Values Wine Picks August 22, 2007

by Natalie MacLean


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Note: I publish batches of reviews that I call Good Values Wine Picks. These are from the regular section of the liquor store rather than the Vintages section, and tend to be lower priced and the most widely available of all wines. The last four reviews I did were: March 7, January 4, December 16 and November 20.

[ Compress ] White Wine

Jackson-Triggs Proprietors' Grand Reserve Riesling 2006, Niagara, Canada: A lively and vibrant wine with refreshing aromas of grapefuit and lime. The grapes for this vintage were crushed and cold settled in stainless steel tanks.  593988  12%    750 mL  $17.30  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Jackson-Triggs Delaine Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2006, Niagara, Canada: A luscious wine with mouthfilling texture and aromas of mango and citrus. The grapes for this vintage were crushed and cold soaked on the skins for 12 hours prior to the start of fermentations to extract the rich flavors and characteristics of this varietal. The wine was then fermented at 14 degrees Celsius to further develop the spicy character of the wine.  989350  13%    750 mL  $22.80  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Babich Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand: Winner of the Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge in the UK for 2006, this refreshing wine has a grassy herbal aroma with notes of passion fruit, pineapple and gooseberry.  9142  13%  750 mL  $14.00  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007 Best Value White Wine.
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Beringer Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005, Napa Valley, USA: A rich, buttery chardonnay with aromatic notes of pear and apple. Full-bodied. Done using a mix of barrel and steel fermentation and aged for 10 months in French oak.  348342  13%  750 mL  $28.15  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Conundrum 2005, Napa Valley, USA: An exotic, alluring white with stunning aromas of white flowers, orange blossom, lychee and honeysuckle. Full-bodied. The composition comes in part from the range of grape varieties including: sauvignon blanc, muscat canelli, viognier and chardonnay.It has been fermented and aged mostly in oak barrels, some new and some seasoned, for up to 10 months.  41780  13%  750 mL  $28.95  Score: 92/100. August 22, 2007 Favorite White Wine.
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[ Compress ] Red Wine

Pascual Toso Malbec 2004, Mendoza, Argentina: A wine with lovely aromas of coffee, black plums and currants. Full-bodied.  35170  13%  750 mL  $12.95  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Pascual Toso Merlot 2004, Mendoza, Argentina: A full-bodied wine with good acidity. It has aromas of vanilla, plums, red and black berries.  35188  14%  750 mL  $12.95  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Sangiovese 2005, Mendoza, Argentina: A great value wine with smooth texture, aromas of bright cherry fruit and oak. Full-bodied. This winery has been making wine since 1895 in the high regions of the Mendoza River Valley in the foothills of the Andes.  496216  13%  750 mL  $12.99  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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De Bortoli Petite Sirah 2006, New South Wales, Australia: A full-bodied and juicy wine that displays notes of plum and oak. Closed with a screwcap. Underwent 100% malolactic fermentation.  336750  13%  750 mL  $11.99  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot 2005, New South Wales, Australia: Grown in select vineyards the Deen Vat 4 has aromas of chocolate, oak and plum. Full-bodied.  80358  14%  750 mL  $17.99  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Wild Horse Canyon Shiraz 2005, BC, Canada: Shiraz grapes sourced from three west coast appellations create a plush, generous wine with aromas of ripe plums, cassis and chocolate. Full-bodied  54429  13%    750 mL  $13.95  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Sandhill Merlot 2005, BC, Canada: A gorgeous merlot with silky texture and plummy depths. Full-bodied.  576751  14%  750 mL  $19.99  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Jackson-Triggs Delaine Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005, Niagara, Canada: A lovely wine with aromas of sweet cherries, and raspberries with a generous fruit finish. The grapes for this pinot were cold soaked for 4 days and then cold fermented on the skins. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentations followed by 18 months of barrel aging in French oak barriques.  989277  11%    750 mL  $25.30  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Tarapaca Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Maipo Valley, Chile: Full-bodied with aroma notes of chocolate, black plums and black cherries.  249599  750 mL  $9.70  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Tarapaca Terroir La Cuesta Cabernet/Syrah 2005, Maipo Valley, Chile: A juicy and generous wine with aromas of sweet plums and chocolate. Full-bodied. It is a combination of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% syrah.  571349  13%  750 mL  $13.99  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Patriarche Pinot Noir Bourgogne 2003, France, France: A simple, silky, refreshing wine with pleasant aromas of cherries. The grapes have been sourced from all over Burgundy, many from the Patriarche vineyards in Beaune and Pommard. The wine is aged 50% in French oak barrles and the other half in stainless steel vats.  23903  13%  750 mL  $15.95  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Chateau De Cabriac 2004, A.O.C. Corbieres, France: A terrific value wine. Lovely notes of spice, pepper and cedar. Full-bodied, supple and smooth in texture.  315119  14%  750 mL  $13.99  Score: 89/100. August 22, 2007 Best Value Red Wine.
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Marchesi De Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2005, Tuscany, Italy: A full-bodied wine with great acidity and balance. Shows great aromas of sweet fruit and some chocolate.  380824  13%  750 mL  $22.95  Score: 89/100. August 22, 2007
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Nero D'avola 2004, Sicily, Italy: A simple, rustic and full-bodied wine. Has aromas of black cherry and smoky oak.  503334  13%  750 mL  $13.99  Score: 86/100. August 22, 2007
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Chianti Castiglioni 2005, Tuscany, Italy: A classic chianti. Full-bodied and well-balanced. It has pleasant aromas of dried plum, sage and black, bitter cherry notes but too fruit forward.  545319  12%  750 mL  $15.15  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Babich East Coast Pinot Noir 2005, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand: A soft and supple wine. This pinot has aromas of sweet cherries, strawberries and plums. Aged several months in French oak.  790675  13%  750 mL  $17.99  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Alianca Foral Reserva 2003, Douro, Portugal: A smooth, full-bodied wine displaying aromas of plummy fruit. This cabernet sauvignon has been aged in oak barrels for 12 months.  239046  13%  D  750 mL  $8.15  Score: 87/100. August 22, 2007
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Castillo De Almansa Reserva 2003, Almansa, Spain: A balanced and full bodied wine. It has old world finesse with lovely aromas of smokey oak, blackcurrants and cassis while not being too fruit forward. It is a great blend of tempranillo, monastrell and garnacha grapes aged in American oak.  270363  14%  750 mL  $11.10  Score: 89/100. August 22, 2007
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Napa Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Napa Valley, USA: A full-bodied and tannic wine that will benefit from decanting .  29975  13%  750 mL  $17.95  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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Artezin Zinfandel 2005, Napa Valley, USA: A gorgeous wine with excellent balance, especially for a zinfandel. It is full-bodied with fruit notes of blackberry, raspberry, pepper and currants.  75390  14%  750 mL  $24.99  Score: 90/100. August 22, 2007 Favorite Red Wine.
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Beringer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2004, Napa Valley, USA: A fruit forward wine with aromas of black cherry, plum and coffee.  919647  14%  750 mL  $28.15  Score: 88/100. August 22, 2007
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