Vouvray for Summer Time

 JEAN-CLAUDE BOUGRIER Vouvray 2008


What a nice surprise! Pale yellow, a nose featuring more floral and spice notes than fruit. The palate was a different story, apple, pear, melon, vanilla and spice all coming together. Good acidity, and a great mouthfeel. The finish was lingering, and green apple all the way. A delicious wine, and a Great buy for $10. 
I had this surprising Great Value with a Grilled Salmon with a garlic confit and dill sauce and fried polenta with wasabi sauce and Coconut rice.

Norton Malbec Reserva 2006

Norton Malbec Reserva 2006                             $ 18.99


90 Points Wine Spectator . Excellent Malbec with mocha and spice aromas and hints of raspberry, fig and plum. Dark red color. Delicate, spicy notes. Very good concentration. At a recent gathering we enjoyed it with barbecued skirt steak & chimichurre

2007 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope

2007 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope


Russian River Valley, Sonoma, North Coast, California, USA

$35.99 a bottle

Wine Advocate(91-93)Drink: 2008 - 2018

The 2007 Pinot Noir North Slope is another very promising Pinot Noir. Full-bodied, good acidity with notes of clove, cinnamon and black cherry. Ideal with pork chop or gnocchi with lamb ragu.

2006 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

The never-ending surprises regarding Cabernet coming from Napa Valley have kept its tradition. You will find this 2006 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($36.99) extremely pleasurable. It got 94 points at Wine Spectator’s buying guide for June 15, 2010 in its “ Highly Recommended “ section.


Full bodied, rich, dense, plum and black cherry flavors with hints of mocha and black licorice. Enjoy it with a nice classic barbecued tenderloin even though I tasted it with a brown ale braised short rib.

Fantastic Pinot

Loring Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard 2006

This complex Pinot with rich tannins and crisp acids, combines a silky style with lots of fruit, cherries and blackberries, earth and spices aromas and smoky notes. The sweet oak is present yet and its perfectly balanced and is developing in the expected way. Medium to full bodied and a lovely long finish.
Good Value!!!
Price around $40
This is a wine to drink in any occasion and will be a perfect companion for a Beer Braised Chicken or a Veal in a light buttery sauce and jasmine rice.

Italian White for Summer Time

Banfi Centine Bianco, 2009
This crispy white, made from a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Grigio, has a high acidity and no malolactic fermentation. Beautiful wine with lemon, green apple and pear aromas and flavors. Medium Body and a clean fruity finish.
Great Value!!!
Price Below $12
This is a perfect wine a day on the beach or pool and have it with fish kebabs  or grilled sea food, also will goes perfect with a goat cheese arugula salad.

Rosso Di Montalcino 2008

Canalicchio di Sopra, Rosso di Montalcino, 2008

This great 100% pure Sangiovese is the essence of the example of the 2008 vintage and is a icon of Rosso di Montalcino. Offers classic red fruits, minerals and florals aromas, well structured tannins and a medium long finish.
Good Value, regular price around $25, saw some spectacular offers below $20 on the web.
The pairing for this wine is a Pasta Putanesca or a classic Tuscany antipasto. Definitely a wine to have with food or at least with a few olives and cheese.

For Zin Lovers

Four Vines Zinfandel Paso Robles Biker 2007.
100% Zin, ripe and full of personality. Plum, wild berries and pepper, fennel, anise and very nice and fine structured tannins.
Great Value.
Price below $25
The pairing for a Zinfandel is BBQ, burgers, ribs, steaks, all go well with this Zin.

Andeluna Malbec 2008

This wine from Tupungato is really a good example of price/quality. I tasted this wine in the winery in Mendoza, rainy day and cold afternoon with a view of the andean hills, great day. Vibrant Malbec, red currant, licorice and blackberries. This is a ripe and juicy wine, Excellent Buy.
Price below $10.
I will pair this wine with a beef stew or a marinated flank steak.

Bastgen Riesling Spatlese Mosel Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr 2008

Sweet, clean and Zesty, flowery and spice aromas, also showing lime and apple, smoke, and a very long finish. Definitely a delicate and complex example from Germany.
Good Value. Price $25
A seasoned curry fish or a pumpkin soup with spices will be a great pairing for this great wine.

Bubbly GEM

La Marca Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene NV
Pale Straw color, very dry, crispy mineral. Baked apple, grapefruit and lemon aromas.  Creamy texture on the palate. Medium-light bodied, clean finish with baked bread.TOP VALUE, a smart buy.
Price $12.
Wine Spectator 90 points in 2007, TOP 100 Wines, ranked #75.
The pairing for this Prosecco is an ample number of dishes, I will drink it with creamy cheeses, cured meats, creamy risottos or a light pasta. This Prosecco makes a great combination with asian dim sum and some other asian ethnics dishes.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Columbia Valley, 2008

Bright Gold and not overweight Chardonnay, pineapple and grapefruit aromas, butterscotch and spices, well balanced and a silky finish.
TOP Value. Price below $10.
This wine can´t miss your cellar.I will pair this Chardonnay with a nice warm crab cake and a side of a fresh salad

Columbia Crest Merlot Columbia Valley Reserve, 2006

Firm, with dark berries and floral aromas, spices and pepper adding complexity to this long and complex finish with cocoa flavors. Velvety tannins, smooth texture in the palate.

Great Value. Price $20.

Veal chop with arugula salad is a great companion dish to this wonderful wine.

Turn Four Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007

This great Cab from Napa Valley shows intense aromas of blackberry, cassis, cocoa and mineral notes that are full bodied. Its complexity and elegance are present with violets and cedar. Velvety tannins and a long tobacco and herbs finish.
Good Value. Price below $20.
I will have this strong and young Cab with a grilled Rib Eye and rosemary potatoes.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, 2008

This is another wonderful example of New Zealand and from Kim Crawford, refreshing white wine, guava, lime and grapefruit aromas. Well balanced bright acidity, and some passion fruit and oyster shells add complexity to a lovely finish. This is definitely a Must in your cellar.
Great Value. Price below $19.
I will pair this wine with mussels in a light wine butter garlic sauce.

DUTTON ESTATE SYRAH

Syrah Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch Cherry Ridge Vineyard 2005.

This amazing Syrah received 95 Points from Wine Spectator, I have tasted this wonderful, deep and complex wine several times, and every time it develops better than the last time. Dark purple, dense and rich, blackberries and wild berries, fennel, cedar  and mineral. This GREAT Value has a looong finish that goes on and on.

Price is below $40, an outstanding buy for this price, this wine is Superb.

I will enjoy this wine in any occasion but if I decide to enjoy with a nice dish, this will be for sure a Braised Lamb with risotto milanese.

The Nice, Viognier Russian River, 2007

This gold, brilliant, clean and rounded white wine presents a well balanced acidity and a creamy texture. Buttery aromas with peach, honey and thyme.
Good Value for a Boutique Winery, price around $30.
I tasted this wine with chciken quesadillas and the pairing was good, I think I will go with a light creamy pasta, perhaps a Ravioli filled with Zucca and a buttery semi sweet sauce.

Seductive Rose Wine from Chile

Montes Cherub Rose Colchagua Valley, 2008
Deep Pink wine, 100% made from Syrah, very powerfull, cherry and pomegranate complemented with spices, well balanced. You can feel the Syrah character when it shows the spices and strawberries and some floral flavors also. Rich and fruit concentration in the palate, some bitter berries and a nice length finish. This is for sure a very elegant dry Rose. Great Value, price in the range of $12.
I suggest to decant this wine for at least 15 minutes, will benefit a lot. Drink until 2011.
Rose wines can be paired with many types of food, I will go for a Peruvian Shrimp Chupe Soup or Grilled Garlic Shrimps or lobster with the sauce of your preference.
If you are not in the seafood mood, you can pair this wonderful Rose with oven roasted chicken and Potatoes cooked in the oven with fresh dill.

d´Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz McLaren Vale 2008

This is a Best Seller, Top 100 wines from Wine Spectator in 2009 reviews, is amazing the fruit expression, cherry, blackberry and raspberry, strawberry preserve and a mineral finish, this wine is the Best Value of the week for me, Price around $10, 90 points form Wine Spectator, really a TOP Value, you can pair this wine with lamb chops, ravioli with lamb ragu sauce or a Linguini Carbonara. You can't miss this wine in your cellar, it is really a fruity excellent Aussie Shiraz.

Benchmark Bordeaux Blend from Napa

Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Bold, full bodied, ageing potential, dark ruby and purple tones, this wine is outstanding, espresso bean, cocoa, cinnamon and black berries, sweet educated tannins and a spectacular bitter chocolate aftertaste, long finish, really a TOP Value.
Price below $40, awards form every respected wine magazine, this is a must in your cellar.
I just had this wine with a Rib Eye grilled and baked potatoes and a spinach salad with cranberries and tallegio  cheese. Excellent wine....

Sun Box Eleven a Miami Based Winery

The Maverick, Marsanne Roussanne Russian river Valley, 2007

This classic white Rhone blend, rarely found in California, 50% Marsanne and 50% Roussanne co-fermented in the barrel, only 600 bottles produced.
Brilliant, gold color, aromas of coconut, vanilla and apricot, well balanced acidity. Definitely waiting to taste the next vintage of this great wine.
Good Value for a small boutique winery, price around $35. Next vintages will come even more price competitive keeping the same quality.
I had the chance to taste this wine with Chef Superdave Gordon and Sunny, so the pairing will be grilled Sea Bass or Miso Black Cod, can be paired also with seared scallops in a light creamy sauce.

Great Value Cab from Columbia Valley

Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2007 Columbia Valley

For me this is a great winery but with this wine they go to another level, a Walla Walla Winery made this Fantastic Columbia Valley Cab. Ruby dark color, with cedar and pencil lead, a lot of berries, strawberry, black cherry and rich flavors of black currant, nutmeg and vanilla. Well structured and educated tannins and a silky and smooth finish, really a Great Cab from Washington.
The pairing will be a great braised lamb shoulder, or any grilled meat.

Top Value, price below $20.

Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon

Van Duzer Pinot Noir 2006
This wine is 100% Pinot Noir but is made from 7 different clones.

This night I tasted a few wines, but definitely this was the star, this is a deep Pinot, elegant and complex, dark garnet color. Flowery and spicy, a lot of violets and well integrated spices as clove and cinnamon, marshmallows and ripe red fruit also blackberry and black cherry. Medium to long finish.
Great value, price below $30.
For me this wine will pair well with grill lamb chops, smoked breast duck and oven roasted turkey with prune or apple sauce.

For Pinot Lovers

                                                    










Van Ruiten Steamboat Vineyard Pinnot Noir 2007

I was really impressed with this Pinot, dark ruby moving to garnet excellent oak work showing caramel, vanilla and butterscotch, the fruit was in there as berries compote, great sweet nose, but complex, sweet and well educated tannins and a long finish.
This wine should evolve for 5 to 7 years. So its time to drink it. 950 cases produced.
Great value, price around $19.
Perfect pairing for this wine is a duck breast, pork shoulder, oven roasted turkey with apple sauce.

Aussie great unoaked value

Torbreck Juveniles 2008

A youthful wine from old vines...

For me this is definitely a Best Value from Barossa Valley Australia, this unoaked bold Blend medium bodied is made from 60% Grenache , 20% Shiraz and 20% Mataro from Gomersal, Seppeltsfield, Marananga, Moppa, Koonunga Hill & Ebenezer. This wine goes through a natural Malolactic Fermentation after a single vineyard fermented batches and is blended in stainless steel tanks.

The expression of fruit in this wine is amazing, strawberry jam everywhere and the malolactic added a creamy texture aroma that joined the fruit in a perfect way and gives you that mouth filled sensation I was looking in this great value. The price range for this wine is around $20.

If you are looking for a very well developed Unoaked wine and really an aussie fruit expression, this is one of my top values.

Definitely a Peking Duck and several other asian cuisine dishes will go great with this wine.