• 2007 Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc Hawkes Bay – New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay (1/28/2010)
  Crisp lemon zest, lychee fruit, pleasant level of grassiness. Hint of sweetness. Winner at $6 btg. (86 pts.)
• 2006 Boutari Santorini – Greece, Aegean, Santorini (1/28/2010)
  Light and refreshing with predominate melon and honey notes. $35 from a rather expensive restaurant list. I don’t know what this retails for but I’d say it’s worth $10 – $12. (84 pts.)

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1997 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Cannubi – Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (1/16/2010)
Burnt cherry pie, baked dark berries, road tar, green herb. Tannins are pronounced but not debilitating. I liked this slightly unpolished, roguish barolo. Middle and finish are shallow but I expect this wine will flesh out more in 2-3 years and gain a few points beyond an 88+. (88 pts.)

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2009 Familia Zuccardi Torrontés Santa Julia Organica – Argentina, Mendoza (1/14/2010)
Light color. Rich fruity aromas promise a bit more than this wine can deliver. Pear flavor is dominate with some melon notes as well. Nice full initial flavor but trails off quickly. Still, a pleasant wine and fully worthy if you’re looking for a light-bodied white wine that retailed here for just $8.99. (82 pts.)

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2007 Bressler Pinot Noir – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (1/4/2010)
Strawberry, quince, cola, Christmas spice, and forest floor in this understatedly styled Pinot Noir. True to its Russian River Valley (Sonoma) origins without going over the top, it embraces a California style without the heaviness one sometimes sees. Impeccable balance is achieved after a couple of hours of air but it tends to take on a more tart character after about 4 hours. Drink over the next 3 years.

I’m a huge fan of Bressler Napa Cabernets from the White Sulphur Creek bench west of St Helena but this was my first experience with their small production of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. This project shows real promise. Their talented winemaker, Mia Klein, is obviously more than comfortable with the finicky Pinot grape. (90 pts.)

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2001 Crocker & Starr Stone Place Cuvée – USA, California, Napa Valley (1/2/2010)
Seems a lot more like an 02 Napa than an 01. Really big black plum fruit. Overall sweet character. Huge mouthfeel. Dark chocolate, strong, slightly bitter, espresso. Mint. Toasty oak. A LOT more youthful than I expected at this point but not lacking in complexity. Excellent with about an hour of air. I don’t think there is a rush to drink this but it is so pretty right now… this wine, in my opinion, has reached its highest potential. Wish I wasn’t all out. (92 pts.)

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2007 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Marqués de Casa Concha – Chile, Central Valley, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto (12/30/2009)
Cherries, anise, smokey and earthy. Tannins are muscular, but stay in balance. Best to give this wine 3-4 years in the cellar. I liked its rustic, brooding charm. Especially impressive long wood smoke finish. (87 pts.)

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• 2007 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (12/26/2009)
  Peachy with honeysuckle blossom, ripe honeydew. Hint of oily petrol aroma. Finishes sweet. Quite nice. Off an “expensive” restaurant wine list in Vietnam it was $30 so if it is available retail in the US, it should be at an attractive price to stock up: it would go well either as a sipping wine at a party or with Asian fare. (85 pts.)

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• 2007 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett – Germany, Rheinhessen (12/25/2009)
  Lemon curd, peaches, floral, in this charming but primary wine. It is a kabinett but one still gets an overall impression of sweetness. Right now it goes well with a big, spicey Vietnamese meal. Would be interesting to see how this one develops over the years. (88 pts.)

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2006 Jim Barry Cabernet Sauvignon The Cover Drive – Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (12/24/2009)
Huge candy monster. Blueberry flavored syrup, berries and cream, chocolate, charred wood. Some zingy acidity keeps it from being cloying but if served blind, I would have guessed this was an Aussie Shiraz, not a Cab. Just not my favorite thing to do with the Cab grape, but if you like this style, you’ll like this wine. (86 pts.)

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• 2001 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (11/18/2009)
  Wow. I got excited about this wine just during the decant. Smokey and berry aromas filled the room. An hour later, I was not disappointed. The glass was filled with wood smoke and flavors of rum soaked cherries, anise, cinnamon, clove, pencil lead, and sweet oak all in perfect balance. An incredible wine. Subtle power in every sip with new things seeming to happen every second during the long attack, middle and finish. I love the western slope of the Napa Valley. While a wonderful accompaniment to a special meal, this wine deserves center stage. I got significant sediment from this bottle. Stand it up in advance and decant carefully. Give it 2 hours of air. Drinking marvelously now and will continue to evolve for years. (96 pts.)

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