| 19561 | 19560 | Italy | Dark spice, forest floor, sun-baked soil and toast aromas lead the nose. The ripe, full-bodied palate doles out raspberry jam, vanilla, licorice and espresso notes, while close-grained tannins provide firm support. | | 90 | 60 | Tuscany | Brunello di Montalcino | | Kerin O’Keefe | @kerinokeefe | Villa I Cipressi 2012 Brunello di Montalcino | Sangiovese | Villa I Cipressi |
| 19562 | 19561 | US | Creamy on the nose with a scent of musk and flowers, this wine from Brotherhood is too angular to fully enjoy. The acidity is good but the overall flavors are lean. | Dry | 81 | 11 | New York | New York | New York Other | Susan Kostrzewa | @suskostrzewa | Brotherhood 2006 Dry Riesling (New York) | Riesling | Brotherhood |
| 19563 | 19562 | Spain | In general O. Fournier gets it right, be it in Spain or Argentina. But this Ribera del Duero struggles from the outset. It's rubbery, damp and lacks clarity of fruit. And the feel is sharp and lemony, seemingly a combo of excessive oak and raw fruit. Imported by Fine Wines from Spain. | Spiga | 80 | 29 | Northern Spain | Ribera del Duero | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | O. Fournier 2002 Spiga (Ribera del Duero) | Tinto del Pais | O. Fournier |
| 19564 | 19563 | US | Simple and Porty, with baked berry flavors that finish sharp and astringent. | Old Vine | 80 | 10 | California | Lodi | Central Valley | | | California's Jewel 2004 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi) | Zinfandel | California's Jewel |
| 19565 | 19564 | Argentina | Phebus is a new label from Fabre Montmayou, and frankly this wine has issues. It smells a lot like gumballs and a wet, dirty dog. It doesn't have much substance or flow, and that gamy, wet-dog character is persistent, even on the flavor profile. | Phebus Reserva | 80 | 14 | Mendoza Province | Mendoza | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Fabre Montmayou 2005 Phebus Reserva Malbec (Mendoza) | Malbec | Fabre Montmayou |
| 19566 | 19565 | US | Vegetal and watery, a very dry wine that offers little in the way of fruit. Tastes like alcohol with a drop or two of grapefruit juice. | | 80 | 15 | California | Santa Barbara County | Central Coast | | | Pacific Oasis 2005 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County) | Chardonnay | Pacific Oasis |
| 19567 | 19566 | US | Fruits, flowers and spice should lead the nose and bathe the palate with this Nebbiolo, but the wine falls flat, with bitter, sweet flavors that are astringent in nature and lack elegance. | Estate Bottled | 80 | 15 | Ohio | Ohio | | Susan Kostrzewa | @suskostrzewa | Hermes 2006 Estate Bottled Nebbiolo (Ohio) | Nebbiolo | Hermes |
| 19568 | 19567 | US | A soft, medicinal and uninteresting wine, marked by harshness and green flavors that barely suggest cherries. | | 80 | 12 | California | Paso Robles | Central Coast | | | Buzzard Tree 2005 Zinfandel (Paso Robles) | Zinfandel | Buzzard Tree |
| 19569 | 19568 | US | Thin, dry and harsh, with cola flavors that are so thin, all you can really detect is the heat of alcohol. If you're not fussy, it's a basic introduction to Pinot Noir. | | 80 | 13 | California | California | California Other | | | Congress Springs 2006 Pinot Noir (California) | Pinot Noir | Congress Springs |
| 19570 | 19569 | US | A red Rhône blend that's too soft, hot and sweet. It has the taste of sugary raspberry jam and is not a dry table wine. | The Peasant | 80 | 38 | California | Paso Robles | Central Coast | | | Four Vines 2005 The Peasant Red (Paso Robles) | Rhône-style Red Blend | Four Vines |
| 19571 | 19570 | US | Soft and awkward, with dull berry flavors that have a vegetal tinge. | | 80 | 18 | California | Paso Robles | Central Coast | | | Four Vines 2005 Syrah (Paso Robles) | Syrah | Four Vines |
| 19572 | 19571 | France | The latest release from Salon, this just explodes in the mouth with mineral, steel and flint. The tiny mousse has flavors of yeast and just a touch of toast. It is rich, but so austere and structured. Like many Salon Champagnes, this will age for 20 years or more. | Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs | 97 | 350 | Champagne | Champagne | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Salon 1996 Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay (Champagne) | Chardonnay | Salon |
| 19573 | 19572 | US | This is Baldacci's regular Cab, although most wineries would be content for it to be their reserve. It's a powerful, rich young wine, massive in blackberry, currant and oak flavors, with a succulent edge of milk chocolate. The tannins are pure Stags Leap, giving a complex contrapuntal balance of grip and structure to the opulent fruit. Just fabulous in every aspect, a wine to dazzle. Drink now through 2010, at least. | | 95 | 55 | California | Stags Leap District | Napa | | | Baldacci 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stags Leap District) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Baldacci |
| 19574 | 19573 | US | This is one of the sweetest white California dessert wines out there. It's addictively decadent, like an upscale Sauternes. Barrel fermentation in new French oak gives an opulent, palate-flattering honeyed vanilla richness to the apricot, peach, pineapple and crème brûlée flavors that are so rich and refined. Crisp acidity provide clean, vibrant balance. Just gorgeous, and worth the price. | Botrytised | 95 | 55 | California | Chalk Hill | Sonoma | | | Chalk Hill 2005 Botrytised Sémillon (Chalk Hill) | Sémillon | Chalk Hill |
| 19575 | 19574 | US | This is the winery's most expensive bottling, a late disgorged bubbly that has now seen a decade of age. It shows the elegant polish of the '97 Royal Cuvée, but is superior even to it in richness. The creamy smoothness is the star attraction, but so are the subtle citrus, raspberry, brioche and vanilla flavors. Impeccably dry balance guarantees that this beautiful brut will age effortlessly for 10 years, if not longer. | Carneros Cuvée | 95 | 50 | California | Carneros | Napa-Sonoma | | | Gloria Ferrer 1997 Carneros Cuvée Sparkling (Carneros) | Sparkling Blend | Gloria Ferrer |
| 19576 | 19575 | US | A blend of four vineyards, this is an extremely impressive Merlot. It dazzles with rich, ripe black currant, cherry liqueur, raspberry, milk chocolate, smoky oak and spice flavors that are complex and go on and on through the finish. Beyond that is the texture, so refined and elegant, combining power and subtle elegance. Just a gorgeous, sensual Merlot. Drink now–2010. | Estate Grown | 95 | 85 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | Duckhorn 2004 Estate Grown Merlot (Napa Valley) | Merlot | Duckhorn |
| 19577 | 19576 | France | While the Larmandier's main vineyard is in Vertus, they also have a parcel in the grand cru vineyard of Cramant. It is full of beautifully ripe fruit, beginning to round out as it ages. Green fruits and white pears, as well as yeast are still dominant; drink 2010. | Vieilles Vignes de Cramant Grand Cru | 95 | 80 | Champagne | Champagne | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Larmandier-Bernier NV Vieilles Vignes de Cramant Grand Cru Chardonnay (Champagne) | Chardonnay | Larmandier-Bernier |
| 19578 | 19577 | US | Fermented to a plus-size 15.4% alcohol, this rare wine from one of Washington's oldest and best Cabernet vineyards shows what a gifted winemaker can do with great fruit. The play of flavors, mixing red and purple fruits, toasted nuts, mocha, caramel, bark and earth, is exceptional. The detail is extraordinary for a wine with such high alcohol. The acids and tannins are seamless and fine, and the flavors extend into an unusual finish that suggests menthol and eucalyptus – not generally a character found in Champoux fruit. All in all it's a wonderful voyage, and one of a handful of essential Washington wines. | Block One Champoux Vineyard | 95 | 72 | Oregon | Columbia Valley (OR) | Oregon Other | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Sineann 2005 Block One Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley (OR)) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Sineann |
| 19579 | 19578 | US | The grapes come from three vineyards: Georges III in Rutherford, Tokalon in Oakville and Stagecoach, up on Atlas Peak. That helps explain the wine's beauty. It's pure California, cult-style Cab, soft and generous, with voluptuously ripe black currant and black cherry flavors elaborately enriched with spicy, smoky, 100% new French oak. My only quibble is that it could use a little more subtlety. | Blend 26 | 94 | 85 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | B Cellars 2004 Blend 26 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon | B Cellars |
| 19580 | 19579 | France | Based mainly on vines in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this impressive wine is superbly rich with just the merest hint of age. With its lively mousse, secondary aromas of mocha and flavors of green apples, it is a wine that should develop magnificently over the next 4–5 years. | Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut | 94 | 61 | Champagne | Champagne | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Pascal Doquet NV Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Chardonnay (Champagne) | Chardonnay | Pascal Doquet |
| 19581 | 19580 | France | Although this is marked nonvintage, the fruit all comes from 2004. It is made from old vines, giving richness and ripeness, and a generous white fruit character which fully compensates for the very dry nature of the wine. It's delicious, a complex wine of intense character. | Terre de Vertus Premier Cru | 94 | 62 | Champagne | Champagne | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Larmandier-Bernier NV Terre de Vertus Premier Cru Chardonnay (Champagne) | Chardonnay | Larmandier-Bernier |
| 19582 | 19581 | Austria | One of Bründlmayer's specialities is the lyre training system, which opens out the canopy to get the maximum exposure. It gives a wine that has extra intensity, flavors of white currants vying with lychees, almonds, a perfumed aura. The end is satisfying, with acidity adding a lift. | Zöbinger Heiligenstein Lyra | 94 | 58 | Kamptal | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Bründlmayer 2006 Zöbinger Heiligenstein Lyra Riesling (Kamptal) | Riesling | Bründlmayer |
| 19583 | 19582 | US | Those notorious mountain tannins have largely melted, making the wine drinkable now, although it will hold for a decade with proper cellaring. Lush and velvety, with a drop of Cabernet Franc, this is voluptuous in cherries, black currants and fine, toasty oak. | | 94 | 70 | California | Howell Mountain | Napa | | | Duckhorn 2003 Merlot (Howell Mountain) | Merlot | Duckhorn |
| 19584 | 19583 | US | Right up there with the recent string of fabulous têtes de cuvées, the 2000 shows the concentration, power and subtlety of this, the winery's top release. A blend of Chardonnay with 20% Pinot Noir, it shows exotic and complex flavors of tangerines and raspberries, candied ginger, coconut macaroons, baked bread and yeast. It's delicious now, but all the parts haven't come together. Hold until mid-2008 through 2010, but could go well beyond that. | J. Schram | 94 | 90 | California | North Coast | North Coast | | | Schramsberg 2000 J. Schram Sparkling (North Coast) | Sparkling Blend | Schramsberg |
| 19585 | 19584 | France | Aromatic, herbal wine, with evocative lavender, a core of dry tannins, fresh red plum juice fruit and flavors of wild thyme. The six years' aging has given the wine just the right amount of maturity to drink now. | Jules Réserve | 89 | 18 | Provence | Côtes de Provence | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Domaine du Grand Cros 2004 Jules Réserve Red (Côtes de Provence) | Rhône-style Red Blend | Domaine du Grand Cros |
| 19586 | 19585 | Italy | This massive blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot is packed tight with cinnamon, clove and Christmas spice lavished over a solid core of blackberry and plum. The wine shows a ripe, jammy finish with a long, fruity fade. | | 89 | | Tuscany | Bolgheri | | | | Ferrari Iris & Figli 2008 Bolgheri | Red Blend | Ferrari Iris & Figli |
| 19587 | 19586 | US | Not an easy wine to appreciate now. It's tannic, and the fruit is fresh and primary, with the sweet, candied taste of a chewy raspberry twist. Still, there's something complex and interesting going on. It's not just another overripe Zin. Give it a year or two to come around. | Black-Sears Vineyard | 89 | 40 | California | Howell Mountain | Napa | | | V. Sattui 2007 Black-Sears Vineyard Zinfandel (Howell Mountain) | Zinfandel | V. Sattui |
| 19588 | 19587 | Spain | A more traditional type of crianza with vanilla, spice, dry berry fruit and a quiet, subtle approach. The mouthfeel is Old World with it's clean, dusty weight and proper acid-tannin balance, and the flavors of spice, cherry, dried currant and earth don't overstep their place. Very nice wine for under $20. | Crianza | 89 | 17 | Northern Spain | Rioja | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Valserrano 2006 Crianza (Rioja) | Tempranillo | Valserrano |
| 19589 | 19588 | Spain | Nutty and toasty, with toffee and butter pecan aromas. The palate is wet, light, alert and snappy, but also angular and citrusy. The acidity here is key; it pushes dried apricot and tangy flavors toward a nutty finish, and overall the wine delivers what a good, higher-end palo cortado should. | Marqués de Rodil Especial Palo Cortado | 89 | 45 | Andalucia | Jerez | | Michael Schachner | @wineschach | Hidalgo NV Marqués de Rodil Especial Palo Cortado Palomino (Jerez) | Palomino | Hidalgo |
| 19590 | 19589 | Portugal | A fine and impressively complex wine, rich, packed with sultanas and dark chocolate. Very firm, this is worth aging but drinkable now. | Late Bottled Vintage | 89 | | Port | | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Quinta do Passadouro 2005 Late Bottled Vintage (Port) | Port | Quinta do Passadouro |