PX This.

Matua Valley – Sauvignon Blanc – 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand
Cost: app. $16 to $18 / bottle

One of the hidden gems in the world of dry white wines can easily include the sauvignon blanc, and New Zealand is well known for producing fine examples. This Matua Valley was quite simply… awesome. This is crisp, light to medium-bodied, with a slight pewter in color. The aromas and flavors that dominated the entire time were a refreshing array of grapefruit, lime, and just a suggestion of lemongrass. Went very well with the summery cuisine I enjoyed alongside this wine of excellent value.
Rating: 90

Clos La Coutale 2007 – Cahors, France (dry red wine)
Cost: $10/Bottle

Browsing at a wine store, they give this bottle to me and say, “just try it and see what you think.” At $10/bottle, how could I go wrong? And I certainly didn’t. It does indeed have good value with its dark opaque purple color and medium-bodied package— but with its rich color, it really looks heavier. Its nose is dark cassis, cherry preserves, herbs, menthol, with a slight hint of heat that gives it a sherry-like fragrance. It remains smooth and firmly tannic on the palate. A dry finish, suggesting a little age would help this come along, with a good level of fruit that could meld better with time. I don’t believe I have ever had a wine from the Cahors region in France, but this truly looks promising.
Rating: 87
(I may pick up 2 or 3 bottles and allow it to rest on its side for a year. Will report on its progress over time…)

Bangin Red 2006 – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $11.99/bottle

Shopping at one of my favorite liquor stores, the manager recommended an $11.99 bottle of Bangin Red, made of a blend of 6 grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot, plus a scant 2% of zinfandel— a blend I couldn’t help but find intriguing. And I’m glad I succumbed to the temptation.
An amazing nose of red berries and cherries greeted me immediately, and in another 20 minutes or so emerged a wonderful scent of rosemary— yes that sweet smelling nose. A slight hint of eucalyptus (but mostly rosemary) accompanied, with a twinge of cherries and berries. Very impressive. In the mouth, the 14.2 % alcohol seemed tamed (but it’s there), taking a back seat to the fruit and supple tannin textures. Very juicy, ripe, and quite nice, perfect for an easy relaxing night.
Rating: 90

Hartley Ostini – Generation Red 2006 Central Coast – Santa Maria, California
Cost: $20.99/bottle

An interesting red combination of cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, and refosco grape varietals. Santa Maria is best known for their pinot noir and chardonnay; this Hartley Ostini red blend pulls no punches. Big, with its 14% alcohol and plenty of complexities, including hickory smoke barbeque sauce, herbal tea that blends nicely into cherries and blueberries, and a subtle hint of pepperiness thanks to the syrah. It’s silky smooth on the palate with plenty of juicy glycerine and fruitiness at the middle and back of the mouth. Good finish (and fairly priced at just over a $20).
Rating: 89

Landmark Chardonnay 2006 – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $22/bottle

Nice light-gold color, clear and crisp, notes of lemon, honey, oak, and oatmeal. Full-bodied, smooth and rich on the palate. Gobs of fruit with forgiving acidity. Fills the mouth so much, it can be enjoyed on its own just sipping away at happy hour. Personally, I enjoyed it with a summery seared tuna, and it was just the right ticket.

Rating: 92

Siduri – Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 – Santa Lucia Highlands, California
Cost: $35-$40/Bottle

This was simply a spectacular pinot noir, with its ripe cherry, strawberry, and blackcherry fruit commingled with some violets, cloves, and just a touch of white cake. It’s smooth and rich in its full-bodied, dark purple/ruby coat. It’s a young wine, with firm acids and some strong tannins but is balanced and harmonious with good levels of alcohol, not-too-sweet glycerine levels, and just the right fruit concentration. Siduri hits a homerun with this 2007 vintage and I am still amazed at the great wines— scratch that— the great pinot noirs coming out of Santa Lucia in California. The price ranges about $5 depending on where you shop in the US; that’s because this wine does have a steady following for the Pisoni Vineyard designate and in some areas, they may charge a mark up more than usual. If you see it, just pick it up and enjoy.

Rating: 93

Rudd – Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 – Russian River Valley, California
Cost: $65/bottle

Dining at a newly opened restaurant in our neighborhood, we are treated to an impressive selection of fine Italian dishes. During appetizers, we enjoyed this bottle of Bacigalupi Vineyard chardonnay, the signature white wine of the Rudd Estate. Its impressive nose of pear, mild citrus, a hint of black licorice and minerals is gorgeous to sniff. The full-bodied, rich, and layered textures unfold impressive white and yellow fruit while retaining that fine acidic structure but remaining smooth on the mid and back palates. An outstanding wine, worth its hefty premium price tag.

Rating: 92

Rustenberg – John X. Merriman 2005, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, South Africa
Cost: $26.99/bottle

A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and some dollops of the remaining Bordeaux varietals, this dark, saturated, ruby-colored wine exhibited a silky smooth medium body with perfume-like scents of cedar, black currants, black cherry, dark Godiva chocolate, and subtle toasted oak. In the mouth, very polished with good inner presence of flavor and fruit, ripe and rich with currant. Dark chocolate flavors unfold easily. There are some wonderful things coming out of South Africa, and Rustenberg is undoubtedly one of them.
Rating: 90

Black Wing Pinot Noir 2006, South East Australia

Cost: $22/bottle

Nice, deep, garnet red, with moderately full-bodied package. For a pinot noir, it looks strikingly similar to a Californian cabernet sauvignon, but the aroma is all pinot noir, with its vibrant bouquet of cherries, raspberries, cloves, and a hint of sage and thyme. Boldly flavored with rich, ripe red fruit— juicy through and through. The acidity, however, is a bit elevated, so I sense a crispness with each sip. Overall, a wonderful experience from the land down under, where sometimes it’s not always a Shiraz that rules (at least for this evening; this Black Wing pinot noir has raised an eyebrow or two). Delicious.

Rating: 89

Trazado Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Maipo Valley, Chile
Cost: $24.99/bottle

On my way to the checkout counter at my local wine shop, I came across this in the “featured” aisle— with a sign expressing that this is Chile’s version of a Read more…

Quintessa 2004 – Bordeaux blend – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $250/bottle restaurant retail or app. $125 store retail

A bit of a splurge on the Quintessa 2004, a wine made predominantly of cabernet sauvignon, but with dollops of other red varietals. Nose of liquid Snickers, and mocha-java coffee that lingers above the blackberries and blueberries, with mild oak, anise spice, and just a touch of underbrush. The wine was carefully decanted to allow maximum air and it was worth it. In the mouth, so creamy smooth, decadent and alive, powerful lush dark berries with chocolate ganache. This is a voluptuous wine, and perhaps the finest Quintessa I have ever been privileged to enjoy. I will look for this wine, and lock down a couple of bottles to relive the moment. It’s just that good.
Rating: 97

As one sagacious oenophile put it best: "OK, the sommelier will shut up now and the girl will take over… *SQUEEE! HELLO KITTY WINE!*"

[ Side note to resident sommelier and "Cellar Notes" correspondent, Aris Francisco: Please don't hit me. ]

:)

Oreno – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese – 2006 Tuscany
Cost: $80-$85/bottle

A dark opaque purple wine, moderately full-bodied with rather elevated acidity and tannins. Granted, it is young (recently released, that is). Its nose is already revealing— with great black cherries, black raspberries, violets, cedar, graphite, and a touch of vanilla bean. In the mouth, it’s quite layered and velvety, loaded with black fruit and dark tannins. It should rest at least 5 to 7 years, but there is plenty of fruit to support its evolution into something rather special. Despite its youth, I still enjoyed the wine very much; its nose was quite inviting. A solid example of a Super Tuscan at its finest.
Rating: 94

Bogle Chardonnay 2006 – California
Cost: $10/bottle

Nice light gold in color, with a sweet, oaky nose intermixed with honey, pear, and peach. Consistent flavors pack this full-bodied and chewy chardonnay that should match quite nicely with Read more…

Marquis Philips Roogle 2008 – Riesling – Australia
Cost: $13.99/Bottle

Light topaz in color, crisp and grippy on the palate, this Marquis Philips Roogle Riesling is quite a bargain find. Aromas and flavors expose a grapefruit, lime and tangerine dominated essence. It finishes strong with that citrusy lingering aftertaste, quite nice and refreshing. A perfect wine to match your favorite seafood dish.
Rating: 91

Opus One 1997 – Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley
Cost: $125/Bottle (purchased in 2000)

This is a dark ruby wine, full-bodied and velvety in texture, with a weightiness like blood. It’s rich and superb as it hits the front palate and glides through to the mid and back palate. Aromas are a bit funky, initially band-aid like, but yields to some juicy black cherry and currant fruit with plenty of suede and Timberland boot-like scents. The wine required some serious air time but could never eliminate that bandaid and suede nose, even by the end of dinner. Overall a decent wine, with quite a perfect mouthfeel and flavor profile, but the funky nose may not be for everyone.

Rating: 89

Cakebread – Sauvignon Blanc 2007, California
Cost: $58/bottle at Koi in the Bryant Park Hotel, NYC (Retails for about $35 at your fine wine shop.)

With a cornucopia of sushi, spicy shrimp appetizers and wasabi sauce, you need something cool and refreshing to wash it all down; what better dry white wine than a Sauvignon Blanc by Cakebread Cellars. Its ripe lime, lemon and grapefruit scents with just a touch of minerals, and overall citrus infused flavors certainly do the trick, harnessing the palate enough to still relish the cuisine while savoring the wine. Cakebread’s Sauvignon Blanc is superb with its crisp character, clean and long finish. Perhaps the best sauvignon blanc I’ve had in quite some time.

Rating: 93

Laurel Cellars – Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 – Alexander Valley, California
Cost: $12.99/bottle (on sale)

This wine is dark plum in color, medium-bodied and silky. The aromas are one dimensional, with notes of toasted oak, herbs, green leaves, vanilla extract and some berry fruit. In the mouth, simple and rather oaky fruit through and through, with some green spices. For $12.99, I couldn’t expect that it would be great, but it’s decent. A repeat purchase for me… probably… maybe… not sure yet.. I bought this because some great fruit and wine come from Alexander Valley, but it is quite oaky (I do have a good tolerance for oak, however).
Rating: 84

Justin – Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 – Paso Robles, California
Cost: $28.99/bottle

Justin vineyards in Paso Robles, located midway between Monterey and LA, certainly had one of their finest vintages in 2006. After getting overwhelmed by the 2006 Isosceles (their flagship wine), and then an impressive Justin Orphan (their leftover grapes wine), this cabernet is in no way middle of the road in quality. This one is just a touch under the Isosceles in the yum factor of yumminess. Beautiful notes of black cherry, blueberry, toasted oak, coconut and bittersweet chocolate are enjoyable to sniff and taste. It’s moderately full bodied and with firm tannins, but it comes across as harmonious with the levels of alcohol, fruit and sweetness. It’s a dry wine, make no mistake about it— but it’s quite flavorful and delicious. I’m picking up a case of this stuff, it tastes a lot better than most cabernet costing twice or three times this. Great value.
Rating: 93