Ravenwood 2002 Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley A definite must buy for Zin drinkers. Dense and full bodied, the wine uncorks with an explosion of deep black fruit and freshly roasted coffee beans. Rich but soft tannins carve out a core of caramel & chocolate that is quickly...

I don’t like to parrot other reviewers but in this one, it cant be helped: this is a blackberry overdrive machine. Toss in some licorice for fuel, and this velvet monkey will fly.

A beautiful Burgundy which is just starting to develop, and will continue to do so for another decade. Lush and tannic for a Volnay, a filigree of freshly cut roses and allspice rises about its complex palate of red fruit and violets. A lush beauty that is just beginning to find its poetry.

One of our favorite bottlings year after year, and 2007 is no exception. Ripe berry fruit and typical Garnacha spice dominate, all of it wrapped up in a mouth-coating texture with generous hints of vanilla. Excellent, as always.

The modern Corbières style marries the freshness of Beaujolais with the fierceness of a Languedoc red. This is a strong example of the technique of using whole-berry fermentation in a Mediterranean climate. The Syrah-based wine rolls out of the class with baking spices and roasted meat. On...

The PLCB claims the retail on this bottle is $20, but that is far-fetched. This typically will sell for about $16. At $10, it’s a steal. A good quality gamay is a wonderful wine for lighter springtime meals.

Could use a few years of age, as this is drinking extremely backward right now. However, within an hour this wine opens up to reveal a balloon of rich fruit over jagged edges of minerality and austere tannins below. Aromas of roasted lamb and coriander and a finish of wet clay and cinnamon on...

had the great misfortune of being sandwiched between the exotically ripe 2003 and the already-legendary 2005. But for serious terroir-lovers, for those who want to taste exactly where a wine is from, 2004 should not be overlooked. The Leoville-Barton, always one of the great values in...