Monday Mini Wine Reviews Round-Up For June 25, 2012

So, like what is this stuff, anyway?
I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine sample tasting notes with you via twitter (limited to 140 characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible. Below is a wrap-up of the twitter reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find them so you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

07 Don Maximiano Founders Reserve (Valle de Aconcagua): Rich, expressive, dark, herbal, savory, tart, & absolutely afraid of nothing. $90 A- >>find this wine>>
08 Morande Edicion Limitada Carignan (Loncomilla Valley): Picking up where the fab 07 left off, pegs the "that’s interesting!" meter. $23 B+ >>find this wine>>
06 Lauca R. Limited Edition Carignan (Maule Valley): 65 yr old vines, ~250 cases, & one hot Summer night’s fill of pure seduction. $150 A- >>find this wine>>
08 Domus Aurea (Maipo Valley): Thoroughly elegant, masterfully structured, and proudly sporting green pepper without any apologies. $60 B+ >>find this wine>>
11 De Martino Legado Chardonnay Reserve (Limari Valley): Peaches traveling a flower-lined, linear, straight-as-an-arrow mineral track. $16 B >>find this wine>>
09 Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Alto Valley): All the savory blackcurrant you’d want from a $25 Cab, w/ $10 in change $15 B >>find this wine>>
08 Apaltagua Grial Carmenere (Colchagua Valley): Has oak, and isn’t afraid to use it in its deft dark-cherry & tart-berry hands. $40 B+ >>find this wine>>
07 Hacienda Araucano Alka Carmenere (Lolol Valley): Structure made of pepper, plums and oak, that’s clearly built for the steakhouse. $34 B >>find this wine>>
08 De Martino Alto De Piedras Carmenere (Maipo Valley): Deep, dark, spicy, chewy, serious stuff that’s also still seriously young. $24 B+ >>find this wine>>
08 Cono Sur 20 Barrles Syrah (Limari Valley): Nose will leave U wanting, but the long finish will leave U wondering how they did it. $10 B- >>find this wine>>
09 Vina Casablanca Nimbus Syrah (Casablanca Valley): Chalk, pepper & red plum steel you for the grip of a gritty, leathery finish. $17 B >>find this wine>>
11 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley): Any ritual getting SB this herbal, fruity & balanced ought to be followed religiously. $14 B >>find this wine>>
10 Concha y Toro Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley): Pepper, lemon, chilies, cheese; just add sausage & U got Charcuterie! $18 B >>find this wine>>
08 CalNaturale Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles): A darn good bit of gritty, spicy, berry-laden Paso in not-a-lot of 500ml packaging. $7 C+ >>find this wine>>
08 Schramsberg Brut Rose (North Coast): Cherries, red berries, and a temporary respite from not feeling like charmed royalty. $41 B+ >>find this wine>>
08 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley): Seems X-mas (spices) came early, often & generously for OR in ’08. $60 A- >>find this wine>>
09 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Crisp, pithy lines of apple structure for a tower of honeydew melon & passion fruit. $42 B+ >>find this wine>>
NV Pepperwood Grove The Big Green Box Chardonnay (California): 4 bottles of bobbing for green apples in a toasty vanilla barrel. $19 C+ >>find this wine>>
08 Franciscan Cuvée Sauvage (Carneros): The old girl is starting to get nutty, but continues to feel rich, peachy & sprightly. $40 B+ >>find this wine>>