Lan Rioja Crianza 2005 - $10

100% Tempranillo. 12 month in French and American oak.

David: Light crimson in color. Nose is red currants, cherry, berries with wood characteristics such as sweet vanilla, cedar and a hint of cinnamon as well as violets. Also some earthy undertones, perhaps black tea or asphalt. Medium bodied, with good acidity throughout and some sourness giving it plenty of structure even with little or no tannins. Copious fruit on the palate. Mild spiciness. Long pleasant finish. A very tasty wine and a great value.
Score 4.2/5

Casal Garcia Vihno Verde Branco- $7

Vihno Verde is a Portuguese wine. Casal Garcia is made from four grapes: Trajadura, Loureiro, Arinto and Azal.

David: Color is dirty diamond, slight tint of green. Tiny bubbles that could almost pass for sediment swirl around. The nose reminds me right away of Muscadet. The same minerally smell with notes of green apple and lime acidity. The same flavors on the palate too. The wine has some slight effervescence of which I am neutral. I find it a little distracting. But it lessens as the bottle is opened a while or perhaps when it warms in the glass. Nice acidity and tart fruit. Note quite as expressive as the nice Muscadets we had a few months ago but still very nice and this is half the price. Would be great with seafood.
Score 3.9/5

Jade Mountain La Provencale Red Wine 2008 - $16

A Rhone style red wine from California. Blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignane.

David: Purple in color. Nose of raspberry and black cherry with smoke, herbs, definitely the smell of Grenache. Luscious black cherry fruit on the palate with sufficient acidity and lovely firm tannins to give it good structure. A little spice from the Syrah is evident and a bit of sour cherry. A tasty finish.
Score 4.2/5

Clos la Coutale Cohors 2007 - $15

80% Malbec and 20% Merlot from the Cohors region of France.

David: Lovely dark purple color. Gorgeous big nose (its best feature) of dark fruit, plums, berries, spice box, sage, soil, leather and some floral notes. Medium bodied, moderate acidity. Velvety texture with a little spice kick. Not quite as fruity or expressive on the mid-palate as the nose would suggest but tasty enough. Moderate tannins. A little heat but OK. Ends on blueberries but finish is a little quick. Overall, quite nice.
Score 4.1/5

Domaine de la Colline St. Jean Vacqueryas 2007 - $20 (Our one hundredth wine!)

David: Dark purple in color. Nose of black current, spice box. Very gamy. Full bodied. Rich concentrated dark fruit on the palate with lots of black pepper. Blackberry liquor. Chocolate, plums. Big chewy tannins. Lots of spicy notes. Syrupy. Subdued acidity.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Our 100th wine. It was dark and dramatic with bold flavors of spice and strong tannins. Hit the palate with a prominant smokey and spicy mixture. Dark fruits evident. Not overly fruity however. Went well with sausage. A fabulous wine with meat.
Score: 4.4/5

Chateau Haut Sarthes Blanc 2008 - $9

David: From Montravell near Bordeaux. 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon and 10% Muscadell. Bright yellow in color. Highly viscous, leaves tears on the glass. Nose of minerals, honeyed melon, white peach, flowers, coconut and chalk dust. Very nice aromas. Great acidity gives this lots of structure. Fruity but tart. Long layered finish. Very nice and a very good value.
Score 4.1/5

Jessica: An easy drinking white that has soft fruity tones and a nice balance of acid. Strong nose and good distribution of flavors and astringency.
Score: 4.2/5

Campo Viejo Reserva 2004 - $12

David: A Spanish Rioja. Color is light crimson.Nose is somewhat subdued. Some red currant and red cherry fruit. Forest floor. Cinnamon. Vanilla. Maybe hazelnut. Something resembling rubber. Full bodied and velvety smooth. Nice red fruit on the palate with good acidity balance. A little bit of sourness. Well layered as red fruits become darker with some bitterness as the wine reveals more nuances. A little bit of heat but not bad. Smooth tannins. Fairly long finish.
Score 4.1/5

Altos Las Hormigas 2009 - $9

David: A malbec from Mendoza. Deep purple in color. Big fruity nose of red raspberry and blackberry, violets, herbs, sweet vanilla and a little menthol. Full bodied. Low acidity, layered fruits with some spice. No real tannins. High alcohol is evident throughout and is a little distracting. Finish is quite hot, not exactly pleasant.
Score: 3.5/5

Jessica: Mild overall. Fruits were blueberry and blackberry with a subtle caramel finish. Overall impression was underwhelming, uninspired.
Score: 3.6/5

Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 - $21

David: Monsanto makes some extremely expensive Italian wines. This Chianti Classico is one of their cheapest offerings. 90% Sangioveto (a particular clone of Sangiovese) and 10% Canaiolo and Colorino Decanted for about an hour. Color is a very dark crimson. Nose of ripe black cherry, herbs, tobacco and mint. A little smoke. The nose continues to open up and reveal more nuances. Now some vanilla. Now some wet fur. After a while it reminded me a bit of Amarone. Big black cherry fruit on the palate, with good acidity and good structure. Silky tannins with just a tad of spice. The fruit also changed a bit with aeration and revealed some berry fruit. Nice finish. Overall, quite delicious. Didn't want it to end.
Score 4.4/5

Jessica: Wine with ummph. Dark fruits, strong tannins, smoke and tobacco nose. Dark color. A full-bodied and heavy wine. Would have gone well with the pulled pork if it had been cooked correctly, though pulled pork is probably better with a nice lager. This wine, on the other hand, would pair nicely with a hearty snacking cheese such as a Gouda or Parrano. Liked it. Drank more than I should.
score: 4.4/5

Onix Priorat 2008 - $16

David: A blend of 50% Grenacha and 50% Cariñena (Carignan in France) from the harsh rocky Priorat region of Spain. Crimson/purple in color. Big nose of fresh cherry, raspberry and some herbs. Big red fruit follows on the palate with moderate acidity but a decent amount of spice. Fine tannins. Pretty good complexity. Some bitter notes on the finish as well as blueberry and lavender. Overall, a fresh, fruity and delicious wine.
Score: 4.2/5

Jessica: Deep, purple, succulent. Juicy, strong full nose. Lingering complexity and depth. Long finish. Mild astringency, could use a bit more on the tannins and acid balance. Dark fruits. Yum.
Score: 4.5/5