2010 Abreu Howell Mountain, USA, California, Napa, Howell Mountain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$335.00USD

A wow red blend to be sure.  This has 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 5% Merlot.  Still young, this was pop and pour and rocking from the get-go.  Purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, plums, cigar box, graphite, baking spice and slight cedar.  On the palate, this is full bodied yet very concentrated.  Powerful and intense.  Lots of cassis, some blueberries, plums wound with tobacco, chocolate and slight char.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  This kept evolving in the glass.  It probably won't peak for another five years or so and should

2007 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$395.00USD

Wow.  This is in a great place right now (and has been for a while).  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is classic, Californian, and amazing.  Cassis, blueberries, pencil lead, spice and slight chocolate.  Amazing texture.  Full bodied.  Racy yet, powerful.  There are light to medium tannins.  At age 12, this is still not yet at full maturity.  Flavors of cassis, blueberries, slight chocolate and char.  Great balance.  Long finish.  One of the great wines of the world.  

MV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 167eme, France, Wine Review

Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$168.00USD

This wine (or at least this bottle) seems to be a bit better than a prior bottle which is saying a lot.  It mostly the difficult 2011 vintage but includes almost two hundred different wines going back to the 1995 vintage.   Forty-two percent of the cuvée is made up of Reserve wines.  The final blend is 47 % Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier.

2004 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$56.00USD

This is in a great place right now.  Ruby in color with slight browning.  The nose has cherries, slight raspberries, slight tar and slight forest floor.  Medium bodied.  Tannins are mostly resolved.  On the palate, nice cherry notes with some forest floor underneath.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is at peak.  it should be consumed over the next five to seven years.  It goes great with pasta and cream sauce and will work well with meat based dishes too.  

2015 Denner The Dirt Worshipper, USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Another winner from Denner.  A blend of 96% Syrah, 2% Roussanne, 2% Viognier.  Inky purple in color, a thin ruby rim.  The nose is big and warm.  Black raspberries, black pepper, slight roasted meats, slight black olives.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Full bodied.  Black raspberry fruit, roasted meats and herbs and a bit of black pepper.  Lush texture.  Long finish.  This is easy to drink.  On its own, this is perfect, however, it will continue to evolve over the next five to seven years and be more complex and food friendly.  It will go well with roasts and meat casseroles.  

2013 Campesino Syrah Sangiacomo Old Lakeville Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is an excellent cooler climate Syrah.  Reasonably priced too.  Purple in color.  The nose has boysenberries, leather, roasted herbs and an interesting camphor note.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the boysenberries come thru over a bed of char and slight earthiness.  This needs two or three more years to peak and then should be good for another ten to twelve after that.  It will pair well with roasts and grilled foods and also Indian cuisine.  

2015 Sineann Pinot Noir Wy'east Reserve, USA, Oregon, Columbia Gorge, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Peter Rosback will occasionally pull a barrel that is at a higher level and bottle it as a Reserve.  Such is the case with this bottle.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is great with sour cherries, black cherries, baking spices and slight cedar.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Lush, yet with plenty of vibrancy.  Juicy sour cherry fruit over some earthiness with a bit of char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This should continue to improve for five to seven years and be good for a decade or two after that.  It will work well with fowl or heartier sea food dishes.  

2016 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$96.00USD

Russell Bevan's wines are outstanding but they can get expensive.  This is expensive too, but half the price of his single vineyard releases.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, cedar, slight tobacco and spice.  Young, of course with firm tannins.  Wonderful lush texture.  Lots of juicy cassis fruit with some graphite and char.  Long finish.  This is delicious now but will continue to improve for the next five to ten years and be good for ten to twenty after that.  It will go well with roasts or heavier dishes.  

2016 Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Sainte-Epine, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$47.00USD

This is a relatively newer producer in the Rhone whose wines should be on your radar.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, roasted herbs and a slight violet note.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Delicious.  Black raspberry fruit over smoke and nice minerality.  Long finish.  This will go great with roasts and casserole but also Indian and more robust Thai food.  It still will continue to improve for the next five to seven years and should be good for ten to fifteen, at least, after that.  

2013 Château Coutet, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Barsac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

This is one of the better houses making sweet dessert wines in Barsac.  This one was no exception. Light copper/orange in color.  Perhaps a bit darker than expected but not an issue.  On the nose, there is tropical fruit, slight each and a slight kindling smoke note.  On the palate, this is rich.  Plenty of Botrytis but good acidity to offset the sweetness.  Honey and tropical fruit on the palate.  Clean.  Long finish.  This is great on its own or with a more savory dessert (no chocolate).  It should easily last another fifteen to twenty years.  

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