WINE REVIEWS & RATINGS

ARGENTINA

CHILE

2004 Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Puente Alto Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$

Color: Medium Purple

Nose: Big with plum, earth, oak, mushrooms, spice

Taste: Mouthful of cherry, blackberries, oak, spice, vanilla

Finish: Medium with nice fruit, truffles, oak, vanilla, spice, floral

Evaluation: Cellar or decant 4 hours. A wonderful wine. 93 points

2004 Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Floral, plum, earth, spice,

Taste: Huge spice and crushed rock, floral, oak, vanilla, cinnamon

Finish: Powerful with spice, floral, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon

Evaluation: For $16.99 at Hennepin Lake a steal! This needs to be decanted 4 hours and is better the next day. I would also cellar for 5 years as you will be rewarded. 89 points

2004 Veramonte Primus Casablanca Valley Merlot/Cabernet/Carmenere Blend $$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Spice, oak

Taste: spice, earth, oak, and cinnamon

Finish: Oak, spice, earth

Evaluation: Solid Blend 85 points

2005 Santa Rita Medalla Real Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Plum, oak, vanilla, spice

Taste: Oak, vanilla, spice, and a hint of fruit

Finish: Medium with earth qualities dominating

Evaluation: Earth Forward. 86 points

2005 Veramonte Reserva Casablanca Valley Cabernet $$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Spice, oak

Taste: Spice, cinnamon

finish: Spice, cinnamon, oak

Evaluation: 83 points

2005 Veramonte Reserva Casablanca Valley Merlot $$

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Spice, cigar box

Taste: Spice, oak, cinnamon

Finish: Spice, oak

Evaluation: Good everyday wine. 84 points

2006 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Earth, spice Taste: Earth, spice, oak

Finish: A gritty wine with a medium finish

Evaluation: Simple wine. 83 points

2006 Veramonte Riserva Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir $$

Color: Light purple

Nose: spice

Taste: Spice, cigar box, earth

Finish: Short with spice and earth

Evaluation: Simple but good. 84 points

2006 Walnut Crest Valle Rapel Shiraz $

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Spice

Taste: Tannic and overly bitter with a hint of spice

Finish: Too bitter and not balanced

Evaluation: Poorly made 76 points

GERMANY

2006 Two Worlds Pfalz Pinot Noir $$

Color: Light purple

Nose: Spice, raspberry, blueberry

Taste: Nice and smooth

Finish: Spice, raspberry and blueberry on this smooth finish

Evaluation: A nice Pinot Noir from Germany for the cost 87 points

NEW ZEALAND

2004 Abacus South Island Pinot Noir $

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Spice, floral

Taste: Spice, floral, pepper, little acidic, nice fruit featuring sour cherry

Finish: Medium with spice, earth, floral and a little too acidic

Evaluation: For $6 at Sam's Club a steal! 85 points

2006 Brancott South Island Pinot Noir $

Color: Light purple

Nose: Floral, raspberry, spice

Taste: Spice, bing cherry, floral

Finish: Short

Evaluation: For under $10 a good intro to Pinot Noir 86 points

2006 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir $$

Color: Light purple

Nose: Mineral and cola

Taste: Mineral and cola

Finish: Acidic and weak

Evaluation: Not a great effort. 80 points

2006 Dog Point Marlborough Pinot Noir $$$

Color: Light purple

Nose: Strawberry, spice

Taste: Strawberry, cherry, floral, some oak

Finish: Overall balanced wine with a medium finish

Evaluation: Solid 88 points

2006 Huia Marlborough Pinot Noir $$$

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Big fruit featuring raspberry, dark cherry, spice

Taste: Cherry, raspberry, spice, and good acidity

Finish: Nice fruit showing with a minor amount of spice. Medium tannins that should soften with a year in the cellar. Very balanced wine.

Evaluation: A great example of a fruit forward wine! 90 points

2006 Villa Maria Marlborough Pinot Noir $$

Color: Medium red

Nose: Spice, mineral, floral

Taste: Spice, mineral, floral

Finish: Long and multi layered with floral, spice, mineral

Evaluation: Great value Pinot. 88 points

PORTUGUL

2004 Uniao das Adegas Cooperativas do Dao Beiras Irreverente $

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Plum, earth

Taste: Plum, blackberry, spice

Finish: Spice, blackberry, plum and pepper

Evaluation: Buy it! 90 points

2005 Symington Family Estates Douro Tinta Roriz (70%)/Touriga Franca (30%) $

Color: Light purple

Nose: Big with plum, meat, cherry, mineral

Taste: Nice fruit, mineral, floral

Finish: Medium with smooth tannins

Evaluation: A steal for the price. 88 points

SOUTH AFRICA

2005 Gove Valley Grenache $$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Earth, spice

Taste: Earth, mineral, floral and spice

Finish: Medium with floral and spice

Evaluation: For around $11 a great buy. 87 points

Hennepin Lake

2005 Long Neck Western Cape Shiraz $

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Pepper, earth

Taste: Earth, pepper

Finish: Medium with pepper and earth

Evaluation: Straight forward wine, good value 85 points

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