21523 | 21522 | France | A rich, yeasty wine, this is a ripe expression of Sauvignon Blanc, with balanced and concentrated mineral intensity and taut lemon and grapefruit flavors. There is a strong sense of structure and texture, and the wine needs to age at least two years. | Sauvage | 92 | 70 | Loire Valley | Sancerre | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Pascal Jolivet 2010 Sauvage (Sancerre) | Sauvignon Blanc | Pascal Jolivet |
21524 | 21523 | Italy | This opens with a plush, dark appearance and generous aromas of ripe fruit, tobacco, hazelnut and bitter chocolate. It delivers balance, determination and polished tannins. | San Cristoforo | 92 | 50 | Piedmont | Barbaresco | | | | Pietro Rinaldi 2009 San Cristoforo (Barbaresco) | Nebbiolo | Pietro Rinaldi |
21525 | 21524 | Italy | Wild flower, dried jasmine, wild berry, hazelnut and ginger open the beautifully fragrant bouquet. The mouthfeel is tight, elegant and silky with polished tannins and fresh menthol overtones. Give this wine 10 more years. | Costa Grimaldi | 92 | 90 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Poderi Luigi Einaudi 2008 Costa Grimaldi (Barolo) | Nebbiolo | Poderi Luigi Einaudi |
21526 | 21525 | US | This is 96% Merlot, with just a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Firm and focused, it sports a toasty nose, with rich blackberry and cherry fruit. The oak treatment brings in generous flavors of coffee and mocha. | Foreshadow | 92 | 45 | Washington | Columbia Valley (WA) | Columbia Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | J. Bookwalter 2009 Foreshadow Merlot (Columbia Valley (WA)) | Merlot | J. Bookwalter |
21527 | 21526 | US | Lightly silky, this has mouth-cleansing acidity and delicious red-cherry pie, spice and sandalwood flavors. It's really easy to drink now, elegant and complex. You can even give it a little chill on a hot night. | Cheval Sauvage | 92 | 60 | California | Santa Maria Valley | Central Coast | | | Wild Horse 2008 Cheval Sauvage Pinot Noir (Santa Maria Valley) | Pinot Noir | Wild Horse |
21528 | 21527 | France | Impressive dusty tannins offer a structured counterpoint to the deliciously ripe fruits and sweet berry flavors that stand out in this wine. It has great concentration as well, a powerhouse of firm structure and gorgeous fruit. | | 92 | | Bordeaux | Pessac-Léognan | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Bouscaut 2009 Pessac-Léognan | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Bouscaut |
21529 | 21528 | France | The Romans made it to Sancerre, hence the name of this wine. The flavors are rich, with a mineral edge to the notes of green fruits, plums and greengages and a serious citrus core. With its structure, the wine needs to age for 2–3 years. | Les Romains | 92 | 25 | Loire Valley | Sancerre | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Domaine Fouassier 2010 Les Romains (Sancerre) | Sauvignon Blanc | Domaine Fouassier |
21530 | 21529 | Italy | From the celebrated Bernardot Cru, this dark and austere Barbaresco opens with elegant tones of dried fruit, exotic spice, toasted hazelnut and tar. Thanks to its natural structure and acidity, this shows all of the characteristics of ageability. | Bricco Asili Bernardot | 92 | 155 | Piedmont | Barbaresco | | | | Ceretto 2009 Bricco Asili Bernardot (Barbaresco) | Nebbiolo | Ceretto |
21511 | 21510 | Italy | Batasiolo is a large estate that offers a long list of Piedmont wines. Elegant and bright, this pretty Barolo offers the best of the austere Nebbiolo grape at a reasonably low price. It seduces with attractive aromas and flavors of wild berry, ginger, cola and dried mint. | | 92 | 40 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Beni di Batasiolo 2008 Barolo | Nebbiolo | Beni di Batasiolo |
21531 | 21530 | France | A wine that is both fruity and almost approachable now, it is packed with the great structure of Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon. It's rich and firmly tannic, layering plums and blackberries within a dark texture. This should be aged for at least five years. | | 92 | 95 | Bordeaux | Pauillac | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Béhèré Courtin 2010 Pauillac | Bordeaux-style Red Blend | Château Béhèré Courtin |
21532 | 21531 | US | Blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah, this is a complex wine. Very dry and marked by young, aggressive tannins, it strikes you as dramatic, offering waves of fruit, mineral, spice and oak flavors that carry onto the long, sweet finish. With its tannins, give it until 2015. | Explorer The Illegitimate | 92 | 37 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | Château Potelle 2009 Explorer The Illegitimate Red (Napa Valley) | Red Blend | Château Potelle |
21533 | 21532 | US | This is notable for its complexity and stylish blend of grape, berry and bramble flavors. The fruit is matched with polished tannins, streaks of iron and earth, and a citrusy highlight. | Stained Tooth | 92 | 32 | Washington | Columbia Valley (WA) | Columbia Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Dusted Valley 2010 Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley (WA)) | Syrah | Dusted Valley |
21534 | 21533 | Italy | This opens with savory aromas of cured meat and leather with background tones of ripe fruit and black cherry. It is smooth and sophisticated on the palate with a fine texture and a fruit-forward finish. | Bricco Pernice | 92 | 88 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Elvio Cogno 2006 Bricco Pernice (Barolo) | Nebbiolo | Elvio Cogno |
21535 | 21534 | Italy | An impressive Barolo from a tricky vintage, this shows bold aromas of blackberry, prune, plum and cherry liqueur. There's a plush richness on the palate that softens those tight, young tannins. | | 92 | 35 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Pertinace 2008 Barolo | Nebbiolo | Pertinace |
21536 | 21535 | US | Fine acidity and a lick of steel give this Sauvignon Blanc a gravity above and beyond the savory flavors of citrus, green apple, lemongrass and honey. With its elegance, this should pair well with roast chicken. | | 92 | 40 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | Rochioli 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley) | Sauvignon Blanc | Rochioli |
21537 | 21536 | US | There's an intense purity to this Sauvignon Blanc that makes it particularly refined and elegant. In fact, this is Stag's Leap's best in many years. It has a translucency that lets you taste the minerally soil from which it comes, alongside immaculate citrus fruit, gooseberry and dried herb flavors. | | 92 | 26 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley) | Sauvignon Blanc | Stag's Leap Wine Cellars |
21512 | 21511 | US | Elaborate and detailed, this blend offers waves of ripe, creamy tangerines, dates, mangoes and spices, leading to a long, exotic finish. It accomplishes the magic of tasting sweet in the middle and dry at the end. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. | Proprietary | 92 | 50 | California | Sonoma County | Sonoma | | | Carte Blanche 2010 Proprietary White (Sonoma County) | Bordeaux-style White Blend | Carte Blanche |
21538 | 21537 | US | You won't miss the presence of oak in this Chardonnay. It's brilliantly forward, ripe and savory, with orange, mango and lime flavors. Natural acidity and a creamy, leesy richness bring extra layers of appeal, and the finish is thoroughly dry. | Unoaked | 92 | 27 | California | Green Valley | Sonoma | | | Iron Horse 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay (Green Valley) | Chardonnay | Iron Horse |
21513 | 21512 | Italy | Beautifully intense and elegant, this opens with fine aromas of spice, dried fruit, cola, tar and ground licorice. It delivers a long, silky sensation in the mouth. | Vigneto Cerequio | 92 | | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Beni di Batasiolo 2006 Vigneto Cerequio (Barolo) | Nebbiolo | Beni di Batasiolo |
21514 | 21513 | France | A ripe, spicy wine, this balances its rich tropical fruits with tense acidity and wood toast. It's full and rounded yet finely tangy and taut. With this structure, the wine should age over many years. | | 92 | | Bordeaux | Pessac-Léognan | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Bouscaut 2009 Pessac-Léognan | Bordeaux-style White Blend | Château Bouscaut |
21515 | 21514 | France | This is full and rounded initially, then the more textured notes of green fruit skin and wood spice come through. It has an attractively ripe feel while remaining structured. At the same time, the wine is developing fast and will be ready to drink in 3–4 years. | | 92 | | Bordeaux | Pessac-Léognan | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Château Carbonnieux 2009 Pessac-Léognan | Bordeaux-style White Blend | Château Carbonnieux |
21539 | 21538 | US | This is a smooth, rich Cabernet whose fruity flavors are upfront, yet it has the complex, upscale structure of a great wine. With classic blackberry and crème de cassis flavors, it's almost as good as its more expensive vineyard-designated brethren from Janzen, at half the price. | | 92 | 50 | California | Napa Valley | Napa | | | Janzen 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) | Cabernet Sauvignon | Janzen |
21516 | 21515 | Italy | Cannubi is regarded as perhaps the finest vineyard cru in Barolo, delivering clean and elegant wines with power and determination on the finish. This expression stays true to the vineyard, with added touches of soft fruit and spice to the mix. | Cannubi | 92 | 90 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | E. Pira e Figli (Chiara Boschis) 2008 Cannubi (Barolo) | Nebbiolo | E. Pira e Figli (Chiara Boschis) |
21517 | 21516 | Italy | This offers generous tones of cherry, dried raspberry, moist tobacco, cured meat and white truffle. It is
elegant, fine and extremely polished; hold for 10 years. | Ravera | 92 | 71 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Elvio Cogno 2008 Ravera (Barolo) | Nebbiolo | Elvio Cogno |
21518 | 21517 | US | This Pinot tastes young and undeveloped, but it should go places. Evidence of its youth lies in the big tannins and acids and the way the fruit flavors are so fresh and primary. Although it's delicious in berries and currants, it just hasn't pulled together. It's so balanced it should benefit from 4–5 years in a cellar. | Floodgate Vineyard | 92 | 54 | California | Russian River Valley | Sonoma | | | Fulcrum 2010 Floodgate Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) | Pinot Noir | Fulcrum |
21540 | 21539 | US | Dry and briskly acidic, this is rich in cherry, mocha and spice flavors that are just starting to turn the corner and develop aged bottle notes. Fascinating now, it should continue to evolve over the next several years, gradually dropping fruit and picking up earthiness. | Saveria Vineyard | 92 | 50 | California | Santa Cruz Mountains | Central Coast | | | Loma Prieta 2007 Saveria Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains) | Pinot Noir | Loma Prieta |
21519 | 21518 | US | A leesy, textural, racy and refreshing Riesling, this is loaded with lime, grapefruit and melon flavors. There is a streak of gin-like botanicals as well, and a rich, resonant finish. | Estate | 92 | 18 | Washington | Columbia Valley (WA) | Columbia Valley | Paul Gregutt | @paulgwine | Gamache 2010 Estate Riesling (Columbia Valley (WA)) | Riesling | Gamache |
21520 | 21519 | France | Old vines have produced a superconcentrated and ripe wine. It has notes of toast, spice and yellow fruit as well as bright acidity. With its structure, depth of flavor and density, it should age well over 3–4 years. | La Bourgeoise | 92 | 35 | Loire Valley | Sancerre | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Henri Bourgeois 2009 La Bourgeoise (Sancerre) | Sauvignon Blanc | Henri Bourgeois |
21521 | 21520 | France | The flint and sand soil of this vineyard brings out the minerally, steely character of this taut, tight wine. While it is herbaceous and flavors of pineapple and white fruit, the structure dominates. Give this impressive wine another year or two. | La Chapelle des Augustins | 92 | 32 | Loire Valley | Sancerre | | Roger Voss | @vossroger | Henri Bourgeois 2010 La Chapelle des Augustins (Sancerre) | Sauvignon Blanc | Henri Bourgeois |
21522 | 21521 | Italy | Bright, generous and intense, this offers shadings of spice and leather around dried berry and cola aromas. The overall effect is that of power, complexity and balance. | | 92 | 50 | Piedmont | Barolo | | | | Negretti 2006 Barolo | Nebbiolo | Negretti |