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)
	2000 Fonseca Vintage Port Port Blend; Portugal;	$69.99
	" 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)
	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)
	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)
	2001 Antonio Caggiano Macchia dei Goti Taurasi other red varietal; Other Italy;	$39.99
	"($48) Deep, luminous ruby-red. Intense and persistent aromas of grilled bacon fat, chocolate-covered dried cherries, mint and smoke, with a touch of spicy graphite. Profoundly rich, spicy and dense, with flavors of raspberry jam, red cherry liqueur, black pepper and grilled steak. With its pleasantly chewy extract and silky tannins, this would appear to have great aging potential." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
	2003 Verite Le Desir Red Wine Sonoma County Bordeaux Blend; Sonoma;	$129.99
	"Deep ruby to the rim. Aromas of blackberry, violet, bitter chocolate and licorice. Huge, broad and silky, with a wonderfully suave texture. Flavors of dark berries, chocolate and mocha. As fat as this is, it's also quite lively. Finishes with uncanny breadth, horizontal tannins and outstanding palate-staining persistence." -- 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 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)