| Best Reds |
|
| |
2001 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala
Nebbiolo; Piedmont; | $99.99 | |
 |
" Medium red. Quintessential Barolo perfume: minerals, tobacco, underbrush, tar, licorice, gunflint. Then wonderfully rich and seamless in the mouth, with superb concentration and purity of flavor. Spicy red fruits emerged with aeration. Comes across, atypically, as less clenched in the early going than the Colonnello and strikingly complex from the outset, but this is nonetheless extremely young." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
|
| |
2001 Gaja Nebbiolo Sperss Langhe
Nebbiolo; Piedmont; | $189.99 | |
|
"Deep, saturated red. Very rich aromas of plum, redcurrant, menthol, graphite and nutty oak, along with a cool minerality. Wonderfully rich, layered and deep; lush and suave but with energy and spine. Really packed with berry, spice, earth and mineral flavors. Finishes dense, broad and very long, with a touch of austerity." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
|
| |
2001 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello
Nebbiolo; Piedmont; | $89.99 | |
|
" Good full medium red. Highly nuanced nose of red berries, minerals, flowers, spices, underbrush and caramel. Then juicy and tight in the mouth, with very brisk, firm flavors of red berries and minerals. At once superripe and gripping. Perhaps a bit uncharacteristically structured and closed for this bottling, owing to its excellent acidity and tightly wound tannins." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
|
 |
2003 Chateau Margaux Margaux
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $499.99 | |
|
"Medium red-ruby. Coffee, mocha, exotic woodsmoke and brown spices on the nose. Fat, full and rich, with intriguing curry and cardamom notes. Opulent and voluptuous wine, with a huge middle palate. But surprisingly tight-grained in the mouth considering the evolution of the wine's aromas. Finishes extremely long, with sandy tannins." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
|
 |
2000 Chateau Leoville Barton Saint Julien
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $199.99 | |
|
" Full medium ruby. Knockout superripe nose combines black cherry, licorice and exotic spices. Compellingly sweet, lush and complete, with harmonious acids giving the wine lovely vinosity and extending the flavors. Finishes with lush, dusty tannins and superb persistence. A great vintage for Leoville-Barton." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
|
 |
2000 Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $199.99 | |
|
" Good full red-ruby. Complex nose combines plum, mocha, minerals, tobacco and burnished oak. A bit tight on entry, then expands and explodes toward the back, showing dense, insinuating flavors of black fruits and licorice. Chewy, sharply delineated Pichon-Baron with excellent underlying backbone and broad, palate-coating tannins. An outstanding vintage for this estate." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
|
 |
2002 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; | $299.99 | |
|
"($130-$180) Good saturated ruby-red. Tight nose hints at currant and smoky oak. Highly concentrated, densely packed and built to age. As young as it is, it also shows a lovely velvety texture rare for this vintage. Finishes with terrific breadth, subtle minerality and noble tannins. I've been a fan of this wine since the outset." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
|
 |
NV Chambers Rosewood Winery Grand Muscat Rutherglen (half bottle)
Muscat; Victoria; | $69.99 | |
|
" Medium brown. Exotic, high-toned aromas of orange peel, clove, currant and maple syrup; showing more fruit than the muscadelle. Then silky and pliant in the mid-palate, with compelling sweetness and perfect balancing acidity. This is downright elegant. The Muscadelle suggests a higher percentage of older material, but this is even smoother." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)
|
|
