Winebork.Com - Shopping Crib Sheet

Landmark  2006  Chardonnay Damaris Reserve	90	C+ / $40.00
Rich, satisfying Chardonnay includes grapes from two excellent Sonoma vineyards: 61% Sangiocomo (Carneros), 39% Flocchini (Sonoma Coast). Intriguing nose with highlights of coconut, spice, and tropical fruits. Full and long, yet soft in the mouth, with layers of fruit and subtle nut-like flavors. - HK : 2008-08-11
Domaine Bois de Boursan  2001  Chateauneuf du Pape	89	A- / $18.99
This Chateauneuf is drinking superbly right now. Rich, chewy, classic Chateauneuf with loads of deep smoky cassis and berry fruit. Polished, mature feel, with a touch of cedar around the edges; round and mouth-filling, long fruit-filled finish. - HK : 2008-08-11
Camelot  2005  Chardonnay	85	A / $5.99
Simple yet clean and pleasant Chardonnay at a great price. (Maybe Safeway is unloading an older vintage?) Little sign of oak in the spiced peach/green apple flavor profile. Nice level of acid keeps it brisk and fresh, even at age 3. A bit too polite and light to get a higher rating, but definitely a worthy, refreshing everyday white. - HK : 2008-08-10
Yellow Tail  2007  Chardonnay	82	A / $5.49
Good buy in everyday white wine, but not nearly as good in the quality/price category as the Yellow Tail Shiraz. Nose and flavors show hints of apricot, honey, and orange blossom, somewhat like a Muscat. In the mouth a tad too sweet to my taste, but otherwise pleasant and smooth. Not surprisingly for the price, it's not a crisp or precise wine, but it's definitely pleasurable to sip. I'd serve this one at refrigerator temperature to keep the sweetness under control. - HK : 2008-08-07
Tin Roof Winery  2005  Merlot	87	A / $7.49
What a find this wine is! I knew nothing previously about Tin Roof, but this Merlot wildly exceeded my expectations. It has the elegant texture and feel (and even something of the flavor profile) of a good Bordeaux Superieur at about 1/3 the price. Nicely polished flavors of black cherry, currants, smoke, and subtle oak. Excellent balance - fruit, acid, tannin - with no components out of place. I've had any number of California Merlots that were a 3 - 5 times as expensive as this one but provided a lot less pleasure. - HK : 2008-08-03
Freestone Vineyards  2005  Chardonnay "Fogdog"	91	B- / $40.00
Freestone Vineyards is a new Joseph Phelps facility focused on making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Freestone area, which is turning into one of the most promising areas in California for making the great Burgundian varietals. The vineyards used are all owned and planted by Phelps, and are all young. In fact, the Fogdog Chardonnay is the first release from these vineyards, was made in the Phelps St. Helena winery (though future releases will all be made at the new winery in Freestone), and is described as almost an "experimental" wine. But what a delicious experiment. The wine displays a beautiful, penetrating nose of lemon curd and apricot accompanied by dense clove-like spiciness. In the mouth there is a tremendous feel of freshness and clarity due to the outstanding acid balance. The long finish shows only a gentle touch of toasty oak despite the fact that this wine was aged for 12 months in 50% new French oak. It's scary to think how good these Chardonnays will become as the vines age. It's scary also to think of what they'll cost, since this opening salvo came in at $40, and it's the cheaper of the two Chardonnays currently produced. - HK : 2008-08-02
Simi  2005  Chardonnay Russian River Valley	88	C+ / $29.00
This flavorful Chardonnay displays attractive aromas and flavors of ripe pear, banana, vanilla, citrus, and a touch of brown butter. Refreshingly clean and defined in the mouth. Toast and citrus in the finish. Not a particularly powerful or long Chardonnay, but well-made and good with food. - HK : 2008-07-31
Yellow Tail  2007  Shiraz	86	A / $5.49
Year after year, an astonishingly good value in smooth, quaffable reds. Not a 16% blockbuster, but full of soft, tasty blueberry and dark cherry fruit with a touch of flowers and sweet oak in the background. No hint of medicinal or other off-putting flavors found in most inexpensive wines. Really remarkably good for the price, certainly one of the very best sub-$8 reds in the market, and available just about everywhere. (Purchased on sale at Safeway. Regular price is around $7.99 - but this is no higher than it was 6 years ago!) - HK : 2008-07-30
Verget  2006  Macon-Vergisson La Roche	90	A / $14.99
Pure, delicious Chardonnay from one of the sweet spots in Macon. Ripe, complex nose of poached peaches, yeast, lime zest, sweet straw, and minerals. Rich mouthfeel, yet with a beautifully precise and elegant feel to it. Clean, long, citrus and mineral finish. Good buy at $25, tremendous buy at $14.99. - HK : 2008-07-28
Marquis Philips  2006  Shiraz	89	A / $11.99
Year after year, the Marquis-Philips Shiraz is a stupendous bargain, and this is my favorite vintage yet. The wine is opaque black-purple in color, has tooth-staining density, and projects big, ripe, meaty, full-bodied blackberry and spicy sweet blueberry fruit with an almost liqueur-like weight in the mouth. Complexity and gracefulness are not what this wine is about - it's about pure, in-your-face flavors that are great with barbecue, red meat dishes, pizza, and pastas. This has been our house red for a number of years. It's hard to understand how this much flavor and intensity can be put into a bottle - from a foreign land, no less - for this price. Only downside (and it's a petty complaint): to my taste there's about 0.5 percent too much alcohol, making the wine a little top-heavy. - HK : 2008-07-27
Kirkwood Signature  2005  Meritage	84	B+ / $10.99
Kirkwood is Costco's house brand. Mostly Merlot, this wine has a healthy bright purple color and a nice feeling of ripeness. Somewhat medicinal tart cherry, licorice, and chocolatey flavors. OK wine, fairly priced, but certainly not a memorable Bordeaux imitation - to my taste more like a simple, ripe California Pinot Noir than a serious Merlot. - HK : 2008-07-26
Domaine des Baumard  2004  Savennieres	89	B+ / $22.00
Another excellent expression of the Chenin Blanc grape from one of my favorite wine regions in the world, and from perhaps the best of all Savennieres producers. Just showing its own at age 4, this is a bone dry, crisp, refreshing, beautifully made wine. Nose of spring flowers, white peaches, cucumber/herb notes, and a strong wet-gravel-like mineral component. Aromas follow into the clean flavors and a finish that adds some citrus acidity to the minerality. (Retail price estimated: purchased for $38 at a restaurant.) - HK : 2008-07-24
Landmark  2006  Chardonnay "Overlook"	89	B / $27.00
This is an extremely reliable Chardonnay, providing great drinking at reasonable cost year after year. The 2006 displays a rich nose of vanilla, tropical fruit, lemon/lime citrus, honeydew melon, and spice. Crisp and balanced in the mouth, as always - an excellent food wine. Clean fruit flavors and finish, subdued oak. Grapes are from Sonoma (77%), Santa Barbara (14%) and Monterey (9%) counties. This bottle was purchased at the beautiful Landmark winery in Sonoma Valley; it's probably available for the low $20's elsewhere, and it's a good buy. - HK : 2008-07-23
Seghesio  2006  Zinfandel Home Ranch	91	B / $36.00
As always, this wine seems to be delicious and ready to drink soon after bottling, unlike some of the other great Seghesio Zins that require a year or two to round out. Smooth and polished - hard to believe given the 15.7% alcohol and undoubted tannin level - yet with mouth-filling richness. Unusually elegant for a young Zinfandel, this beautiful wine, from 113 year old vines, coats the mouth with spicy blackberry flavors and a nicely balanced dose of sweet oak. Excellent length and depth. It's hard to find Zinfandels much more pleasant to drink than this one. - HK : 2008-07-19
Kendall-Jackson  2006  Chardonnay Seco Highlands	92	A- / $30.00
One of the best Chardonnays I've tasted in the past year. Tremendous depth and complexity in this wine. Aromas and flavors show a melange of fruits - mango, pineapple, persimmon, sweet lemon. Subtle, beautifully integrated oak provides spice and toast nuances. Very long, pure, seamless white. Highly recommended, and extremely fairly priced for the quality. - HK : 2008-07-15
Kendall-Jackson  2006  Chardonnay Vintner's Reserve	87	A / $10.99
A no-brainer every year in terms of excellent bargain Chardonnays. Soft, rich, balanced, easy to drink Chardonnay displaying nice tropical fruit flavors and enough bracing acidity to keep the boredom away. Hard to conceive how a wine this good can be made in the large quantities turned out each year. - HK : 2008-07-14
Kendall-Jackson  2006  Chardonnay Grand Reserve	89	A / $16.49
Crisp, spicy Chardonnay with lip-smacking fruit flavors and a touch more complexity and fullness than the Vintner's Reserve. Rich pineaapple and citrus fruit accompanied by spicy nutmeg-like oak notes, toasty and long finish. Great buy. - HK : 2008-07-14
Chateau St. Jean  2007  Fume Blanc	88	A / $9.99
Absolutely one of the best values in Sauvignon Blanc year after year. This one is round and refreshing as well as an excellent food wine. The Semillon gives the wine a fruit-dominated rather than grassy or herbal focus, with spicy melon and pear flavors at the front. Soft and full, well-balanced. Drink this beauty in its youth. - HK : 2008-07-14
Altos las Hormigas  2007  Malbec	88	A / $8.99
Tooth-staining opaque ruby/purple color. Nose displays deep, tarry blackberry and blueberry fruit, charcoal, toast. Chewy texture very similar to Australian Shiraz. Rich finish shows black cherry and a slightly floral roasted peach character along with black fruits. Would probably soften a bit in the next year but delicious already. Exceptional quality for just $8.99. - HK : 2008-07-12
Verget  2004  Macon Villages "Mise Tardive"	80	C+ / $10.41
Disappointing in light of how many great and well-priced Verget Macons we've tried in the past. In two separate tastings, the wine came across as flat and uninteresting, dominated by minerals, yeast, and acid but with very little fruit. Certainly drinkable, just somewhat dull, despite what the label advertises as extended, 12 month aging on the lees. At age 4, maybe it's just old enough to have lost its spunk. (Purchased in an excellent mixed-case holiday special at North Berkeley. Normal retail price would be somewhat higher.) - HK : 2008-07-10
Taft Street  2005  Zinfandel Cobblestone Vineyards	87	B- / $22.00
Not a blockbuster Zin, but a good one with all the right components in place: solid berry fruit, a touch of spiciness, good richness in the mouth and finish. Soft and easy to drink, good with food as opposed to overpowering. Fairly priced too. - HK : 2008-07-07
Passalacqua  2005  Zinfandel Maple Vineyard	89	C+ / $36.00
Classy, well-balanced Zinfandel from the famous Maple Vineyard. A bit retiring for my taste, though it is certainly recommended. A field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignane, it displays clean, slightly briary berry fruit flavors with a touch of licorice or tar in the background adding depth, an elegant mouth feel, and good length. It will be interesting to try this wine in a powerhouse year. - HK : 2008-07-06
Kendall-Jackson  2006  Chardonnay Camelot Highlands	91	A- / $25.00
As good as the 2005 Camelot Higlands was, this one is even better - richer and more complete. Toasty impression when first opened, but this expands to multiple layers of rich tropical/citrus fruit - apricot, Meyer lemon, pineapple, banana. Wonderful acid balance adds freshness and precision; notes of buttered toast and yeast in the finish add complexity. This is one Chardonnay that stands up nicely even when fully chilled. In today's marketplace, it's a genuine bargain at $25. - HK : 2008-07-05
Smoking Loon  2006  Cabernet Sauvignon	85	A / $5.99
Quite respectable varietal character - amazing for a Cabernet at this price point. Simple, straight-ahead flavors of slightly pruney dark fruit, currant, and mint. Good balance, nicely textured, ripe fruit finish. None of the peculiar or off-putting nuances so often found in inexpensive, high-yield wines. I've been impressed with the varietal character and value offered by all the Smoking Loon wines I've tried. - HK : 2008-06-23
S.A. Prum  2005  Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese	90	A / $12.99
This Mosel is an absolutely delicious, food-friendly, wonderfully fruity yet crisply structured Riesling. Layers of apricot and sweet citrus fruit along with citrus blossom honey in the aromas and flavors - yet it's accompanied by a perfect bracing dose of crisp balancing acidity that seems almost unique to the better German Rieslings. Full, long, delicious wine. Bought during an excellent sale at Premier Cru, this wine is easily worth $20+, and is a terrific match with spicy or richly sauced foods. - HK : 2008-06-22
Camellia Cellars  2005  Zinfandel Lencioni Vineyard	88	B- / $26.00
Straight-ahead, delicious Dry Creek Zin. Like all Camellia wines, nice fruit purity, well-balanced, and with the alcohol at a level that makes for good drinking with food. Spicy nose with highlights of blackberry, strawberry jam, and mint/eucalyptus. Nice ripeness and texture in the mouth though not exceptionally long. This is another impressive red from Camellia Cellars. - HK : 2008-06-19
Marimar Estate  2006  Chardonnay Estate, Don Miguel Vineyard	89	C+ / $35.00
This is a notch up from the already excellent 2005 Estate Chardonnay - richer, fuller, more complex. Crisp yet full in the mouth, this wine dislays a beautiful nose of lemon/lime citrus, subtle tropical fruits, vanilla and lots of cinammon/nutmeg spice. Nice weight in the mouth, clean and pure flavors, good length. Only problem is that the price keeps ratcheting up about 10% a year, which is getting painful. - HK : 2008-06-15
Loring Wine Company  2006  Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard	91	C / $50.00
Dark purple color. Excellent ripeness and richness. Deep, complex, musky perfume of dark cherry, plum, spice, charcoal, and pine forest floor. Full yet soft and open, silky and balanced in the mouth. Restrained and harmonious texture make this a great food wine. Long fruit-dominated finish. - HK : 2008-06-08
Martinelli  2006  Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch	92	C / $60.00
Like a lot of other Martinelli reds, the alcohol level here gives me pause. There's not much question that this wine is not a Burgandy! But it is so extracted and rich that it's hard to penalize it much for its exuberance. At this early age, the wine is still fairly tight, but its richness and concentration make it pleasurable even now. Youthful and slow to open up, but concentrated and long, with complex aromas and flavors of black cherry, spice, vanilla, pine resin, and cola. Super-rich texture not unlike kirsch liqueur. Long, pure finish. Except for the slight hotness from the alcohol, I'd rate this wine even higher. - HK : 2008-06-08
Varner Wines  2005  Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block	91	B- / $40.00
We've gone through cases of Foxglove Chardonnay (a Varner second label), but this is a step up even from that excellent wine. Very French-like in its weight and flavor profile. Rich, yet with just the right level of balancing acidity to keep it crisp and precise. Graceful in feel, but with plenty of spicey green apple and sweet lemon citrus flavors along with a touch of roasted nuts and Pouilly-Fuisse-like steeliness. (Price estimated.) - HK : 2008-06-07
Seghesio  2006  Pinot Noir "Costiera"	90	C+ / $42.00
Grapes originate from two low-yielding, cool-climate vineyards near Sebastopol. Rich yet elegant in feel, already smooth and drinkable. Ripe cherry and fruit-skin flavors along with complex cola and floral components. Mouth-filling texture but not heavy-feeling or hot, despite the alcohol level. Long finish. Really impressive Pinot Noir from a winery best known for powerful Zinfandels. - HK : 2008-06-07
R Wines  2006  EVIL Cabernet Sauvignon	88	A / $8.99
Another insanely good bargain from R Wines, this Cabernet has more character and quality than most of the $40+ California Cabs I've tasted in Dry Creek tasting rooms lately. Deep purple in color; excellent ripeness; earthy and chewy. Spicy cherry, berry, and bittersweet chocolate flavors, along with classic weedy dark currant notes. Despite the 15% alcohol, does not come across as hot or unbalnced. If anything, this wine will continue to improve for a couple of years, though it's awfully nice right now. Love the label. - HK : 2008-06-03