2006 Domaine Brusset COTES DE VENTOUX "Les Boudalles" (Rhone, France)

A decent but generic tasting red.

Very dark black ruby. Medium intensity, plummy nose. Good concentration of straightforward, plummy/berry fruit. Substantial, medium-soft tannin to give some structure. Good balance, but so middle-of-the-road in character as to lack any indication whatsoever where it came from or what grapes were in it. Clean finish. 83. Was $11 at Spec's on Westheimer (between Hillcroft and Dunvale). New Castle Imports, S.C.

2007 Erik Banti MORELLINO DI SCANSANO (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

This is a typical, solid Sangiovese from this reliable Morellino producer.

Dark, blackish ruby. Earthy, deep-toned nose of dark black cherries macerated in cherry eau-de-vie, with charcoal and balsa wood notes. Concentrated, medium-full bodied, with some rustic tannin, this wine is ripe, with good fruit/acid/alcohol balance and moathcoating, smoky dark fruit flavors. Very nice finish. Not elegant, but a satisfying mouthful. 87. Imported by Margaux and Associates. Once again, no receipt, but I think I got this one at Central Market for around $19.

(Sorry, 2005 label shown)

UPDATE -- Got this at Spec's on Smith for $14.99, so disregard the guess above.

2006 Domaine Seguin POUILLY-FUMÉ (Loire Valley, France)

This Sauvignon Blanc started out unimpressive and over time opened up into a very, very good wine.

Very light gold color. Nose weak at first, but then developed into a very "biological" nose of ripe gooseberries, earthy, crushed, wet limestone, and fresh oregano leaves (a lemony/herbal streak). Soft and mouthfilling, yet with sparklingly bright flavors -- great minerality and zesty lemon-lime fruit. Lots of length. You might even think about decanting this one to get it to open up quicker! 89.

Was $22.99 at Richard's on Voss and San Felipe. Imported by Robert Kacher.

2007 Jean Francois Merieau TOURAINE GAMAY "Le Bois Jacou" (Loire Valley, France)

A light and refreshing red.

Medium ruby garnet. Very Beaujolais-like nose (Gamay is the grape that is used in Beaujolais) but with a higher-toned minerality. I am guessing this has to do with the differences in the soil. In very broad generalities, Beaujolais is known for its granite rich soil, while the Loire is more known for its chalky, limestoney soil.

Crisp and light in the mouth, with a good initial attack that falls away quickly, leaving mostly crisp acids and some minerality in the finish. A palate-cleansing style for hot days (put a light chill on this wine for extra refreshment) or to cut through garlicky, tomatoey dishes. 85. Imported by Jon David Headrick Selections (a relatively new but very good importer). Don't quote me on this, but I think I got this at Central Market for around $15.

2005 "Volver" (100% Tempranillo) (La Mancha, Spain)

I'm usually not a huge Tempranillo fan, but this really impressed me.

Completely saturated, youthful ruby/violet color. With air, the nose displayed a lovely combination of sweet baking spices and vanilla, along with ripe raspberry syrup and gravel. Ripe, mouthfilling, and still a bit tannic, the flavors started off with dense, rich fruit (blackberry and blueberry) but then tapered off into a lean, long iodine and dry berry extract finish. Lots of alcohol, acidity, and structure. A large-scale, formidable wine. Still could use a year or two of cellaring, at which point it may be even better. 89+. Was a great buy at $14.88 at Whole Foods on Bellaire. Imported by Jorge Ordonez Selections.

2006 Domaine Durand CORNAS "Premices" (Northern Rhone, France)

A large-scaled and rustic Syrah.

Dark, vivid plum-ruby color. Although closed and giving up nothing but scorched earth scents initially, after significant air time it yielded scents of sweet, plummy fruit, smoky, meaty, almost bacon-y notes, and lemon-cream spices. Compact and tannic in the mouth, with lots of pencil shaving and scorched earth flavors, along with youthful and not-so-soft tannin and peppery piquancy obscuring some nice but shy cassis fruit. Long, dry finish. Needs another 2 - 4 years to drop out some of the tannin and open up a bit. 85+. Imported by Fruit of the Vine, Inc. Was $26 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

(Sorry -- this label looks a little different than the one I got, but it's close).

2006 Steele ZINFANDEL (Mendocino County, Cal.)

A good value, classy Zin. Not a ripe mouthfilling behemoth, but everything in nice harmony.

Bright, medium dark ruby. An initial, sharp acetate whiff on the nose blew off after about 20 minutes to reveal exuberant, focused, and fruity aromas of mixed wild berries, sweet cream, and caramelized baking spices. Full-bodied, with a soft texture, good concentration, and excellent balance of fruit, acids, and alcohol. Long, refreshing finish. 88. Will keep for another year or so, and was a pretty good value to boot. $16 at Spec's on Smith.

2007 Brigaldara VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

A good, solid Valpo from this reliable producer.

Dark ruby/garnet color. The nose needed lots of time to open up, but then gave up pretty, medium intensity scents of sweet cherries and red berries, along with a touch of cinnamon and crushed stone. Medium-to-full bodied, with macerated, sweet/tart cherry flavors that pounce on the palate along with some slightly bitter, stony minerals. Some tannin perceptible, which is kind of unusual for basic entry-level Valpolicella. Decent finish. More of a palate-cleansing style that would counter highly-flavored rustic dishes. Drink over the next year. 86. Imported by Vinifera Imports. Was $19 at Spec's.

2006 Domaine de Cabasse SEGURET Côtes du Rhône Villages "Cuvée Garnacho" (Southern France)

Nice, but a bit disappointing for its pedigree. I usually expect individual village wines from the Rhône to have a bit more concentration and character than this one did.

Medium dark ruby color. Medium intensity, fruity nose of ripe raspberry and blackberry, with a little bit of sweet fruitcake and stone components way in the background. Low register, dark, almost bitter, medium intensity flavors of scorched earth and iodine, with some dry raspberry skin fruit taking a back seat. Peppery but pleasant finish with a bit of length and some barely-perceptible tannin too. 84. Was about $16 at Spec's on Richmond.

2006 Meia Encosta DÃO (Portugal)

A pretty solid $10 red.

Dark ruby garnet color.

Forthright nose of tangy mixed berries and spicy powdered rock. Medium full bodied and soft textured, with reasonably concentrated plum and pomegranate fruit and powdered stone flavors. Clean, balanced, medium length finish. While it's hard to get really excited about this wine, this is a wine that few people can dislike, making it a good choice for large, casual events. 86. Was around $10 at Spec's on Smith.

2007 Stinger ZINFANDEL (Paso Robles, Cal.)

Alliteration time: this was one zingy, zesty Zin. Talk about tangy acidity! But in a good way.

Dark black ruby with youthful violet highlights. Very good color extraction. Lively nose of spicy raspberry, pomegranate, and crushed rock. Rich in fruit, yet loaded with crisp acids to give it some true zing, this wine is tailor-made for rich meat braises. Full-bodied, smooth-textured, and featuring a long, lively finish. 87. Another purchase ($9.99) I made at a great sale that was going on at Houston Wine Merchant a couple of weeks ago.

2006 Lake Breeze "Langhorne Creek" GRENACHE (Australia)

A really nice Grenache. Loaded with ripe fruit, but with everything in balance.

Medium-bright ruby garnet. Vibrant, exuberant nose of sweet crushed raspberries, slightly smoky sandstone, and gingerbread. Mouthfilling flavors of black pepper, lusty raspberry syrup, and a bit of an iodine-y/minerally thing going on in the finish. Avoids the jamminess that one can get with a lot of Aussie reds while still displaying lots of ripeness and richness. 88. Drink over the next year before the pepperiness (from the alcohol) starts to burn through the fruit. I think I paid about $19 for this at Whole Foods on Bellaire several months ago.

2005 Georges Viorney COTE DE BROUILLY "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" (Beaujolais, France)

This 4-year old Beaujolais tasted remarkably vibrant and refreshing for its age.

Youthful, crystalline dark black ruby. Great, classic Beaujolais nose of sweet, crunchy plums and cherries, along with lots of granite-y minerality. Zest and vibrant in the mouth, with peppery, clean cherry / berry fruit and lots of clean, stony minerals. Some very fine-grained, rounded tannins still noticeable, amazingly enough. This wine has aged beautifully for a Beaujolais. Only thing it lacked was just a tad more concentration to take it to that highest level. 87. Imported by North Berkeley Imports, I got it direct from them for about $15 several months ago.

2007 Sebastiani PINOT NOIR "Sonoma Coast" (Cal.)

A very good value at the ridiculously low price I paid ($9.99, on sale) at Houston Wine Merchant (South Shepherd).

Bright, medium dark ruby. Lots of sweet, sappy cherry and plum fruit on the nose along with a hint of smoky gravel. Rich, ripe flavors attack the palate (in a soft-textured frame) with juicy mulled cherries and root beer/cola components, tapering off with baking spice-laced earth notes. Very nice. I'll take this over 90% of the $30 burgundies out there any day. 88.

(Certain "terroirist" bloggers would, I'm sure, poo-poo my obviously pedestrian tastes claiming that "this biodynamic french microproducer and that organic microproducer make much more genuine a product" -- and their wines probably are really good, but where the heck does anyone not living in New York City find such wines without taking off two weeks from work to "seek the Grail"? So I'll happily find and drink this much more easily found "people's burg.")

2006 Qupé GRENACHE "Purisima Vineyard" (Santa Ynez Valley, Cal.)

Showing the herbal side of Grenache, this was a distinctive wine.

Medium dark ruby/garnet color. Scents of rhubarb, raspberry, herbs, and intense powdered stone notes. Lean but intense in the mouth, with herby, minerally raspberry flavors and a very noticeable peppery component. Long, minerally, peppery finish. 87. Was $19.99 on sale at Houston Wine Merchant (on South Shepherd).

2005 Charles Koehly RIESLING "Saint Hippolyte" (Alsace, France)

Aaaah -- good Riesling from Alsace. Always one of my favorite types of whites. This Riesling, while dry in the typical Alsace style, is actually a bit more fruit-forward, and less austere, than many Alsace Rieslings.

Light gold color. Beautiful, yet somewhat reserved nose of crushed white grapes, slate, and a hint of yeasty-cinnamon. Soft-textured and medium-bodied, it has ripe, almost exotic flavors of grape, peach, gingerbread, and milky tea. Good balancing acidity as well. Will easily hold for another 1-2 years. 88. Imported by Neal Rosenthal.

2007 Domaine de Colette RÉGNIÉ "Séléction Vieilles Vignes" (Beaujolais, France)

This is consistently one of my favorite estates for crisp, intense, refreshing old-school Beaujolais.

The 2007 has a beautiful, crystal clear dark ruby color. Pure, piercing nose of sweet cherries and plums, along with freshly-cracked stones -- but this emerges only after it's been opened for over an hour. At first, the nose was quite closed.


Silky-smooth textured in the mouth, but with nervous, bone-dry flavors of crisp cherry, loads of stony minerals, and bit of cracked black peppercorns. A very lively mouthful of wine. 87. Imported by Charles Neal Selections, I got this for $18.99 at Central Market.

(Non-vintage) Duval-Leroy "Rosé de Saignée" CHAMPAGNE (France)

This is one of my very favorite non-vintage champagnes year in and year out. It always has a gorgeous color, an accessible Pinot Noir-fruit driven nose, and good concentration, good balance, and persistent bubbles. This latest iteration did not disappoint.

Gorgeous pale salmon color with pink glints. Fresh, pretty nose of yeasty bread, minerals, cherries and tart apples. Crisp, dry, and full-flavored, with a long, zesty finish. I love this stuff. 90. Was $45 at Spec's on Smith a few months ago, but I think the price has gone up. (Why can Champagne defy the recession?)

2005 Casanova di Neri ROSSO DI MONTALCINO (Tuscany, Italy)

A very classy Sangiovese Grosso from southern Tuscany.

Dark black ruby garnet. Deep-toned nose of dark, earthy, macerated black cherries, incense, and smoky embers. Densely-fruited, but tightly-wound, it featured rich, dark cherry fruit, with loads of crushed stone and gravel notes. Full and bone-dry, with excellent acid balance. Lots of soft tannin still resides in the long finish. Drink over the next two years. 88. Was $25 and change at Richard's on Richmond just west of Chimney Rock. Sorry, forgot to note the importer.

2006 Finca Flichman MALBEC (Mendoza, Argentina)

Call this ridiculous value "Recession Red." $4.99 for a solid, well-made red with some real character.

Dark ruby garnet. Interesting nose of plums, sweet lemon juice, and angel food cake crust. Medium full-bodied, with medium intensity flavors of blackberry, brambly earth, and minerals, with a long, dry, slightly tannic finish. Drink over the next year. 86. Got is, as I said, for $4.99 on sale at Fiesta (Old Spanish Trail and Kirby), but I think the regular price is $5.99, which still qualifies as an excellent value.

(Sorry -- 2008 pictured).