Steve Tanzer's Best

Best Reds
	2000 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port Port Blend; Portugal;	$79.99
	" Bright deep ruby. Brooding, complex aromas of cassis, minerals, graphite, licorice and damp earth; distinct hints of surmaturite. Dense, chewy and powerful, with a saline impression of extract. At once strong and seamless, with penetrating, youthfully primary black fruit flavors that really expand and reverberate in the mouth and on the very long, gripping finish." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
	2001 Gaja Nebbiolo Sperss Langhe Nebbiolo; Piedmont;	$199.99
	"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)
	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)
	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)
	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)
	2004 Chateau Latour Pauillac Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$399.99
	"Ruby-red. Highly complex aromas of dark berries, graphite, licorice, minerals and cola. Lush, dense and sweet, with a wonderfully creamy, opulent mouth feel for the vintage but no impression of excess weight. This boasts superb fruit and palate coverage. Finishes with very suave, spreading tannins and outstanding persistence. An aristocratic expression of ripe cabernet sauvignon." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)
	2002 Verite Le Desir Red Wine Sonoma County Bordeaux Blend; Sonoma;	$129.99
	"($150; 50% merlot, 45% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon) Dark ruby-red. Black cherry, mocha and licorice on the nose. Ripe, broad and dry; suave and sophisticated. Flavors of red berries lifted by floral and mineral components. Densely packed, backward wine, finishing with substantial dusty tannins." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)
	2003 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; Napa;	$97.99
	"Good full ruby. Very pure flavors of cassis, blackberry and licorice. Dense, rich and pure, with quintessential cabernet flavors of cassis and licorice. Like a finer-grained, fleshier version of the classic but tightly wound 2001. As rich as it is, this also boasts terrific inner-palate energy. Carries a distinctly moderate 13.8% alcohol. Finishes with big but ripe tannins and superb length." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)