flavors. It's as ripe and rich as the vintage suggests, with light, balanced acidity. The aftertaste is soft, keeping up the fruitiness. Drink now. | | 85 | 15 | Burgundy | Mâcon-Villages | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Labouré-Roi 2015 Mâcon-Villages | Chardonnay | Labouré-Roi |
11639 | 11638 | Chile | A yellow tint and aromas of papaya and melon result in a neutral opening with little pop. Consistent with prior years, this SB feels soft, without a focal point. Flavors of creamy white fruits include a note of vanilla. It's plump on the finish. | Casa Grand Selection | 85 | 12 | Rapel Valley | | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Lapostolle 2015 Casa Grand Selection Sauvignon Blanc (Rapel Valley) | Sauvignon Blanc | Lapostolle |
11640 | 11639 | France | Part of a new range from this producer featuring rare grapes, this is made from a cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, developed in 1955. The wine is like a trip back in time to the era when reds were high in tannins and acidity. It's a curiosity for those who like such things. | | 85 | | France Other | Vin de France | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Lionel Osmin & Cie 2014 Ekigaïna (Vin de France) | Ekigaïna | Lionel Osmin & Cie |