2007 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Marqués de Casa Concha – Chile, Central Valley, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto (12/30/2009)
Cherries, anise, smokey and earthy. Tannins are muscular, but stay in balance. Best to give this wine 3-4 years in the cellar. I liked its rustic, brooding charm. Especially impressive long wood smoke finish. (87 pts.)

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• 2007 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (12/26/2009)
  Peachy with honeysuckle blossom, ripe honeydew. Hint of oily petrol aroma. Finishes sweet. Quite nice. Off an “expensive” restaurant wine list in Vietnam it was $30 so if it is available retail in the US, it should be at an attractive price to stock up: it would go well either as a sipping wine at a party or with Asian fare. (85 pts.)

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The Finklestein Family is Napa Valley wine royalty. Okay, perhaps they’re more like the wine court jesters. They are fun, funny, eccentric, and make life in wine country just a little bit more interesting. Art and Bunny Finklestein created Whitehall Lane and then moved on to found Judd’s Hill. Their son, Judd, follows in their footsteps running the winery now. Check out Judd’s off-the-wall video blog: Judd’s Enormous Wine Show. I especially like Episode 2. I’m ready to order tshirts for every kid I know.

• 2007 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett – Germany, Rheinhessen (12/25/2009)
  Lemon curd, peaches, floral, in this charming but primary wine. It is a kabinett but one still gets an overall impression of sweetness. Right now it goes well with a big, spicey Vietnamese meal. Would be interesting to see how this one develops over the years. (88 pts.)

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2006 Jim Barry Cabernet Sauvignon The Cover Drive – Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (12/24/2009)
Huge candy monster. Blueberry flavored syrup, berries and cream, chocolate, charred wood. Some zingy acidity keeps it from being cloying but if served blind, I would have guessed this was an Aussie Shiraz, not a Cab. Just not my favorite thing to do with the Cab grape, but if you like this style, you’ll like this wine. (86 pts.)

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• 2001 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (11/18/2009)
  Wow. I got excited about this wine just during the decant. Smokey and berry aromas filled the room. An hour later, I was not disappointed. The glass was filled with wood smoke and flavors of rum soaked cherries, anise, cinnamon, clove, pencil lead, and sweet oak all in perfect balance. An incredible wine. Subtle power in every sip with new things seeming to happen every second during the long attack, middle and finish. I love the western slope of the Napa Valley. While a wonderful accompaniment to a special meal, this wine deserves center stage. I got significant sediment from this bottle. Stand it up in advance and decant carefully. Give it 2 hours of air. Drinking marvelously now and will continue to evolve for years. (96 pts.)

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Notice the label on the Castello di Amorosa. That “castle” was built by V. Sattui a few years back in the Napa Valley. Many would argue that this medieval recreation is out of place in the California wine country but few would say that it isn’t a pretty incredible building to visit. Just like going to Disney’s Cinderella’s castle isn’t the same as going to Germany’s Neuschwanstein, it’s still fun to go.
2002 Castello di Amorosa Merlot – USA, California, Napa Valley (12/13/2009)
Strawberry, balsamic, and a touch of eucalyptus. Castello di Amorosa is still more interesting to visit for its architecture than it is for its wines, but I did like this Merlot. (86 pts.)

I don’t know whether the label on the Foley Claret depicts a real coat of arms, but it certainly makes you think Old World. Using “Claret” to refer to a Bordeaux blend also screams Europe. According to Wikipedia, Claret was the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century. Regardless of the name, I’ve never had a wine made by the very talented, but very New World styled, Bob Foley that could be mistaken as something made on the other side of the pond.
2004 Robert Foley Claret – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (12/1/2009)
Back in 2007 I thought this wine was fantastic and scored it 94. This time, I did not like it nearly as well. While still showing the same bright fruit, cassis, and chocolate, there was an element of bitterness that was offputting. The tannins were awkward. Bad bottle? I don’t think so. I think this wine is is a dumb phase right now. Hold for 2-3 years. (87 pts.)

The elegantly named and beautifully packaged Trilogy is the most modern presentation, and yet it is the most true to Old World inspiration. Trilogy refers to the blend of three of the traditional Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Each varietal brings something special to the wine and Flora Springs does it well.
1999 Flora Springs Trilogy – USA, California, Napa Valley (12/12/2009)
Bright raspberry fruit well balanced with wood smoke, leather, pencil lead. Open the bottle an hour before serving and decant just prior to remove significant sediment. Drink now. (88 pts.)

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• 2006 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain (12/11/2009)
  I’ve been a member of Schramsberg’s club for years. In fact, it is the only wine club I belong to — their quarterly shipments keep me in enough excellent sparkling wine to satisfy my needs and tastes. Every once in a while, they include a bottle of J. Davies still wine in the club shipment. I wasn’t a fan of the 2005 but the 2006 J. Davies Cabernet is excellent. Warm rhubarb pie, cinnamon, espresso, and a bit of Italian herb. Not overpowering, this medium body and finish wine compliments the meal. Not expecting much, I opened this wine tonight as a cellar defender. Too bad I didn’t hold on to it. It is going to get better over the next 2-3 years. At my club discount, this wine is tempting to repurchase at $63. At $75 retail, not so much. (89 pts.)

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• 2007 Adelsheim Pinot Gris Willamette Valley – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (11/29/2009)
  What a fun little wine! This is like a tropical cocktail: a little sweet, banana, lychee, and coconut. Not cloying, stays light on its feet. $35 from a local wine list indicates that it can be had for a really attractive price retail. Would make a great crowd pleaser to serve passed at a party. (85 pts.)

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