Steve Tanzer's Best

Best Reds
	1998 Gaja Nebbiolo Sperss Langhe Nebbiolo; Piedmont;	$189.99
	" Saturated, deep ruby-red. Perfumed, multidimensional aromas of plum, currant, tar, smoke and camphor. Sweet on entry, then superconcentrated and rich in the middle palate, with great chewy depth and compelling inner-mouth aromas. Like the San Lorenzo, this resounds in the mouth and on the very long finish. The sappy sweetness carries through on the aftertaste, ending with a suggestion of marzipan." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
	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 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)
	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)
	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)
	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)
	2001 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; Napa;	$119.99
	"Saturated, deep ruby-red. Quintessential cabernet aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice, black olive, mint and earth, sweetened by some roasted oak tones. Dense, supple and seamless; much more concentrated than the basic Napa Valley bottling but also more pliant from the outset, even if it will need a good six to eight years of cellaring." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)
	2003 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$399.99
	"Good deep ruby-red. Knockout nose of redcurrant, raspberry, tobacco, hot stones, minerals and menthol. Wonderfully dense and suave, with a texture like liquid silk. Extravagant, lush Haut-Brion, finishing with improbably smooth, fine-grained tannins and great persistence." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)