Featured Wines - July 2008

A juicy, purple potion, the 2006 Viña Gormaz highlights the approachable, friendly, downright irresistible side of old vines Tempranillo. Produced from vines more than 50 years old from Soria, the highest, most remote area of Ribera del Duero, the 2006 Viña Gormaz displays both true elegance and well as concentration of flavor. From start to finish, Viña Gormaz is a pleasure to drink. The scent of red fruits, raspberry and strawberry, caress the ...

The 2006 The Show is a crowd pleaser and every bit as good as its predecessor, The Show's debut vintage. In fact, if more California wineries made affordable Cabernet like Bieler, Gott, and Scommes, there wouldn't much of a market for ridiculously priced California Cabernet Sauvignon, let alone Merlot or Syrah. Once again, this latest rendition of The Show opens up with an eye catching, royal purple robe and an immensely gratifying aromatic profi...

The 2006 Montevina Terra d'Oro Pinot Grigio is born on the steep, well-drained hills of the estate's Los Alamos Vineyard in sunny Santa Barbara County. With well-drained soils, natural methods of production, and plenty of tender loving care, Montevina has fashioned an outstanding New World Pinot Grigio that wears a handsome straw-colored robe and recalls the rarified light of Santa Barbara. Bright, clean, flavorful, and surprisingly well-structur...

The 2005 Sandalford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is well endowed in a deep purple robe and an amplifying bouquet. In true Margaret River fashion this Estate Reserve Cabernet provides a seductive aromatic profile that tantalizes the nose with scents of blackberry, mint, and eucalyptus – the calling cards of classic Australian Cabernet. Better still, this wine's aromatic fireworks follow through on the palate and offer the taster a rare treat: great f...

The 2006 Angove's Limestone Coast Vineyard Select Chardonnay is ample testimony to the Limestone Coast's reputation for furnishing many of Australia's greatest Chardonnay wines. Bright, complex, and packed with a cornucopia of flavor, the 2006 Angove's Limestone Coast Chardonnay exhibits a heady olfactory that happily follows through on the mid palate and nearly explodes on the finish. Scents of soft, ripe tropical fruits, zesty lime and melon ta...

A deep, brooding, classic Barbera d'Alba, the 2004 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis displays an intense robe, a beguiling scent, and a wealth of deep down-flavor. Blackberry, cherry, currant, and mulberry flavors lay steeped in this robust, traditional-styled Barbera d'Alba, but patience will be required for near-term consumption. Full-bodied and endowed with ample ripe tannins, the 2004 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis remains an infant, a wine that can pleas...

Due to consummate winemaking and exceptional terroir, the 2006 Domaine Vincent Girardin Rully Vieilles Vignes shines brightly from the glass with the glory of the morning sun. Scented with the aroma of acacia and budding spring flowers, homemade butter, and soft, ripe cheese, this Vieilles Vignes (old vines) Rully is a delight to sniff and savor. It is full and satisfying in flavor, yet ever so elegant and smooth in body and texture. As one panel...