Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Ch?teau Pichon-Longueville-Lalande from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2004 Pichon Lalande is vaguely reminiscent of the 1986 and 1988. Deep ruby/purple-tinged, with moderately high, firm tannin, a degree of austerity, plummy black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, smoke, and dried herbs, good freshness, and medium body, give it 2-3 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 15+ years. Robert Parker - Wine Advocate 90-92 Points Aromas of currant, flowers and berries follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fruity finish. Round and very caressing. Best after 2010. Wine Spectator 90 Points There is only one question about what is otherwise a magnificent wine - whether the current dominant wood flavors will soften and blend enough. If they do, then the powerful fruit, spice and freshness will all come together in a stellar wine. Wine Enthusiast 94 Points

Red Wine by Ernie Els from South Africa. Producing a wine made up of five Bordeaux varieties to reflect the unique diversity of the Stellenbosch terroir. This wine, made by cellarmaster Louis Strydom, is Ernie Els and Jean Engelbrecht's vision to produce an exceptional wine, reflecting their respective commitment to quality. Mediterranean with the rainfall ? 650mm per annum, the EE vineyards are located high up on the northern slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. This contribution imparts warmer fruit flavours to the wine. In summer, the vineyards' close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean result in cool sea breezes that keeps temperatures lower, extending the ripening period. Earthy and mineral, wild berries, mocha, this wine is forever changing in the glass. Firm tannins and French Oak seamlessly integrated, with dried fruit flavours that linger nicely on the slightly dry finish. Larger than life tannins will ensure good ageing. Decant! 2002 Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) Merlot (24%) Malbec (5%) Cabernet Franc(5%) Petit Verdot (5%)

Red Wine by Tua Rita from Tuscany, Italy. Stunning nose of rose petal, berries, sandalwood and licorice. Full-bodied, with ripe, rich tannins and a long, long finish. All there, and very exciting. 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot, 15 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Petit Verdot. Best after 2007. 2,300 cases made. -JS, Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Mount Veeder from Napa Valley, California. This fabulous mountain Cabernet blend is hefty in tannins, but its so delicious and balanced, it's totally dinkable now... - Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection This wine expresses the lush, concentrated fruit character of the Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the steep terraced slopes of our mountain estate. Refined tannins add texture and depth to the intense blackberry flavors of the wine.

Red Wine by Ch?teau Lascombes from Margaux, France - Bordeaux. The color is amazing, almost black with light purple glints. The nose is complex with layers of black fruits, such as blackberries, bilberries and black cherries as well as flowers and spices. The Cabernet Sauvignon, incredibly consistent in quality in 2004, brings finesse to the blend and gives Chateau Lascombes 2004 power and concentration on the palate while maintaining a delicacy and unctuousness that mingle well with a dense, tight-knit tannic structure of good pedigree. The finish is long and flavorful. Chateau Lascombes 2004 is definitely to be ranked among the greatest Margaux of this vintage. Another brilliant effort from this estate, the 2004 Lascombes (a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot) exhibits a deep blue/purple hue along with a sweet perfume of blueberries, black raspberries, cherries, incense, smoke, and spring flowers. While opulent, underneath the full-bodied richness of fruit and depth is a structured wine. As it sits in the glass, an espresso roast character (no doubt from new oak) also emerges. Enjoy this pure, structured, fleshy beauty between 2010-2025. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Monbousquet from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. From a mixture of sand, gravel, and clay soils, this unheralded terroir produces wines well-above its pedigree thanks to the extraordinary efforts of proprietors Chantal and Gerard Perse. The wines are given a 4- to 5-week maceration in both stainless steel and oak, and are aged sur-lie in new oak. The dark ruby/purple-colored 2003 offers up notes of smoky meats, melted licorice, jammy black cherries, spice box, earth, and cedar. This plump, fleshy, sexy, unfined, unfiltered wine represents a classic blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. -Wine Advocate An intense ruby-red colour. Delicate woody aromas with notes of toast and ripe fruit. In the mouth the attack is supple and full, the tannins refined and the structure very aromatic. The red fruit comes to the fore - blackberry and cherry. Excellent concentration and a fresh finish with good aromatic return of the fruit.

Red Wine by Mount Veeder from Napa Valley, California. Mount Veeder was the first winery in California to have one vineyard planted to all five Bordeaux varietals. The Mount Veeder Reserve is an elegant statement of the winemaking philosophy that blending creates a wine more than the sum of its parts. Crafted from small lots of exceptionally concentrated fruit from our three ranches, this distinctive red wine is the essence of power and finesse. Blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 3% Malbec Appearance: Dark garnet red Aroma: Very dense and brambly. The dark black fruit is complemented by sweet anise, sage, bay and toasty oak notes. Flavor: Rich, supple and dense, loaded with dark blackberry fruit and ripe mountain tannin. Chewy, big-boned and intense, the flavors fill the pallet and continue with blackberry and coffee notes rounding out the long finish.

Red Wine by Ch?teau Ducru Beaucaillou from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. One can't say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien. An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate 93 points

Red Wine by Casa Lapostolle from Chile, South America. Grape Varieties: 84% Carmenere-Merlot, 16% Cabernet Color: Deep ruby with purple shadows. Nose: Very fresh and intense pure fruit. Aromas of ripe blueberries and concentrated black fruit dominate on an inviting, full and complex nose. Mouth: Plum on the palate, with toasty oak supporting firm acidity and integrated tannins. An elegant, well balanced, wine with deep, rich fruit, fine polish and a long finish.

Red Wine by Chateau St. Jean from Sonoma County, California. Just beautiful California claret. -Wine Enthusiast Cinq Cepages (Five Varieties) is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. Each component is aged separately for two years in small French oak barrels (56% new) before blending. Once the wine is assembled, it spends six months in the bottle before release. Fruit for this Cabernet Sauvignon was selected from the finest Bordeaux variety vineyards in Sonoma County: 60% from Alexander Valley, 15% from Sonoma Valley, 15% from Knights Valley, 6% from Russian River Valley and 4% Dry Creek Valley to assemble a wine that showcases Sonoma County. The Alexander Valley grapes highlight bright berry with back notes of dried herbs, while the Sonoma Valley fruit is from the St. Jean Estate Vineyard, and brings black and dense mountain fruit to the blend. The Knights Valley fruit adds a firm mouthfeel and pronounced tannins and the Dry Creek Valley grapes tend toward dark, dense black cherry and berry fruit flavors with a rich mouthfeel. The Russian River Valley brings exotic aromas and lush textures to complete the blend. A classic Cinq Cepages, the 2003 vintage offers the signature chocolate-covered cherry and boysenberry aromas that have come to define this flagship Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. Lush, elegant and gracefully balanced, the wine delivers sweet plum and dark berry flavors and an exotic floral note that wraps around big, juicy tannins. This highly concentrated wine has beautiful oak integration and a lushness throughout that leads to a lingering finish.

Red Wine by Chateau St. Jean from Sonoma County, California. Cinq Cepages (Five Varieties) is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (9%), Cabernet Franc (7%), Malbec (4%), and Petit Verdot (3%). Each component is aged separately for two years in small French oak barrels (47% new) before blending. Once the wine is assembled, it spends six months in the bottle before release. Inviting aromas of boysenberry and violet define the nose of this flagship Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. A rich and dense entry begins with layers of black raspberry, mocha and hints of blueberry. The palate offers a graceful balance between fruit extract and fine-grained tannins. This deep, concentrated wine has a classic Cinq Cepages structure with beautiful oak integration and a lushness throughout that leads to a lingering finish. - Margo Van Staaveren, Winemaker

Red Wine by Ch?teau Gruaud Larose from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Well done. Good, dark color to this '99, with lots of plummy, berry and cassis character. It's medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Best after 2004. -Wine Spectator