Steve Tanzer's Best

Best Reds
	2003 Chateau Latour Pauillac Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$699.99
	"Deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines currant, raspberry, kirsch, graphite, minerals, cigar box, tar and musky prune. Huge, sweet and lush, with a truly three-dimensional texture. Like a mouthful of liquid minerals, but the fruit has near-confectionery sweetness. Finishes with exploding, inexorable length. The wine's extravagant mid-palate richness calls to mind a chocolate cake." -- Steve Tanzer (96 points)
	1998 Gaja Nebbiolo Sperss Langhe Nebbiolo; Piedmont;	$199.99
	" 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)
	2000 Fonseca Vintage Port Port Blend; Portugal;	$74.99
	" Saturated medium-deep ruby. Exotic aromas of black fruit liqueur, road tar, smoked meat and hot stones; this reminded me of a great ripe-year Hermitage. Hugely rich and dense, with compelling sweetness and pliancy but also sound framing acidity. Extremely youthful and very long on the aftertaste. Finishes with suave but strong tannins and excellent grip and thrust." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
	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)
	1999 Hardy's Shiraz Eileen Hardy South Australia Syrah/Shiraz; Other Australia;	$69.99
	" Full, dark red. Complex, musky, exotic nose combines violet, cassis, mint, spices and black pepper, with cedar and vanillin notes and a suggestion of meatiness. Plush on the palate, with intense, minty, slightly meaty cassis, plum and prune flavors harmoniously knit with creamy chocolatey oak and fine, firm tannins. Very natural and built to develop in bottle." -- 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)
	2003 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$199.99
	"Medium red-ruby. Explosive nose of currant, cedar and lead pencil; shows near-perfect integration of the new oak. Sweet and lush but bright and light on its feet, possessing plenty of harmonious acidity. This has a wonderfully fine-grained texture and really saturates the palate with flavor. The very suave tannins reach the front teeth. Impressively dense, large-scaled wine." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)