We are posting new notes and recent reviews nearly every day.  This page has been requested to help people identify those new items added to the site or find recently reviewed wines.  Though we taste in an organized way every Friday morning those notes are posted as the taster turns them in and we find time.  We also taste incidentally through out the week, for example we tasted Quinta do Noval porto a few days ago, and those notes will be added too.  So you can expect to see changes daily.

St Croix Marechal Foch 2006
The aromas of elderberry and mince meat pie. The midpalate is mostly textural but the finish has an acidity of bright cranberry and is lively as a puppy in a cardboard box. -LAC (tasted November '08)
(posted 11/19)

Waterbrook Melange 2006
Sweet and spicy oak on the nose with a roasted coconut and plum quality. The mouth is oppulently ripe with loads of sweet red fruit and a long rich finish. This is a lot of wine and very consistent vintage to vintage to boot.
-WB (tasted November '08)
(posted 11/14)

Bergström 2007 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Even in its infancy, this shows an aromatic compote of red fruit, sweet sawdust and fresh mulch –a promising youth sure to mature into a well rounded bouquet of sweet spice and savory undergrowth.  On the palate this is a glowing Pinot with ample structure, ripe raspberries, plump cherries, freshly coopered French oak and an alluring wood sap on the finish. Clean yet lasting and both broad and tall this glass shows all the earmarks of an age worthy Pinot Noir.  Sure to express why Willamette matters over the next decade. -NL (tasted November '08)
(posted 11/14)

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain 2006
92 points - "Bright and generous in flavor, while keeping the structure elegant. This weaves a green note through the ripe, appealing blackberry and black currant flavors, lingering expressively on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2010 through 2016."
-H.S., Wine Spectator Insider, November '08
(posted 11/13)

"5 Smart Tips for Holiday Wine Buying" by Ray Isle, Food & Wine, November '08
"star selection"
Calera Central Coast Chardonnay 2007
This rich, round, judiciously oaked white comes from one of California's most respected winemakers, Josh Jensen, who creates it with grapes from throughout the Central Coast.

"star selection"
Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2007A noteworthy Pinot Noir for $10 or less is a rarity, but Chilean winery Cono Sur has certainly produced one here. Light-bodied and refreshing, its berry fruit is complemented by a faint tobacco-leaf note.
(posted 11/12)

Man Vintners Chenin Blanc 2008
Chenin Blanc has clearly become THE calling card for white wines from South Africa, and with good reason. For my money, they remain one of the best bargains for white wine anywhere on the planet. Where else can you get scents of crushed oyster shell, sea salt and grapefruit, followed by bright and tangy citrus fruit…all for under $10! All the wines coming from Man Vintners are not only varietally correct, but actually show true terroir character. For those who are fans of delicious Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or France, this wine fits the bill. -CM
(posted 11/11)

Les Vins de Vienne, Heluicum 2007  
When people ask me what makes great wines great I’m often inclined to answer “courage and conviction.”  I certainly believe that to be true about this wine and its brethren.  These three winemakers, among the most renown of the northern Rhone, are a vinous string trio; their compositions vibrate with such harmony as to set your palate atremble. 
Heluicum is not the virtuosity of their wines but from the young vines.  Purple as the King’s new robes.  Lovely, lovely nose; allspice, cumin, cigar box.  Mostly Syrah which screams at you in the flavours yet the wine is graciously supple for such a vital libation.  Blackberry fruit dominates the flavour and the finish.  A stunning wine of fine length. -LAC, tasted November '08
(posted 11/7)

Bergstrom Winery, 2006 Pinot Noir Bergstrom Vineyard
95 Points – “The 2006 Pinot Noir Bergstrom Vineyard is medium/dark ruby-colored with a superb perfume of pain grille, roses, raspberry, and cherry. Velvety-textured, savory, and ripe, the wine conceals enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years. Layered and long, it will be at its best from 2012 to 2020.
The Bergstrom Winery, under the direction of Josh Bergstrom, has quickly risen to the upper echelon of United States producers of Pinot Noir. Not to be forgotten is the fact that the winery also turns out superb Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.”
-Jay Miller, Wine Advocate, October ‘08
 Read more Wine Advocate reviews on a selection of our 2006 Oregon Pinot Noirs.
(posted 11/6)

Francois Cotat Les Monts Damnes Sancerre 2004
An abundance of crushed oyster shells and wet stones on the nose. Notes of peaches, pears and plenty of pepper abound on the nose. The mouth feel is ripe, with honeyed almonds. Touches of grapefruit and lemon zest finish this remarkable Sancerre. Precise and zesty! -KS, October '08
(posted 11/5)

Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Nose of grass and passionfruit. Great acidity that carries the fruit well. Tangy and fresh with a mouthful of tart pink grapefruit. A wonderful experience and a great value. -KS, October '08
(posted 11/5)

Marques Gelida Cava 2004
89 Points - "(35% macabeo, 30% xarel-lo, 20% parellada and 15% chardonnay) Light, bright yellow with a fine bead. Impressively complex aromas of pear, white peach, mango and baking spices. Creamy orchard fruit flavors are given a bitter edge by peach pit and anise, with gentle mineral bite on the back end. Becomes more floral with air and finishes with very good clarity and length. This is a superb value."
-Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Oct 08
(posted 11/4)

Jolys Cuvee Jean 2005
The nose is all fragrant, earthy, and caramelly - apricot, honey, roasted orange. Spicey orange palate; zesty with perfectly balanced sweetness. It's almost unfair to call this merely a dessert wine. You could sip this with a chicken liver mousse, duck confit, or a spicy Asian appetizer as well as with cheeses and dried fruits after dinner. -DYB, October '08
(posted 11/3)

Verget Chablis Fourchaume 2006
A great nose of candied lemon zest, crushed rocks and yeast. Spicy, intense and clean all at the same time. The mouth is pretty fleshy for Chablis, lots of yeast and mineral and a ripe lemon/lime juiciness. -WB, October '08
(posted 11/3)

2007 Los Cardos Syrah 
Syrah from one of my most admired Argentine winemakers, Dona Paula. Their wines have impressed me with the varietal distinctiveness without suffering over extraction.

Syrah is a wine that can often be robust, even startling, which is undoubtedly why lovers of red wine are such fans. The Dona Paula Los Cardos Syrah is indeed mouthfilling but the alcoholic after finish is not there. The flavors are macerated blackberry and black licorice and fruit compote. Really compelling flavors and more pleasingly supple than most Syrah or any other wine with this much flavor. -LAC, October '08
(posted 11/3)

2007 Domaine du Dragon Cotes de Provence Rose 
The 2007 Cotes de Provence Rose from Domaine du Dragon (just outside Darguignan in eastern Provence) offers aromas and juicy fruit of melon, pear, and tart red raspberry, tinged with herbs. Exuberantly fruity, soft, and very much white wine-like in personality, this will offer simple but generous satisfaction over the next 6-9 months. The tank-raised red from Dragon has always represented excellent value...            87 points- The Wine Advocate #178, August 2008   
(posted 10/23)