
2007 Misiones de Rengo Cuvee Carmenere $19
The nose is intense with lush aromas of deep, spicy blackberry jam and toasted oak. With a spicy complex palate of black plum, black plum, hazelnut and dark chocolate. I love this red because of it's elegance and refinement with amazing balance. The finish is long and smooth with more toasty vanilla and roasted coffee beans. Drink now thru 2014.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
2007 Misiones de Rengo Cuvee Carmenere 92 points
Posted by rich board at 2:17 PM 0 comments
Labels: $20 or less, 92 points, best buy 2009, carmenere, top 100 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
2005 Condado De Oriza Crianza Tempranillo 92 points

2005 Condado De Oriza Crianza Tempranillo $13
Beautifully integrated fruit and a great price; With a broad palate of black raspberry, plum, black cherry and leather. Rich with chewy tannins and loaded with creamy dark fruit. Amazing balance at a fabulous price is why I love Spanish wines. The finish roars thru with more dark fruit and light oak.
Posted by rich board at 4:06 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 92 points, best buy 2009, tempranillo, top 100 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
2007 Souverain Chardonnay 91 points

2007 Chardonnay Alexander Valley $15
Beautifully complex citrus aromas delight the nose; The palate pops with Granny Smith apples, bosc pears, pineapple and toasty oak. Full-bodied, complex and richly elegant that maintains it's intense citrus flavor from start to finish. Honeysuckle and sweet caramel come thru on a long lingering finish.
Posted by rich board at 1:17 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 91 points, best buy 2009, chardonnay, top 100 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
2008 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc 90 points

Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough $13
Big production but oh so tasty and focused; The palate explodes with pink grapefruit, peach, lime and fresh cut grass. Racy acids help balance the core citrus flavors. This is a big fruit Sauv Blanc from start to finish.
Posted by rich board at 3:59 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 90 points, best buy 2009, sauvignon blanc, top 100 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
2008 Kim Crawford 91 points

Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, $15
This Sauvignon Blanc is clean, ripe and pure; the palate pops with pink grapefruit, zesty lime, guava and stone. Medium-bodied with lots if zippy acids and clean flavor profile. It finishes off with notes of kiwi and creamy key lime, buy this one by the case.
Posted by rich board at 2:34 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 91 points, best buy 2009, sauvignon blanc, top 100 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
2008 Veramonte Reserva 90 points

Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, $10
Bright, clean and refreshing is the motive here; The palate explodes with lime, grapefruit, melon and herb flavors. The medium body and zippy acids keeps this white in check. With a lip-smacking finish that drives home the citrus and grassy flavors.
Posted by rich board at 11:58 AM 0 comments
Labels: $10 or less, 90 points, best buy 2009, sauvignon blanc, top 100 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
2007 Painted Wolf Pinotage 90 points

Pinotage, Coastal Region, $15
Robust and ripe flavors with a spicy nose; The palate opens with red plum, raspberry, currant and toasty vanilla. Expertly layered with amazing balance and a warm mouth-feel. The ripe fruit is upfront and complex with a creamy, cedar filled finish.
Posted by rich board at 12:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 90 points, best buy 2009, pinotage, top 100 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
2006 Terra d' Oro Home Vineyard Zinfandel 92 points

Terra d' Oro 2006 Home Vineyard Zinfandel $25
Intense and spicy on the nose with a palate that leads to black plum, currant, cassis and spicy cedar. Pepper and rich mocha run throughout with a broad finish. The finish lasts long with undertones of cracked black pepper and leather.
Posted by rich board at 1:38 PM 0 comments
Labels: $25 or less, 92 points, top 100 2009, zinfandel
Thursday, March 5, 2009
2008 Sebeka Chenin Blanc 89 points

Sebeka 2008 Chenin Blanc (Western Cape); $10
Sebeka consistently produces great wine at great prices...Bravo! The palate opens with honeydew, melon, honey and asian spices. Lively, expressive and refreshing balance of fruit flavors. This white has a broad finish of tropical fruit and exotic spices.
Posted by rich board at 12:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: $10 or less, 89 points, best buy 2009, chenin blanc, top 100 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
2006 Crinella Sauvignon Blanc 92 points

Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, $22
With a nose that's spicy, creamy and refreshingly clean; The palate explodes with passion fruit, lime, lemon and gooseberry. This is a perfect food pairing wine with interesting layers of flavor. Dry, crisp and clean with a finish that pops long past you swallow.
Posted by rich board at 1:48 PM 0 comments
Labels: $25 or less, 92 points, sauvignon blanc, top 100 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
2007 Sterling Made with Organic Grapes 92 points

Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino, $13
Another fabulous Sauv Blanc with a beautiful nose of mouth-watering tropical fruit; The palate explodes with pink grapefruit, lime, lemon and fresh cut grass. With a bone dry palate and crisp acids that dance from start to finish. Clean and refreshing with a tart finish that last long and is smooth.
Posted by rich board at 1:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 92 points, best buy 2009, sauvignon blanc, top 100 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
2006 Villa Pillo 93 points

Toscana Borgoforte 2006 $12
A beautiful red blend with heady aromatics; The palate is lush blend of black cherry, currant, blackberry and anise. Full-bodied with restrained tannins and a silky mouth-feel. With a long and beautiful finish with hints of leather and vanilla.
Posted by rich board at 1:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 93 points, best buy 2009, red blend, red wine, top 100 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
2007 Chehalem Reserve Dry 92 points

Riesling, Willamette Valley, $21
I love this Riesling; With a zippy palate of melon, pink grapefruit, lime and green apple. This white is bone dry and a yummy lip-smacker that packs a concentrated core of tropical fruit. The finish is intense and long lasting.
Posted by rich board at 11:09 AM 0 comments
Labels: $25 or less, 92 points, best buy 2009, riesling, top 100 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
2004 Bernardus Marinus 92 points

Bernardus 2004 Marinus Bordeaux Blend; Carmel Valley $16
This red blend will get better with age; The palate is full of blackberry, currant, cocoa powder and cigar box flavors. It's a broad and defined flavor profile with a tannic edge that will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar. The finish is dense with hints of toasty oak and blueberry pie, drink in 2011.
Posted by rich board at 1:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: $20 or less, 92 points, best buy 2009, bordeaux blend, top 100 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2007 Arcane Cellars Estate Pinot Gris 91 points

Arcane Cellars 2007 Estate Pinot Gris $16
Clean, crisp and a clearly defined Pinot Gris; The palate explodes with pear, melon, orange blossom and passion fruit. With sharp acids and beautiful citrus flavors layered perfectly. Clean, ripe and refreshing for a late winter white. The finish is bright and long lasting with crisp grapefruit and lime, drink now.
Posted by rich board at 11:33 AM 0 comments
Labels: $20 or less, 91 points, best buy 2009, pinot gris, top 100 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
2007 Bodegas Ateca 90 points

Garnacha Calatayud de Fuego Old Vines 2007 $8
With a spicy and fruit forward nose that's lush and ripe; The palate is broad with strawberry, raspberry, anise and new oak. The creamy texture adds structure and balance. Lively flavors of vanilla bean and licorice come through on a long smooth finish.
Posted by rich board at 8:25 AM 0 comments
Labels: $10 or less, 90 points, best buy 2009, garnacha, top 100 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
2007 Handley Cellars Gewurztraminer 91 points

Handley 2007 Gewurztraminer $16
With a nose of Jasmin and zesty orange that's pure and refined; The palate explodes with flavors of lime, white peach, melon and narcissus. Balanced acids and refined flavor profile that creates a beautiful white wine. The finish is long with spicy citrus fruit to the end.
Posted by rich board at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: $20 or less, 91 points, best buy 2009, gewurztraminer, top 100 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
2006 Wente Reliz Creek Pinot Noir 91 points

Wente 2006 Reliz Creek Pinot Noir (Arroyo Seco); $19
With sweet aromas of Bing cherries and vanilla bean leading to a lovely palate of red currant, black cherry, cola and light spice. Light-bodied and a silky mouth-feel that is well balanced and polished. The finish is light but still jam packed full of fruit and toasty vanilla.
Posted by rich board at 9:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: $20 or less, 91 points, best buy 2009, pinot noir, top 100 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc 91 points

2007 Fumé Blanc Sonoma County $13
With a beautifully expressive nose of fresh citrus and smoke; The palate pops with white peach, guava, apricot and burnished wood. The body is full with a refreshingly citrus profile throughout. With a finish that's clean and crisp with undertones of smokey, toasty wood, bravo!
Posted by rich board at 8:37 AM 0 comments
Labels: $15 or less, 91 points, best buy 2009, fume blanc, top 100 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Zaca Mesa Syrah 92 points

Syrah Santa Ynez Valley 2005 $22
This Syrah has a beautiful nose of spice and dark fruit; With an intense palate of blackberry, blueberry liqueur, nutmeg and cedar. Full-bodied and bone dry with tightly focused tannins. The finish is long with hints of tobacco and toasty vanilla.
Posted by rich board at 12:57 PM 0 comments
Labels: $25 or less, 92 points, best buy 2009, syrah, top 100 2009