Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel - $18

The nose is weak but opened up a bit after an hour or so revealing currants, vanilla and spice box. Medium body, decent acidity. Currants, blueberries start it off sweetly giving way to round tannins and then to spiciness with plum and blueberry jam remaining in the finish.
Score: 3.9/5

Jessica: Hits the palate soft; dry but not too much pucker...vanilla stands out...velvety layers.
Score: 4/5

Rosenblum Zinfandel - $10

David: Color is purple/red. Nose reveals berries and currants with a hint of coffee. Medium bodied with berries and some spiciness. A little flat. Alcohol a little hot on the throat at the end. Not very exciting, not offensive.
Score: 2.7/5

Jessica: This wine was easy enough to drink but rather bland. Not much stood out, no sharp tones but no bright, distinctive flavors either. I did not dislike this wine, but it struck me as generic and just boring.
Score: 3.2/5

Terranoble Pinot Noir - Chile - $12

A big nose of fruit, candy and hints of coffee and even a whiff of sulfur. A medium to full body of raspberries and black cherries which coat the mouth. A bit of sweetness give it a cherry candy taste but with plenty of acidity that sparkles on the palate. A long smooth finish.
Score:4.4/5

Jessica: bright, tart, sweet. A splash of deliciousness on your tongue. Love the sweet fruit tastes, cherries especially stand out. Reminded me of a tart pomogrante juice upon first sip, but settles into some musky, smokier tones. Delicious, deep, complex and goes well with dark chocolate. :)
Score: 4.6/5

Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore "Le Orme" 2007 - $13

Barbera d'Asti is from the famous Piedmont wine region of Italy. The color is dark red with sparkles of magenta. The nose is alive with currants. Vibrant and acidic with currents and tart berries flooding over the palate. Mild tannins and light in body. Long pleasant finish leaving perhaps a note of liquorish. A versatile wine with food.
Score: 4.1/5

Jessica: A bright, simple wine absent of bitter tones, this wine is very pleasant and light with dark fruit taste and a mild hint of tartness. Magenta in color, this wine is easy on the palate, non-puckery and mainly distinguished by its lightness. Went very well with poultry and cream sauce (we had Julia Child's chicken supremes). Delish.
Score: 4.6/5

Terredora di Paolo Aglianico Campania 2007 - $20

David: The Aglianico grape was brought to Italy by the Greeks and became famous during the height of the Roman Empire and makes dark, tannic wines. This one is garnet in color with a nose of cedar, cherries and currents. Medium to light in body, with high acidity and firm but not overpowering tannins. Finishes a little quick with slight spiciness and perhaps mild earthy notes lingering.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: My first impression was an explosion of flavors in my mouth, followed by a mouth-puckering dryness. The scent of cedar is distinct, as are the dark fruits. The tannins are strong, but not overly bitter.
Score: 3.9/5

Vinos Sin-Ley M5 Monastrell 2007 - Spain - $14

David: Ruby red in color. Nose indicates dark fruit and some earthy tones such as pencil lead. Raspberries on the palate turns spicy fairly quickly but not overpowering. Finishes long with perhaps a bit of liquorish lingering in the mouth.
Score: 3.9/5

Jessica: Spicy. Not especially distinctive. Puckery, bitter, strong tannins. Lacks complexity and depth, falls flat upon palet.
3.8/5

Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes 2009 - $13

David: This dry white wine is made from the Torrontes grape, a specialty of Argentina. The nose is dominated by a perfume of flowers and some orange peel and peach. Alive on the platte with good acidity and fruit tastes. The wine is not oaked so no chardonnay-like taste lingering in the mouth. Stays dry with some minerality and hints of grape fruit. Very nice.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Dry but soft. Caramel and butterscotch. Daisy essence.
Score: 4.2

Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2008 - $13

David: Purple in color. Nose of cherry, cedar, toasted herbs and vanilla. Light and smooth on the palatte. Cherry and black current dominate with some mild residual spiciness. Medium to low acidity, mild tannins. Not terribly long or complex but pleasant.
Score: 3.7/5

Borsao Tinto 2008 - Grenache, Tempranillo Blend - $9

David: 80% Grenache and 20% Tempranillo. Color is purple/red. Nose of dried herbs, earthy tones and cherry. Pencil lead perhaps. Medium bodied. Cherry and berry notes with medium acidity, some tannins follow with some residual spiciness. Comes off a little flat but eemed to improve on further glasses. Nice with duck and wild rice.
Score: 3.7

Jessica: Simple, vanilla and fruit tastes sweet on the tongue.
Score: 4/5

Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel 2007 - Rhone red blend - $22 (half)

Deep garnet red in color, a hint of cloudiness due to not being filtered. A nose of dark fruit and herbs and soy (borrowed from Parker's description but noticed finally). Ripe fruit, blackberry, plum, blueberry hit the palate and then comes powerful mouth-drying tannins which combined well with the fruit. Then comes some more subtle peppery notes to finish. Long finish with tannins leaving the mouth tingling.
Score: 4.5

Jessica: This wine was slightly bitter and puckery. Complex and deep tones.
4.3/5

Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz 2007 - $15

David: Black cherry and raspberry nose with some cedar. Big dark fruit hits the palette and evolves elegantly into spicier notes and firm tannins. The last bit was quite gritty. Would benefit from some decanting and possibly some further aging.
Score: 4.4/5

Jessica: A delicious mouthful of flavors. Combining sweet and spicy, succulent length and mouth-puckering satisfaction. I love the balance in this wine. The bitterness of the tannins is not overwhelming but enough to add the complexity to the mellow fruits. There was a hint of tartness here too, like a ripe plum. Loved it.
Score: 4.8/5

Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2007 -$14

David: Rich yellow in color. Nose of lemon oil and green apple combined with oak, tropical fruit and perhaps coconut.
Strong acidity, full bodied, nicely balanced.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: This is a delicious, full-bodied chardonnay with fruits of peach and apple that stand out. I agree it is well balanced.
Score: 4.2/5

Steel Creek Pinot Noir 2007 - $14

David: Ruby red in color. Nose is very fragrant with cherry and raspberry notes prefacing what is to come. Silky smooth on the palate with medium acidity and medium body. Cherry flavors dominate. Not terribly complex or layered but finishes long and stays pleasant throughout. Tasted even better the second day and went well with the sushi.
Score: 3.8/5

Jessica: A nice color; this red was light, bright, palatable with a tart, puckery, fruity taste of cherry and berries. It went really well with roasted potatoes and green veggies. David ate it with steak and commented that it was an "ideal combination." I think this wine deserves a solid rating.
Score: 4/5

Heller Estates Chardonnay 2007 - $14

David: This chardonnay is light in color. Nose indicates minerals and pear. Lively but light in the mouth. Oak is subdominant to citrus and apple or pear. Has a long finish. The end is a bit hot (alcohol) in the throat and this effect gets accentuated as it warms as does the acidity. Keep it cool. I am less partial to citrus tastes in wine which affects the score somewhat.
Score: 3.6/5

Jessica: I don't remember this wine sufficiently to give it a very accurate score. But it was nice and I liked its caramel tone with fruit and nuances of vanilla.