2005 Madrona Cabernet Franc 91 points

Cabernet Franc, El Dorado, $16

I love Cab Franc, medium-bodied, inky-purple, and elegantly complex. This wine has beautiful black cherry, licorice, and currant that shows structure and suppleness. Dense on the mid-palate, with soft balanced tannins and acids. It's hard to find a Cab Franc at such a good price, drink now thru 2012.

2005 Soos Creek Sundance Red Wine 91 points

Red Blend, Columbia Valley (WA), $20

The Sundance is Bordeaux-like in its flavors and structure or as we call it a red blend. This is a well made wine with tempered spicy juicy red fruit on the nose. The tannins are wrapped tightly around cassis, mulberry, spice and smokey oak. Well integrated fruit with soft, smooth cocoa and toast on the finish. Drink now thru 2011.

2005 Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon 94 points

Walla Walla Vintners 2005 Sagemoor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley); $40

Sagemoor Cabernet Sauvignon is the 'signature' Cabernet Sauvignon for Walla Walla Vinters. This is a beautiful red blend, I got this as a gift because it's out of my price range and I tried to save it but could not resist. 79% old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot are perfectly integrated with smokey oak. Concentrated flavors of dark berries, coffee liqueur, chocolate-covered cherries, cedar and leather. Very smooth and seductively long finish with notes of caramel and roasted coffee, drink now thru 2018.

2004 Waters Interlude Red 92 points

Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley (WA), $25


I love red blends, this half Cab, half Merlot with a splash of Cab Franc, this excellent Bordeaux blend comes jam packed with ripe fruit. Big body that's softened by the Merlot, cherry, creme DE coco accented with barrel notes of kahlùa, espresso and smoke. Concentrated and smooth throughout, this wine is a best buy because it's the first effort from this winery