88 Points – $28
A medium red wine with a nose of stewed fruit with a taste of mild fruit, cherries and raspberry. Soft finish.
Red Wine
Name: Panarroz Jumilla
Grape: Monastrell
Region: Jumilla, Spain
Maker: Panarroz
Price: $15
Alcohol: 14%
All posts by Dr. Jim
White Wine: Bourgogne, Cote D’Or, France.
91 Points – $29
Clear golden yellow in color with a full nose of grapefruit and citrus fruits. A soft mouthful of citrus, apple and white fruits with a well rounded finish. A good French style chardonnay, best served chilled.
White Wine
Name: Bourgogne
Grape: Chardonnay
Region: Cote D’Or, Bourgogne, France
Maker: Philipe Bouchard
Price: $29
Alcohol: 12.5%
Red Wine: The Laughing Magpie, 2004, Australia.
88 Points – $28
Dark black in color with a nose of plum, oak and the floral notes fom the viognier. A full mouth of cherry, plum, violets and spice. Good finish. Another good wine from D’Arenberg.
Red Wine
Name: The Laughing Magpie
Grape: Shiraz 93%, Viognier 7%
Region: McLaren Vale, Australia
Maker: D’Arenberg
Price: $28
Alcohol: 14.5%
Red Wine: Melba Lucia Yarra Valley, 2007, Australia.
87 Points – $30
Named after the Yarra Valley diva Dame Nellie Melba, whose performances in the opera Lucia Di Lammermoor made her famous in the 1860’s when cuttings for these wines were first planted. Oak and caramel fill the nose and a full palate of fruit, molasses and caramel. Medium bodied with a disappointing finish for the age of the vines it comes from. Must try other years.
Red Wine
Name: Melba Lucia Yarra Valley
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon 91%, Sangiovese 9%
Region: Yarra Valley, Australia
Maker: De Bortoli Wines
Price: $12
Alcohol: 13%
Red Wine: Sandhill 2005 Two, Okanagan, Canada
90 Points – $39
This Bordeaux styled wine is a blend of wines that have been aged 16 months in French and American oak. Complex in smell this dark red wine exudes the aromas of blackberries, plums and spice. A full mouthful of dark spices, pepper, plum and oak finish in a long smooth fashion. An ageable wine from the small lots program. Very good stuff here.
Red Wine
Name: Sandhill 2005 Two
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon 53%, Merlot 33%, Cabernet Franc 14%
Region: Okanagan, Canada
Maker: Sandhill
Price: $39
Alcohol: 14%
White Wine: V, Germany.
87 Points – $12
Transparent yellow color with good citrus notes on the nose. A semi-sweet wine with grapefruit and lemon tart taste with a tart finish. Best chilled.
White Wine
Name: V
Grape: Gewurtztraminer
Region: Germany
Maker: P.J. Vakkenberg G.M.B.H.
Price: $12
Alcohol: 10.5%
Red Wine: Reserva Especial Syrah, 2008, Chile.
88 Points – $22
Velvety dark stewed fruit with earth and leather notes. Good spice on the finish. A good wine for cheese especially cheddars.
Red Wine
Year: 2008
Name: Reserva Especial Syrah
Grape: Syrah
Region: Limari Valley, Chile
Maker: Tabali
Price: $22
Alcohol: 14.5%
Red Wine: Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Amador County, 2007, California, U.S.A
88 Points – $29
The smell and mouth of blackberry, spice and pepper with a dry finish of cocoa.
Red Wine
Year: 2007
Name: Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Amador County
Grape: Zinfandel
Region: California, U.S.A.
Maker: Terra D’Oro Winery
Price: $29
Alcohol: 14.5%
Red Wine: Jester Vintage Shiraz, 2009, Australia
94 Points – $23
One of the best finds of the year! Named after Richard Tarlton who was a court jester to Queen Elizabeth1. Dark black in color with a nose of mocha, fruit, euculyptis and leather. A great mouthful of dark fruit, jam, mocha and licorice with a solid peppery spice finish. A great wine at any price and at this price an outstanding buy!
Red Wine
Year: 2009
Name: Jester 2009 Vintage Shiraz
Grape: Shiraz
Region: McLaren Vale, Australia
Maker: Mitolo
Price: $23
Alcohol: 14.59%
Red Wine: Dona Bernarda, 2007, Colchagua Valley, Chile.
92 Points – $37
A fine nose of oak, tobacco and mocha greet you and lead to a mouthful of plum, dark fruit and cocoa flavours. A long dry finish. Very good. A tribute to Luis Felipe Edwards’ wife from handpicked grapes blended from the outstanding grapes of each vintage then aged 18 months in French oak.
Red Wine
Year: 2007
Name: Dona Bernarda
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile.
Maker: Luis Felipe Edwards
Price: $36
Alcohol: 14%