Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Covey Run from Columbia Valley, Washington. The 2004 Covey Run Cabernet Sauvignon is a deeply colored, aromatic wine with a supple mouthfeel and flavors of cherry, berry and spice. Food pairing suggestions: This Cabernet Sauvignon, with its rich, fruit flavors, makes a great complement to a variety of dishes - from medium-bodied to hearty entrees. Try serving this wine with standing rib roast, grilled steak or burgers, lamb shanks, short ribs, sharp cheeses and chocolate.

Red Wine by Covey Run from Columbia Valley, Washington. Blend: 97.5% Merlot, 2.5% Malbec The dark red color, cherry fruit and warm, smoky toast flavors apparent in this wine are all trademark descriptors for Washington Merlot. This vintage is attractively fruity with a medium ruby color. The 2004 Merlot pairs well with cheeses, roast meats, mushroom dishes or other rich, hearty fare.

Red Wine by Feudo Monaci from Southern Italy, Italy. Ruby red, ethereal nose, characteristic and intense. Warm, lingering taste, smooth, full and harmonious. Food Match: roasts, pizza, grilled meats. Blend: 80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasio nera.

Red Wine by Borsao from Spain. Refined nose of red fruit with a hint of blueberry. Spicy with vibrant acidity.  Has a sense of both elegance and verve. Great food wine. Slightly more intense than the Vina Borgia (and priced $2 higher) is the 2005 Borsao, a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Tempranillo. This stainless steel-fermented, deep ruby-hued effort displays plenty of sweet black cherry, strawberry, and raspberry fruit, a hint of black currants, medium body, silky tannin, and wonderful ripeness. The word is “BUY!” Drink it over the next year. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Oxford Landing from South Australia, Australia. Oxford Landing Shiraz 2005 is deep purple red in colour with hints of ruby. Lifted notes of red berry fruits and plums on the nose with hints of white pepper and anise. Layers of raspberry and cherry fruit lead to a generous mid -palate. Soft tannins complement the length of fruit flavour and the mid palate fruit sweetness.

Red Wine by Protocolo from Spain. Made from 100% Tempranillo, the 2004 Protocolo Tinto, from relatively high elevation (2,700 feet) vineyards planted on both limestone and clay, reminds me of a tasty, straightforward French Cotes du Rhone. Notions of roasted herbs, pepper, and black cherries jump from the glass of this medium-bodied, straightforward, satisfying, well-made, dry red. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years. - The Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Beauzeaux from California. There are eight different varietals present in the 2005 Beauzeaux Red Wine, and each requires its own combination of soil, climate and conditions. We sourced our grapes from a variety of regions in California to make the best blend. The Central Coast vineyards produce a striking minerality, while the North Coast vineyards provide dark fruit flavors and a touch of spice. We included fruit from these areas in the 2005 Beauzeaux. The 2005 vintage began with an unusually wet and cool spring. August brought heat and a cool autumn followed. Harvest was completed just before Thanksgiving, one of the longest harvests on record. The 2005 vintage shows exceptional quality, and we expect it will be one of the best of the decade. Blend: 68% Zinfandel, 21% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, 3% Charbono, 2% Lagrein, 1% Valdiguie, 1% Grenache, 1% Tempranillo.

Red Wine by Bodegas Castano from Spain. Excellent example of the Monastrell grape in its early years. Intense aromas of black fruit (plums) and less ripe red fruit (cranberries, mulberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants). On the palate it is fruity and fresh, and alive with tannins which leaves a pleasant aftertaste. The 2005 Monastrell is an insane value produced from three vineyard sites ranging in age from 40-60 years. Opaque purple-colored, it gives up fragrant aromas of blue fruits, plums, and prunes. Ripe, layered, and full-flavored, this hedonistic effort can be enjoyed now but will surely evolve for 2-3 years. Match it with beef and lamb. -The Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Calina from Chile, South America. On the nose, the wine has a straightforward Cabernet Sauvignon character where cherries, plums and hints of mint are finely integrated with the oak. The structure and mouth-feel show its potential, with soft and ripe tannins together with a touch of oak that leads to a complete and lingering finish.

Red Wine by La Vieille Ferme from Rhone, France - Rhone. This blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault has produced a typical Rhone style. Full of fruit and spice aromas, it has soft tannins and good body. Produced by the Perrin Family of Chateau de Beaucastel fame.

Red Wine by Santa Rita from Chile, South America. Spends an average of eight months in small French and American oak barrels, resulting in an exceptionally round, mouth-filling wine. Ripe cherry and currant flavors, with a velvety finish. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Surprisingly powerful and rich in fruit for its price, this offers black currant and cassis over youthfully rustic tannins. Give it some pork. -Wines & Spirits Value Picks

Red Wine by Smoking Loon from California. Brilliant garnet color with a seductive rose petal green tea aroma. The palate is ripe with heavily extracted cherry and strawberry flavors with a slight astringency akin to pomegranate seeds. This very generously fruit driven wine is a must with smoked game hen with bitter greens or wild salmon with a rich bearnaise sauce and roasted beets with a champagne vinaigrette.