Yalumba Barossa Patchwork Shiraz 2008 - $18

David: Dark purple, almost black. Nose of black currant, a little rubber, chocolate and a little violet. Full bodied. Good acidity balance. Delicious dark fruits. Raisin and blueberry with liquorish. Strong but soft tannins. Quite delightful.
Score: 4.2/5

Patrick Lesec Gigondas Cuvée Romaine Les Espalines 2004 - $18

65% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
50+ year old vines
90% in 1-4 year old barrels, 10% in stainless steel

Don't remember the price exactly.

David: Dark inky crimson. Nose has rose petal, blackberry fruit, a little pepper and spice. That Rhone grenache smell. Full bodied with moderate acidity. Warm, velvety texture. Ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit envelop the palate. Dark and spicy. Big and tannic. A little heat but not distracting. Long finish is a little briary with a little pepper. Delicious wine.
Score: 4.2/5

Chateau Vieux Taillefer, Saint Emilion Grande Cru 2006 - $19

David: A lovely dark crimson color with hints of orange around the edge. A nice nose has red and black currant with iron and some bready raspberry tart. Full bodied with moderate acidity. The wine has dense fruit which is delightful to swirl. Big but soft tannins. Finishes long with some berry flavor. Very pleasant.
Score: 4.1/5

Porca de Murca Tinto - $6

David: Dark purple. Nose of rich, dark fruits. Sweet blueberry, a little pepper and cinnamon. Full bodied. A wonderful balance of acidity and sweet berry and cherry. Good tannins give it structure. Delicious and well layered. Acidity picks up a bit and then moves into a sweet berry finish. Six bucks! Are you kidding me? Definitely the best wine I have had at this price point. Gotta get me a case of this.
Score: 4.2/5

Ruffino Il Ducale 2005 - $20

Super Tuscan.

Blend is: 60% sangiovese, 25% merlot and 15% syrah

David: Dark red with slight brownish tint. Nose is sulfury barnyard but over-powering. Some violets. Full bodied with good acidity. Big pomegranate fruit with a chocolatey taste. Powerful but smooth tannins. Decent finish. Enjoyable wine.
Score: 4.0/5

Guigal Gigondas 2007 - $22

55-60% Grenache, around one-third Mourvedre and the rest Syrah.

Parker: 92-94

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of roses, earth, leather, raspberry, crushed rock. Nose seems to fade in intensity over time. Full bodied. Medium acidity. Subdued fruit. Immediately peppery and spicy. Layered. Strong tannins. Some blackberry fruit which darkens into molasses and finishes dry with black liquorish and blackberry liquor. Pretty good if your looking for a dark spicy wine.
Score: 4.0/5

Franck Balthazar Syrah 2009 - $18

Northern Rhone near Cornas.

David: Dark Purple. Nose of raspberry tart, iron. Raspberry fruit has decent acidity and structure. Tannins are powerful but smooth. Finishes with fruity grape. Pretty good but a little disappointing given the prestigious growing area.
Score: 3.9/5

Palestra Douro 2008 - $8

Portuguese grapes: 40% Touriga-Franca, 40% Tinta-Roriz and 20% Tinta-Barroca.

David: Medium dark purple. Nose is thick with violet and floral aromas. A little scorched earth and a little chocolate, steel. Medium to full bodied. Nice black cherry fruit with good acidity balance and decent structure. Nice finish. A great value. Should try some others from Douro.
Score: 4.0/5

Bearboat Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2007 - $16

David: Ruby red. Delicate nose of strawberry and red currant, vanilla. Warm and fuzzy nose-feel. Medium to full bodied. Smooth as satin. Fruit forward. Moderate acidity. Strawberry and cherry fruit is quite delicious. Sweet and round tannins. Long finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Chateau Picau-Perna Bordeaux 2005 - $17

70% merlot. Rest cab.

David: Opaque purple. Nose of sweet blueberries, violets, herbs. Medium to full bodied. Low acidity. Very tasty blueberry fruit though not incredibly complex. Big powerful tannins remain rounded. Nice gentle finish. A very enjoyable wine.
Score: 4.1/5

Markham Merlot Napa 2006 - $16

David: Dark purply red. Nose is a little strange. Smells almost like a white wine. Peaches, carrot and root beer are evident. Nose was a little more relaxed on the second day with roses and cedar. Full bodied and yummy. Spicy and concentrated plum and raisin. Strong tannins. Good structure. Plummy tasting finish. Liked this better on the second day. Probably better to decant for several hours.
Score: 4.2/5

Li Veli Passamante Salento 2008 - $9

The negroamaro grape from Puglia.

David: Dark ruby red in color. Nose of violets, cedar and spices. Quite floral. Medium to full bodied. Nice cherry fruit with good acidity. Tends toward cranberry especially toward the finish which ends a little overly tart. Mild tannins. Overall, quite nice. Not a bad value.
Score: 3.9/5

Chateau Puech-Haut Prestige 2009 - $17

55% Grenache and 45% Syrah. 93 point Parker!

David: Dark purple in color. Nose has pepper, violets, some Syrah tire smell. Full bodied, good weight. Black fruits, pepper. Strongs tannins. Good structure. Well layered. Good complexity. Finished long. Very nice.
Score: 4.1/5

Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2008 - $20

Produced from younger vines and so is sold cheaper as "Nebbiolo" rather than Barbaresco but still from the Barbaresco region.

David: Light, brick red. Nose is subtle. A little cherry. A little roses. Very faint of mint and dusty earth. Nose seems to get even less noticeable with time. Medium bodied, soft, silky mouthfeel. Concentrated cherry fruit with decent acidity and balance. Some tannins and a soft pleasant finish. Not a knockout but a pleasant wine. A tad too light and a little boring and not worth the price.
Score: 3.8/5

Cataldi Madonna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008 - $17

David:
Nose is dominated by minerals and iron with some floral notes and herbs, maybe fennel. Full bodied with plenty of weight. Wonderful red fruits, cherry and raspberry, with great acidity, balance, concentration and structure. Mild tannins. Nice finish. Overall, a very nice wine. Good with food.
Score: 4.1/5

La Bastide Blanche Bandol 2007 - $23

Over 75% Mourvèdre.

Decanted for 2 hours.

David: Dark, inky red. Nose of leather, roses and blueberry. Full bodied, low acidity with modest cherry fruit and chocolate overtones. Quite tannic. Alcohol is prevalent but not over the top. Finishes a little bitter. Quite nice now but the wine should improve significantly over the next few years. Would probably also benefit from several hours of decanting.
Score: 4.0/5

Montebuena Rioja 2009 - $9

100% Tempranillo

David: Garnet colored. Pleasant nose shows raspberry tart, vanilla, new leather, tobacco. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Raspberry and blackberry fruit. A little light on the palate. Doesn't pack a big punch after the initial attack. Pleasant enough but not too impressive.
Score: 3.8/5

Jean Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire 2008 - $18

David: Deep gold in color. Nose of fig, pear and stinky orchards. Some minerals. A little spice. Medium bodied. Good acidity.
Score: 4.0/5

Elegantia Cotes du Rhone Valley Selections 2009 - $9

We tried the very nice Gigondas from this producer a week ago.

David: Purple/red in color. Nose is distinctive grenache, with some sweet vanilla, chocolate and spices. Full bodied. Ripe raspberry compote on the palate. Juicy, fruit bomb. However, a little lacking in structure. Finish adds some pepper and some bitters. Overall, a decent wine and decent value but no where near as nice as the Gigondas though at half the price, that isn't surprising.
Score: 3.9/5

Penfolds Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2008 - $14

David: Dark purple, almost black in color. Nose of dark fruits, baking spices, earth and perfumy floral notes. Full bodied with moderate acidity. Good weight. Blueberry and plum fruit. Quite concentrated yet not overly fruity. Almost mellow. Acidity picks up a little on the end. Tannins not too dominant. Solid finish. Good with pasta and probably good with food in general. A gentler wine than the Wolf Blass we had last.
Score: 4.1/5