Colombelle, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, France 2006

Ansgar Clüsserath Riesling Kabinett, Trittenheimer Apotheke, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2005
Classically smoky nose. Ripe and fun, with a note of petrol mid-palate and ripe peach on the start and finish. Slightly sweet.

Georg Breuer “Charm” Riesling, Rheingau 2001
Breuer’s organic wines offer nuanced, subtle flavor complexities, and this 2001 (a wonderful German vintage) has aged ideally. Clean, with notes of lime and petrol.

Alois Gross Weissburgunder “Kittenberg,” Styria 1997
Another older Pinot Blanc, this one showing earth, spice and toast. Rich, but clean.

Prager Riesling Federspiel “Steinriegl,” Weissenkirchner Ried, Wachau 1997     
Too bad Austrian Rieslings aren’t more fashionable; we could easily fill this page with all the delicious examples we’ve tasted. The Prager is amazingly mature and complex due to its 11 years of aging. Soft, with flavorful citrus fruit notes. Very balanced.

Zind-Humbrecht Estate Pinot Gris, Alsace 2006
Wow – another show-stopper from one of our favorite wineries anywhere. Rich, with a smoked apple flavor, subtle spice, and well-integrated acidity. A great value.

Marcel Deiss “Altenberg,” Alsace Grand Cru 2002
Rich, viscous, slightly sweet, highly nuanced. A blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris.

William Fèvre “Champs Royaux,” Chablis 2006
Lovely, bright aromatics. Crisp and fresh on entry, with a note of lime zest. Touch of creaminess mid-palate offers a pleasant balance to the bright acidity. Comes together harmoniously on the finish.

Danjean-Berthoux “La Plante,” Givry 1er Cru 2002
Beautiful wine, showing deep coconut and stone fruit aromas. Clean, lemony and fresh on the palate, with the coconut lingering through the long, balanced finish.

Caillot “Les Folatières,” Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 2000
Beautifully complex and mature white, showing a viscous texture with layered flavors of vanilla, toast and lemon meringue.  

Domaine Grange des Rouquette Marsanne / Viognier, Rhône 2006
Offers a medium-plus body and relatively dry palate, showcasing the truffle-friendly earthiness of Marsanne and the alluring, floral notes of Viognier.

E. Guigal, Condrieu 2006
Exquisite Viognier from the Rhône’s top négociant. Beautiful balanced between stone fruit, citrus rind, minerality, and of course Viognier’s alluring lavender and floral aromas. 2006 was a third straight stellar vintage for this area of France.

Château Lafargue “Cuvée Alexandre,” Pessac-Léognan 2003
Delicious and classic white Bordeaux, showing a palate of tropical fruit, toasty richness and clean acidity. This wine offers great balance and is drinking well.

Colombelle, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne 2006
Gascony is known for producing flavorful, full-bodied wines. This blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc offers enticing floral notes on the nose, with a good balance of citrus and stone fruit, fresh acidity, and richness on the palate. Delicious with Chef Hannon’s sweetbread preparation.

Château Laffitte Teston “Ericka,” Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Sec 2005

A Coroa Godello, Valdeorras 2005
Unique and complex wine from the region of Galicia, in far northwest Spain. Lemon oil, roasted pepper and smoke on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied with notes of honey, nuts, and white pepper.

Do Ferreiro “Rebisaca,” Rias Baixas 2005
A blend of Albariño and Treixadura. Tropical; full-bodied, with nice acidity. Albariño is a nice alternative for fans of dry Rieslings, while the Treixadura adds more richness.

Villa del Borgo Sauvignon Blanc “Forchir,” Friuli 2005

Giovanni Almondo “Bricco delle Ciliegie,” Langhe 2004
Almondo’s renowned “Ciliegie” is melony, juicy and bright. The varietal is Arneis.

Terenzuola “Montesagna” Vermentino, Colli di Luni 2005
Made from Vermentino, one of Italy’s noble white varietals, this example is fleshy and herbaceous, with a note of pineapple on the finish. Tiny production.

Palazzone “Campo del Guardiano,” Orvieto Classico Superiore 2004
This wine has retained a lovely freshness while developing a complex palate during its three years in the bottle. Campo del Guardiano is Palazzone’s top-of-the-line Orvieto.

Arnaldo Caprai “Grecante,” Grechetto dei Colli Martani 2006

Vesevo, Fiano di Avellino 2005
This treat from the southern region of Campania showcases lemon and floral notes. Crisp, summery and just a touch of food-friendly herbaceousness. This is another food-friendly Italian white imported by Evanstonian Seth Allen (along with many of the other Italian, Austrian and South American wines on our list).

Ra Nui Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2005
Showing a more tropical fruit profile than our other New Zealand selections, the Ra Nui is very clean with notes of straw and grass. One of our favorite values on the list.

Cosentino “The Novelist,” California 2006
Bright minerality, with lemon rind and green apple notes. Good seafood wine. A blend of Sauv Blanc and Sémillon.

Chateau St. Jean “La Petite Etoile Vineyard,” Russian River Valley 2005
Deliciously balanced Sauv Blanc, showing ripe and lively citrus and pineapple notes alongside classic slate and smoke flavors. A great wine every vintage.

Eola Hills Pinot Gris, Oregon 2006
Fresh, lively orchard fruit on palate, with a nice slate and mineral element on the finish. Great pairing with our snapper preparation.

Wente “Riva Ranch,” Arroyo Seco, Monterey 2006
Buttery nose, while palate shows coconut and cashew flavors, balanced toast, and a clean, bright finish. Moderate oak. Wente is the oldest family-owned winery in Cali.

Solex, Sonoma / Santa Barbara / Monterey 2006
Citrusy, with a note of toasty spice. Showcases Chard’s natural depth and weight, while there is a nice contrast of fresh lemon, orange zest and minerality on the finish.

Prieuré de Montézargues, Tavel, France 2005
One of the most affordable wines from this elite rosé-producing region of southern France. Dry, with a hint of strawberry on the nose. Slightly smoky palate … rosés don’t normally age well but this wine is tasting great. A top value.

Heger Pinot Noir, Baden 2005
Nice red fruit notes, with a smooth texture, clean acidity and good underlying minerality. One of most significant German reds we have tasted. Pinot Noir is common in Germany, but the wines rarely find their way to our side of the pond.

Bouchard Père et Fils, Bourgogne 2005
Rotund texture, with plentiful ripe dark fruits offset by a pleasant bit of wood spice.

François Raquillet “Les Vasées,” Mercurey 1er Cru 2005
Deep color, with a perfumed, savory nose leading into a dry, meaty, smoky palate. Enough richness and dark fruits to pair with a variety of dishes while maintaining a clean, dry, classic Burgundian profile.

Bernard Amiot, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 1997
’97 was another great vintage for the region, and this wine has reached a peak of elegance and balance. Amiot is one of Burgundy’s best; his wines are earthy and clean.

Gros Frère et Sœur, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru 2002
Powerful yet subtle. This wine is made from young-vine Echezeaux and Grands-Echezeaux, two of Burgundy’s top Grand Cru vineyards. Earthy, with hints of dark berries, vanilla, white pepper and lilac. Decanting recommended.

André Brunel “Cuvée Sommelongue,” Côtes du Rhône 2006
From this top Rhône estate comes a medium-bodied, dry style of Grenache, with a spice-cabinet flavor and a hint of black currant. All fruit is estate-grown.

Château Les Grandes Mottes, Bordeaux Supérieur 1995
Holding up amazingly well – the color is still bold, and the acidity is clean and bright. Nose shows subtle, complex fruit notes along with a hit of cigar box. On the tongue, the clean fruit acidity is balanced by a touch of tannin and earth.

Château La Cardonne, Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2000
Enticing nose, with classic tobacco and spice notes. Brick red color. Palate is quite dry, with the tobacco showing on the mid-palate, and the spice moreso on the finish.

Domaine Durieu, Côtes de Ventoux 2000
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre from the up-and-coming area southwest of the Rhone (this wine is administratively part of the Rhone, but stylistically closer to Provence and the Southwest). This blend had just enough muscle from the Mourvèdre to last this long … the wine is mature and balanced, with notes of earth and black raspberry on the palate.

Dominio de Tares “Baltos,” Bierzo 2005
Soft, round palate, with bright cherry and notes of anise and earth. Very food-friendly. Bierzo is in the region of Léon, in northern Spain, where the Mencia varietal is grown.

Altos de la Hoya Monastrell, Jumilla 2006
Ripe, with dark fruits, but also a dry, smoky, full-bodied mid-palate. Monastrell is the same as the French Mourvèdre; Jumilla is a warm-climate region in eastern Spain.

Manincor “Cassiano,” Mitterberg Rosso 1999
One of our favorite red wine finds of late. A gorgeous Bordeaux blend, with great acidic and tannic structure to support the dark fruit and spice flavors. Showing ideally now.

Elisabette Geppetti “Le Pupille,” Morellino di Scansano 2005
Concentrated blackberry on the nose, but the palate shows a dryer profile, with smoke, velvety tannin and vanilla.

Boccadigabbia “Akronte,” Marche 2001

Boccadigabbia “Akronte,” Marche 2003
These are a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignons, showing rustic earth elements alongside well-developed flavors of dark fruits and balsamic. The 2003 has more ripeness of fruit and slightly more youthful tannin, while the 2001 has become more elegant and balanced with age.

Bonaccorsi “Val Cerasa,” Etna Rosso 2000
A wine that makes us smile! Made from a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante grapes grown in the foothills of Mount Etna, this wine is smoky and earthy on entry, then moves into a pleasant dark fruit flavor on the very clean finish. A mature wine that is drinking wonderfully right now.

Guenoc Petite Sirah, Lake County 2005
We love this Petite Sirah because it’s close to a Cabernet than a Zinfandel. The fruit is fresh berries instead of berry jam, while the acidity, spice and earth offer a good firm structure.

Babcock “Grand Cuvée,” Santa Rita Hills 2006
A soft, round style of Pinot that finishes with a pleasant kick of fresh berries.

J. Christopher, Willamette Valley 2006
Very pretty wine. Soft texture, with a good earthy balance, some bright red fruit, and nicely balanced acidity. Complex wine that offers a seamless palate experience.

Soter “North Valley,” Oregon 2006
Tony Soter is considered one of American’s top makers of Pinot Noir. This blend of vineyards from around the state is elegantly made and medium-bodied, with notes of exotic spices and smooth dark fruits.

Littorai, Sonoma Coast 2006
Wonderful Burgundian nose – meaty, salty and earthy – gives way to a well-balanced palate showing juicy black cherry, fresh acidity, and a nutty mid-palate.

Thurston Wolfe Syrah, Columbia Valley 2005
More of an old-world style here; a deep, complex nose leads into flavors of blackberry, earth and spice. Well-balanced and clean.

McCrea Syrah, Washington State 2003
McCrea is the winery that established Washington as a top area for growing Rhône varietals. This wine is round and fruity on the nose, but a hint of Mourvèdre adds a savory, meaty quality on the palate.

Round Hill, California 2005
An extra year of bottle age before release gives this wine a pleasant, approachable balance and mouthfeel. Nose is earthy and dry, while the palate has some roundness and bright fruit.

Frog’s Leap, Napa Valley 2005
A ripe, spicy nose leads into a very elegant palate, with bright friendly acidity, dark fruit notes, and some hints of wood spice. Finishes clean. Frog’s Leap is an organic winery.

Clock, California 2001
An interesting example of an older California Cabernet, for fans of mature wines. The wine has become light and is displaying lots of tart cherry, leather and velvety tannin.

Lot 205, California 2006
A soft, round style, showing dark berries around a core of earth and bell pepper. Plenty of cassis, blackberry round out the palate, along with a hint of mocha.

Martin and Weyrich “Etrusco,” Paso Robles 2003
Big, but balanced. Nose shows bright cherry, tobacco, and a hint of forest floor. The palate has a juicy blackberry note balanced by a pleasant acidity and soft tannin. This wine actually has 15% Sangiovese blended in, with the remainder all Cab.

Beckstoffer / 75 Wine Co. “Amber Knolls Vineyard," Red Hills 2005
Another great vintage for this Bordeaux-style Cab. The Beckstoffers use hillside fruit from the new appellation of Red Hills in Lake County, crafting a wine that shows beautiful depth of dark fruit notes, with tobacco and earth on the mid-palate.

Helix “Pomatia,” Columbia Valley 2004
Nose shows lots of black pepper, dark fruits, and red twizzler. Fruit is a bit more tame on the palate, which is full-bodied and shows well-integrated tannin. Big and flavorful.

Casa Silva “Collecion” Carmenere, Colchagua Valley 2003
Plum, chocolate, black pepper and toffee are hallmarks of Casa Silva’s beautiful Carmenere wines. An extra few years of bottle age has matured this wine gracefully.

Sticks Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley 2005
Light-bodied, elegant PN with notes of strawberry, black cherry, and a bit of toasty oak.

Rolf Binder “Hanisch” Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2001
Beautiful, elegant, soft, jammy. Plenty of juicy blueberry, with hints of cinnamon, vanilla, and a touch of rustic earth and cherrywood smoke.

Ernst Triebaumer Sauvignon Blanc Ausbruch, Burgenland, Austria 1995 (500 ml)
Hints of petrol and anise on the nose, with a rich, viscous texture that starts with strawberry but is surprisingly offset by a dryer, smoky finish.