(WT060210-01) 08 VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO RONDOLINO, TERUZZI & PUTHOD  $14.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (ITALY) Full. Expressive. The right stuff. Good richness and vitality. Apple, quince, stone. Brisk as well as full./ Yes, the 08 yin-yang of body and vigor. Flavorful. Dense and silky, with finely tuned acid and lacings of mineral and almond. One of the best vernaccias I've had in some time. Of course, this is one of the best sources. Well liked by the group. 16.5+.

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(WT060210-02) 08 LUGANA, TENUTA ROVEGLIA  $16.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (ITALY) Fabulous. Pungent. The real deal in trebbiano di lugana. Northern briskness. Perky fruits. Firm apple and pear, and yellow berries./ Juicy. Full. Large and flavorful. Melon and ripe peach. Both succulent and racy thanks to a combo of acid and glycerol. Nice depth. Subtle stony edge. Great juice. Crisp and refreshing. Really mouthwatering. Surpasses the high standard set by the 07. Well liked by the group. 16.7.

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(WT060210-03) 08 WINKELER GUTENBERG RIESLING KABINETT HALBTROCKEN, KRAYER  $12.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (GERMANY) Sprightly. Dark toned, full figured 08. Grip and dry extract. Green grape tone of 08. Crisp, piquant citrus. Peach and loquat. Rocks galore. Uplifting./ Off dry. Good acidity. Juicy. Red fruit as well as white, especially red currant. Mealtime selection. 16.4.

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(WT060210-04) 09 VOUVRAY SILEX, DOMAINE DES AUBUISIERES  $16.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (FRANCE LOIRE) Good grip. Great edge for warm 09. Quince, pear, lime, calcaire./ Oh, boy! Rich, deep, lush feel with nice culling stony edge. Really great grip, edge, extract. Lots of calcaire. Totally dry–nothing sec tendre about it. However, it is not austere, just nicely dry. Well liked by the group. 17.0+.

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(WT060210-05) 08 CHATEAU COURONNEAU, BORDEAUX BLANC  $15.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Well, this is worth tasting again, because in November it was really tight compared to the wonderful 07 at its later stages. Now it's fuller and richer. Some wood? Or maybe just the sauvignon gris peels extracts giving that impression. Semillon heft too. Wow! Really penetrates!/ Wow, indeed! Full of sauvignon gris and perhaps some barrel contributions. Plump, dense, juicy fruit. Notions of pear, peach, passion fruit, and guava. Delivers in spades. 16.6+.

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(WT060210-06) 08 TRAVIS MONTEREY CHARDONNAY  $16.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (U.S.) Unfiltered, unoaked. 75% Scheid Vineyard, 25% Riverview Vineyard. Lots of Monterey chardonnay lemon-lime, including peels. Advancing bouquet./ Full. Developing. Strong, edgy Monterey chardonnay. Butterscotch and other empyreumatic tones. Packs a punch. Needs food. 15.5.

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(WT060210-07) 09 WIRRA WIRRA MRS. WIGLEY MCLAREN VALE GRENACHE ROSE  $14.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (AUSTRALIA) Sweet, easy, sassy Aussie style. No edges./ Ripe and juicy. Big berry flavors. Soft, with plenty of power to balance the richness. The acid's OK too, and there's some red peels astringency. Weighty. Fills the mouth. Large and long. Here's a crowd-pleasing rose I could take to a BBQ. 16.5.

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(WT060210-08) 09 COSTIERES DE NIMES LES GALETS ROSE, DOMAINE MOURGUES DU GRES  $13.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Big and beautiful. Sassy, sweet-tart, vibrant. Strawberry and raspberry. Red pop like./ Yes, sweet-tart indeed. Cranberry, raspberry, Jolly Rancher strawberry hard candy. Very flavorful. Good strength. And good acidity for a warm vintage. Well balanced. And long. Well liked by the group. 16.7.

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(WT060210-09) 08 KIM CRAWFORD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR  $18.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (NEW ZEALAND) Light-hearted, sweet, uncomplicated. Cherry. Taut berry, and tea. And some brett./ Full, lush, fruity, expressive, elegant. Good NZ acidity. Both racy and rich. Juicy and flavorful. A tantalizing wine. 16.7+.

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(WT060210-10) 08 FETZER VALLEY OAKS CALIFORNIA MERLOT  $7.49
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (U.S.) Sweet and sassy. Lots of oak spice, cigar box, and vanilla. In the beginning, this covers up the fruit. But the fruit will not be denied, breaking out into sweet merlot cherry goodness. The whole presentation is awfully naughty./ Yes, sweet, sexy cherry and oak spice flavors. Layers them on, lays them on thick. Wow! Long, sweet, spicy aftertaste. Best Fetzer merlot yet, and quite a contrast from the sullen nature of many a young 08 California red. Someone brought a briny pecorino cheese. Salt calls for sweet in my book, and this wine (as well as the final three) worked well with it. 16.4.

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(WT060210-11) 06 CHIANTI RISERVA, VILLA PUCCINI  $13.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (ITALY) Begins with a basic presentation of baked red fruits. Ah, but that's not all! Expands to show fresh red fruit too. Bright red cherry sangiovese fruit. Some time in oak evident–clearly a riserva. Now come the orange peel and anise aspects of sangiovese./ Yes, and there's a peppery spiciness too. Flavors of oak, time in oak, and the full sangiovese range. Ripe, lush, intense, generous, come hither. Finishes with sweet, dried fruits. So this is up to 06 and riserva standards, for sure. Yes! Well liked by the group. 16.7+.

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(WT060210-12) 09 CHIANTI RISERVA, TIZIANO  $14.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (ITALY) Smoky. These usually have a smoky-woody aspect. There's some reduction here too, which is unusual for a riserva. A little confused as to its direction at the moment./ Big, dense, oaky, still rather gangly. Good acidity. The oak is still a little much. Needs bottle age and food. 15.6+.

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(WT060210-13) 08 YECLA MONASTRELL, CASTANO  $7.49
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (SPAIN) The usual sweet and sassy style even in dark-tempered 08. 08 blackness for sure. Plenty of depth. Purple fruit of mourvedre with southern warmth and ripeness. Lots of green olive and hint of licorice./ Yes! A burst of ripe fruits and exotic spices. Great acidity too. Delicious balance. And value. Well liked by the group. 16.6+.

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(WT060210-14) 07 JUMILLA MONASTRELL, JUAN GIL  $14.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (SPAIN) This is fabulous. Great, sweet, aloof, classy, fine oaked. Sweet purple berry monastrell too. Wow!/ Lush and savory, deep and juicy, with licorice and wood smoke aura. Cream, vanilla, cocoa. Fine oak spice and incense perfumes. Delicious acidity, fine tannin. Long and classy finish. Best yet? 17.4+.

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(WT060210-15) 08 RIDGE THREE VALLEYS SONOMA RED  $19.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (U.S.) American oak and proud of it. Ridge knows American oak. Solid oak and fruit. Large, without being impolite. The full ripeness of Ridge zins of late./ Openly ripe but sturdy and vigorous fruit. Very spicy, ripe berry taste. Hoisin sauce extras.. Big and chewy constitution. One of the best in the series. Long and complex. Well liked by the group. 17.0+.

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(WT060210-16) 09 KREUZNACHER KRONENBERG RIESLING SPATLESE, ST. ANTONIIUS  $8.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (GERMANY) Nice and zingy. Tingles the nostrils as usual. Stimulating, like an 08. Apple, quince, peach, lemon peel./ Yes, Kreuznach toned riesling fruit, with peach, orange, tropics, and flowers. Up front, polished, pretty. Carries the torch for this fine series. Yes! Liked by the group. 16.8+.

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(WT060210-17) 09 KREUZNACHER KRONENBERG RIESLING AUSLESE, ST. ANTONIUS  $9.99
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (GERMANY) Oh, boy! Bigger and more tingly still! Wow! HUGE extract. Stone fruits, honeydew./ Oh, gads! HUGE mouthful of peach, orange, orange peel. Unctuous. Power and depth. One HUGE auslese. The group couldn't find the acid in this, so preferred the spatlese. I reminded them that acidity is masked by sweetness in young auslesen. They got this one wrong. A champion in this great series. 17.4+.

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(WT060210-18) 09 BANROCK STATION SE AUSTRALIA MOSCATO  $6.49
06/02/10 Wednesday Group Tasting Notes
- (AUSTRALIA) Sultry bulb flower perfumes. Lots of apple and loquat./ Sweet and soft. Low alcohol. Fizz pinch hits for acid, giving a refreshing edge. Good value for sure. 16.0.

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