Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For July 30, 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 reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes with you via twitter (limited to 140 characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible reviews of currently available wines. Below is a wrap-up of those twitter wine reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find these wines, so that you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

08 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir (Carneros): Yeah it’s jammy, but it’s like spreading homemade jam on homemade bread at a country inn. $35 B+ >>find this wine>>
05 Domaine Carneros Le Reve (Carneros): That spicy, lilting, ethereal mouthfeel is elegant enough to suggest a royal bloodline claim. $95 A >>find this wine>>
05 Bodegas LAN Culmen Reserva (Rioja): Savory, toasty, floral, tangy & successful take on Graciano; mind the heat (& the sandalwood). $65 A- >>find this wine>>
08 Bodegas LAN Edicion Limitada (Rioja): Ripe plummy fruit so lovely that it will make you wish it had been a bit less ripe, actually $45 B+ >>find this wine>>
05 Bodegas LAN Vina Lanciano Reserva (Rioja): They don’t shy away from oak here, but the figgy, cocoa-lade finish might win U over. $25 B+ >>find this wine>>
07 Bodegas LAN Reserva (Rioja): X-mas spice is nice, but deal here is sealed by the gritty-but-still-vibrant, classy mouthfeel. $20 B >>find this wine>>
08 Bodegas LAN Crianza (Rioja): Tose dried red fruits might be a tough too dry, but hard to argue with the tobacco, spices & price. $12 B- >>find this wine>>
01 Senorio de Pecina Reserva Special Harvest (Rioja): Savoriness rules the day, stewed fruit at 1 hand, leather & spice at the other. $50 A- >>find this wine>>
01 Senorio de Pecina Gran Reserva (Rioja): Spices, herbs, smoked meat, licorice; you’ll cover just about the entire meal w/ this baby $45 A- >>find this wine>>
01 Senorio de Pecina Reserva (Rioja): Probably reaching end of its freshness journey, but savory, earthy view from here is gorgeous. $32 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Senorio de Pecina Cosecha Blanco (Rioja): Focused, clean, full of citurs & served over flinty rocks; result is that it also rocks. $15 B >>find this wine>>
09 Sonsierra Crianza (Rioja): Won’t quite find its dark cherry & dried herb footing, but at this price is doesn’t really need to. $12 B- >>find this wine>>
10 Martinez Corta Cepas Antiguas (Rioja): Modern, poised, fending off oakiness with freshness & should have more pricey wines sweating $10 B >>find this wine>>
11 Martinez Corta TenTacion Garnacha (Rioja): Sexy, spicy, juicy, & not yet fully delivering on the promise of those 90+ yr old vines $40 B+ >>find this wine>>
11 Reichsrat von Buhl Armand Riesling Kabinett (Pfalz): Seesaw of sugae & lime pith eventually finds spicy, pear-like equilibrium. $20 B >>find this wine>>
10 Gerard Bertrand Cremant de Limoux Brut (Cremant de Limoux Protégée): High-end apple muffin meets flowers meets peach meets bargain. $15 B >>find this wine>>
07 Swanson Merlot (Oakville): Almost too broad, almost too ripe, almost too herbal, but also almost too much good wine for the money. $36 B+ >>find this wine>>