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Bodega 2010 El Agosto Bierzo

Spanish Wine Review A beautiful bottling of old vine Mencia grapes. A nose of garrigue with pain grillé, basil, and dark berry. On the palate, rich fruit and savage elements dominate. …

Merryvale 2008 “Starmont” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

A rock-solid Napa Cab at a rock-solid price. The nose of pencil shavings, vanilla, and toast promises great things to come, and it does deliver. The gritty tannic structure is balanced …

Neil Ellis 2009 Chardonnay, South Africa

Tasting Notes A reviving style of Chardonnay. Exotic spices and fruit lead the charge into a flashbang of crisp acidity trailing a contrail of wood smoke. Ginger, kiwi, and peach …

Caliboro Estate 2006 “Erasmo” Red

A lighter style red coming from Chile, with a distinctive old-world character. Tobacco leaf and wet clay mingle with raspberry notes. The finish opens up, and darker fruit take hold, along with …

Bodegas Dios Ares 2008 Crianza Rioja

One the nose, cardamon, and lavender play with a nub of burnt vanilla, following a sweet hit of black fruit. The palate is exactly what a Crianza should be: balanced but exuberant. There are …

Penley 2010 “Phoenix” Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra

A classic style of Cabernet Sauvignon, without the overblown fruit and alcohol. Fresh blackberry and strawberry on the nose, along with a hint of cedar. Linear tannins soften in the midpalate, allowing …

Offley 2006 Late Bottled Vintage Porto

Sometimes is about having something good at an impossible price. The ’06 vintage isn’t the greatest. The ’05 and the ’07 Offley bottlings are better. However, at the price that the PLCB …

Alexander Valley Vineyards 2008 “Redemption” Zinfandel

If you drink Zin for its delightful complexity, you aren’t thinking straight. Zinfandel –despite its pink alter ego– is a major badass. This bottle is in keeping with such a reputation. …

Belguardo 2009 Serrata, Tuscany

Up until twenty years ago, the Tuscan coast was more well know for Etruscan ghosts than wine. What’re a few decades compared to a few millennia? In what is known as …

Vina Eguia 2007 Reserva Rioja

A review of a brilliant and inexpensive bottle of Rioja. Aroma of tobacco and rose petals, with a bit of damp earth and clove. On the palate, the fresh fruit comes across in high definition; in particular, fresh cherry and red raspberry.

Bridesmaid 2009 White, Napa Valley

Far too many white wines from Napa Valley don’t have the same level of sex appeal that the reds. That is not the problem here. A classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon …

Argyle 2007 Riesling, Willamette

A Riesling review from Epikur Magazine. The Argyle Riesling is a fun bottle of wine with just enough juicy white fruit to balance out the racy elements. A bit of ozone and salinity come into play in the midpalate. The floral and mineral components are mostly in the long and pleasant. finish. .A very nice bottle of wine, especially for the summertime.

review