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69,737 | chile | Briny citrus and green-fruit aromas reflect cold-climate origins. This is zesty yet round, with acidic grit and bite. Green pepper, jalapeño and green melon flavors finish spicy and tangy, like bitter lettuce mixed with passion fruit and tangerine. | EQ Coastal | 90 | 19 |
66,792 | us | An elegant debut for this new Oregon winery, the Winemaker's Cuvée opens with lovely floral and herbal scents, moving into a detailed, precise and well-configured palate, with pretty raspberry and cherry candy fruit. It's set in a sturdy frame of acid and tannin, and seems to gain concentration through the long finish. | Winemaker's Cuvée | 92 | 32 |
93,888 | us | A full-bodied white blend composed largely of Chardonnay with smaller percentages of Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Orange Muscat, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Sémillon and Muscat Canelli. The aromas and flavors lean tropical, ensconced in crisp vanilla and lemon-lime. A versatile wine for a myriad of foods. Rich seafood dishes will work particularly well. | The Whip | 88 | 21 |
54,717 | italy | Aromas of perfumed berry, scorched earth, grilled herb and dried rose petal waft out of the glass. The chewy palate doles out ripe black cherry, licorice, ground pepper and clove alongside a solid backbone of velvety tannins. Tobacco and mocha notes close the finish. American Northwest Distributors Inc. and Vintage '59 Imports. | Casot | 93 | 35 |
2,149 | portugal | The tannins are firm, still controlling the black fruits in this wine. It is concentrated, with considerable extraction giving a dry wine with a hard edge. The red-berry flavors are lost. | Premium | 84 | 33 |
108,898 | us | This modest Pinot offers light strawberry fruit, a dash of cola, and a component of earth and stem that overtakes the finish. It hints at green tannins, with a bit of brown sugar sweetness, perhaps from aging in 30% new oak. | Lazy River Vineyard Reserve | 85 | 36 |
9,306 | france | This solid and dense wine has firm tannins as well as juicy fruitiness. It is dark, rich and full of black fruits that are cut with intense acidity. It needs to age further, so drink from 2015. | Les Charmes | 92 | 24 |
16,579 | us | Young, vibrant and fresh, this wine's crisp acidity frames pineapple and tropical fruit flavors, with a slight hint of botrytis in the form of golden apricot and honey. There's lots of evident oak, creating a buttered toast note, while its minerality makes it complex. Vastly rich, if a little lacking in subtlety. Drink now. | Keefer Ranch | 92 | 42 |
81,087 | us | Herbaceous in aroma, dry and lean on the palate, this wine offers refreshment more than flavor. Light bodied, it has a tangy texture. | All Profits to Charity | 84 | 18 |
39,628 | us | An inviting mix of rose and nutmeg evolves into tightly woven layers of raspberry and blueberry, with the wine deftly showing its youth and fine-vintage pedigree. Powerful on the palate, it has weight and length, followed by softly lingering allspice. | Limited Release | 91 | 50 |
88,161 | south africa | This wine starts with an intriguing nose that is at once floral, fresh and spicy. On the palate, it's racy and fun but has an elegant, delicate edge. A combination of lemon and grass flavors with tropical melons and fruits are balanced and enjoyable. A good go-to white that will pair well with grilled seafood and salads. | Estate | 85 | 17 |
80,041 | france | The nose gives little away and is very shy. The palate, however, is a paradigm on lemony freshness—of textured candied lemon and pear richness and great concentration. All of the richness of Pinto Gris is present, but it is carried aloft by zesty citrus freshness to strike a note of harmonious tangy balance. The finish shimmers with pear, earth and spice. | Wiebelsberg Grand Cru | 92 | 53 |
1,815 | argentina | Damp, foresty, stalky aromas are backed by a chunky, slightly sticky feeling palate. Black cherry and mocha flavors set the stage for a ripe finish, with brown-sugar sweetness. | Oak Cask Estate Bottled | 85 | 12 |
57,853 | argentina | Lightly perfumed tropical-fruit aromas are dusty and a touch soapy. This feels round, oily and cidery, while flavors of orange, nectarine and apricot finish with good weight, texture and length. | Silver Series | 86 | 10 |
45,485 | uruguay | Oaky aromas rest on top of raisin, blackberry and dried-cheese scents. This feels full and tannic, with saucy, herbal, tomato, plum and berry flavors. On the finish, oak-based flavors of graphite and charcoal vie with ringing acidity and edgy tannins. | Reserve Collection | 88 | 20 |
9,255 | us | Its prime location near Archery Summit and Domaine Drouhin marks Nysa as one of Oregon's most sought-after fruit sources. Mark McNeilly (of Mark Ryan Winery) has chosen it for one of two vineyard designates for this new project. Sweet baking spices and raspberry jam are the hallmarks here, offering immediate appeal, while retaining the structure to age for another decade. Aim for an optimal drinking window from 2019 through 2024. | Nysa Vineyard | 91 | 55 |
34,427 | us | This big blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Sangiovese presents a potent purple-flower aroma on the nose as well as boysenberry, tar, dried oregano, pepper and leather. The bone-dry palate is wrapped in a chalky silky texture, with nettle, oregano and blackberry flavors. | Exponent | 89 | 26 |
45,289 | italy | Here's a standout Barbera from Monferrato with loads of intensity, complexity and persistency. You'll get aromas of blackberry and cherry followed by exotic spice, vanilla and pipe tobacco. The mouthfeel is smooth, soft and thick. Excellent. | Barabba | 92 | 59 |
118,338 | spain | Dusty, spicy and a little scratchy on the nose, this has leather, vanilla and mild fruit aromas. It feels tangy, with a light herb flavor working in tandem with dry plum and berry notes. Briary, spicy and drying on the finish. | Monte Haro Red | 86 | 10 |
77,048 | us | Quite sweet and quite delicious, this ripe and fruity wine has lots of black plum, dried cherry and raisin flavors, a soft texture and a lingering, berry-pie finish. | Ten Zin | 87 | 30 |
118,515 | us | This is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. It's a bit soft in structure, but nice and dry, and the blackberry, leather, pepper and cedar flavors are elaborate. Drink now. | Troublemaker Blend 1 | 87 | 20 |
127,699 | us | Ed Sbragia brings his penchant for huge wines to Chardonnay. This '10 is strong and intense in tropical fruits, peaches, buttered toast and vanilla, and while it's balanced and flashy, it will dominate almost any food you pair it with. | Gamble Ranch Vineyard | 89 | 40 |
9,230 | us | This is a sort of junior bottling to their world-famous and superexpensive Hillside Select. The 2005 is a very good Cab (with 2% Petite Verdot), but a bit on the soft, sweet, obvious side. Showing pie-filling, almost candied cherry, blackberry, raspberry and chocolate flavors, it resembles many other California Cabernets that don't cost nearly as much. | One Point Five | 87 | 70 |
102,017 | chile | Pretty good, sturdy and clean. The nose shows good white fruits and minerally notes, with a bit of toast. In the mouth, it's healthy and sweet, with tropical flavors of melon and papaya along with creamy pear. Finishes sweet, with some vanilla. | Reserva | 86 | 10 |
120,155 | us | Sharp anise, violet and menthol scents swirl around a core of rich blackberry jam on this wine, hitting the palate with serious thickness. The Kamal, named after an 8th-century navigation device, also features the other four Bordeaux varietals. It delivers flavors of deep plum jelly, cherry syrup, pepper and cedar. | Kamal | 91 | 42 |
69,261 | france | This nonvintage Champagne from a family-owned producer has a fine, creamy mousse and enough dosage to give it a soft aftertaste. It's well balanced, with 40% Pinot Meunier bringing smoothness to the crisp acidity. It's ready to drink. | Brut de B. | 88 | 49 |
92,542 | us | Quite delicious, and loaded with wild berry flavors and herbal highlights, this impressive wine is almost pure Mourvèdre—just 4% Syrah was blended in. Twenty months in a mix of Hungarian, French and American oak has begun to soften its rather hard and slightly stemmy tannins. Further aging—up to five years—is recommended. | den Hoed Vineyard | 89 | 26 |
88,802 | italy | Here is an easy and straightforward Falanghina (with some Coda di Volpe) that offers sweet notes of yellow candy, peach fuzz, caramel and brown sugar. The wine is easy and fresh and could be served with hors d'oeuvres. | Clarum | 85 | 14 |
97,513 | spain | Mineral, lime and crisp apple aromas give it a precise, pure nose. And that same character exists on the palate and finish, where white peach, green banana and melon flavors are full and forward. Shows good concentration and quality for a large-production bubbly at this price. | Aria Estate Brut | 88 | 14 |
55,941 | us | The reserve takes the tight focus and black fruit flavors of the regular Cab and ramps them up a notch or two. Deeper, denser and darker, with flavors of cassis and licorice wrapped into the tannic, earthy depths of the finish. This has great power. | Proprietor's Reserve | 91 | 30 |
78,601 | us | Sanguine and restrained, this is a lovely version of the variety from the region. It is high-toned in refreshing acidity and accented in red cherry and a memorable spiciness of cinnamon and pepper. Completely understated, it will do well at the table or on its own as aperitif fare. | Zeigler Vineyard | 93 | 34 |
39,793 | us | KJ's Mendocino County Zin has both red and black berry fruit flavor and the spiciness one expects from dry-farmed Mendocino County vineyards, though the tannins stick around a bit longer than one might like. Cedar definitely shows up on the finish. | Vintner's Reserve | 87 | 16 |
95,442 | us | The bouquet of this earthy, aromatic vineyard-designate wine is bursting with freshly picked wildflowers and earth. The palate is mouthwatering in blueberry, strawberry and a bite of sour cherry. Lively acidity keeps the proceedings on a hair-raising ride, before diving headfirst into a long finish of bacon and dark chocolate. | Flax Vineyard | 94 | 54 |
66,213 | france | This is a softly spicy wine that is understated and light. With its brisk acidity and flavors of citrus and lychee, it is an easy, gentle wine that is ready to drink now. | Tradition | 86 | 18 |
55,072 | brazil | Mild citrus aromas are aided by crushed mineral notes. This rosé feels chunky as it blows up on the palate with a cloud of foam. Apricot and orange flavors finish foamy and yeasty in flavor. | Cave Amadeu Rosé Brut | 87 | 25 |
113,294 | france | A fresh, lightly herbal blend of most of the grapes of Gascony. It is crisp, lemon, currant and grapefruit flavored and bright as a button. The wine is made to be drunk young. | L'Eclat | 85 | 10 |
121,057 | italy | Underbrush, dried rose, aromatic herb and a balsamic note of menthol slowly take shape. The full-bodied palate offers French oak, licorice, espresso, raspberry jam and mint alongside aggressive, somewhat grainy, tannins that leave a bracing finish. Drink 2019–2028. | Gallina | 90 | 100 |
111,671 | us | Beef jerky, dried mushrooms, black pepper, pencil lead, black olive and elderberry swirl into a memorable nose on this wine by professorial vintner Wes Hagen. It's incredibly alive on the palate, delivering soy and deeply tart cranberry-cherry juice flavors, and needs until late 2015 to emerge as an even more solid sipper. | Estate | 92 | 59 |
58,220 | us | A blend of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre, this offers strawberry/leaf flavors that glide softly into more concentrated, deep fruit flavors of cherry and plum. This is an elegant wine, graceful and fine, with intriguing length and a smooth finish. The tannins are a pleasing mix of light herb and moist earth, and there is a finishing kiss of chocolate wafer. | Métier Red | 90 | 34 |
123,888 | us | This lovely wine is balanced in tannin and acidity. Nutty, it has a touch of leather underlying the savory's fruit's baked quality, a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and warmth. Aged in Hungarian, French and American oak, little of it new, the fruit is allowed to speak and effortlessly charm. | Alegria Vineyards | 91 | 30 |
5,535 | chile | Aromas of peach pit, dried almond skins and white pineapple are on the raw side, while the palate on this Viognier-heavy blend is waxy yet citric. Flavors of white grapefruit and lemon are pithy, and finish with bitter almond flavors. | Estate | 82 | 16 |
25,522 | portugal | Warm and ripe, this is a full-bodied rosé that has the weight and some of the tannins of a red wine. With its vivid pink color and sweet strawberry fruits, it's fruity and ready to drink. | Alandra | 86 | 8 |
22,098 | us | Appealing aromas of cocoa, herb, cherry and barrel spice lead to full fruit flavors. Burly slightly drying tannins give it a firm squeeze. | Cutlass | 88 | 20 |
120,905 | us | Tropical and slightly reduced, this complex wine from the famous Westside Road site is peachy and dripping in caramel. Baked apple adds to the lush, plush and richly robust palate, which finishes with balanced acidity and a taste of salty pretzel. | Bacigalupi Vineyard | 92 | 50 |
13,256 | israel | This Cabernet-dominant blend is drinking young, with firm, gripping tannins and a tight structure. There's plenty of black fruit flavors to flesh out the palate, along with complex nuances of licorice root, creme de cassis, cigar-box spice and a touch of bitter chocolate. Give it a few years in the cellar for the tannins to mellow a bit. | Reserve | 89 | 40 |
65,793 | italy | Saia is one of a handful of icon wines from Sicily: It boasts excellent integration of oak and fruit (although the wood presence is definitely felt) and amazing richness and intensity on the finish. The wine is dense, inviting and very long lasting. | Saia | 90 | 30 |
6,070 | us | More of a Zinfandel than a red blend, this has plenty of flavor and more tannin than usual. Containing 40% Petite Sirah, it offers a surplus of juicy plum and black cherry flavors, good balance and just enough grippy tannin to make it robust. | The Rules of Fair Play | 89 | 35 |
76,753 | france | While this wine is certainly sweet with yellow fruits and plenty of ripe honey flavors, it also has a beautiful streak of acidity that allows the wine to be crisply textured. There are spice, great fruitiness and a bright tight aftertaste. Drink now, or better from 2020. | Le Bouchet Moelleux | 92 | 22 |
47,236 | spain | Aromas of toasted white bread and baked apple are yeasty. This feels good on the palate, with mature flavors of apple that steer clear of being too snappy or citric. On the finish this is like the nose: bready and tasting like baked apple. | Conde de Haro Brut | 89 | 26 |
66,299 | italy | Fresh and friendly, this medium-bodied, no-frills red delivers layers of blackberry, black currant, ground black pepper and a note of dried sage. It's easy drinking, with bright acidity and round, chewy tannins. | Castagnino | 87 | 17 |
14,320 | us | This is one of the producer's more full-bodied wines, a blend from several sites along Eastside Road, including Calegari, Foss and a new source—Lewis MacGregor Estate. Rich, round and plush, it's as strong as black coffee in its marriage of earthy allspice, baked cherry, blueberry and smoke. Moderate acidity allows for an underlying minerality. | Eastside Road Neighbors | 92 | 55 |
70,209 | us | Pretty violet notes reverberate through this richly concentrated, nuanced Pinot Noir. Dried cherry and blackberry touches are succulent and lip smacking yet anchored by delicate veins of mineral and spice. Fine-grained tannins persist through a long finish. Drink now through 2023. | North Block Five | 90 | 25 |
71,605 | us | The chilly vintage has given this wine a toughness of tannins and acids that makes it difficult to appreciate now. And the toasty, sweet oak has not meshed yet with the fruit, which is rich in black currants and cassis liqueur. All signs point to the cellar. Hold until 2018, at least. | Wolff Vineyard | 90 | 85 |
71,117 | us | The '05, as befits a cool vintage, is lean, with the alcohol showing through bare-bones citrus flavors. Even those who like their whites dry and flinty may find this Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier blend a little thin. | Blancaneaux | 86 | 40 |
23,352 | italy | This Riserva expression of Chianti Classico reveals ripe richness and plush layers of blackberry, cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. Smooth tannins and a compact texture would match white meat or pork. | Riserva | 90 | 26 |
64,487 | us | This is a Cab made unabashedly to appeal to a broad range of palates. It's medium in weight and texture with layers of vanilla and cherry that are persistent enough to stand up to all kinds of food. A perfect burger wine, especially for a crowd. | 337 | 85 | 15 |
21,773 | us | Tastes sweet and hot, like an inexpensive Port, with sugary cherry-berry jam flavors. The official alcohol is 16%. | Warm Springs Ranch | 82 | 32 |
68,996 | us | Elevates the Keller style of superripe, oaky Chardonnay into a more refined, balanced wine, equally rich but more perfect. It's still potent in buttered toast, vanilla, caramel, honey and pineapple jam, but crisp acidity and minerality help to give structure to the opulence. | Precioso | 92 | 75 |
12,779 | australia | A few years of age have turned this South Australia Chardonnay into a highly nuanced tipple. Kerosene, hay and coconut aromas play off fragrant blood orange scents while the palate offers up toast and caramel in a tight, well-defined structure. Try with grilled salmon or serve on its own. Drinking at its peak now but will last a few more years. | Reeves Point | 90 | 28 |
40,380 | france | While this wine demonstrates the telltale cool element of the appellation, it also offers ripe fruit, pear and peach flavors lightly layered with wood. The wine is crisp at the end, with a mineral aftertaste. Drink from 2016. | Caradeux Premier Cru | 91 | 45 |
58,733 | us | Deep gold in color, this vineyard designate is oaky, with gingerbread, caramel and canned pineapple flavors. It's full, unctuous and creamy on the palate. | Sangiacomo Vineyard | 86 | 30 |
127,457 | us | Sourced from the Clifton Hill vineyard, this is a supple and fruity Syrah, with exceptional depth of flavor. A mix of tart cherry and plum fruit, it's annotated with notes of graphite, ash, tobacco and dark chocolate. | Silo Reserve | 93 | 30 |
102,729 | argentina | A lean and clean specimen with basic but familiar raspberry and cherry aromas. The palate is a little thin and acidic, but with that comes freshness. Flavors of cherry and mixed herbs are good but sharp, while a light dusting of pepper covers the lean, snappy finish. | Reserva | 86 | 15 |
69,860 | chile | This hard-drilling, bullish Malbec is bright purple in color, with grapy, heady aromas. The palate is rubbery and grabby, with a shock of zesty acidity. Oversized, roasted black-fruit flavors finish with size, power and a grating feel. | Serie Riberas Gran Reserva Ribera del Tinguirica | 86 | 18 |
104,587 | us | From 98% Roussanne and 2% Viognier, Venus delights in honey, jasmine and lemon zest, given time in both stainless steel and neutral oak. Crisp and light, it also offers complex herbal undertones, the fruit coming from relatively cool sites in Bennett Valley and the Russian River. | Venus | 90 | 48 |
19,571 | 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 |
56,481 | us | Longtime Winemaker Kathy Joseph has crafted a wine that presents aromas of cherry, raspberry, slate, frozen chocolate chips and a bit of wild mint. Juicy raspberries lead the palate, along with root beer, cola and a touch of eucalyptus, all sailing through the texture of grippy tannins and strong acidity. | Lollapalooza Fiddlestix | 93 | 80 |
40,131 | us | This wine starts off with a broad blend of berries and cherries, and well-integrated, smooth tannins. But in the finish and aftertaste, a chemical bitterness emerges and persists. | Victoria Estate | 87 | 65 |
51,501 | us | New oak stands out in this slightly sweet Chardonnay, giving a butterscotch taste to the pineapple and fig fruit. It has pleasant acidity. | Estate Bottled | 85 | 28 |
17,974 | us | Winemaker Blair Fox loves this single-clone bottling, and for good reason. It's intensely dark in color but not overextracted, with soil, eucalyptus, black plum and baking spice aromas. Rounded strawberry and raspberry fruit shows on the medium-bodied palate, with star anise and white pepper accents. | Clone 115 | 94 | 55 |
71,113 | us | From the former Ashley's Vineyard, one of the best-known in the AVA, comes this very ripe, extracted Pinot Noir. Tastes like it had a long hangtime, getting ripe to the point of baked pie-filling cherries and puréed, smoky, almost raisined blackberries. The tradeoff for all this richness is softness and a resulting one-dimensionality. | Cuvée Sandra | 86 | 55 |
106,791 | italy | Earthy aromas of truffle, forest floor, used leather and a funky whiff of barnyard carry over to the firm palate along with ripe black cherry, clove and a hint of game. It's on the rustic side but full of personality. | Buon Padre | 88 | 55 |
103,923 | germany | Honeycomb and saffron lend an earthen sheen to this intensely tropical Riesling full of sweet-tart tangerine, pineapple and melon flavors. It's juicy and buoyantly fruity, yet also complex, balanced by bristling acidity and a lingering tea-note astringency. | Brauneberger Juffer Auslese | 91 | 27 |
14,542 | portugal | There is a sunrise pink color to this soft, rounded wine. Made from Palmela's local Castelão grape, it is fruity, tinged by caramel and a fresh, crisp citrusy aftertaste. Drink now. | Pegos Claros | 84 | 13 |
113,048 | spain | Peach and apricot aromas give way to vanilla and resiny oak notes. This blend of Viura, Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca is full in body and has taken well to oak. Melon, green banana and wood spice flavors are dry and elegant on the finish. Drink through 2021. | Selección Familia | 90 | 17 |
79,935 | germany | Jolts of lemon-lime acidity reverberate throughout this dry, mineral-focused wine. Golden apple, pear and lemon flavors are ripe and concentrated, but the palate maintains a svelte, spry style. | Juffer Trocken GG | 91 | 42 |
2,561 | us | Lightly smoked stone fruit and apple blossoms greet the nose on this bottling of 50% Marsanne and 50% Grenache Blanc. The palate is much more interesting, with lemon sorbet and ripe apples clinging to a steely centerline that shows flashes of flint and gunmetal. | Aporia | 89 | 28 |
77,072 | us | This wine is bright with cherry and incense aromas. Cherry and bramble flavors are juicy and fresh, with support from supersoft tannins and zippy acidity. This makes for an easy drinking summer red. | Eluvium | 86 | 32 |
82,265 | spain | This old-vines beauty from one of Rueda's top producers offers pure and inviting aromas of fresh apple, citrus and mineral. It tastes of lemon-lime and green apple, while a mineral quality carries onto the fresh and zesty finish. Drink now. | Pie Franco | 92 | 30 |
72,705 | france | While the wine is bone-dry, its soft character keeps it from being too steely and tight. Aromatic and fresh, it has delicious, juicy apple and green plum flavors. Drink from 2015. | Portrait | 87 | 17 |
44,163 | us | Very similar to last year's bottling, Morgan's '06 is pale in color, dry, silky and a little aloof. It's like a shy person who opens up when you get to know them. With firm acidity framing cranberry, rose petal, red cherry, grilled mushroom and spice flavors, it should begin to open up in a year or so. | Rosella's Vineyard | 92 | 62 |
88,126 | spain | Bready white-fruit aromas are a touch funky and difficult to gauge. In the mouth, this is foamy but secure, with lemon-lime and nectarine flavors. This feels precise on the finish, with mild yeast and bread flavors. | Brut Reserva Special Edition | 90 | 25 |
116,415 | argentina | Stalky aromas of leathery berry fruits suggest animal and earth. This is raw, tannic and hard on the palate, with saucy berry flavors that fall off towards stalky and stewy. A dense tannic finish is structured but tastes herbal and stalky. | Prodigo Reserva | 88 | 27 |
75,893 | australia | Kooyong's entry-level Chardonnay features glimpses of oak in its hints of vanilla, cinnamon and clove, but remains fruit-focused. Vibrant pineapple fruit zips along the palate, ending clean and refreshing. | Clonale | 87 | 36 |
33,855 | italy | Tal Lùc comes in an elegant little bottle that beautifully sets the stage for the fabulous dessert wine to follow. The color is deeply golden and saturated and aromas include toasted almond, dried yellow rose, candied fruit and apricot. The creamy texture would pair with something different than dessert, say a delicate sliver of duck liver pâté. | Tal Lùc | 95 | 88 |
40,892 | spain | Oily aromas of citrus rind and nettle come in front of a juicy palate. From that point on this Chardonnay struggles. Weedy, peppery, pyrazinic flavors finish bitter. As a whole, this Chardonnay gets a passing grade but barely. | Bestué de Otto Bestué | 83 | 12 |
48,803 | italy | Albino Rocca's Barbaresco Ronchi boasts lovely violet and sage aromas sprinkled with coffee and espresso notes. The palate shows creamy red fruit layered with chocolate and spice and firm but refined tannins. This is very elegant but still a bit shy, so best to drink it after 2014. | Ronchi | 91 | 60 |
26,664 | new zealand | Plummy and dark, with accents of cedar, dark chocolate and hints of coffee. This is always the most robust of the Felton Road Pinots, and really deserves a few years in the cellar; although it's approachable now, expect the already soft tannins to turn silkier in time. | Block 5 | 93 | 79 |
107,209 | us | Vanilla, herb, cherry, coconut and barrel spice aromas are followed by supple cherry and spice flavors in this wine. The barrel influence is a bit up-front, but it still provides plenty of pleasure. | Estate Riverbend Vineyard | 89 | 40 |
104,578 | argentina | This Bordeaux-style blend is inky, reduced and heavily oaked up front, with aromas of sawdust, vanilla and jammy black fruits. Interestingly, it is somewhat sharp and shrill on the palate, with lively acidity. Flavors of raw oak, coconut, vanilla and blackberry finish savory and briny, with shearing acids and choppy tannins. Drink through 2019. | Enzo Bianchi | 90 | 55 |
57,968 | greece | Complex floral and citric aromas lead this sophisticated white blend. Flavors of fresh tropical fruit, lemon and sea salt are balanced and appealing. A great everyday pour. | Mediterranean | 87 | 13 |
41,252 | spain | Starts out a bit flat, with milk chocolate and raisiny aromas. With airing it evolves and expands, showing snappy flavors of berry, raisin and brown sugar. Very solid on the finish and elegant as an aged Rioja gran reserva should be. Drink now through 2015. | Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial | 91 | 58 |
24,562 | germany | Crisp green plum and gooseberry aromas lend an invitingly cool touch to this otherwise sun-kissed spätlese. The palate is delicately honeyed, showcasing a bounty of sweet, succulent apricot, tangerine and pink grapefruit flavors. Spry texture and a spine tingling acidic backbone lend impeccable balance. | Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Spätlese | 91 | 28 |
56,509 | us | The fruit on this Syrah is so ripe that the blackberries venture into raisins and prunes. With the glycerine from high alcohol, the wine tastes like a minor Port. | Lafond Vineyard | 82 | 40 |
35,301 | us | This is a light, nondescript white wine, with a trace of sweetness on the finish. | Estate Grown | 83 | 15 |
70,753 | us | This wine has candied fruit aromas and flavors, plus heat in the aroma and in the mouth. | Estate | 82 | 29 |
62,510 | us | This is the kind of wine only severe lot selection can achieve. The flavors are deep and impressive, ranging from cassis to chocolate. Oak provides smoke and spice. It has that brilliant, velvety texture you expect from wines of this caliber, but, like so many such bottlings, it lacks the acidity to provide backbone. | Reserve | 91 | 60 |
81,636 | us | This Bordeaux-style blend is 43% Cab Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 5% Malbec, with no Petit Verdot in 2009. Young and muscular, it's built upon a base of firm black fruits, with plenty of cassis. The wine spent 20 months in 60% new French oak, and brings plenty of roasted coffee bean and dark cacao goodness to the finishing tannins. | 424 | 92 | 35 |
120,102 | us | This magnum-size wine, named after the Tensleys' son, Oliver Gunnar, is still very young, especially for the large size, but the aromas of purple flower, tar, salt, pepper and black plum are very promising. Zesty pepper and thyme show on the sip along with black-plum paste and savory hoisin touches, held together by a very grippy texture. This heavy-duty wine needs time to blossom. Drink 2019–2030. | OGT | 94 | 90 |
36,543 | us | The lemon, lime, pineapple and honey flavors are compromised by green mint notes in this dry, acidic wine. It has its limitations, but would make a good companion to a wide variety of fare, from potato salad to fried chicken. | East Side Vineyards | 85 | 14 |