- 07 Phifer Pavitt “Date Night” Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Very good, but your date had better like really, *really* ripe fruit. $75 B+ #
- 10 Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough): Bolder than a tattooed Kiwi sunbather on a tropical (and herbal) nudist beach. $16 B #
- NV J Wineyards & Winery Brut Rose (Russian River Valley): Prepare for a full-on red apple, blood orange and red cherry palate hug. $35 B+ #
- 07 Gallo Family Vineyards Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): He’s packin an overachieving, balanced sweet plum & cherry punch $11 B- #
- NV Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad (Cava): Hideous pewter bottle, but a crisp, bready bubbly w/ great dried fruit (& some petrol!) $22 B #
- 08 Pey-Marin “Trois-Filles” Pinot Noir (Marin County): It might be Low on flash, but it’s high on structured, firm red-berry finesse. $39 B+ #
- 08 Bonizio Sangiovese Di Maremma (Toscana): I dig those cherries, but it smells like they were dried a bit too close to a tire fire. $9 C- #
- 09 San Angelo Pinot Grigio (Toscana): Starts simple but stick w/ it; the apple & tropical fruits get livelier & livelier as you go on $17 B- #
- 07 Anatomy Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): The red berries must have been injured, ’cause they got a bit too many band-aids on ‘em. $28 B- #
- 05 Casa Silva ALTURA (Colchagua): That’s a spicy meatball! And a leathery, earthy, chocolaty, sweet-figgy, sexy & complex one, too. $65 A- #
- 08 Casa Silva Petit Verdot Gran Reserva (Colchagua): Earth/plums, stemmy/chewy, supple/gripping; fun (if acquired) study in contrasts. $19 B #
- 09 Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva (Colchagua): Lush, structured dark fruit, but some of that structure is built with some green stems! $12 B- #
- 10 Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc “Cool Coast” (Colchagua): Jumps out like NZ, spices it up at the end, and over-delivers throughout. $23 B+ #
- 10 Casa Silva Sauvignon Gris (Colchagua): Ready to rock the shellfish. Why don’t we see more steely lime beauties like this in the US? $19 B #
- 10 Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc Reserva (Colchagua): The green apple & underripe grapefruit are austere. Maybe a bit *too* austere. $12 C+ #
- 08 De Martino “Alto Los Toros” Single Vineyard Syrah (Elquí Valley): Smoky meat BBQ prepared by chef in a stunning cocktail dress. $40 A- #
- 07 De Martino “Las Cruces” Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines (Cachapoal): Beguling combo of deep, dark plummy fruit & silky drinkability $40 A- #
- 08 De Martino “Limávida” Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines (Maule): Maybe the most stunning terroir achievement you’ll taste for the $. $40 A #
- 07 De Martino “El Leon” Single Vineyard Carignan (Maule): Like Darth Vader if he was made of black cherry, tannin & baking spices. $40 B+ #
- 09 De Martino “Alto De Piedras” Carmenere (Isla de Maipo): Dark, herbal, violet-filled beauty could pass for a kick-ass Petite Verdot $40 B+ #
- 09 De Martino “Legado” Chardonnay (Limarí): Chablis-like focus w/ hint of cream & toast thrown in for good measure. Screamin’ value. $14 B #
