Acquired Tastes
Our 101 Favourite Wines of 2009
It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it: condense a year's worth of tasting into one single list of the most interesting wines of 2009. From bubblies and Bordeaux to port and pinot noir, we swirled, sniffed, sipped and swallowed to bring you this, our annual Top 101 list of the most notable potables of the year.
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1) |
96 Roederer 2002 Cristal Champagne Champagne, France $265-$280 |
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Very tiny, continuous mousse. Clean cherry, citrus, toasty, mineral nose, with green apple, honey, floral aromas. Dry, crisp, creamy, fine mousse, with a rich, but refined, elegant and balanced palate. Big green apple, nutty, toasty, light garlic lees, floral, lime, lemon, honey and cherry flavours. Very dry, long and elegant style, with crisp acidity and the ability to age for at least 2 decades, but you can open this anytime. Excellent quality. (ST)
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2) |
96 Quinta do Crasto 2005 Vinha Maria Teresa Douro Mixed Vines Douro Superior, Douro Valley, Portugal $130-$140 |
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The '05 Maria Teresa is stunning thanks to its mix of 30 different grape varieties pulled from 90-year-old vines that get midday sun but are in the shade all afternoon. It's all handpicked and crushed by foot before fermenting in open temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. The wine is black, the fruit dark, sweet and concentrated with spicy cinnamon laced with chocolate and vanilla. Impressive, to say the least, and showing even more finesse than the regular Crasto labels. Hold until 2015 for best results. (AG)
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3) |
96 Penfolds 2004 Bin 95 Grange Shiraz South Australia $300-$450 |
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The ‘04 mixes Barossa fruit with fruit from McLaren Vale and McGill. The fruit mix, which spends 16 months in new American oak, is 96 percent shiraz and 4 percent cabernet sauvignon. The colour is dark to the edge and the nose fragrant with bits of cola, dried herbs and black tea. The palate is full and already seamless, something that bodes well for a long life. Look for plums, spice and more tea in what is a blockbuster effort. Buy and cellar for decades. (AG)
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4) |
96 Krug N/V Grande Cuvée Champagne, France $250-$280 |
| Look for a light yellow colour, fine, continuous mousse and a nutty, toasty, mineral, earthy nose with floral, almond, quince and spicy, baked apple aromas. Crisp, elegant and dry, but structured, with high acidity and fine, creamy mousse. Nutty, toasty, citrus, honey, quince, lemon, floral, rhubarb, tobacco, earthy, mineral flavours and a persistent dry, rich finish, with lots of nuts and lemon. More intense and concentrated than almost any other Champagne, but also austere and drier. Ready to drink now, but will hold for many years. (ST) | |
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5) |
96 Jim Barry 2005 The Armagh Shiraz Clare Valley, South Australia $170-$230 |
| The single vineyard Armagh is a force to be reckoned with and the 2005 vintage is outstanding. Rich, dark and inky black, it has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster shiraz swimming in boysenberry, blueberries and spicy toasted oak. The wine is only a baby and will need more than a decade of cellar time to show its true form. If you are brave enough to drink it now, be sure to double decant and let it breathe for 90 minutes. (AG) | |
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6) |
95 Taittinger 1998 Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne, France $220-$250 |
| If there is one Champagne we can never get enough of it is the elegant Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. Look for baked apple, citrus, creamy, floral, nutty, brioche, peach and mineral aromas. Very fine mousse on the palate, with a creamy texture and persistence. Delicate, with creamy, toasty, lees, spicy, baked green apple, mineral and citrus flavours. Fresh, crisp, dryer brut style, with great finesse and acidity. A bit tight now, this will improve with 3 to 5 years of age. (AG) | |
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7) |
95 Signorello 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, California, United States $60-$80 |
| From the moment you smell the bouquet, you are drawn to this very special bottle. The winery's 18-year-old vines have clicked into overdrive and the wine shows it. Polished black fruit with specks of vanilla and spice captivate the nose and palate, along with a vibrancy and tension that is rare in Napa. Love the finesse here, the tannin management, the fruit and the acidity. One beautiful bottle for the price and this will only improve over the next decade. (AG) | |
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8) |
95 Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils 2006 Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet, Côte de Beaune, Côte d'Or, Burgundy, France $340-$360 |
| Very fine, spicy, floral, butter, honey, mineral, quince, pear skin, cream, baked apple, anise, vanilla, toasty oak and lees nose. Dry, crisp, full and round, but juicy and structured. Lemon, butter, green apple, toasty lees, vanilla, honey, slate, floral and pear flavours. Long, elegant, juicy finish. Delicious, but you pay the price for such limited production. Supremely classy, this wine will age for years. (ST) | |
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9) |
95 De Angeles 2007 Gran Malbec Vistalba District, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $55-$70 |
| This is a terrific bottle of wine made with selected grapes planted in 1924. Big aromatic, spicy, peppery, cedar, coffee, mocha, vanilla, garrigue, savoury, black cherry jam and black plum aromas. Rich, round, dry, suave, elegant palate packed with flavour and fine-grained tannins. Coffee, vanilla, cedar, black cherry jam, black liquorice, fig, garrigue, spicy, savoury, tobacco flavours. Great finish, length and finesse, not extracted, but finely balanced. Will age nicely for 3 to 7 years. (ST) | |
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10) |
94 Vina Cobos 2006 Nico Perdriel District, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $190-$210 |
| A blend of 63/37 cabernet sauvignon/malbec. Very floral, waxy, spicy, garrigue, liquorice, tobacco, peppery, blackberry jam, black cherry, cassis, barnyard, saddle leather, coffee, vanilla and black olive aromas. Rich, ripe, round, full and supple palate with grainy tannins. Very concentrated and intense, with cassis jam, black cherry jam, savoury, allspice, tobacco, coffee, black olive, smoky tea, liquorice root and graphite flavours. Needs 3 to 5 years to fully soften. No lack of intensity here. (ST) | |
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11) |
94 Vérité 2004 Le Désir Sonoma County, California, United States $240-$300 |
| Peppery, spicy, tobacco, meaty, saddle leather, coffee, orange peel, chocolate, green olive, spicy, savoury aromas. Rich, round, full and supple, with fresh acidity and grainy tannins. Coffee, leather, liquorice, orange, vanilla, peppery, spicy, black tea, plum jam and black cherry flavours. Good finesse and intensity, with good fruit and complexity. Young and a bit hot, this wine needs 5 to 7 years, but has very good potential. (AG) | |
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12) |
94 Tapanappa Etages 2005 Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay Piccadilly Valley, Adelaide, Australia $70-$90 |
| This wine is a knockout punch for Oz chardonnay that gets little respect on the world stage. The 2005 vintage was a cool one in the Piccadilly Valley, and you can taste it in the wine. The nose is an intriguing mix of spicy lees and peachy fruit, with a firm line of acidity. Even at 4 years, it remains fresh and vital on the palate, with a fine, long, complex finish. This is a very exciting wine. Another label to join Yattarna in the Aussie assault on Burgundy. (AG) |
Coming up: Wines 13-27
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13) |
94 Stags' Leap 2006 Ne Cede Malis Old Block Petite Syrah Napa Valley, California, United States $50-$100 |
| Big spicy, sausage meat, peppery, black cherry, smoky leather, tobacco, liquorice root, mineral aromas. Rich, ripe, round, full palate with smooth tannins if a bit warm. Spicy, peppery, vanilla, coffee, clove, sausage, floral, black cherry jam, mineral, liquorice, iodine flavours. Warm and a tad oaky but very good fruit and balance for roast lamb or pork. The blend is old, 80-year-old petite syrah, mixed in the same vineyard block with carignane, grenache, syrah, peloursin and mourvèdre. The first reserve was made in 1993 but the first official released did not come out until the 1996 vintage. The Ne Cede Malis moniker appeared in 1997. (AG) | |
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14) |
94 Rolf Binder Heysen 2006 Shiraz Barossa Valley, Australia $45-$65 |
| An even better version of the '05. Very spicy, floral, peppery, black cherry, liquorice, tobacco, cedar, orange peel, savoury, rooty, raisin and vanilla nose. Ripe, round, rich with fine black cherry, plum jam flavours flecked with orange, vanilla, spicy, savoury, tobacco and liquorice with a kirsch and coffee finish. Again it is warm on the palate but excellent fruit and finesse. (ST) | |
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15) |
94 Quinta do Crasto 2005 Touriga Nacional Douro Superior, Douro Valley, Portugal $70-$90 |
| Crasto was the first producer in the Douro to release a single varietal wine. The current edition, like all others, is declared whenever winemaker Dominic Morris sees fit to issue one. The colour is pitch black. The nose is intense with sweet black fruit nuances mixed with pepper and anise. This TN is gaining cult wine status globally with only 15 six packs going to any one country. Made by foot and hand, this is a heavily extracted rich red with fine aromatics and believe it or not some finesse in the finish. (AG) | |
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16) |
94 Moët & Chandon 2000 Cuvée Dom Pérignon Champagne, France $210-$230 |
| Citrus, lemon, floral, pear, quince, nutty, tobacco leaf, strawberry and mineral aromas. Fresh, crisp, creamy palate with fine mousse and good richness. Nutty, almond, rhubarb, strawberry, lemon, honey, quince, toasty, floral flavours. A touch fat but has good acidity and sugar balance with complexity. Finish is long with a toasty, honey, citrus finish. Very fine effort, slightly more forward in style but should improve over the next 3 to 7 years. (AG) | |
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17) |
94 Highland Estates 2007 Camelot Highlands Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States $30-$50 |
| Camelot Highlands is all Block M, a 100-percent clone four chardonnay plantation on the Santa Maria Bench. The nose is a sensational mix of oatmeal, subtle oak and vanilla with bits of spicy butter and mineral orange flecks. The palate is a creamy mix of pineapple, papaya, citrusy lime notes along with a spicy, creamy caramel/crème brûlée finish. Perhaps the best finesse yet with only 55 percent new French oak in the barrel ferment. A team effort from the nursery to the vineyard to the barrel making and it is all coming together in the wine. A first class chardonnay that over delivers for the price. (AG) | |
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18) |
94 Highland Estates 2006 Trace Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States $80-$100 |
| Trace Ridge comes off the beige and blonde volcanic soils of Kellogg Vineyard some 400 - 1,000 feet above sea level in Knights Valley. Trace is a mix of spicy florals and bits of coffee and blackberry fruit streaked with young wood and vanilla. The tannins are chalky and substantial but a rounder style and more voluptuous than Hawkeye. The fruit is blend of mountainside blocks aged in 99 percent French oak that is a little over one third is new. The Trace name alludes to the vineyard's position overlooking the original "Trace," or settler's path that linked Sonoma County to Lake County. (AG) | |
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19) |
94 Guigal 2007 Condrieu La Doriane Condrieu, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France $85-$115 |
| La Doriane is aged in 100 percent new French oak yet the bouquet is as intense and bright as any thanks to its three vineyard blend that brings power structure and finesse. Look for an expressive tasted oak nose with bits of orange cinnamon and tangerine. Its persistent flavours are a rich mix of white peaches and apricots with a nutty undertone. A seductive style of viognier you can drink now or hold for 5 to 7 years. (AG) | |
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20) |
94 Domaine de la Vougeraie 2006 Corton Clos du Roi Rouge Côtes de Beaune, Burgundy, France $85-$115 |
| This was one of the wines that really wowed me at the 2009 Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival. It is a classically great red Burgundy and worthy of its elevated price. The fragrant and enticing nose shows ripe cherry fruit, with tobacco, forest floor accents and raspberry notes. The palate is super smooth, with the complexity of the nose mirrored in its flavours. Perfect balance and excellent length bring its pleasure to a great conclusion. Best now to 2015. (STh) | |
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21) |
94 Cuvée du Vatican 2006 Réserve Sixtine Châteauneuf-du-Pape Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France $50-$90 |
| Plum jam, black cherry, peppery, vanilla, chocolate, floral, sappy, tobacco, saddle leather, smoky dried herb aromas. Rich, full, round palate with good concentration and fine grained tannins but a bit chewy. Good acidity balance with big plum jam, black cherry, spicy, garrigue, vanilla, chocolate, tobacco, black olive tapenade, mineral, liquorice flavours. Long, fruity, rich, very fine effort. A more modern but sophisticated use of barrique and foudre. Needs 5 to 10 years to fully soften. (ST) | |
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22) |
94 Cheval des Andes 2005 Las Compuertas, Vistalba District, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $70-$90 |
| Cheval des Andes is made at Terrazas de los Andes and represents a joint venture between Terrazas and Cheval Blanc. Cheval Blanc winemaker Pierre Lurton and Terrazas winemaker, Roberto de la Mota make the blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and merlot and a touch of petit verdot. Look for spicy, leather, dried herbs, savoury, black cherry, violet, plum, tobacco, cedar, mineral, black olive, coffee, vanilla and cassis aromas. Rich, round, supple but grainy tannins with good acidity but warm. Intense black cherry jam, cassis jam, chocolate, liquorice, savoury, tobacco, black tea, coffee, vanilla, barnyard and cedar flavours. Long, young, good finesse, suave. Needs 3 to 7 years, certainly on of the most complex wines in Mendoza. (AG) | |
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23) |
94 Castello di Bossi 1999 Vin San Laurentino Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $90-$120/375 mL |
| Made from partially dried grapes harvested at the end of August with high acidity. The wine ends up with 11 percent alcohol, 420 g/L residual sugar and a healthy 12 g/L total acidity and it is made like a Vin Santo. Smoky, nutty, cinnamon, floral, citrus, vanilla, mineral, herbal aromas. Rich, round, somewhat oily palate but great finesse and acidity balance. Buttery, diacetyl, nutty, green apple, dried pear, citrus, smoky, vanilla, raisin and cinnamon flavours. Dried fig, toffee, creamy finish. Fine effort with freshness and finesse. (ST) | |
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24) |
94 Beringer 2004 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, California, United States $135-$165 |
| Mature wine drinkers will know the long history of Beringer's PR cabernet and its mix source of sites including Steinhauer Ranch 42 percent, St. Helena Home Ranch 18 percent, Bancroft Ranch 15 percent, Marston Vineyard 11 percent, Chabot 3 percent, Rancho del Oso 3 percent and Lampyridae 2 percent. It also contains six percent cabernet franc from Bancroft Ranch. The '04 is super rich and as always unctuous in style with its big black cassis fruit and spicy, jammy blackberry flavours. Glossy and slippery best describes its texture that precedes a long finish marked with more cassis and cocoa. A very fine bottle with a medium to long future. Try by 2012. (AG) | |
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25) |
94 Albert Mann 2007 Grand Cru Schlossberg Riesling Alsace, France $45-$65 |
| From the granitic soils of the steep Schlossberg Vineyard. A little less fragrant than the Albert Riesling, but that is typical of the vineyard. There is tremendous purity of minerality and energy on the nose and a very linear, focused flavour profile of great intensity. The finish is long and stony. A fabulous example. (JS) | |
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26) |
93 Yalumba 2007 Virgilius Viognier Eden Valley, Australia $40-$60 |
| Good spicy lees, ginger, honey, mineral, grassy, grapefruit, matchstick, orange peel, toasty nose. Rich, round, elegant, crisp, dry palate with good texture. Spicy, butter, ginger, Creamsicle, orange, honey, leesy, and grapefruit flavours. A bit richer, dryer and more elegant than the Eden Valley edition. (AG) | |
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27) |
93 William Fèvre 2006 Bougros Grand Cru Chablis Chablis, Burgundy, France $50-$70 |
| Big oyster shell, seaweed, green apple skin, spicy lees, floral, lemon and orange aromas, good complexity. Round, rich, dry and crisp, almost succulent. Spicy, green apple, lemon, chalky, lees, butter, oyster shell flavours. Long, intense and balanced, drink now to 5 years.Excellent. (ST) |
Coming up: Wines 28-42
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28) |
93 Vérité 2004 La Muse Sonoma County, California, United States $230-$300 |
| Plum jam, spicy, liquorice, savoury, meaty, saddle leather, peppery, vanilla, black olive aromas. Round, supple, full, long palate with good acidity and some gritty, youthful tannins. Coffee, chocolate, spicy, clove, Christmas cake, orange, black cherry, plum, carrot and liquorice flavours with a touch of green olive and tobacco leaf on the finish. Great concentration and ripeness with length if abit warm. Needs 3 to 7 years to fully integrate but very fine. (AG) | |
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29) |
93 Taylor Fladgate N/V 10 Year Old Tawny Porto Douro Valley, Portugal $25-$55 |
| Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny Port is dessert in a bottle. Don't let its pale, tawny colour fool you. This wine is bigger than it looks. After spending an average of 10 years in wood, the purple hues are gone and in exchange you get a mellow, elegant, sophisticated drink chock full of raisins, nuts and chocolate but with lively acidity and a caramel honey finish. Serve slightly chilled and be prepared for your guests to rave about it. (AG) | |
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30) |
93 Signorello 2007 Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay Napa Valley, California, United States $45-$65 |
| The nose is fresh and open thanks to only 23 percent new oak. Look for mineral, peach skin, apple butter, vanilla, citrus aromas with a mineral honey streak in the back. The entry is round and rich with more citrus, spicy, nutty, butter, lemon and honey flavours. There is excellent finesse here, the kind that makes you want to finish the bottle. Will easily aged 2 to 4 years. (AG) | |
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31) |
93 Signorello 2005 Padrone Napa Valley, California, United States $135-$155 |
| Very spicy, peppery, ripe cassis, blackberry, tobacco leaf, floral, coffee, liquorice aromas. Rich, round, dry, full bodied style with supple but grainy tannins. Cedar, smoky, earthy, tobacco, peppery, cassis jam, blackberry, resin, savoury, vanilla flavours. Finish is warm and a bit tight, needs 3 to 7 years to soften. The current edition is slightly tighter with a dash of herbal cabernet character not seen last year. It should be fine with some bottle age. (AG) | |
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32) |
93 Shafer Vineyards 2004 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, California, United States $250-$350 |
| Aromatically tight at the moment, though distinctly rusty-iron, with high ripeness verging on jammy fruit, alcohol and some volatile acidity. Opens dramatically with time in the glass, so be sure to decant if you're desperate to drink it now. The palate is full, rich, voluptuous, rather raisined, pruny flavours, fig and date jam, soft and supple tannins and high alcohol. Lots of power and concentration, though this needs another 4 to 5 years to start hitting its stride. (AG) | |
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33) |
93 Penfolds 2006 Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay |
| The latest Yattarna has fruit from Tasmania 38, Adelaide 36 and Henty 26, mixed with 45 percent new French oak. Yattarna is a fabulous addition to the Penfolds line up and globally is a bottle that should make white wine fans stand up and take notice. As close as it gets to Burgundy this marginal cool-climate chardonnay really over delivers. We love the oatmeal spicy nose, the creamy lees and distinct aromas of nectarines and limes and hazelnuts. Roasted nuts and intense white peach and quince cover the palate and finish long and complex. It's barrel fermented and made oxidative yet it remains youthful and bright at 3 years. Impressive to say the least. (AG) | |
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34) |
93 Pedestal 2006 Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington, United States $70-$90 |
| The latest Michel Rolland merlot form Washington's Columbia Valley is typically spicy with cedar, tobacco, black cherry, dried herb, black olive, liquorice root aromas. The entry is rich and warm and the tannins supple and fine-grained. On the palate there is plenty of vanilla, spicy, peppery, cedar, cigar, coffee, black cherry jam, mint, black olive and orange peel flavours a la Rolland. Big, rich, ripe, suave style for the more hedonistic drinker and it will improve over the next 5 years. (AG) | |
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35) |
93 Mitolo Savitar 2006 Shiraz McLaren Vale, South Australia $50-$100 |
| Like the G.A.M. Savitar Shiraz comes off the Chinese Block vineyard in southern McLaren Vale. The soils are rocky and sparse, the fruit handpicked and only the best barrels make the final blend. Look for big aromatics with pepper, garrigue, liquorice cassis notes that preview a rich fat glossy red. The flavours continue along the same path with blueberries, chocolate cardamom and smoky, earthy fruit. The finish is long and powerful. (ST) | |
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36) |
93 Highland Estates 2007 Alisos Hills Syrah Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, Central Coast, California, United States $40-$60 |
| Australian Peter Fraser, who makes KJ's high end Australian labels in McLaren Vale, is helping out with the Alisos Hills Syrah grown at 700 to 1,000 feet above sea level in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara County. The '07 is extremely dark in colour with smoky, floral, red fruit aromas. On the palate the textures are rich and sexy with more black fruit, meaty flavours and powerful tannins barreled in 78 percent French oak. Ripe, dense fruit is the theme throughout. First rate American syrah. Ullom says he's getting great results from growing two extra canes that fool the vine in to thinking grape bunch production is sufficient. The result is smaller berries and when the canes are cut it's too late to do anything but ripen the fruit. (AG) | |
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37) |
93 Highland Estates 2006 Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States $55-$90 |
| Hawkeye Mountain is KJ's signature Alexander Mountain property. Planted from 900 to 2,200 feet above sea level, the vineyard is often busy ripening fruit above the fog line. Big brawny and spicy it mixes tobacco and black cherry fruit with bits of liquorice, black olives and cassis. This mountain fruit and the clone 4 and 7 cabernets fruit is small and packed full of fruit and tannins. Love the long rich savoury aftertaste. Made for the next decade but you can tackle this with a steak later this year. (AG) | |
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38) |
93 Guigal 2003 Hermitage Rhône Valley, France $70-$100 |
| Philippe Guigal uses 50 percent new oak with 50 percent one-year-old wood. Look for a huge vanilla nose overtop of some rich plummy fruit. This is a classical vintage with big structure and phenolics but a reasonable 13 percent alcohol. The crop size was only 60 percent of normal leading to dense concentrated fruit flavours with smoke and liquorice undercurrents and touch of smoked meat. Fine bright fresh mineral finish. Needs time but will be a great bottle. (AG) | |
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39) |
93 Errazuriz 2006 Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve Aconcagua Valley, Chile $60-$80 |
| Don Maximiano is a cabernet sauvignon-based wine blended with 8/5/5 cabernet franc, petit verdot and shiraz. Massive and powerful in the glass, blackberry, olive and currants touching on wood smoke, spice box and vanilla, along with a hint of sea salt. The palate delivers with similar structure, along with coffee bean, oak flavours and tobacco notes. Cellar-worthy through 2020. (TF) | |
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40) |
93 Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils 2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Aloxe-Corton, Côte de Beaune, Côte d'Or, Burgundy, France $170-$190 |
| Spicy, floral, citrus, orange, buttery, toasty, melon, slate aromas. Crisp, dry, tight but full palate with very good acidity and structure. Big citrus, toasty, pear skin, green apple, nutty, honey, earthy, lemon, flavours with a buttery, cashew finish. Very young and crisp with good intensity, a very fine example that needs 3 to 5 years aging. (ST) | |
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41) |
93 Cuvelier Los Andes 2006 Grand Malbec Vista Flores, Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Mendoza, Argentina $50-$70 |
| Smoky, spicy, black pepper, tobacco, resin, graphite, floral, coffee, five-spice, black cherry jam, kirsch, vanilla aromas with a touch of barnyard and saddle leather. Rich, round, full, ripe and supple with big concentration. Huge liquorice, black cherry jam, tobacco, peppery, clove, five spice, orange peel, mineral, coffee, cola, vanilla and mocha flavours. Great round tannins, big extract, broad structure. It's big and bold and sexy but just a bit too hot and tart on the end for greatness. A sipping wine. (ST) | |
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42) |
93 Col Solare 2005 Columbia Valley, Washington, United States $75-$105 |
| The latest Col Solare is a 71/25/4 mix of cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc. Look for a quiet almost Euro nose of black cherry, berry and black cherry jam with bits of coffee, pepper, liquorice and vanilla. Dry, rich, somewhat tight palate with grainy tannins and good acidity. Cassis, black cherry, floral coffee flavours flecked with vanilla, clove, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, pepper and mineral notes round out the wine. It is a tad warm on the finish but has good acidity and fruit intensity with fine aromatics. Needs 3 to 5 years to fully soften. (AG) |
Coming up: Wines 43-57
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43) |
93 Château Palmer 2006 Margaux, Haut-Médoc, Médoc, Bordeaux, France $350-$390 |
| The '78 Palmer is hardly a patch on the 2006 at this point but they share a similarity in a year where the cabernet was much better than the merlot. I love the density that has come to Palmer in the last decade, or ever since production was cut in half. Look for a sleek elegant wine that mixes earth, liquorice dried herbs, plums and cranberries in equal amounts. Lively balanced and medium to full-bodied in style this 66/34 mix of cabernet and merlot is a suitable follow up to the exquisite 2005. It is still very youthful but will be ready to drink by 2014. Excellent if not great. (AG) | |
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44) |
93 Carmen 2003 Gold Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile $55-$85 |
| Lots of cassis jam, coffee, vanilla, cedar, black cherry, barnyard, tobacco aromas with a leather, bay and meaty note. Ripe, rich round and concentrated with supple tannins. Intense cassis jam, black berry, peppery, bay, menthol, tobacco, five spice, vanilla, coffee and leather flavours. Long cassis, coffee, chocolate, tobacco finish. Fine tannins and oak use but quite warm. Best effort yet, needs 5 to 7 years in bottle. (ST) | |
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45) |
92 Roquette e Cazes 2003 Xisto Douro Superior, Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, Portugal $50-$75 |
| Our first look at Xisto, (two families - one wine) made by Jorge Roquette and Jean Michel Cazes. The venture between Crasto and Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages was made to showcase "the natural and unique characteristics of the Douro to the Cazes family's experience of one century of Bordeaux wine making." Power and elegance is what you get in this big red made in a super warm year when parts of the Douro baked at 45°C most days but the cool nights kept the vines working. A 27-day maceration has left the wine with slick, glossy textures, rich red fruit flavours and a warm spicy finish flecked with coffee and mocha bits. The blend is 60/25/15 touriga nacional, tinta roriz and tinta Franca from 25-year-old vineyards sitting on schist. It's assembled by Daniel Llose and Susana Esteban. (AG) | |
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46) |
92 Vérité 2004 La Joie Sonoma County, California, United States $230-$290 |
| Spicy, peppery, cassis, black berry, sappy, leather, tobacco, smoky, plum, barnyard, coffee aromas. Dry, full, round, warm palate with grainy tannins but good finesse. Chocolate, tobacco, cassis, peppery, vanilla, leather, plum, resin, green bean, black olive flavours. Long, tight, warm palate with some tannins to shed. Needs 5+ years to come around. (AG) | |
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47) |
92 Terralsole 2005 Solista Syrah Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $50-$70 |
| Lots of smoky, liquorice, meaty, peppery, floral, black cherry, tobacco leaf, savoury, spicy, cooked carrot aromas. Dry, somewhat tannic palate with good acidity and concentration if a bit austere right now. Black cherry, spicy, mineral, plum, liquorice root, savoury, clove, floral, smoked meat, roasted pepper flavours. Good finesse and elegance for syrah, needs 2 to 5 years or try with roast lamb. Grown in a chalky soil at low elevation in Montalcino. (ST) | |
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48) |
92 Taittinger N/V Prélude Grands Crus Champagne, France $75-$95 |
| Very fine continuous mousse. Made entirely from grand cru vineyards. Very toasty, garlic, nutty lees, floral, baked pear, baked apple, biscuit, lemon and earth aromas. Rich, elegant, creamy palate with good concentration. Lemon, nutty, leesy, garlic, toasty, baked pear, apple, green apple, mineral flavours. Long, flavourful, delicate and balanced. A true food Champagne. (AG) | |
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49) |
92 Shaw and Smith 2007 M3 Vineyard Chardonnay Adelaide Hills, Australia $30-$60 |
| The Shaw and Smith "M3" Chardonnay is named after the partners: brothers Michael and Matthew Hill Smith along with cousin and winemaker Martin Shaw. The M3 2007 is the 7th version of this Adelaide Hills wine and it's as far in style from the first version as it gets. From overblown to Burgundy the smoke and oak has been a trade in for more mineral, citrus and oatmeal flavours and aromas with flecks of guava, nectarine skin honey with a creamy texture in the back end. It has a beautiful long delicate, but flavourful, finish. Very impressive. (AG) | |
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50) |
92 Sequel 2006 Syrah Columbia Valley, Washington, United States $80-$90 |
| Peppery, leather, tobacco, mocha, vanilla, blackberry jam, meaty, smoky nose. Ripe, ripe, round, dry, full bodied palate with some grainy tannins and warmth. Spicy, black cherry jam, vanilla, mocha, peppery, meaty, smoky, liquorice, savoury flavours with some black tea on the finish. Very slick, rich style with a warm finish. (AG) | |
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51) |
92 Schloss Reinhartshausen 2007 Erbacher Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese Rheingau, Germany $30-$50 |
| Spicy, grapefruit, lime, green apple, floral nose with a touch of guava. Fresh, crisp, delicate, juicy palate with orange, lime, peach, slate, green apple skin flavours. Fine length with incredible delicacy for the area. Excellent effort. (AG) | |
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52) |
92 Sandhill 2007 Phantom Creek Vineyard Small Lots Program Syrah Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $25-$45 |
| This is an amazing, full blown, lush and massive wine that you want to critique for being a whopper (15 percent alcohol), but it is so well proportioned, so complex and engaging within its hulking frame that you are charmed anyway. Amazing flavours of ripe black cherry, prune, ink, smoke, pepper and chocolate. (DL) | |
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53) |
92 Rolf Binder 2006 Heinrich Shiraz Mataro Grenache Barossa Valley, Australia $20-$40 |
| Heinrich is a 55/25/20 blend of shiraz / mataro / grenache. The nose is overt showing black cherry jam, plum, floral, orange rind and plenty of minerality. Flecked with bits of tobacco, vanilla, coffee, pepper and earth. Fine complexity. The entry is supple, the styling elegant with a warm, fresh edge. Orange, pepper, coffee, mocha, liquorice, black cherry, black raspberry, tobacco flavours swarm the palate. A bit hot on the finish but fine fruit and some light tannin to allow a few years of aging. Good value. (ST) | |
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54) |
92 Qunita da Vegia 2005 Dão Reserva Dão, Portugal $45-$65 |
| Made with touriga nacional and tinta roriz. Deep, expressive dark fruit and violet scented, with a wonderful floral component and abundant wood spice. The palate is full, rich, concentrated, briskly acidic, finely tannic and very long. This is a very fine, densely packed but not exaggerated style that is starting to show well now, though will certainly improve over the next 5 to 7 years. (JS) | |
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55) |
92 Pascual Toso 2005 Pedregal Single Vineyard Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Finca Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina $50-$70 |
| Attractive floral, spicy, savoury, peppery, black cherry, roasted mushroom, tobacco, vanilla aromas. Dry, rich, round, supple palate with juicy acidity. Lots of tobacco, cedar, cassis, black cherry, coffee, vanilla, mushroom, liquorice and all spice flavours. Warm, fresh, tannic finish but well balanced. Great intensity but needs 3 to 5 years to soften out. (AG) | |
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56) |
92 Montes 2005 Folly Syrah Apalta Valley, Santa Cruz, Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Chile $80-$100 |
| Spicy, vanilla, tobacco leaf, cassis, black cherry, mocha, meaty, floral nose with a hint of bay leaf and black olive. Rich, ripe, round, warm palate with good acidity and young, grainy smooth tannins. Big black cherry, cassis jam, peppery, vanilla, cardamom, smoky coffee, bay leaf, liquorice root and grilled meat flavours. Very warm finish at 15 percent alcohol but has good concentration and intensity. Needs 1 to 3 years to round out or try with BBQ lamb or chops. (AG) | |
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57) |
92 Le Serre 2006 Nuove Dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy $50-$60 |
| Ornellaia ‘bambino' better known as Le Serre Nuove is a 50/35/9/6 merlot/cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc/petit verdot that is every bit up to its big brother Ornellaia. Heaps of spice, tobacco, dried herbs, black olives and a savoury meaty thread suggest it will age for quite a long time and with grace. Rich, dense, full and powerful, it is the year to stock up on the second label. This blend will only get better over the next decade. (AG) |
Coming up: Wines 58-72
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58) |
92 Kacaba Vineyards 2007 Reserve Syrah Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada $30-$50 |
| The 2007 Ontario vintage was big and ripe and this is a big wine, yet not over the top at 12.5 percent alcohol. It's classic, northern Rhône style, with all kinds of pepper, smoked meat and dark cherry fruit. It's taut, cool and dry, with very impressive concentration and length. (DL) | |
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59) |
92 Highland Estates 2007 Seco Highlands Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, Central Coast, California, United States $45-$65 |
| The biggest change here is the finesse and elegance this wine is developing as the vines age. The nose is ripe with bits of celery salt and soya and red fruits aromas mixed with dried herbs. The mid-palate is silky smooth and soft with delicious earthy, strawberry, spicy fruit flavours. It's still aged 10 months in 100 percent French oak but the new oak in the '07 edition is down to 43 percent that seems to be helping this pinot show better richness and complexity. (AG) | |
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60) |
92 Duckhorn Vineyards 2005 Three Palms Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley, California, United States $80-$100 |
| Fruit sourced from a vineyard owned by the Upton brothers, who have supplied fruit for over 30 years to Duckhorn, in the pending Calistoga AVA. Very rocky vineyard, low vigour site. This is 77/14/6/3 merlot, cab sauvignon, cab franc and petit verdot. Tasted in a cold, barrel-filled cellar, so tough to judge the nose. The palate is fresh and juicy, with fruit in the red spectrum, acidity is juicy and lively, and tannins are soft and ripe but structure-giving. Long finish. A highly elegant and flavourful expression with a lot of class and great finish. (JS) | |
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61) |
92 Domaine Faiveley 2007 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru Côtes de Nuits, Côte d'Or, Burgundy, France $90-$110 |
| Light floral, spicy, carrot top, celery root, cherry, vanilla, orange peel, barnyard, waxy aromas, good complexity. Round, fresh, elegant, delicate palate with light tannins. Smoky, barnyard, carrot top, tobacco leaf, floral, raspberry, coffee vanilla, dried herb flavours. Nice length and intensity, shows class. A bit more on the cool pinot side but will age well for 3 to 7 years. (AG) | |
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62) |
92 Cobos Bramare 2006 Marchiori Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Perdriel District, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $70-$90 |
| Bramare is Italian for "to yearn for" and you just may for this wine. Typically round, dry and supple in the Hobbs style but with an elegant palate, fine acidity and very ripe and warm black fruit. Vanilla, coffee, mocha, spicy, peppery, black cherry jam, cassis jam, tobacco, spicy, smoky garrigue flavours with a touch of graphite coat the palate. It's warm but very intense finish is well balanced offering tobacco, mocha notes with still some tannin to shed. Needs 2 to 5 years to fully soften. (AG) | |
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63) |
92 Château St. Jean 2005 Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, California, United States $80-$100 |
| Peppery, waxy, saddle leather, tobacco, cedar, cassis, iodine, liquorice, black olive, resin, vanilla aromas. Dry, elegant, supple, moderately fresh palate with light tannins. Coffee, cedar, tobacco, chocolate, clove, cassis, cherry jam, peppery, spicy, liquorice, resin flavours with a meaty, cigar, leather finish. Good complexity and aromatics but youthful with a warm finish. Needs 2 to 5 years to soften. (AG) | |
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64) |
91 Terralsole 2005 Pasticcio Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $70-$90 |
| Spicy, cedar, peppery, meaty, black olive, cranberry nose with streaks of chocolate, Christmas cake orange peel aromas. Dry, fresh, somewhat tight and tannic but with finesse. Cherry, spicy, cranberry, plum, peppery, smoky, meaty, savoury flavours with some black olive, tobacco leaf and dried garrigue on the finish. Good intensity and finesse but needs 2 to 4 years to tame the tannins and heat. The blend is 55/30/15 cabernet franc, merlot and sangiovese. (ST) | |
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65) |
91 Tenuta di Arceno 2004 Arcanum II Tuscany, Italy $100-$160 |
| Peppery, meaty, saddle leather, floral, black pepper, liquorice, black cherry jam, plum and tobacco aromas. Ripe, round, supple and grainy with good concentration and acidity. Black cherry, plum, meaty, tobacco, liquorice, black pepper, black olive, vanilla and carrot top flavours. A bit astringent and youthful but has good vibrancy. Needs 3 to 5 years for best showing. (ST) | |
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66) |
91 Staete Landt 2007 Estate Grown Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $20-$40 |
| Passion fruit, floral, lees, grapefruit, smoky jalapeno, melon, nettle aromas. Round, dry, rich, fresh, elegant palate with creamy acidity. Granny Smith, lemon, passion fruit, lime, nettle, smoky jalapeno and gooseberry flavours. Very good intensity and acidity, will continue to age well for 2 to 4 years. Fine length. Excellent quality here. (ST) | |
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67) |
91 Souverain 2004 Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States $50-$70 |
| Spicy, clove, cedar, tobacco, cassis, pencil lead, coffee, vanilla, pudding aromas with an herbal, cooked blackberry edge. Rich, ripe, round, full bodied with grainy, elegant tannins. Vanilla, coffee, chocolate, cedar, clove, black olive, tobacco, cassis jam, blackberry, peppery flavours. A bit warm and ripe but has very good aromatics and complexity. Needs 2 to 4 years to soften or try with beef steak. (AG) | |
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68) |
91 Signorello 2007 Seta Napa Valley, California, United States $30-$50 |
| Nettle, floral, spicy, grassy, nectarine, passion fruit, slate, green apple skin aromas with a touch of lees and vanilla. Ripe, round, rich but elegant and creamy palate. Dry with lots of vanilla cream, melon, passion fruit, melon, grapefruit, nettle, lemon, cooked gooseberry with a touch of guava on the finish. Good finesse in a ripe but slightly austere style. (AG) | |
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69) |
91 Schug 2007 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, California, United States $20-$40 |
| This multi-clone Carneros chardonnay gets the full treatment: both barrel fermented and sur-lie age it comes with a mouthful of texture and flavours. Look for nectarines, honey and creamy citrus fruit flavours with just a touch of nutty lees in the back end. Rich and fresh it finishes long with bits of orange flecks and honey. Killer value here. (AG) | |
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70) |
91 Sandhill 2007 Osprey Ridge Vineyard Small Lots Program Viognier Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $20-$30 |
| I could hardly keep myself in my seat when tasting this brilliant, pristine and absolutely classic viognier. There was so much perfume with nectarine, star fruit, kiwi and pepper. It was massive on the palate, fleshy, waxy, yet braced by great acidity and alcohol warmth, with phenomenal length. Farmed by veteran growers Robert and Nathan Goltz, the 12-acre vineyard south of Oliver, B.C., is on gently rolling hills with loam and rock over a gravelly base. It is planted at high density for a naturally low yield, giving better flavour concentration. Mission accomplished. (DL) | |
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71) |
91 Quails' Gate Winery 2007 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay Westbank South, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $20-$40 |
| Garlic lees, spicy, citrus, matchstick, green apple, pear, butter aromas. Dry, round, fresh, delicate palate with baked pear, apple, butter, vanilla, garlic lees, nutty, citrus flavours. Nice finesse, if still a bit on the oaky side which tends to interfere with the delicate fruit character found in Okanagan chardonnay grapes. (AG) | |
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72) |
91 Mendocino Farms 2004 Redvine Series Mendocino County, California, United States $25-$45 |
| A biodynamic certified red named after the mix of soils the vines are rooted in at Mendocino. The blend is 75/15/10 cabernet sauvignon/petite sirah/syrah. The nose is soft and inviting with black fruit overtones mixed with earth and spice. On the palate the wine is soft and supple with substantial but fairly well managed tannin. The finish is long and balanced. This is the perfect wine for roasted meats or grilled beef. Impressive. (AG) |
Coming up: Wines 73-87
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73) |
91 Lungarotti 2003 San Giorgio Red Blend Umbria, Italy $55-$75 |
| Peppery, floral, meaty, cassis jam, black cherry, smoky, resin, barnyard, tobacco, spicy, clove, vanilla and cedar aromas. Round, rich, elegant, dry palate with smooth grained tannins and good acidity. Cassis, black cherry, peppery, smoky, gamey, resin, vanilla, cedar, tobacco, meaty, floral, minty, clove flavours with some coffee and herbs on the finish. Good balance and intensity, will improve over the next 2 to 5 years but ripe enough to drink now with rare beef or veal. (AG) | |
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74) |
91 Lisini 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $70-$90 |
| Smoky, tar, coffee, vanilla, peppery, tobacco, meaty, black cherry jam, black berry and ash aromas. Rich, round, dry palate with smooth grained tannins. Good smoky, dried herb, tobacco, liquorice, black cherry jam, meaty, peppery, vanilla, rooty flavours. Good concentration and balance if a bit tart and warm on the finish. Will improve over the next 2 to 5 years. (ST) | |
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75) |
91 Jules Taylor 2008 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $20-$30 |
| Classic Marlborough with its canned jalapeño, and lemongrass notes mixed with smoky, mineral passion fruit undercurrents. Lovely fresh lemon flavours with fine balance and length, all without overpowering your palate. Ripe and round I could see this washing down a plate of steamed mussels done Italian style with a little tomato, onion and garlic. Love the honey melon finish. (AG) | |
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76) |
91 Highland Estates 2006 Taylor Peak Merlot Bennett Valley, Sonoma Valley, California, United States $40-$70 |
| Taylor Peak is 100 percent Bennett Valley grown fruit that spends 17 months in French oak of which 37 percent is new. Look for cool blueberry and black fruit with bits of tobacco, spice, compost chocolate and liquorice. Impressive styling that focuses on mountain fruit giving it power but with Bordeaux Right Bank-like finesse. You can easily drink or hold this merlot for a decade. Well done and fine value. (AG) | |
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77) |
91 Hidden Bench 2007 Rosomel Vineyard Roman's Block Riesling Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada $25-$45 |
| Lifted petrol aromas seem to be the order of the day with grapefruit, spice, slate and apple peel aromas moving into a slightly austere but elegant dry palate of peaches, lemon, more slate/mineral flavours. Should age very well over the next decade. (TF) | |
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78) |
91 Guigal 2005 Côte Rôtie Brune et Blonde de Guigal Rhone Valley, France $70-$90 |
| Love the rich peppery intellectual nose of bright red fruits and spice. The entry is dense yet silky with incredible fruit power mixed with liquorice, pepper, black cherries mineral notes with bits of mocha and blueberries. Complex, long, sexy finish. Plenty of life to live here. Cellar 7 to 10 years. (AG) | |
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79) |
91 Gehringer Brothers 2008 Minus 9 Ehrenfelser Ice Wine Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $40-$60 |
| Icewine made from ehrenfelser is slightly unusual in the Canadian marketplace but Gehringer Brothers do it very well. Showing flavours and a nose true to ehrenfelser, wildflower honey and fresh hay, with sweet pineapple flavours, slightly spicy, with just enough acid to provide some balance to the sweetness. (TF) | |
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80) |
91 Etude 2006 Heirloom Pinot Noir Carneros, Napa Valley, California, United States $85-$105 |
| Barnyard, tobacco leaf, soy, pruney, cherry jam, cooked carrot, vanilla aromas. Dry, round, full, warm, supple palate with cedar, tobacco leaf, peppery, resin, barnyard, soy, cherry, rooty, Oxo, carrot top flavours with a touch of orange peel on the finish with some light stewed green tea tannins. Solid California pinot in a somewhat older style. Needs 2 to 3 years to peak. (AG) | |
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81) |
91 Coyote's Run 2007 Riesling Icewine Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada $35-$45 |
| It's no mean feat to emerge as the top sweet wine in a category for which Canada is world-renowned. But winemaker David Sheppard has more than 25 years experience in Niagara learning icewine with Karl Kaiser at Inniskillin. This is gorgeous, very sweet, silky and elegant riesling icewine with classic peach-apricot-mango fruit and exotic ginger and spice note. The lenght is terrific. (DL) | |
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82) |
91 Church & State2007 Hollenbach Family Vineyard Pinot Noir Penticton Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $20-$30 |
| A real crowd pleaser, the 2007 is packed with cherry and plum fruits along with clean vanilla notes. Pleasantly offset by vegetable rhubarb and earthy flavours, this exceptionally well-made pinot is showing well and is ready to drink. (TF) | |
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83) |
91 Bodega 2005 Monteviejo Vista Flores, Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Mendoza, Argentina $40-$60 |
| A blend of malbec, merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon with spicy, blackberry, ash, black cherry, mint, allspice, coffee, cedar, mocha, aromas. Rich, hot, tannic and concentrated but good finesse and suppleness. Big blackberry, coffee, tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, cherry, resin, peppery, meaty flavours. Big monster, somewhat tannic but good fruit. Needs time. (ST) | |
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84) |
91 Batasiolo 2004 Barolo Piedmont, Italy $25-$45 |
| Tar, earthy, coffee, tobacco, strawberry jam, cherry, cedar, meaty, saddle leather aromas. Ripe, round, dry, supple but grainy tannins. Still tight with good acidity. Cherry jam, liquorice root, peppery, vanilla, coffee, tobacco, leather, dried herb, smoky tar and cedar flavours. Good concentration, very spicy tar finish. Needs 3 to 5 years. More feminine style but balanced. Solid value here. (AG) | |
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85) |
90 Tommasi 2005 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Veneto, Italy $40-$70 |
| The latest Tommasi Amarone is made with corvina, corvinone, rondinella and molinara all grown on hillside terraces. At picking, the grapes are placed directly onto small open racks and air-dried until mid to late January typically losing 40 to 50 percent of their weight. The '05 has fresh character on the nose with hints of black cherries and spice. The textures are rich and smooth with youthful black plummy fruit, tobacco, pepper, and pruney chocolate flavours and rich but soft tannins. You could serve it now with roasted meats, game dishes or ripe cheeses or cellar for a decade. (AG) | |
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86) |
90 Stag's Hollow 2008 Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada $15-$30 |
| Wonderfully fresh with abundant lemon citrus with melon, fresh cut grass, and spicy oak. The flavours remain true to the nose, with slightly hot alcohol notes, and a touch of lemongrass. Still elegant, with a crisp, clean finish that delivers. (TF) | |
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87) |
90 Staete Landt 2006 Estate Grown Marlborough Pinot Noir Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $30-$50 |
| Spicy, rooty, black raspberry, rhubarb, tobacco leaf, cherry, floral and resin aromas with a touch of caraway and dried herbs. Round, dry, supple but slightly tight palate with fresh acidity. Smoky, herbal, rhubarb, cherry, orange compote, vanilla, tobacco leaf and caraway flavours with a hint of dill. Good finesse if a bit tart on the finish. Will improve over the next 2 to 4 years. (ST) |
Coming up: Wines 88-101
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88) |
90 Segura Viudas N/V Heredad Brut Reserva Penedès, Catalunya, Spain $25-$45 |
| Good fine persistent mousse. Fresh nose with strawberry, floral, lime, lemon, nutty, melon, biscuit, peach skin aromas. Crisp, dry, round, elegant palate with very nutty, floral, slate, peach, baked pear, caramel, lemon and lime flavours. A bit fuller than most cava but very elegant and suave with a slightly sweet finish. Best served with seafood tapas and slightly salty light meats. (AG) | |
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89) |
90 Schloss Schönborn 2006 Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett Rheingau, Germany $25-$45 |
| Floral, baked green apple, honey, slate, pear, slightly smoky nose with a bit of peach skin. Fresh, crisp, elegant, juicy, delicate palate with slate, light petrol, baked pear, honey, nectarine, pink grapefruit and mineral flavours. Understated but delicious and balanced. Will keep for 3 to 7 years. (AG) | |
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90) |
90 Rosehall Run 2007 Rosehall Vineyard Pinot Noir Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada $30-$50 |
| Bright clean fruits abound in this fine pinot. Lifted cherry and cooked strawberry fruits balanced by pleasant earthy tones and clove spice. Lively acid freshness on the palate but remarkably drinkable and smooth textured. Drink now or in the near future. (TF) | |
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91) |
90 Pieropan 2007 Soave Classico Soave, Verona, Veneto, Italy $15-$30 |
| The pinnacle of mineral driven wines come of Northern Italy and Pieropan is the master. It's embarrassing to think this wine has been unable to grab a spot in B.C. liquor stores over the past 3 decades. Mostly garganega with a bit of trebbiano. It's fresh and clean and chock full of mineral, pear and nutty flavours. Alive and vibrant it will pair with most seafood dishes. (AG) | |
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92) |
90 Michele Chiarlo 2007 Nivole Moscato d'Asti Gavi, Piedmont, Italy $10-$20 |
| Light frizzante mousse that is continuous and fine. Very floral, perfumed, soapy, peach skin, spicy, slate aromas with a touch of orange and lemon. Crisp, fresh, somewhat fizzy palate with a little sweetness. Peach, spicy, lychee, mineral, green apple skin and lime rind flavours. Consistent, fun and flavourful style for dessert or an apéritif. (AG) | |
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93) |
90 Le Volte 2007 Tuscany, Italy $20-$40 |
| The '07 harvest was kinder to the late ripening cabernet sauvignon than merlot in Bolgheri but in the case of Le Volte it is the sangiovese (51 percent) that carries this edition that mixes (34 percent) merlot with (15 percent) cabernet sauvignon. The wine gets about 10 months of aging in older Masseto and Ornellaia barrels. You notice a fragrance and freshness seldom seen in New World reds not to mention a sense of balance and harmony that keeps you coming back to the glass. Look for a delicious balance of spicy, floral red fruits with a kiss of oak and coffee. Very impressive and so balanced you can actually drink it now or hold it through 2015. Well done. (AG) | |
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94) |
90 Jermann 2006 Vintage Tunina Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy $50-$70 |
| Nutty, buttery, grapefruit rind, floral, melon, honey aromas. Rich, round, soft, somewhat fat palate but dry. Grapefruit rind, nutty, spicy, buttery, green apple skin, baked pear, grassy, vanilla, anise flavours. Good finesse but a touch soft and short with some butterscotch. Very attractive style if a tad warm. It will age well. (AG) | |
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95) |
90 Fuligni 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $70-$90 |
| Peppery, tar, smoky, dried cherry, tobacco, barnyard, leather, resin, black olive nose with some herbs and floral notes. Ripe, rich, round, full, hot palate with some dusty tannins and a bit of acidity. Tobacco, cedar, liquorice, resin, black cherry, raisin, peppery, tapenade, meaty, dried plum flavours. Good finesse for a hot vintage but very warm on the finish. Drink now or keep 2 to 3 years. (ST) | |
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96) |
90 Espelt 2005 ComaBruna Empordà, Ampurdain-Costa Brava, Catalunya, Spain $30-$50 |
| Deep cherry/purple colour. Smoky, peppery, meaty, allspice, floral, black cherry, rooty nose flecked with liquorice and tobacco ash aromas. Dry, round, slightly austere entry with some tannin to shed. Very spicy, floral, dried herb, meaty, smoky, garrigue, menthol, black cherry and tobacco flavours. Good concentration but still a bit tight and rustic. Best in 2 to 3 years or with grilled steak now. A unique blend of syrah, cariñena and marselan. Well worth investigating. (AG) | |
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97) |
90 Castello di Bossi 2005 Berardo Chianti Classico Riserva Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena, Tuscany, Italy $45-$65 |
| A single vineyard sangiovese, this has very spicy, peppery, leather, meaty nose with flecks of black berry, vanilla, black olive and saddle leather. Ripe yet somewhat tannic and dry. More vanilla, coffee, peppery and meaty, tobacco flavours mix with leather, iron, black berry, black cherry jam. Good length with some grainy tannin to disperse. Needs 3 to 5 years. Aged in French oak barriques for 24 to 36 months. (ST) | |
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98) |
90 Burgans 2007 Albariño Rías Baixas Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain $15-$30 |
| Now under screwcap, this Albariño is clean and as fresh as a whistle. Look for a crisp mineral, nectarine skin nose. On the palate it's juicy with creamy, green apple, melon honey notes with a citrus finish. Tailor made for curious white wine drinkers who love seafood. (AG) | |
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99) |
89 Viu 1 2006 Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile $60-$80 |
| Open, spicy, vanilla, chocolate, tobacco nose with meaty, barnyard, smoky, saddle leather, savoury notes mixed with black cherry and cassis. Rich, round, warm, dry palate with grainy tannins. Peppery, spicy, cassis, saddle leather, chocolate, vanilla, garrigue, tobacco leaf, meaty, liquorice flavours. Despite the obvious alcohol, it is well balanced for a big wine. Needs another 3 to 5 years in bottle to round out. (AG) | |
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100) |
89 Veramonte 2005 Primus Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile $20-$30 |
| Change is afoot at Primus where the emphasis is moving towards ripeness of fruit and texture on the palate. The '05 mixes 51/32/17 merlot, cabernet sauvignon and carmenère all from Casablanca. Look for tobacco and dried cherries and chocolate to dominate on the nose and palate in this full-flavoured red with fairly rich tannins. It's not as ripe as the new merlot and cabernet reservas varietals coming out of Colchagua but we expect this is the direction the wine is heading. Still it shows more finesse under Espinoza and is certainly one to watch for the price. (AG) | |
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101) |
89 Santa Rita 2005 Medalla Real Reserva Especial Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile $15-$30 |
| This is really an amazing wine for the price when you consider it comes from a single estate in the Alto Jahuel district of the Maipo Valley. Look for a spicy dried herbs nose with rich black fruit/cassis cedar and more bay leaf flavours wrapped into a full-bodied mid-palate and finish. The tannins are rich and soft but should easily melt into your steak. Fine value here. (AG) |
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