Fine Wine > 90-92 Pts > $20-50

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Vivid red. Floral-accented scents of candied red fruits and herbs. Refreshingly bitter and precise, with energetic raspberry and cherry flavors picking up spiciness with air. The floral quality comes back on the bright, spicy, very persistent finish. I like this wine's clarity and balance."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2006 exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet perfume of creme de cassis, cherry liqueur, licorice, spice box, and crushed rocks. With full body, sweet tannin, admirable purity, and brilliant harmony among its..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2006 exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet perfume of creme de cassis, cherry liqueur, licorice, spice box, and crushed rocks. With full body, sweet tannin, admirable purity, and brilliant harmony among its..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Juicy red currant with subtle smoked herbs, truffle, and spice box jump from the glass of this dense ruby/purple-colored wine. Possessing silky tannins, seductive, ripe fruit with an opulent texture and no hard edges, but serious tannin lurking behind the wealth of fruit and glycerin, this is..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A good value among over-achieving St.-Emilion estates is La Fleur Cardinale’s 2009. Composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, some of the abrasive tannins noticeable early on in this big wine (14.5% alcohol) are now sweeter and better integrated. Made from tiny yields..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Bright saline notes frame expressive fruit in the 2010 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. A beautifully layered wine, the 2010 impresses for its length, finesse and balance. I very much like the sense of precision and cut here. Sweet floral notes meld into red berries and spices in this striking, delineated..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Mocha, chocolate, spices, plums and black cherries seem to literally jump from the glass. Merlot plays a pretty important role in the 2010, which gives the wine much of its roundness and early accessibility. Round, expressive and racy, the 2010 Ranch is a terrific effort from Snowden..."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"White currants, honeyed citrus, and melons are present in this medium-bodied, richly fruity, slightly smoky white Graves. It should drink nicely for 5-7 years."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"... One of the sleeper cuvees of the entire cellar, ground pepper intermixed with tapenade, creme de cassis, and smoky barbecue notes are followed by a wine with great fruit, good acidity, and striking minerality. It should drink well for a decade or more."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Pale gold. Ripe pear, orange, creme brulee and ginger on the fragrant nose, with notes of vanilla bean and smoky lees adding complexity. Pliant but sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors gain depth with air, picking up a deeper marzipan nuance. The pear and leesy notes carry through on..