Wolf Blass Shiraz President's Selection 2008 - $18

David: Completely opaque, black purple. Nose smells like a burning tire. A really extreme shiraz burnt nose. Full bodied. Little fruit. Like biting into a piece of black liquorish, beef jerky. Huge tannins. Some spice. Long finish. Clearly a well made wine but it is a little over the top for my tastes. A shiraz made in the extreme-shiraz way. The wine actually drank better on the second day. The nose lost the burnt tire and it became more likable.
Score: 4.1/5

Elegantia Gigondas Rhone Valley Selection 2009 - $19

A mystery wine. Can't find much info on it.


David: Medium purple in color. Nose of flowers, roses and violets with black currant and blackberry fruit. Aromas of stone and steel with a little forest floor as well and peppery spice and that distinctive Rhone grenache aroma. The nose is good but the wine really excels on the palate. Starts with an explosion of concentrated blackberry fruit with wonderful acidity balance. Then it adds pepper and spice and good tannins. Finally picks up with liquorish. All these blend together in a long and delicious finish.
Score: 4.3/5

Chateau Les Gravieres Saint Emilion 2008 - $22

100% Merlot.

David: Dark purple red. Nose of concentrated red fruits, graphite, berries, some floral tones. Medium to full bodied. Lots of acidity. Cranberry and blackberry fruit. Strong tannins. Well layered with a nice juicy finish. Good stuff.
Score: 4.2/5

Selection Laurence Feraud Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret 2007 - $17

90% Grenache and 10% Syrah.

David: Medium purple red. Nose of roses and lavender, red fruits, a little cranberry and oak. Spritzy mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Good well layered fruits get a little jammy and some coco. Some bitter notes. Good complexity. Strong tannins. Long finish. Very nice.
Score: 4.1/5

David Bruce Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands 2008 - $18

David: Deep yellow. Nose of freshly cut wood, tangerine, mango, creamsicle. Medium bodied. Good structure and balance. Not too heavy. Not too much alcohol. Solid finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Bogle Petite Syrah 2008 - $9

David: Dark purple. Nose of cedar, smoke, briary blackberry, almond. Full bodied. Good weight and structure with dense fruit, good acidity and powerful tannins with good finish. Another great bargain from Bogle.
Score: 4.1/5

Ninety Plus French Fusion Lanquedoc 2008 - $15

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of blackberry, petunias, sweet oak, a little spice maybe nutmeg. Has what I call nose-texture. Full bodied with low acidity. Blackberry, blueberry fruit. Decent structure. Could use perhaps a bit more acidity. Strong tannins. Layers nicely into liquorish or anise with some pepper.
Score: 3.9/5

Chehalem 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 - $20

David: Medium depth, ruby red in color. Nose is nice, cherry and baking spices, some oaky overtones but not overly aromatic. Medium bodied, with good cherry fruit, good weight and good acidity balance. Layered tastes. Silky mouthfeel with some tannins. Finish is solid with a little liquorish and mild spice.
Score: 4.1/5

Damilano Nebbiolo d'Alba 2008 - $14

David: Light, red brick in color. Nose of roses, cherry and some earthy latex smell. Light to medium bodied. Decent acidity and structure. Cherry fruit with dry liquorish. Light tannins. Good finish. Overall, pretty good, well made but kinda light for me.
Score: 3.8/5

Pacific Rim Wallula Vineyard Riesling 2007 - $15

David: Light gold in color. Nose of white flowers, pineapple and some minerals. Medium to full bodied, with big citric acid, big peach, lime fruit. Nice purity and good structure. Sweetness is not very apparent behind the acidity. Overall, I think the citrus gets carried away. Not a style that I really like.
Score: 3.8/5