Cellar Tracker Headlines

2005 Volpaiole Val di Cornia Classico
This is truly exceptionnal, and impossible to find... 5,000 bottlesproduced per year, extremely low yield, produced by a passionate Belgian who moved a village 10 miles South of Bolgheri. Extremely powerful wine, tanins are open, tastes of black current, raspberries and fenel. Can be kept 5 years at least. (94 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2007 Domaine Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes
Quicknote WOW! A real bomb of flavors! Elegant, fruity, offers some really nice sitrus and mineral component. Pricy, but worth it! (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

N.V. Céline & Laurent Tripoz Crémant de Bourgogne
Quicknote A biodynamic Cremant with nice, creamy bobbles. It get´s alittle to high on the acidity, but it´s still a decent sparkling. - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2005 Kühling-Gillot Qvinterra Riesling halbtrocken
Quicknote Apricot sitrus on the nose Really nice situs component with a cold fruitiness that lasts for some time (86 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier Eisbach Riesling trocken
Quicknote An elegant white, sits for some times with alot of acidity. It´s almost too much, and trows of the wine abit. (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2006 Frank Cornelissen Etna MunJebel Rosso 4
Quicknote On the nose; Dirt, minerals and sea! On the pallate it follows the nose and it´s keeping the slight "earth" tones you get thourgh the whole thing. A really different and interesting wine!!! (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Weingut Allram Grüner Veltliner
Quicknote Got this one in a bag-in-box This one is leaning towards melon and sitrus on the nose. Getting also a hint of mineral as well. A long and fresh finish! (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Christer Berens Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Quicknote Nice tropical fruitiness. After they added 10% Pecorino the whole wine is more likeable. A wine for the summer! (84 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2000 Michel Colin-Deléger et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet
trying to decide if it was flawed. Not oxidation, which is usually the risk here. Possibly over the hill. A bit acidic/sour perhaps masking what is behind it. It was OK, but not great. - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Dry
frisk syra mycket gröna äpplen. GOTT - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2007 Bodegas Pintia (Vega-Sicilia) Toro Pintia
This was great. Decanted 2hrs though. Score will light I am sure! Good complexity, fruit, balance. Quite smokey and dark fruits. Fair bit of tannin. Very good length. I'd wait. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/5/2010.

2004 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Riserva Bussia Sottana
Quicknote The youngest Fenocchio brother told me this was kinda of a untypical vintage. Still, a lot of flavors, soft and round tannins. - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Weingut Josef Leitz Riesling trocken
Quicknote On of the bestselling white wines in norway, really vibrant, classic riesling tones with hint of greennes to it. (87 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2006 Acquabona Aleatico Elba
Quicknote A lot of body on this, getting the "greennes that I come to know from this producer. A hint of orange aswell. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Spätlese trocken
Quicknote A very elegant riesling, and supersmooth! Concentrated flavors in many layers. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Histoire D'Enfer Pinot Noir L'Enfer du Désir
Forward wine designed ( input from the owner here) to be consumed young. This is the entry level Pinot for Histoire D'enfer and has a sort of Napa Pinot angle to it with good level of oak. Big and beautiful on the nose, very inviting. Lot sof fruit on the palate but not out of balance and not confectionary in any way. Designed to be a forward readily enjoyable but in no way simple wine and thats exactly what they have achieved. Would have prefered a milder body but still this is very nice. Drink now and will last a few years for sure. (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/7/2010.

2008 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Kaisersteinfels Riesling Alte Reben
Quicknote Had the magnum, Pineapple on this one, had the magnum bottle. A lot of flavors, very nice fruitiness that lasts and lasts! (92 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc
Quicknote Apricot and pure Sauvignon Blanc flavors, really soft wine (not in a bad way). Nice structure. - Tasted 9/9/2010.

1996 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes
Great freshness but very sweet. Nice creamy/oily... (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque
Very ready and open right now! Fresh and wild fruit. Explosive yet elegant. (96 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2007 Boutinot Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Reserve des Hospitaliers
Spice, red fruit, a bit too much alcohol to begin with but it settled after a while. Good, everyday Rhone; partnered sausage mash and gravy well (87 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Canepa Cabernet Sauvignon Classico
a typical Chilean cab sav,nothing special, a good midweek wine, went well with chili (80 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet
Quicknote Intense flavors, minerals and nuts for the most part. Nice price! (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 FIN Pinot Noir Finnegan's Lake
Cheap CA wine with raisiny, pruny nose. Plenty of fruit. Simple. Opened the Nuits St Georges Daniel Rion after this, and could see the profound difference in quality that a more upscale Pinot Noir makes. This wine is perfectly acceptable for a price, but a wine I'd tire of very quickly. Seemed to be OK as a marinade for antelope hamburger. Marinade gave the antelope meal richness, but better to use another wine for drinking. (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Serol Côte Roannaise Vieilles Vignes
Quicknote Raspberryjam (boiled fruit) on the nose, but it got a nice body! (86 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Trénel Fils Morgon Le Montcalme
Quicknote On the nose; pepper, some green notes (gras and green pepper). Nice tannins, and it follows the nose. - Tasted 9/9/2010.

1990 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Grand Clos des Épenots
Cork fine. Slightly cloudy, medium garnet core, wide pale mahogany rim. Nose shows dried red fruit, earth, spice, notes of pine. Palate is medium bodied with dried red fruit, slightly stemmy, spice, fresh acidity, some firm tannins on the medium length finish. Quite good if lacking a little generosity and length. (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

N.V. Thill
Quicknote Nice acidity, lovely bubbles with apple as the main flavor. My first Luxenbourg wine, not bad, not bad at all! (86 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2000 Pol Roger Champagne Brut
Quicknote Nice and varm aftertaste, the alcohol is soothing. Kinda "raw", unpolished if you want. (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2006 Terry Hoage Vineyards Grenache-Syrah The 46
(88 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Acacia Chardonnay Marsh - Wines for Wildlife
This wine had an overprowering nose of vanilla and oak. Little flavor other than bitter oak. Flawed winemaking to my taste, but if you like this style, maybe you would rate it higher. (80 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2001 Domaine Gauby Côtes du Roussillon Villages Vieilles Vignes
Medium/deep garnet core, slight ruby tint. Intense nose with minerally dark fruit, hints of soil and smoke. Big and intense but nicely perfumed too - good aromatic complexity here. Full bodied on the palate, black berry fruit, very minerally, some rich soil notes, very intense, rich and powerful but reasonably fresh too. Packed with fine, ripe tannins which are still very evident on the long, fresh finish. Just about approachable now with food this needs a few more years to be at its best but the potential is very evident. (91 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Dönnhoff Riesling trocken
Quicknote Nicely balanced wine, a firm aftertaste and good balance sweetness/acidity, (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Da Luca Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay Sicilia IGT
Quicknote Minerals and sitrus on the nose. Just amazingly boring, 13% that I can´t taste. Got a long aftertaste of nothing. (80 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Weingut Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Pinot Noir trocken
Quicknote Red berries, mainly strawberries. Red licorice High alcohol, unfocused and the score is due to the nice nose. (81 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2008 Domaine Roland Schmitt Riesling Glintzberg
Quicknote Tropical fruitiness, with a dash of stirs on top. Nice acidity and good length. The whole wine is well-balanced. (84 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

1996 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits St. Georges Les Lavières
Dark red color. Nose of vanilla, earth and sour cherry. Similar flavors of earth, sour cherry, mint and mushrooms. Very subtle wine. Finishes smooth with sour cherry nicely integrated with oak and tannins. Nice with an antelope shepherd's pie with garlic and mushroom sauce. (92 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2009 Viña Cono Sur Riesling Reserva
Quicknote Green, halfripe apples with some sitrus. Good aftertaste that lasts, and a good acidity that never get´s to high. (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/9/2010.

2006 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Starmont
Clear, Deep Ruby Core going to a Med Ruby Rim, Pronounced Legs A: Clean, Pronounced Nose, Youthful Dark Fruit, Vegetal, Light Oak Influences, Mineral T: Dry, Med plus acid, med+ tannin, med plus body, med plus alc, Med intensity, med to med plus finish Creamy Oak Notes, Dark Fruit, Dark Chocolate, Spice Conc: Good, Ready to Drink (87 pts.) - Tasted 9/7/2010.

2007 Georges Dubouf Beaujolais
Clear, Med Ruby Core going to a pale ruby rim, Showing Good amount of legs A: Clean, Med Plus Intensity, Youthful Red Fruit/Strawberry/Cranberry, Mineral T: Dry, Med+ Acid, Med tannin, med body, med intensity, med finish, med alcohol Red Fruit/Cranberry, Spice, Earthy Conc:Good Drink Up (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/7/2010.

2008 Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay
Clear, Pale Lemon Green going to a watery rim, Showing Moderate Legs A: Clean, Med Plus Intensity, Youthful Oak, Apple, Spice, Popcorn T: Dry, Med+ Acid, Med to med plus body, no tannin, med alc, med+ Intensity, Medium Plus Finish Lots of Oak, Apple, Citrus Conc: Did not like it tons of oak no me no balance, Drink now, Teacher thought it was good quality (79 pts.) - Tasted 9/7/2010.

2007 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Schützenhaus Riesling Kabinett
Clear, Pale Lemon Green going to a watery rim, showing legs A: Clean, Medium plus to Pronounced Nose, Developing Citrus, Minerals, Petrol, Floral T: Med Dry Sweetness, High Acid, No Tannin, Light Body, Med plus Intensity, Medium Plus Finish, Low Alcohol Petrol, Green Apple, Citrus, Mineral Very good Quality, Ready to drink will hold on for a little bit also (89 pts.) - Tasted 9/7/2010.

2004 Lost River Winery Cedarosa
(92 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Joseph Swan Vineyards Gewürztraminer Saralee's Vineyard
Excellent as always - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2006 Domaine Rene Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur
Popped and poured; aromatics were definitely more intense than commune level Gevrey of this producer with a wild cherry and raspberry tone and some reassuring barnyard notes. A little cinnamon and vanilla also sneak in with even a little time in the glass. At first the wine seems one-dimensional but delicious, as it opens up it shows interesting delineation from mid-palate to finish going from fruit driven and saccharine with all those red fruit jammy notes to spicy and dry with more than a touch of damp earth and barnyard. This is juicy and ripe with just the right amount of classic terroir-istic elements. This wine is likely to imrpove with age, I'd love to give it 8-10 more years. (91 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2006 Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noir
Pretty much the same as last time, a month or so ago. Did not come off quite as good, but decent QPR. (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 K Vintners Viognier
(90 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2001 Baglio delle Cicale (Missoni) Baglio delle Cicale Sicilia IGT
wine need filtering before serving (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2000 Château Malmaison Baronne Nadine de Rothschild Kosher
Probably a bit past its prime but still nice (88 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2005 Monte Ducay Cariñena Reserva
(84 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2006 Tillman Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve
This is a blockbuster Cab with loads of oak on the nose, perhaps unapolagetically so. Mostly smells like vanilla cream, white chocolate, wild cherries and kirsch with the faintest whiff of blueberry compote. This wine is actually surprisingly refined on the palate, bringing in lots of resolved and finely hewn tannins and a subtle, yet acceptable level of acidity. Round and fruit forward in the mouth, it finishes creamy and perhaps a little flabby with more than a dolop of sweetish, oak influenced spice notes. The wine is a little hot, reminds me of a certain style championed by certain wines like The Prisoner. Overall a solid wine with lots to love, but also which lacks complexity and just hits you over the head with oaky "make-up". (89 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2000 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel
(91 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel
(94 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain
(93 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Setzberg
(90 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2006 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst
Taste at Elysian. Not being really familiar with this bottling, I didn't know what style to expect. I was extremely pleased with what I tasted. Heady, plushy big fruit driven nose. Ripe cherries, cassis. Totally opulent. A feminine perfume of bright red flowers, sweet candied Jolly Rancher fruit and some light cotton candy action too. The palate is really nice. As the nose leads one to believe, the flavors are just as culty and finesse driven - super fresh and ripe cherry cola. Really nice wine. A great buy at about $50-60. Highly recommended. Baby Spottswoode. (93 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2001 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Hollerin
(90 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2006 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph
This has really opened up since last year. Violets, some blackberry fruit mixed with smoke and a little barnyard. Nice balance, still pretty firm structure in the mouth but much more enjoyable then my last bottle. - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2004 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard
Dark cherry and cassis on the nose. Medium plus body with black cherry, plum and dark chocolate on the palate. Secondary notes of tobacco and a little earth. 30 second finish with some soft tannins still in evidence. This is extremely good wine which is drinking very well right now but has room for improvement over the next 2-5 years. Another very solid effort from this consistent producer. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2008 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir
The tasting notes on this Oyster Bay pinot are a hoot. Its dark red, its light red. Its bright and fruity, its dull and has no fruit. Its fabulous, it stinks. Well. I found it to be relatively light in color, even as pinots go. Absolutely clear white meniscus. The nose was full of red fruit - very bright, not complex. A bit of mineral earth (best feature). Acidic on the tongue, light body, and a bit drying. No off flavors. Its a simple wine, and it comes off a bit young. I hope the nose gets a bit less like red punch. As to QPR, well you can't well argue with 10 bucks at Costco for a Pinot. However, I probably wouldnt choose it again, even as an everyday; its just a bit too unbalanced and that is distracting. Not bad - just a tad awkward. Like Idaho. I've had quite a bit better for $15, and I'd rather invest the extra Abe. (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Steinertal
(93 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Loibner Loibenberg
(92 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Liebenberg
(91 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2000 Château Moulinet
With low expectations, I popped and poured tonight, with left over lamb. Surprise! A little tannic upon opening, this wine settled down within 10-15 minutes to a well balanced taste treat. Live fruit of a more cherry than plum or berry nature, decent finish, not much aromatically, but, I was pleased. Bodes well for the rest of the 2000's, especially Pomerol. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2008 Alzinger Riesling Federspiel Dürnsteiner
(88 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2007 Zelko (ZIVO) Tryst
(87 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2009 Rail 2 Rail Zinfandel Old Vine
87-88; 40 year old vines; This is spicy cherry kirsch in a glass! Classic Lodi zin with bramble notes, light on its feet, a little sweet with jammy fruit, a touch of oak, and yummy like candy. It's slightly thinner than other zin monsters, but still good, and an excellent everyday drinker and great value. (87 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2005 Copain Syrah Thompson Vineyard
dark blue and black fruit, iron, earth, menthol, olive; rich but not too sweet and this plays well off the acidity; off putting alcoholic heat at the finish detracts from what is a very good wine (89 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

1995 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Great nose, lots of stuffing left. Can go another 5+ years easy. Was delicious. (95 pts.) - Tasted 10/18/2008.

1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
Was pretty good, though did not love. Balanced but maybe a little thin. Shorter finish. Was expecting a more depth of flavor. (90 pts.) - Tasted 8/6/2008.

2005 Finca Sandoval Manchuela
Pretty decent, rich and on the jammier side. maybe with bbq? (90 pts.) - Tasted 8/6/2008.

2000 Grgich Hills Cellar Zinfandel Sonoma County
spicy, zinny, on last legs though. little bit of heat w/alchohol, not bad but not my style (88 pts.) - Tasted 8/22/2009.

1999 Domaine du Gros' Noré Bandol
Super dense, purple. Complex, kind of rustically overpowering. Blue/black fruit. Spicy with some tannins to shed still. (93 pts.) - Tasted 9/6/2009.

2006 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja Veraton
a little lighter than the 05, less fleshy but cleaner, maybe just less tannic or more resolved than the 05, sense a bit of alcohol, nice ripe fruit w spice (91 pts.) - Tasted 10/7/2009.

1999 Château Léoville Barton
still a little young, but drinkable, firm grip, graphite, black fruit (90 pts.) - Tasted 11/24/2009.

1995 Château Grand Mayne
nice wine, still had some tannins to shed, but they are soft, good mouth feel, clean fruit, dark with a little spice (91 pts.) - Tasted 12/11/2009.

1999 Château Phélan Ségur
Open 45+ min. in bottle in cool outdoor air (first of the new season). Perfect cork with minimal fluid penetration. COLOR- dark garnet color with no meaningful signs of bricking. NOSE- what you're really getting out of the 11 yr. age -- these lovely, changeable, dynamic aromatics; they seem to change contours, mutating with each swirl: essences of fresh plum pulp, roses, violets, and sweet red cherries all minimally reduced and splat over a mound of dry earth. PALATE- Up front-- smooth, medium-bodied, more sweet than sour red fruits that lead to a rocky/earthy mid-palate, which turns bitter with astringent tannins on the early finish that stretches out to again become sweet with a fresh, delicate display of floral evanescence. This seems to me to have plenty of time in the juice bank, and I wouldn't blanch from following this another 5-10 years easy. I have to agree with others, this is quite a find for under $25 and well kept. Thanks to Rob for the prompting here. (89 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

1998 Château Pavie Decesse
muted, not showing much, maybe not long enough decant, seemed to have the right stuff but not very tasty (88 pts.) - Tasted 12/3/2009.

2008 Linne Calodo Outsider
The nose is more closed here with funky red fruit aromas. The flavors are wide open however, showing sweet powerful red fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry. This is very powerful and fruity on the palate with great purity although I think more backbone and structure would yield a more balanced wine. 70% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2008 Linne Calodo Problem Child
The aromas are really pronounced on this wine, especially the ginger note, which combines with baking spices for almost a berry cake impression. The palate shows ripe fruit along with spices and oak in a bright savory style. This is undeniably attractive but I find that the fruit and spices are almost too opulent to match the structure. 72% Zinfandel, 16% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2007 Derain Mercurey La Plante Chassey
med garnet, thin wr and very pale ppm notse: med intensity, bright fresh pom acidity, alc is 11 percent, finish is vibrant but tired body is 'keeping its weight' chicen excellent -- all very well. (85 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2007 Linne Calodo Slacker
This is really complex on the nose with ripe lifted aromas of red currant, violets, and pepper. The flavors mirror those notes with red berries and peppery nuances. There is really great structure and balance in this wine from the ample acidity, fruit density, and firm tannins. I found this wine to have more complexity and tension than the Zinfandel based blends. 68% Syrah, 16% Grenache, 16% Mourvèdre. (92 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2002 Elderton Shiraz Single Vineyard Command
(93 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

2004 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou Les Quartz
Didn't take notes at dinner. Was very nice though. Good body, mouthfeel. Little jammy but pretty smooth. (91 pts.) - Tasted 6/28/2009.

2006 Linne Calodo Sandbagger
I was told this is classified as just a red blend and is basically whatever barrels they have left in the cellar that don't fit into other wines. The nose comes across very Zinfandel like with fruity berry aromas in a restrained style. The flavors are spicy and red in tone showing notes of raspberry and herbs. There is really nice balance here with enticing body and texture making this a solid effort. (91 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2009 Linne Calodo The Contrarian
Very attractive and expressive aromas pour out of the glass with notes of lemon oil, minerals, and citrus blossoms. The palate is just as radiant with dense notes of citrus, melon, and pineapple. The texture is glossy as expected being a white Rhone blend, but there is good acidity to match the round fruit impression. Really nice and definitely shows more of a deft hand in contrast to the Booker white. 62% Viognier, 18% Roussanne, 12% Grenache Blanc, 8% Picpoul Blanc. (91 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2001 Château L'Hermitage
(92 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

1998 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Decatned prior to dinner. Great nose of earth, rock. Very balanced, nice tannins and fruit profile. Good mouthfeel. Very good. (93 pts.) - Tasted 6/21/2009.

2007 Booker Vineyard My Favorite Neighbor
This is somewhat closed on the nose but with extended swirling there are distinct Cabernet aromas of cassis and graphite emerging. The Cabernet component also seems to be showing on the palate which offers cassis, minerals, and grilled herbs. This is a substantial wine with great acidity, density, and structure. I have to say this will certainly be a wine to cellar and it is one of the more intriguing blends I have had the pleasure to taste of late. 34% Syrah, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Petit Verdot. 92+ (92 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2001 Bodegas Altanza Rioja Lealtanza Reserva Miro
Kind of indifferent to this one. Was lighter bodied than I thought it would be. Rustic, but not terribly complex. Maybe a little dull? (89 pts.) - Tasted 6/11/2009.

2007 Booker Vineyard Vertigo 28 months
The nose is more reticent here with notes of ripe blackberries and cassis. The palate is rich and opulent with ripe fruit flavors of cassis complicated by oak, spices, and caramel. The tannins are firm, yielding a full-bodied texture, but to me this is slightly over the top. Perhaps the extended oak aging has taken something away from the fruit and tension in this wine. 75% Syrah, 25% Grenache. (90 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2008 Booker Vineyard Vertigo
Really complex and expressive on the nose with aromas of cherry, blackberry, herbs, and savory meat. The palate is full bodied, dark, and dense with firm sweet tannins and plenty of ripe berry fruit. This wine is certainly concentrated and structured but it is not overbearing and the finish is superb. One of the bottles I took home, I found this to be an easier wine than the other Vertigo, which was heavy and somewhat overdone. 53% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre. (92 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2006 Bodegas Rafael Palacios Valdeorras As Sortes
Light gold in color. Medium bodied. Fleshy texture. Long finish. Really enjoyed, bright fruit with good body and acidity. (93 pts.) - Tasted 5/19/2009.

2008 Booker Vineyard Oublie
Very fruity and bright on the nose with notes of blueberry, red currant, and herbs. The palate is rich and round with wonderful red fruit presence. The body, texture, and complexity of the flavors and tannins are really provocative in this wine. I have not had a Counoise based wine before so this was certainly a revelation. I was ready to take some of this home but they had not labeled this bottling yet. 60% Counoise, 22% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah. (93 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2008 Booker Vineyard White
This may have been served slightly warm and the nose certainly shows it with rich oily impressions of citrus and stones. The palate is heavy and alcoholic with plenty of oak to go with the yellow fruit and mineral undertones. Comes across as a Chateauneuf Blanc from a hot vintage and not in a good way. Certainly not my style but may appeal to those who prefer rich heavy whites. 65% Roussanne, 35% Viognier. (87 pts.) - Tasted 9/4/2010.

2005 Cantina Sardus Pater Carignano del Sulcis Kanai Riserva
(90 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

1995 Château Haut-Bailly
seemed either still young or the fruit not as present. maybe just neeed to open more. (91 pts.) - Tasted 5/14/2009.

2007 Adastra Ed's Red
(88 pts.) - Tasted 9/8/2010.

1996 Château Haut-Bailly
excellent, seemed fully mature with life left. a little gravel, dusty fruit. super balanced. (93 pts.) - Tasted 5/14/2009.