Tres Picos Garnacha 2008 - $14

David: Deep purple/red with tints of magenta. Lovely nose of soft red fruits, vanilla bean, perfume and spice box. Dense and silky on the palate with high glycerin. Medium acidity. Cherry and berry fruit is delicious and followed with sort tannins and nice finish. Overall, very nice and a great value.

Score: 4.2/5

Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rouge 2008 - $10

David: Medium purple color. Nose of fresh raspberry tart. Reminds me of a steely cab franc but this is mostly granache and syrah. Medium bodied and medium acidity. Zippy mouthfeel. Berry fruit has layers and good structure. Nice sleek tannins. Very long finish with waves of mixed berries. Overall, very nice and quite a bargain.
Score: 4.1/5

Arrowood Kuljian Dry Creek Syrah 2007 - $28

David: Dark purple in color. Nose of prune, root vegetables and a little violet and maybe chocolate. Full bodied, low acidity. Meaty texture. Some plum fruit but quite savory. Big tannins. The mid palate fruit gets taken over by liquorish and black pepper in the long and pleasant finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Urban Ribera Tinta Del Pais 2007 - $13

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of black cherry fruit and smoke and vanilla oak. Full bodied, medium acidity. Silky smooth. Cherry and berry fruit is quite delicious. Mild tannins but a pretty long finish with a little liquorish. Quite nice.
Score: 4.0/5

La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 - $27

David: Nice garnet color is not too dark. A little orange-toned near the edges. Nose is delicate with cherry, leather and roses and other flowers. Medium bodied, moderate acidity, silky texture with delicious cherry fruit. Firm tannins give it sufficient structure. Nice finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Norton Malbec 2010 - $8

David: Magenta in color. Nice nose of fresh raspberry, pepper, a little earth and a little smoke. A hint of fox fur is interesting. Medium bodied with nice boysenberry fruit, moderate acidity. Good clean finish. A great value.
Score: 4.0/5

Stonier Reserve Chardonnay 2005 - $25

David: Bright yellow in color. Complex nose of citrus, pineapple, spice, pepper, almond and stinky wild flowers. Full bodied and complex on the palate with good structure and balance and a long finish.
Score: 4.3/5

Catena Malbec 2008 - $20

David: Dark purple in color. Nose of blueberry and plum, cedar and pencil lead. Full bodied, medium acidity with concentrated, dark fruits. Pure and delicious with decent tannins a long finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Taltarni Pyrenees Shiraz 2005 - $22

David: Dark purple in color. Nose of ripe plum, rose petal and iron-rich soil. Full bodied. Rich blueberry and raisin fruit with high acidity. Very ripe with big tannins. This might be a good wine to age. Long blueberry finish.
Score: 4.0/5

Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Schützenhaus Riesling Kabinett 2008 - $18

The Christmas Eve Riesling.

David: Light straw in color with hints of green. Nose of grapefruit, peach and minerals with toasted honeycomb. Medium bodied, fairly sweet with enough balancing acidity. Layered fruits: apple, peach and citrus. Long finish. Overall, very nice.
Score: 4.0/5

A Mano Primitivo 2006 - $8

David: Medium purple red in color. Nose of black cherry, root vegetables, violets and pepper and herbs. Full bodied, medium acidity and smooth texture with good black berry fruit. Moderate tannins. Tasty finish. Overall, quite nice and a good value.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Distinctive tannins; well balanced sweetness with tart and herbal tones. Mild fruit, licorice and lavendar. Very enjoyable.
Score: 4:3/5

Michel Torino Don David Malbec Reserve 2008 -$14

David: Pretty dark red, purple in color. Nose of red currant,blackberry and sour cranberry. A little damp earth and maybe tobacco leaf. Medium bodied. Very sour cranberry fruit dominates and overpowers every other characteristic. Some tannins. Was a little better on the second night but I think the tartness is too overwhelming. Still it is quite well made and interesting.
Score: 3.7/5

Big Terra Red Petite Syrah 2004 - $15

From the Illinois River Winery. Grapes from the Snow Lakes Vineyard, Northern California.

David: Inky, dark purple in color. Nose of dark fruits, blackberry and blueberry and earth. A little leather and baked bread. Medium to full bodied. Low acidity. Subdued blueberry fruit with sufficient tannins. Dry and a little earthy. Moderate length finish. A decent wine overall but lacking a little in structure.
Score: 3.8/5

Stefano Farina Dolcetto d'Alba 2009 - $10

David: A light ruby red. Nose of spruce forest, roses, chocolate and a little fox fur and fresh bread. Medium to light bodied, medium acidity with tart raspberry fruit and under-ripe berries. Heightened acidity in the finish. Overall, a little thin and tart. Not my favorite style but OK.
Score 3.8/5

Tres Pinos Three Pines Cuvee 2009 - $5

A little redundantly named.

David: Medium depth color. Jammy nose with a little foxiness. Fruity but flat on the palate. Lacks structure. Not terrible but completely uninteresting. Designated to be cooking wine.
Score: 2.5/5

Ajello Nero d'Avola 2008 - $11

David: Medium to light brick red in color. Nose of red currant and roses. Medium bodied. Medium to high acidity. Vibrant red fruit is followed by bitter herbs, a bitterness that accelerates into the finish making it less than pleasing.
Score: 3.2/5

Elena Walch Pinot Bianco 2008 - $14

David: Medium gold in color. Intense aroma is rather hard to describe. Maybe lychee or baked apricot tart. Stinky wild flowers with honey? Orchard fruits left out in the sun too long. Medium to full bodied. Moderate acidity. Decent fruit with some grassiness. Good structure. Gets dry and austere toward the end. A little hot. A complex and interesting wine but a little strange.
Score: 3.8/5

Barton & Guestier Vouvray 2008 - $10

A sweet Vouvray, Chenin Blanc.

David: Pale straw in color. Nose of honied pear and maybe peach and some flowers. Full bodied, mouth coating. Quite sweet but with good acidity keeping it interesting and complex. Overall, very tasty.
Score: 4.0/5

Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos 2008 - $12

David: Lovely, bright beet red. Nose offers up ripe red fruit, assorted berries. Exotic blend of spices, rose petal, cocoa and woody aromas. Full bodied with medium acidity. Nice berry fruit and soft but grippy tannins. More interesting aromatically but a pretty tasty wine.
Score: 4.0/5

Domaine Castillon Costieres de Nimes 2007 - $11

David: Medium, red, purple in color. Nose of red currant, a little oak, and violets. Medium bodied, silky texture. High acidity. Red fruits, raspberry. Turns into pomegranate with time. Mild tannins. Medium length finish picks up acidity and a little liquorish. Decent wine. A little boring.
Score: 3.8/5