9998 - Buller, R L Premium Fine Muscat Muscat

Incredible dessert wine, incredible value

Dark amber in color, butterscotch and toffee notes with nuts and spices. Finish that goes on forever. This is liquid ambrosia.

9998 - Domaine Chandon Brut Blancs de Noirs Champagne Blend

Best QPR in champagnes

In my opinion, simply no better value in $10-$20 champagnes. Elegant rosé color, great balance between dry and fruity. This is a perennial crowd pleaser.

2005 - Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Pinot Noir

Great Pinot Noir from Carneros

This wine is as silky as it gets. Beautiful notes of cherries, long finish. This is the wine to serve to people who don't like red wine!

2005 - Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier Pinot Meunier

Seek this out!

2005 - Smoking Loon Merlot Merlot

Decent everyday wine

After reading a lot of negative feedback about the Smoking Loon line, I was pleasantly surprised by the Merlot. Nice nose, full-bodied, fruity with a pleasant finish. Definitely a decent everyday drinker. Great QPR.

2005 - Saintsbury Chardonnay Brown Ranch Chardonnay

Over-oaked. Not a good value.

Promising nose of grapefruit and green apple but way too much oak treatment. I could not get past the woody taste. Only for die-hard chardonnay fines who like LOTS of oak in their wine. Not a good value.

2005 - Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Heritage Clones Petite Sirah

Fruit forward with round tannins

2006 - Gobelsburg, Schloss Gruner Veltliner Gobelsburger Gruner Veltliner

Refreshing summer quaffer

2006 - Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc

Good everyday white

2005 - Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc Proprietary Blend

Intensely dry white

Muted notes of citrus and apricot, with a minerally quality. The finish is intensely acidic. Too dry for me as a cocktail wine, better suited with spicy food that can counteract the acidity. Blend of roussanne and grenache blanc.

2006 - Mollydooker The Boxer Syrah

Aussie fruit bomb that almost (but not quite) goes over the top

2005 - Klinker Brick Winery Zinfandel Old Vine Zinfandel

Big, burly, jammy, rich zinfandel

2005 - Niebaum-Coppola Coppola Presents Rosso Proprietary Blend

Very good value for the money

Berry explosion in your mouth. Fruit-forward with nice acidity and tannins and a touch of oak, but still in balance. Very good QPR at under $10. Blend of zinfandel, syrah and cabernet sauvigon from Lodi and Paso Robles.

2006 - Pepperwood Grove Viognier Viognier

Simple viognier, OK introduction to grape

2004 - Chapel Hill The Vicar (Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon) Proprietary Blend

Wonderful McLaren Vale shiraz

2006 - Phillips, R H Chardonnay Toasted Head Chardonnay

Overaked butter bomb

This bargain-priced chardonnay offers tropical fruit flavors and a pleasing acid profile but the overall roundness is mared by excessive use of oak.

2005 - Saintsbury Pinot Noir Garnet Pinot Noir

Rather simple pinot noir

2005 - Crema, La Chardonnay Reserve Chardonnay

Nicely balanced California chardonnay

2004 - Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon

Over-oaked and a bit simplistic

This cabernet needs serious decanting to open up. Red and black berries, with generous coffee and toast flavors. Finish is too oaky for my taste. This may integrate better over time but as of now (May 2008) I find this too disjointed.

2006 - Negly, Chateau de la Coteaux du Languedoc la Clape Proprietary Blend

Very simple rose

2005 - Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Proprietary Blend

Needs signficant decanting

2004 - Renwood Zinfandel Old Vine Zinfandel

Simple zinfandel

2005 - Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Harris Kratka Vineyard Zinfandel

Restrained zin

2004 - Montevina Terra d'Oro Deaver Old Vines Zinfandel

Solid Sierra Foothills zinfandel

2005 - Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah Petite Sirah

Excellent petite sirah at $10

2006 - Chalone Pinot Noir Estate Pinot Noir

Way over-oaked. Not enjoyable.

Nose of violets and red raspberry. Red berry and cherry flavor profile. This wine would be enjoyable flavorwise but it is way over-oaked. I found it very hard to drink, even with food. Would not buy this again.

2004 - R Wines Marquis Philips Roogle, Roogle Red Proprietary Blend

Great everyday wine

This shiraz/cabernet sauvignon blend from the Barossa Valley is a big fruit bomb full of red and black berry flavors. It manages to walk a fine line between fruit forward and over the top. Noticeable tannins on the long finish. A bit on the oaky side.

2006 - Concha y Toro Carmenere Casillero del Diablo Reserve Carmenere

Vegetal and oaky

First night. Bitter (can you spell OAK MONSTER!), not much fruit flavor. Great color though.
Second night. Slightly more fruit flavor, but still super oaky.
Fifth night. Bottled sat on the counter for three more nights (corked but not evacuated). Bitterness has receded a little bit, allowing the fruit to come through. I'm just noticing how hot this wine is (or seems). This could be a solid value if it were more balanced. Maybe in 6 months. Right now, I would not buy again--even at the Trader Joe's price of $6.99.

2004 - Concannon Petite Sirah Limited Release Petite Sirah

Fruit-forward entry-level petite

2005 - Story, Herman Syrah Larner Vineyard Syrah

Stunning Central Coast syrah

2006 - Pillar Box  Red Proprietary Blend

Nice everyday quaffer

2005 - Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Roble Tempranillo

Simple table wine

2006 - Earthworks Shiraz Syrah

Crowd pleaser with no hard edges

This shiraz from the Barossa Valley is dark, fruit-forward and has no hard edges. It's an enjoyable quaffer and definitely a crowd pleaser, especially if your crowd includes people not used to red wine. Overall, though, it's simplistic, with a short finish. A good value at the price but not something to wow wine aficionados.

1994 - Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone Vineyard Syrah

Classic mature shiraz

2006 - Castle Rock Pinot Noir Russian River Pinot Noir

Good basic pinot noir

2005 - Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot Barrel Select Proprietary Blend

Unbalanced, with a vegetal note

1998 - Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Disappointing performance for such a big name

2006 - Westrey Pinot Noir Pinot Noir

Pleasant but not outstanding

As expected, this wine had a velvety and silky mouthfeel but was muted both on the nose and the palate, with a rather short finish. Pleasant enough, especially with food, but not outstanding. At $20, an OK QPR for an Oregon Pinot Noir, but not an automatic buy for me.

2006 - Edmeades Estate Zinfandel Mendocino Zinfandel

Nice cooler-climate zin

2005 - Catena Zapata, Bodegas Catena Malbec Malbec

Enjoyable, simple malbec

Deep purple color, expressive nose of red and blue berries. Well integrated fruit, little tannin, little acidity. A bit on the simplistic side but very enjoyable. Good value.

2006 - Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma Zinfandel

Solid zin

2006 - Shenandoah Zinfandel Sobon Estate Zinfandel

Nice everyday quaffer

2005 - Elyse Zinfandel Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel

Big, spicy, jammy

2005 - Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Richard Sauret Vineyard Zinfandel

Excellent, but requires generous decanting

2005 - Montes Syrah Alpha Apalta Vineyard Syrah

Vegetal and a bit austere, no fruit bomb

2001 - Annie's Lane Shiraz Copper Trail Syrah

Classic shiraz, drink now (2008)

2006 - Two Hands Shiraz Angel's Share Syrah

Fine Barossa shiraz

2005 - Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge Barossa Cuvee Proprietary Blend

Solid Barossa shiraz

Solid Barossa shiraz. Lots of rich red fruit on the palate, but no cloying jamminess. Balanced and structured, this is a fruit bomb that stops shy of going over the top. Good value, too.

2005 - Rosenblum Cellars Syrah Hillside Vineyard Syrah

Excellent Syrah with good QPR

2005 - Neyers Syrah Old Lakeville Road Syrah

Still young and tannic, needs generous decanting

2005 - Glaetzer Wallace Proprietary Blend

Sunshine in a bottle

Imagine making love on a velvet blanket underneath the Australian summer sun. This is what this wine tastes like. Silky, fruity perfection. Everything is in balance: fruit (huge!), tannins, acidity. This is a back-up-the-truck kinda wine.

2005 - Hijos de Juan Gil, Bodegas Juan Gil Proprietary Blend

Excessive use of oak spoils enjoyment

2005 - Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Roble Tempranillo

Simple table wine, not much else

1998 - Feuillatte, Nicolas Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Blend

Stunning champagne

Very prominent flavor of green apples both on the nose and on the palate. A bit of yeastiness as well, which adds another layer of complexity. Just enough residual sugar to not go completely dry. Overall, a tremendously enjoyable champagne.

2005 - Opolo Vineyards Summit Creek Zinfandel Zinfandel

Fantastic full-bodied zinfandel

2005 - Taz Vineyards Pinot Noir Pinot Noir

Cali pinot for New World fans

2005 - C. G. DiArie Zinfandel Amador Zinfandel

Wonderful Sierra Foothills zin

2006 - Can Blau Mas de Can Blau Monstant Proprietary Blend

Old world meets new world

2005 - R Winery Boarding Pass Shiraz Syrah

Crowd pleaser

Very easy-going wine. Popular with our dinner guests. Very dark color, nose of red fruits, but a bit muted on the palate. Nowhere near as full bore as the Mollydooker Booker, which to me is the yardstick by which I measure this kind of wine (and which I happen to like).

2005 - Glaetzer Godolphin Proprietary Blend

Near perfection

2005 - McPrice Myers Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah

Very good, with fantastic potential

2006 - Layer Cake Shiraz Syrah

Highly recommended cocktail wine

2005 - Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel San Francisco Bay Zinfandel

Good but not outstanding