2007 Domino de Tarres Baltos Mencia Beirzo

Tasted 12/09/09. 14.0% ABV. 100% Mencia. Really dark purple/black color. Mushroom, forest floor, black licorice, graphite, dark chocolate and coffee scents. Tangy blueberries, black tea, licorice and minerals on the palate. Finishes dry with beef jerky, orange zest and tea flavors lingering. Delicious. Love the bracing minerals and acidity. 90 points $15

2007 Vina Calina Alcance Carmenere Maule Valley

Tasted 12/09/09. 14.5% ABV. Great purple/black color. Graphite, leather, black plums, black olive, ash, cedar and tea scents are inviting. Silky and loaded with minerals, pencil lead shavings, black earth and tobacco. Finishes very long and dry with mouth-coating minerals and delicious black olives and tea. 90 points $15

2007 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley

12/09/09. 13.8% ABV. Light butterscotch, lime and flint scents. Rich and heavy, with lime, mineral and an interesting flint component. Finishes very dry with lime, almond and vanilla flavors lingering. Apples emerge on the finish. 87 points $20

2007 Cambria Viognier Tepusquet Vineyard Santa Maria Valley

Tasted 12/09/09. 15.3% ABV. Citrus cream, vanilla, ash and chalky soil scents. There's an interesting burnt wood component to this wine. Strong mineral and citrus zest flavors lead into the very dry, long finish. There's great acidity and balance of citrus and oak. Really focused and well made. There's a touch of heat but it's ok. Love the orange cream flavors balanced with bracing minerals and acidity. 91 points $18

2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

Tasted 12/09/09. 14.2% ABV. Dark chocolate, mineral, plum, blackberry, tea, earth and a hint of mint on the palate. Huge tannins and very dry on the lengthy finish. The chocolate and bracing minerals are impressive. There's nice licorice and ash flavors here too. 91 points $26

2005 Conn Creek Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted 12/09/09. 14.8% ABV. Green olive, green pepper, black pepper and dry earth scents. Very soft, yet chunky and dry with dark chocolate, currant, black plum and gritty earth flavors. There's some great tea and berry flavors on the finish. Decent Cab. 88 points $30

2005 Villa Mount Eden Pinot Noir Grand Reserve Bien Nacido

Tasted 12/09/09. 14.4% ABV. Spicy black pepper, mushrooms, dry mustard and black earth scents. Full and lush, with spicy plum, mushroom and dry earth flavors. Finishes very dry and spriteful with great tea flavors and good acidity and balance to the earth and fruit flavors. There's a touch of heat on the palate but it work with the wine. 89 points $26

2007 Tamar Ridge Devil's Corner Riesling Tasmania

Tasted 12/09/09. 12.5% ABV. Smoky, spicy apple, pear and chalky mineral scents. Macintosh apple, fresh pear, lime and loads of stones on the palate. This wine has great weight and acidity; a very full wine. Finishes very dry with racing acidity, apples, limes, pink grapefruit and chalky stones. Great length and delicious. This wine would go great with some grilled fish steaks. 91 points $17

2008 Vina Cobos Felino Malbec Mendoza

Tasted 12/08/09. 14.6% ABV. Licorice, volcanic ash, blackberry, black cherry, plum, black tea and a hint of orange zest on the toasty nose. Very fresh and young right now, showing black fruits, dark chocolate, black tea for days and amazing polish; very silky in the mouth. Some coffee and black olive flavors emerge on the long, balanced, dry finish.
90 points $22

2009 Pikes Dry Riesling Clare Valley

Tasted 12/08/09. 12.0% ABV. Rich lemon, lime and chalky mineral scents. Grassy, with citrus zest, lime, and seashell flavors. Really chalky and dry, with brilliant acidity. The extremely long finish bursts with lemon and lime juice and chalky minerals. Well made, and should develop more complexity with 6-12 months bottle age. 89 points $21

2006 Londer Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

Tasted 12/08/09. 14.7% ABV. Mushrooms and earth scents on the nose, with light black cherries. Bright, focused cherry and rhubarb flavors are lush on the palate. Finishes dry with good acidity and minerality. This is well made, but lacks the complexity for the price point. 85 points $55

2007 Inkberry Shiraz Cabernet Central Ranges

Tasted 12/07/09. 13.5% ABV. 60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Effusive blueberry and spice scents, backed by eucalyptus, black tea and dusty earth. Blueberry, blackberry, cassis, cola and black and orange tea flavors are delicious. Finishes dry with mouth-watering acidity and lingering tea and citrus flavors. Really well balanced and delicious. 90 points $12

2007 Colosi Rosso Sicilia

Tasted 12/07/09. 12.5% ABV. Sweet black cherry, rhubarb and cocoa powder scents. Loads of chocolate, black cherries, tea and briary earth flavors. Juicy and clean on the mouth-watering finish. There's considerable length, bright acidity and the tea/cherry flavors are delicious. I'm even getting a hint of pie crust as the finish lingers. 90 points $11

2006 Cantele Primitivo Salento

Tasted 12/07/09. 13.5% ABV. Light blueberry, blackberry, orange tea and dusty earth scents. Zesty and bright on the palate, adding cola, orange pulp, more tea and steely mineral notes. Finishes dry with considerable length for the price point, good balance and acidity. 87 points $12

2007 Rocland Estate Chocolate Box GSM Barossa

tasted 12/07/09. 14.6% ABV. 36% Grenache, 34% Shiraz, 30% Mataro. Fake cherry and light chocolate scents. Very candied, almost sweet and the fruit flavors seem false. Reminds me of Kool-Aid flavors with some alcohol. Not my cup of tea. I really don't like this style of wine, and I wish wineries would stop making it. 52 points $17