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74,924 | US | The nose on this red is exotic—allspice, fruitcake, pepper—and on the palate, flavors of cherry and raspberry are likeable, if a little thin. Medium- bodied tannins and a bright finish give the wine extra points. Pair with a red sauce pasta dish or meat for added enjoyment. | 85 | 18 | New York | Cabernet Franc |
18,545 | Italy | Here's a straightforward Rosso with flavors of succulent black cherry, wild strawberry, truffle, white pepper and clove. It's round, ripe and extremely accessible so enjoy this now. | 87 | 22 | Tuscany | Sangiovese |
30,924 | US | This outstanding Chardonnay is made from 100% Dijon clones, sourced from Lange Estate, Freedom Hill and Durant vineyards. Tasty, toasty, creamy and fresh, this is a rich, palate-coating wine with a mix of crisp apple, pear and melon fruit. The texture and depth are lovely. | 91 | 38 | Oregon | Chardonnay |
84,328 | US | This 50/50 mix of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris was fermented in a mix of stainless steel and French oak, with a portion aged in barrel as well. It's a pleasant drinking white wine, with neither grape providing a defining varietal note. It finishes with an aromatic whiff of barnyard. | 86 | 25 | Oregon | White Blend |
106,340 | US | This deservedly popular value bottle gets the star Pinot treatment—nine months in French oak, 27% new. It's spicy and full-flavored, with resonant blue plum fruit, buttery toast and a tannic frame. | 91 | 21 | Oregon | Pinot Noir |
8,212 | US | This is a new cuvée for Trisaetum, from a vineyard in the Red Hills of Dundee. It shows some old vine character in its brambly, Burgundian elegance. Light flavors of raspberry and cherry float above a bed of clay, yet there is enough muscle for the wine to extend gracefully through a lingering finish, with a lick of chocolate. Enjoy it over the next decade or more. | 92 | 55 | Oregon | Pinot Noir |
14,884 | US | This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and smaller amounts of Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot shows prominent black cherry, cedar and licorice flavors, along with a streak of tobacco. Full bodied and moderate in acidity, it finishes simply. | 87 | 48 | California | Red Blend |
20,394 | France | This well-made, ripe and fruity wine has soft tannins that are already well integrated with the red-berry fruits. Acidity keeps it all fresh and suggests the wine could age over the medium-term. Drink from 2018. | 89 | 21 | Bordeaux | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
60,664 | US | Citrusy aromas of lemon rind and lime juice are sharp but welcoming, enhanced by white pepper and Gala apple flesh. Flavors are broad with apples and more lemon rinds, made intriguing with a touch of herbs including fresh-plucked thyme. | 86 | 30 | California | Sauvignon Blanc |
68,408 | US | This is smooth and easy to drink, with a soft texture, almost sweet strawberry jam flavors, and a touch of spicy, nutty oak that firms it up on the finish. | 86 | 12 | California | Pinot Noir |
125,481 | US | Ripely delicious and jammy with raspberries, red cherries, and sweet-buttered-toast notes, this Pinot is great for drinking now with steak or lamb chops. With a crisp edge of acidity, it's as elegant and tasty as Russian River Pinot gets. | 90 | 60 | California | Pinot Noir |
84,911 | US | Easygoing lemon pudding and peach scents show on the nose of this bottling, which is a blend from four vineyards. Ripe stone fruit flavors mark the palate, further enriched with tropical coconut touches. | 86 | 26 | California | Viognier |
81,194 | US | A blend of fruit from esteemed Boushey and Red Willow vineyards, this was aged in a mixture of concrete and French oak (10% new). The herb, lemon verbana and citrus flavors are light on their feet with a creamy texture and a tart zing of mouthwatering acidity that stitches it all together. | 91 | 28 | Washington | Sauvignon Blanc |
97,623 | US | Dark and juicy, this selection comes out swinging with bold fruit flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black currant. Highlights of oranges, espresso and dark chocolate compound the scents and flavors. It builds into a gorgeous midpalate, that extends gracefully through a lingering finish. Supple and sensuous, it leaves you with a trace of sea salt caramel in the back of the palate. | 94 | 66 | Oregon | Pinot Noir |
78,806 | France | Only disgorged in 2007, this fine vintage wine has preserved all its freshness. There are white fruits, pear juice, a crisp texture. They combine well to create a wine with considerable minerality, flinty, but full in the mouth. Age over the next 4–5 years. | 93 | 75 | Champagne | Champagne Blend |
53,433 | US | Rather blocky and oaky at first, this can seem a bit overwhelmed with flavors from barrel aging. The tightly-wound red fruits appear slowly with hours of breathing, along with some alcohol heat in the finish. Give this as much aerating as possible. | 90 | 44 | Washington | Merlot |
66,354 | US | This nano-produced wine all comes from Stillwater Creek vineyard. It offers aromas of ripe red apple and red raspberry along with light barrel accents. The elegant, velvety texture steals the show, with the red fruit flavors lingering. | 88 | 30 | Washington | Grenache |
34,159 | US | Chardonnay fans will like the pineapple and pear flavors, with their creamy, spicy edge of vanilla and pepper spice. It's a direct, dry wine at a pretty good price. | 84 | 15 | California | Chardonnay |
58,660 | Australia | In line with the winery style, this is lean and tight on the palate, a bit of a citrus laser blending lime and grapefruit. Try it with raw seafood dishes, like a fluke carpaccio or ceviche. | 89 | 22 | South Australia | Sauvignon Blanc |
44,634 | US | This is an outright steal for a wine of this quality, a remarkable entry into the producer's wider world of knockout designates. Lush and layered, it combines decadent cherry, vanilla and spicy cinnamon-cola over an elegant, medium-bodied structure. | 94 | 40 | California | Pinot Noir |
38,780 | US | A very dark color and ripe, almost raisiny aromas lead to rich, opulent flavors like chocolate-covered cherries and blackberry jam. These saturate a velvety texture of good acidity and firm tannins. While the wine is full of big flavors from ripe or overripe grapes, it has the structure to support them. | 89 | 46 | California | Rhône-style Red Blend |
42,805 | US | Winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus of Chappellet works here with the great Sangiacomo family to make an affordably impressive wine, from the oldest blocks he can get. He coaxes toasted oak and nougat from a darkly colored, viscous texture and intensity of ripe apple and baked apricot, the ending rich and rewarding. | 90 | 27 | California | Chardonnay |
84,437 | US | Forward and lightly spicy, this is a good, all-purpose white wine, with bright flavors of apple and pear. It's not a big wine in any way, but perfectly quaffable and right for a wide variety of noodle dishes. | 87 | 12 | Washington | Pinot Gris |
33,312 | France | This fairly rich and heavy rosé is produced and bottled for Xavier Flouret by Domaine de Rimauresq. It does have attractive peach and melon aromas, but the flavors are weighty in the mouth and could use a touch more zest and zip on the finish. Best with meaty dishes. A blend of 45% Cinsault, 25% Tibouren, 25% Grenache and 5% Syrah. | 85 | 21 | Provence | Rosé |
81,673 | US | Under new winemaking and vineyard protocols, this producer is working with estate-grown fruit across all its wines. This one shows a rich, rounded approach that never gets overly ripe, instead embracing a sanguine, savory profile of cranberry and red currant wrapped in toasted oak. | 88 | 52 | California | Cabernet Sauvignon |
97,380 | Italy | Oak, toast, butter, nectarine, vanilla and butterscotch sensations take center stage in this high-octane Chardonnay from Friuli. The palate is dominated by scorching alcohol that throws the wine out of balance. | 87 | 60 | Northeastern Italy | Chardonnay |
101,053 | US | Rich, ripe and flashy, with honey, pineapple and orange jam and toasty oak flavors. It's brightened with crisp acidity. With some heat from alcohol, it's deliciously approachable now. | 89 | 45 | California | Chardonnay |
50,196 | US | Dry and thin in fruit, with flavors of cherries, mint and herbs, and a kiss of wood. Pretty good for this everyday price. | 83 | 8 | California | Merlot |
22,393 | US | It shows ripe, jammy raspberry and cherry fruit and oak, but it lacks structure. The flamboyant fruit and Napa elegance lend some appeal. | 87 | 36 | California | Cabernet Sauvignon |
2,376 | Italy | This offers aromas of mature black fruit and raisin. The palate delivers a vibrant black-cherry core, layered with accents of black pepper and Asian spice. It also has fresh acidity for the vintage, and will pair well with buttery dishes or cured meats. | 88 | 27 | Veneto | Red Blend |
56,023 | US | Smoke and toast dominate the nose of this barrel-fermented Chardonnay, and overpower subtle apple and pear flavors on the palate. It's a bit earthy and savory in style, but bright with citrus acidity. | 83 | 14 | New York | Chardonnay |
54,156 | US | Tastes raw and overripe, with raisiny flavors. The raisin skin tannins accentuate the grape tannins, leading to a hard, astringently dry finish. | 82 | 33 | California | Pinot Noir |
15,832 | US | Marked by both reduction and oak, this wine feels lifted with acidity, opening in a vibrant shock of strawberry and Mandarin orange. Velvety layers subtle tannin carry a spicy finish of clove and salty sea air. A beautifully balanced, complete wine. | 97 | 90 | California | Pinot Noir |
128,416 | US | This hearty blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot is what put Justin on the map, and it still impresses with its elegantly woven tobacco, leather, cocoa, blueberry, and caramel aromas. It hits the palate softly, showing black cherry, baking spice, milk chocolate and faint mint notes, ending in a finish that reveals a firm tannic structure. | 94 | 72 | California | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
106,408 | US | Interesting highlights of English Breakfast tea and toasted grains complement the strawberry fruit in this blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Malbec and 8% Syrah. Layered and complex, it shows pleasing hints of lightly composted earth. | 91 | 36 | Washington | Red Blend |
129,546 | US | Baked blackberry, vanilla, caramel and tar on the nose make for a very inviting entry into this rich Syrah from Bibiana González Rave, whose father-in-law, Gary Pisoni, co-developed this vineyard. A firm structure to the sip gives backbone to the lush flavors of dark berry, purple flowers, smoky campfire, maple and bacon fat. | 93 | 70 | California | Syrah |
31,167 | US | Most of the fruit for this wine comes from this vineyard's 1975 plantings. It brings nuanced aromas of pear and mineral, drinking just a hair off dry, with more than ample acidity to balance out the fleshy flavors. The finish lasts a long time. | 90 | 21 | Washington | Pinot Gris |
115,878 | US | This is an experiment in a bottle, a 100% whole-cluster, carbonic maceration Pinot that intrigues and delights. Light and clear, it opens with wildly crazy aromas of earthy herb and dirty strawberry, remaining pillowy on the palate. The finish is edgy in pine and spice. | 91 | 45 | California | Pinot Noir |
65,637 | US | Plum, white peach, pineapple and mango show on the nose of this wine that is quite tropical in aromas. The palate offers yellow pear, buttered toast and salty acidity that come together in a delicious package that is affordable and widely available. | 90 | 18 | California | Chardonnay |
60,301 | US | This medium sweet wine is indeed quite sweet even on the nose, where honey, apple blossoms and night jasmine aromas show. There is tingling acidity to the sip that cuts through the strong sweetness. Would pair well with a rich pork dish. | 86 | 11 | California | Gewürztraminer |
119,766 | US | Lightly sweet blue fruit aromas and flavors mix with coffee, mocha, toast and herbs. It doesn't seem entirely like Cabernet but it's hard to ignore its appeal. | 87 | 12 | Washington | Cabernet Sauvignon |
122,176 | Italy | This delivers classic Sangiovese aromas of pressed rose, violet, perfumed berry and forest floor with a balsamic note. The palate shows dried black cherry, vanilla, licorice and confectionary note alongside a bitter accent of powdered sage. Astringent tannins lead to an abrupt, drying finish. | 88 | 35 | Tuscany | Sangiovese |
126,595 | US | Pure purple fruit and flower aromas hit the nose on this straight-ahead bottling, with plum candy, sour cherry and a touch of soy sauce as well. Strong energy and purple fruit show on the palate, along with violets and blueberries, proving floral and fairly tangy. | 88 | 32 | California | Syrah |
71,711 | Italy | This robust but one-dimensional wine opens with funky aromas that include game and leafy underbrush. Oak, espresso, coffee bean and vanilla dominate the palate. It lacks fruit richness and fresh acidity. | 86 | 32 | Tuscany | Sangiovese |
90,094 | US | A significant expansion in the case production of this wine suggests that fruit from newly planted vineyards is now in the mix. This is a pure expression of pretty boysenberry with a red licorice highlight. A firm foundation of juicy acidity keeps it lively and fresh. | 89 | 50 | Washington | Syrah |
87,936 | France | Soft and ripe, this young wine is already to drink. Light tannins and a touch of spice give it just the right amount of richness from this good vintage. The wine is filled with red berries and is ready to drink. | 85 | 18 | Bordeaux | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
70,692 | US | Sultry pear and baked apple are the stars. Lemony and creamy on the palate, this offers slight hints of honey and tropical fruit. It boasts a long finish and robust yet restrained oak that should relax in time. | 90 | 32 | California | Chardonnay |
114,706 | US | A splash of Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon supports this juicy, smoky wine, from vineyards scattered across the wider Napa Valley appellation. Textured, it tastes of brambly, just-picked blackberry, with a robust body through to the finish, which ends lean. | 88 | 25 | California | Merlot |
111,733 | Italy | This quintessential young Chianti Classico is composed of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Pugnitello and 10% Colorino. The juicy palate bursts with ripe black cherry, raspberry, black pepper and cinnamon-spice. Smooth and delicious, it's ready to be enjoyed soon. | 88 | 16 | Tuscany | Red Blend |
77,610 | US | Aromas of Bosc pear, apple, diesel and apricot lead to elegant fruit flavors. It drinks just a hair off dry. The concentration seems a bit wanting but what's there is well balanced. | 88 | 24 | Washington | Riesling |
54,600 | Argentina | Supposedly Doña Paula's top selection for 2005, and while the wine shows some earthy darkness and plenty of fruit on the bouquet it doesn't follow up with the mouthfeel or overall balance that it should. It's ripe for sure, but also aggressive, with a disjointed acid-to-tannin ratio and an almost syrupy mouthfeel. | 84 | 35 | Mendoza Province | Malbec |
39,288 | France | The palate opens slowly, offering an initial citrus character, followed by wood and then, finally, wonderfully rich, but taut fruit. There is still a toast character here, with apricots and pear on top of the citrus, but it is still only just developing. In 10–15 years, it will be a magnificent wine. | 98 | 800 | Bordeaux | Bordeaux-style White Blend |
33,991 | US | Sweet pink grapefruit and cherry aromas and flavors abound in this Sonoma pinkster. Fizzy and soft, it tastes slightly sweet and low in acidity. Ends with decent length, and is better for near-term easy drinking. Will be enjoyed by those who don’t enjoy dry, crisp bubblies. | 84 | 18 | California | Champagne Blend |
67,720 | US | Give this lush, rich Syrah two or three years to soften and develop in the bottle. It's a very good wine, offering impressive blackberry, blueberry and cherry-pie filling flavors, wrapped into fine acids and tannins. But it's fresh and young and will get better. Better well into 2011. | 90 | 36 | California | Syrah |
60,489 | France | From a producer in the Layon valley, this is an off-dry wine with considerable acidity as well as red-fruit flavors. It is light with the yeasty character of a young, fruity wine. Drink now. | 84 | 15 | Loire Valley | Rosé |
81,059 | US | Stainless-steel fermentation and picking the grapes at a relatively low brix (24.2) yields a crisp wine with lime skin, grapefruit and hints of quinine. The opening flavors extend into a mid-palate cut with tart acids and adding white peach, melon and nectarine to the fruit. It finishes bone dry, like a twist of lemon. | 89 | 21 | Oregon | Viognier |
76,433 | France | This is a blend from different Premier Cru vineyards in Beaune. At this stage, it is dominated by the wood aging. That gives a bitterness to the wine that needs to soften and allow the ripe fruit to come out. It does have potential, although the maturity will take time. Drink from 2019. | 90 | 73 | Burgundy | Pinot Noir |
35,457 | US | Concentrated cola, dark cherry, tree bark and wet-gravel aromas make for a very focused and intense nose in this bottling. The palate is hearty and full of blackberry and black plum fruit, with more complex char and tar flavors. Quite layered and compelling. | 91 | 38 | California | Zinfandel |
123,587 | US | This focused effort features fresh-cut apple and pear flavors that are spicy and tightly wrapped with a Bourbon-barrel-like accent. Delicious now, but it can be cellared for a decade at least. | 91 | 30 | Washington | Chardonnay |
62,286 | US | The later disgorging of this wine made from 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay has given it a complexity of texture and flavor that's compelling, an older golden-apple and dried apricot sensibility that's intriguing on the nose and palate. Sizzling acidity makes for a crisp, dry wine, with lengthy finish. | 93 | 40 | California | Sparkling Blend |
26,718 | Italy | This opens with aromas of toast, oak, grilled herb and a hint of iris. The palate offers coffee, marinated cherry, licorice and a saline note alongside close-grained tannins that leave an astringent finish. | 88 | 70 | Piedmont | Nebbiolo |
11,761 | US | Give this Merlot some time to breathe before serving. Right out of the bottle, it's tough, gritty and tannic. It will never be a mellow wine, but it does have nice black-cherry and licorice flavors. | 84 | 25 | California | Merlot |
27,896 | Italy | Villa Antinori offers the elegance and excellence of a great Tuscan producer, with the informality of a family dinner wine. Notes of cherry, blackberry, spice and leather give it softness and persistence. | 89 | 24 | Tuscany | Red Blend |
24,896 | France | A fruity, strawberry-flavored wine, with crisp acidity to balance the ripe fruit. It's a clean and refreshing rosé, ready to drink now. | 85 | 10 | Bordeaux | Rosé |
78,577 | US | Meaty in wild berry and leather, this is a high-toned wine with a gritty texture that evolves to become velvety in the glass. Generously ripe and rich in body, it's intense and fresh in equal measure, showing a complement of balanced brawn and beauty. | 94 | 44 | California | Syrah |
106,256 | France | Full of acidity and red-currant flavors, this is a wine that is light and fruity. It is crisp along with touches of wood. This is one of several Nicolas Thienpont properties, run by son Cyrille. Drink from 2018. | 86 | 18 | Bordeaux | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
40,281 | Italy | Made from a blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappato, this gorgeous wine offers intense fragrances of blue flower, forest floor, pine sap and woodland berry. The smooth, juicy palate delivers concentrated raspberry and black cherry flavors, with hints of licorice and Mediterranean herbs. | 92 | 28 | Sicily & Sardinia | Red Blend |
94,110 | US | Spicy scents introduce a fresh and fleshy pear-flavored Pinot Gris, with a crisp underpinning of wet stone and medium acids. Citrus peel, light orange and pineapple weave into the midpalate, and the wine fills the mouth without being heavy. | 88 | 17 | Oregon | Pinot Gris |
107,517 | US | Tannic and drying, this offers simple black cherry fruit that thins out and finishes quickly. It's just a cut above generic. | 86 | 27 | Oregon | Syrah |
14,602 | US | Here's one for the cellar. It's rich and ripe, yet the firm tannins and crisp acidity argue for time. Shows a complex heart of black cherries, red currants, cola, leather and smoky sandalwood that is frankly delicious. But the finish turns hard. Give it until 2011 to begin to show its stuff. | 94 | 60 | California | Pinot Noir |
38,516 | France | Named after the soft yellow stone that dominates the central Loire vineyards, this wine is firm, and still young. It is now delicious with ripe, perfumed black fruits and juicy acidity. But it will develop and deepen, and will be worth keeping, so drink from 2017. | 89 | 16 | Loire Valley | Cabernet Franc |
67,341 | US | Threads of dark char, nuts and spice meander throughout this rich, deeply concentrated Bordeaux-style blend. Plump black cherry and cassis flavors are luscious on the palate, but invigorated by a bright flash of acidity and spice on the finish. | 89 | 25 | New York | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
109,590 | US | These old vines produce a powerful wine, that retains strong flavors of stem and earth despite the extra ripeness in 2012. The red berry fruit slides into suggestions of tomato juice. | 87 | 55 | Oregon | Pinot Noir |
106,751 | US | A lightweight bordeaux style blend that's best slightly chilled as a stand-in for Beaujolais or Bourgeuil. Berry fruit, with some light tannins that turn a bit green on the finish. | 83 | 10 | New York | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
79,854 | France | Dry and heavily extracted, this wine has fruitiness that is fleeting. It's a tough wine, but there is just a touch of juiciness on the finish. | 84 | 20 | Bordeaux | Bordeaux-style Red Blend |
4,422 | US | Very dark in color, this robust wine has enticing wood smoke and oak aromas, rich but dry fruit flavors like blackberry and blueberry, an abundance of muscular tannins in the firm texture and full but not overpowering body. It's very tight to drink now, so best consume it after 2022. | 89 | 28 | California | Petite Sirah |
78,502 | US | This is a wine of grace and purity that doesn't try to overwhelm you with richness. The flavor is reminiscent of ripe cherries with the tartness of their skins, and a touch of lavendar and smoky oak. | 89 | 28 | California | Grenache |
104,758 | US | For being one of the more widely available Chardonnays around, this vintage performs strongly against more expensive wines. Pineapple, vanilla and light caramel aromas lead the nose, while vibrant acidity kicks off the palate. Pear, Gala apple and pineapple flavors make it a reliable weeknight sipper. | 88 | 15 | California | Chardonnay |
26,326 | US | The color is slightly light, the aromas are moderately spicy, and flavors recall baked cherries and plums. This light to medium-bodied wine is also on the delicate side in terms of flavor, but quite enjoyable and affordable, too. | 86 | 13 | California | Pinot Noir |
104,304 | US | From a well-known vineyard in the heart of the appellation, this full-bodied, fulsome wine opens in a blur of buttercream and butter, before allowing for concentrated seasonings of ginger, nutmeg and preserved lemon to appear. Let it open for the full effect. | 89 | 35 | California | Chardonnay |
7,699 | Spain | For a basic Tempranillo from Rueda, there's nothing not to like about this wine. It's snappy and fresh, maybe a bit sharp, but not spiky. The flavors are of berry and cherry, and the feel is tight but solid, with some juicy depth. Drink it like you might Beaujolais. | 86 | 9 | Northern Spain | Tempranillo |
91,971 | US | This wine will benefit from aging, as it's quite tannic and dry right now but has substantive flavors packed in tightly. It has smoky, meaty aromas, rich blackberry and tart cherry flavors, a very firm texture and gripping mouthfeel. Best after 2017. | 89 | 45 | California | Syrah |
34,358 | US | Pure Chardonnay, Luxe is finished at lower alcohol (at least according to the fact sheets) than the other sparklers in this lineup. It is definitely the wine with the most depth; it has a roundly fruity core of lemon cake and light citrus. | 88 | 23 | Washington | Sparkling Blend |
75,781 | France | Made in the buttery style, this is a vanilla- and toast-flavored Chablis. Tropical fruits dominate the ripe, fruity palate, and there's not a touch of minerality or steeliness in sight. | 85 | 17 | Burgundy | Chardonnay |
128,281 | US | An estate-grown blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Petite Sirah and 10% Merlot, aged entirely in French oak, half of it new, this is a delight of a wine, surprisingly light on its feet despite the vintage and the varieties. Blackberry, cassis and tar wrap around dusty tannins that soften in the glass, teasing on the finish with an expression of fresh flowers. | 92 | 75 | California | Red Blend |
13,714 | France | The Réserve Personnelle line from Bott Frères decidedly greater intensity than the Tradition range. This Riesling exhibits great fruitiness allied with a very mineral structure and tight acidity. The wine has a future, so drink now and until 2019. | 90 | 22 | Alsace | Riesling |
81,560 | US | Sanguine, gamy and powerful from the first moment onward, this 80% Cabernet Sauvignon also has 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The power on the front palate evolves over time into black cherry and cassis, with shades of mocha lurking in. Firm and oaky, give this time, through 2018–2020. | 88 | 50 | California | Cabernet Sauvignon |
79,460 | US | This is a very fruity Cabernet in which blackberries, black cherries, currants, licorice and cola star, along with oak influences. It's bone dry, and the tannins are thick and firm, but finely ground. Jammy and immature, the wine wants time in the cellar. Hold until after 2013 and see what happens. | 88 | 90 | California | Cabernet Sauvignon |
128,959 | US | All varietal, this blend of fruit from seven vineyards across the valley shows nuances of cocoa, earth, coffee, herbs and cherry. There's a lot of generosity and midpalate depth to the flavors along with a sense of balance that carries through the finish. | 91 | 40 | Washington | Cabernet Sauvignon |
88,299 | Argentina | Rubbery and scratchy smelling on first take, with fiery berry aromas lurking below. After it airs out the wine is juicy and solid, with good balance and dark, spicy flavors of black fruits and chocolate. Tannic and steady on the finish. | 86 | 12 | Mendoza Province | Cabernet Sauvignon |
50,416 | Italy | Stewed plum, savory herb and tobacco aromas carry through to the full-bodied palate along with dried red cherry, coffee, anisette and a confectionary note. It's big and brawny, with bracing tannins. | 87 | 60 | Tuscany | Sangiovese |
84,361 | US | Oak, in the way of vanilla and buttered toast, dominates. Underneath are simple pineapple and apricot flavors that are watered down on the finish. | 84 | 18 | California | Chardonnay |
47,132 | Argentina | Concentrated aromas of blackberry, licorice root and Graham cracker are lusty. This feels thick on its edges but somewhat sharp and tartaric in the middle. Flavors of molasses, raisin, cassis and blackberry are bolstered by sharp acidity, leaving a finish that hits fast then falls off. Drink through 2019. | 91 | 65 | Mendoza Province | Malbec |
121,841 | US | This is a soft, easy wine, with sweet black raspberry, cherry and spice flavors. Drink now with a nice homemade cheeseburger. | 84 | 25 | California | Syrah |
595 | US | This is a true pan-Washington Cabernet, with fruit coming from 12 different vineyards scattered across the Columbia Valley. It's 100% varietal as aromas of char, toast, black cherry meats, herb, cranberry and spice are followed by elegantly styled dark-fruit flavors. The tannins bring a bit of heft and grip. | 89 | 30 | Washington | Cabernet Sauvignon |
34,333 | US | This over-the-top wine has an unusually deep color and a potent, charred-wood aroma, followed by sweet-seeming oak and dried-fruit flavors. It's medium bodied and a touch tannic in texture. | 84 | 16 | California | Pinot Noir |
35,685 | Italy | Structured yet refined, this opens with lovely, understated aromas of red berry, violet and a whiff of exotic spice. The palate is more expressive, delivering mouthwatering black cherry, vanilla, mocha and black pepper alongside a firmly tannic backbone. It closes on a licorice note. Drink 2016–2021. | 92 | 56 | Piedmont | Nebbiolo |
118,653 | US | Woody fruit notes of elderberry and bramble meet with graphite and sagebrush on the nose of this block-designated bottling from the longtime growing family. Plums and cranberries get a serious juniper and pine-sap twist on the palate, laid across lots of loamy earth. The grippy character will soften and protect this wine, so drink 2018–2025. | 91 | 50 | California | Pinot Noir |
17,126 | US | Lush and fruit forward, Rapture, whose motto is “Don't be left behind!” is full bodied but soft, with leather and herb tones and a smoky finish. Blended with a smidgen of Petite Sirah and reaching 14.9% abv, it tastes every bit of that, with a smoky finish of oak. | 87 | 59 | California | Cabernet Sauvignon |
76,059 | US | Electric pink in color, this wine brings pungent notes of flowers, green herbs, peach and lychee. It drinks off dry, with grapefruit, lychee and stone-fruit flavors that linger on the finish. | 88 | 12 | Washington | Rosé |