Terranoble Merlot - $6

Jessica: Strong nose of pepper and vanilla. Silkly tannins, long finish. Dark fruits, like cherries and blackberries. Full bodied and well-balanced.
Score: 4.3/5

David: Bright red. Nose is very pinot-like, red candied cherry, sulfury smoke and oak. Red and black cherry fruit on the palate with moderately high acidity and soft tannins. Medium to full bodied. Cherry gives way to rhubarb in the finish which I find a little overly-tart.
Score: 3.8

Domaine de Baron'Arques Limoux 2003 - $25

"Limoux is an area of the Languedoc quite close to the city of Carcassonne and quite far to the west, so that it is influenced as much by the Atlantic weather systems as by the Mediterranean." From Baronne Philippine de Rothschild.

Got this on sale for $15 at Binny's. Spectacular value at this price.

David: Ruby red in color. Thick in body, makes tears on the glass. Nose of red and black fruits with herbs, smoke with some floral notes as well as caramel. Delicious black cherry fruit coats the mouth. Prickly tannins offer up some slight bitter notes. Nicely layered fruit darkens toward the end with some pepper and leads into a long liquorish finish.
Score: 4.3/5

Jessica: This was a beautiful wine. Strong nose with smoke, pepper and dark fruits. Full-bodied, well balanced. Tannins evident but not overwhelming. A taste of vanilla or caramel accompanies a blackberry liquor taste. A long finish with a lot of complexity. Ate with a carbonara dish with loads of parmasean reggiano and it went well. Still had some left to enjoy after the kids went to bed too.
Score: 4.5/5

Chateau Haut-Brisson La Grave 2004 - $13

David: Saint-Emillion Grand Cru, Bordeaux. 90% Merlot and the remainder Caberbet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Color is garnet verging on purple. Nose has black currant, black cherry, hints of cocoa and violets. Smoke and some balsamic character, both of which get less apparent as it breathes. Medium bodied and light in alcohol. Medium acidity and silky tannins. Sour cherry Kirsch is the dominant flavor. Fine sediment. Long finish.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Leather in the nose and smoke too. Medium dark fruits. Full tannins present but not overwhelming. Agree with the long finish. Some sourness evident, but it is not off putting. Overall a satisfying wine.
Score: 4.0/5

Layer Cake Malbec 2008 - $14

David: Color is purple like most Malbecs. Big nose of plum, tobacco, smoked meats. Very full bodied. Fruitiness and acidity is subdued. Dominant flavors are blackberry liquor, smoked meat. Abundant spiciness. Extremely chewy and meaty. Tannins are evident but not over-powering.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Dark purple. Strong essence of dark fruits; big tannins. Smokey and spicy palate. Complex and has a long finish. Well balanced. A very distinct and dominating wine.
Score: 4.3/5

Ollivier Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet 2009 -$12

David: Another Muscadet like the Clos de la Fine . This wine was the same color, very light grayish straw. Unlike the other this had a little bit of white sediment, possibly yeast which floated on top. We tasted them together and I couldn't really tell them apart. Very similar. The only differences might have been due to temperature or the fact that the Clos de la Fine was opened three days prior (kept in fridge). This one seemed a tad fruiter, more acidic and maybe yeastier, the other a bit more minerally.
Score: 4.2/5

Hideaway Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - $18

Sonoma.

Jessica: Round tannins; cherry fruits. Well balanced acidity. Nose of pepper and tree bark moss. Long finish with hints of mineral.
Score: 4.2/5

Domaine Herbauges Muscadet Clos de la Fine - 2008 - $12

David: A Muscadet which is an appellation at the mouth of the Loire in France. A white wine made from a grape called Melon de Bourgogne or simply melon. The wine is almost colorless. Mattie called the color dirty diamond. KInd of a light gray/green. Nose of white peach and lime. Sightly tingly in texture, highly acidic and minerally in nature. Definitely taste salt (common is Muscadet though uncommon in most wines), chalk and other rocky components. Long acidic finish is quite nice. Tastes like sea spray on chalk cliffs. A wine like this is best with food but interesting to taste on its own. Should try it with seafood. Had it with Chicken Milanese. Not a perfect pairing but OK.
David: 4.2/5

Freemark Abbey Merlot 2006 - $25

From Napa Valley. 84% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petite Sirah.
Jessica:

Score: ?/5

Sutter Home Merlot 2006 - $6

Jessica: Simple jammy fruit...syrupy and coats tongue. No depth; minimal complexity. Devoid of tannins. Lingering alcohol aftertaste.

Score: 3.0/5

Tomaiolo Chianti Riserva 2005 -$11

Jessica: Tart red fruits, round tannins, medium length finish. Nose of fruit-- strawberries and fresh garden herbs. Well balanced, full bodied. Has a moderate appeal, nice and palatable.
Score: 4.1

Ch. Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes 2006 - $13

A Bordeaux. Beaulieu means beautiful place. The Comtes de Tastes are south facing hills 15 miles north-east of Bordeaux. 60% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Color is garnet with some slight opaqueness. Smells like a rose-garden: roses and dirt and maybe a little fertilizer. But the scent of cedar is also prominent and some baking spices and smoke. Medium to low acidity. Medium to full bodied. Black cherry and black currents on the palate but fruit is subdued. Some barnyard character subtracts some points for me. Tannins are round but fairly powerful. Dark fruits with some bitterness lingers in a medium length finish, getting earthier towards the finale. Did not taste good on the second day.
Score: 3.7/5

Trimbach Riesling 2007 - $15

David: A dry Riesling from Alsace. Light gold in color. Nose has white peach, apple, flowers and cloves with a hint of citrus. Nose seems to forecast sweetness but it is mostly dry. A stern acidity runs through the wine but seems to be balanced at the beginning with a little sweetness. Full bodied and rich with minerals. The acidity takes off soon enough and carries through a long finish whose tartness has you smacking your lips. Due to the high acidity, might be best with food. Perhaps some grilled sea bass or swordfish.
Score 4.1/5

Jessica: Crisp with fruits of apples and citrus. Slight scent of peach. Did not improve when it warmed, best served cold. Agree with high acidity.

Botromagno Primitivo 2005 -$14

David: Another Primitivo from Puglia, the heel of the boot of Italy. Color is garnet. Nose has rich, dark fruit with leather and earthiness, hint of chocolate. Immediately pleasing on the palate with ripe blueberry and fig, decent acidity, juicy in the cheeks. Smooth tannins transit into a long and lovely blueberry finish. Had with grilled steak which seemed to bring out a little spice in the wine. A good match. Not super complex but very tasty and a great value.
Score 4.3/5

Jessica: bold, dry and peppery. Slight dark fruits. Round tannins, spicy, long complicated finish. Strong nose, full-bodied. Great depth.
Score: 4.4/5

Alamos Seleccion Pinot Noir 2007 - $11

David: From Argentina. Ruby red in color. Fairly dark for a pinot. Nose has sulfury smoke and red fruit. Tart candied cherry and strawberry on the plate has a residual sweetness. Round tannins and a long tingly, spicy finish. Overall, the wine seems complex (if not deep) but not very well integrated. Kind of all over the place. Sweet, then acidic, then tannic, then spicy. Too much of everything. Not good.
Score 2.9/5

Jessica: Darker hue than I expected from a pinot. A surprising peppery spice nose. Layered with a long finish. Mild fruits but stronger on a bitter, pepper and spice end than I expected from a pinot. Balanced tannins. Full bodied and tart.
Score: 3.7/5

Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2008 - $9

David: Pale, brick red in color. Nose has cherry candy, baking spices and earthy tones. Some similarity to a pinot nose. Good acidity and cherry fruit followed by silky tannins. Long finish is a little gravely in texture with a bit of bitterness. Went well with pasta in marinara with meatballs and would probably be great with any Italian dish. Great value.
Score: 4.0/5

Hess Allomi Cabernet Napa 2006 - $19

David: Color is purple red. Nose is extraordinarily complex. Besides red fruits, you can find dill, vanilla, coco, baking spices, smoke, sulfer and other aromas depending on your imagination. Someone writing a review said shoe polish which is perhaps an appropriate description of certain hard to describe earthy notes. Medium acidity and body. Black cherry, red currants and berries are prevalent. Tannins are powerful but smooth. Finish ends in chocolate covered raisin. Not as exquisite as the other Hess we had but probably a better value.
Score 4.2/5

Jessica: Spicy, herbal and mineral were the tastes that stood out. Dark fruits in the backdrop, but mainly I noted pepper and thyme as the promanant tastes. Strong flavor, but well balanced with silky tannins that did not over power. Complex layered tastes. Enjoyable overall.
4.4/5

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay - $7

David: Just had a glass at a sushi restaurant. Not very aromatic nose. Just oakiness. On the plate pretty bland besides the usual oak tastes, vanilla etc. Alcohol gets harsh and finish is unpleasant.
Score: 2.2/5

Jessica: God knows why David ordered this or what he was expecting. Even I knew it would be gross. Sour, sickly sweet on tongue, lacking complexity, balance, etc. Basically missing every quality that makes wine great. Nasty.
Score: 1.0/5

Chardonnay de Chardonnay - Cave de Lugny 2007 - $14

David: A white Burgundy from the vineyards around the town named Chardonnay. This is the Maconnaise appellation of Burgundy, around Macon. Like most burgundian chardonnays, this is unoaked. Color is straw. Nose is weak as is common with unoaked chards. Acidity is good. Apples and citrus flavors are evident with minerals. Finish is long with tingling acidity, somewhat bitter. Over all, quite nice. The Wine Bible says only that wines from Chardonnay are "passable at best". So maybe White Burgundy gets a lot better than this but I found it enjoyable. This was quite a bit better near room temperature than cold especially on the second day after a night in the fridge.
Score 4.0/5

Jessica: Crisp, mild fruits, balanced. Pale straw in color. Medium nose with strong finish. Good depth.
Score: 4.0/5