Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Ch. Phelan Segur from St. Estephe, France - Bordeaux. Subtle yet rich aromas of currant, spice and smoke follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a long, flavorful aftertaste. Very thick, almost syrupy. Impressive. Best after 2010. -Wine Spectator The excellent 2003 has a deep ruby/plum color and asweet nose of creme de cassis, licorice, dried herbs, and earth. It is fresh, rich, savory, with velvety-textured tannins and a supple mouthfeel. It should drink well for up to a decade. This is a sleeper of the vintage. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch. Talbot from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Aromas of blackberry, currant and mineral follow through to a full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a chocolate and light vanilla aftertaste. Subtle and long. Caressing texture. Hard not to drink now. Best after 2010. -Wine Spectator From bottle the 2003 is showing as well as can be expected. A soft, sexy, near-term style of claret with a deep plum/ruby/purple-tinged color, a big, sweet nose of anise, creme de cassis, smoke, Provencal herbs, and some spice box, it is opulent, fleshy, not profoundly concentrated, but rich enough. Everything is nicely balanced with silky tannin and low acidity. Drink it over the next 12-14 years as this is a seductive wine. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Clerc Milon from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. This outstanding effort displays loads of cassis fruit interwoven with notions of espresso roast, white chocolate, and menthol. It possesses a terrific front end, good mid-section, and moderately high tannin in the finish. Approximately 15,000 cases were produced. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 90 points This finely structured wine offers good aging possibilities. But, for the moment, it has great acidity, juicy red fruits, solid tannins and a powerful new wood element that has come well into balance. Wine Enthusiast 90 Points

Red Wine by Beaulieu - BV from Napa Valley, California. The 2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry weaves five classic varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec - into an elegant, beautifully balanced wine. The deep, expressive aromas and flavors are filled with black cherry, briary blackberry, cassis, dark cocoa and cedar character. Pre-fermentation maceration, gentle punch downs in open-top fermenters and in-barrel malolactic fermentation all contributed to the wine's richly textured flavors. Beaulieu barrel-aged the wine for 20 months, with 70 percent new barrels, to add warm vanilla nuances. For even more complexity, they used a tapestry of different oak barrels; over half were French, with the balance being American, Hungarian and Russian. This wine makes a delicious complement to seared duck breast, mesquite grilled steak, filet mignon with shiitake mushrooms or roast lamb.

Red Wine by Rodney Strong from Sonoma County, California. Blend: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot Celebrating the esteemed art of blending, the spirit of Symmetry is the true essence of Sonoma County winemaking. With nearly 40 years experience growing classic French grape varieties here, Rodney Strong selects their best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other traditional Bordeaux grapes from mountain and hillside vineyards in Alexander Valley, where well-drained rocky soils combine with warm, sunny days and cool nights to provide ideal growing conditions. The 2004 Symmetry greets you with an opulent bouquet of blackberries, ripe dark plums and sweet spices. The wine opens generously on the palate with layers of blackberry, cassis and plum framed with accents of dark chocolate and spice. The finish is persistent and smooth. This wine is at once rich, harmonious, powerful, and elegant; a wine intended to be enjoyable on release, yet destined for years of further evolution in the bottle.

Red Wine by Vilafonte from South Africa. Series M. This wine is more Merlot based; still a blend, but using the Merlot, and Malbec with Cabernet to give it some backbone. It is more supple, more fruit forward; with silky texture in the mouth, good length, and very approachable and succulent. Merlot 41% Malbec 16% Cabernet Sauvignon 39% Cabernet Franc 4%

Red Wine by Chester-Kidder from Columbia Valley, Washington. Tasting Notes: Vibrant blackberry aromas are enhanced by hints of chocolate and mocha. Rich and complex, the mouth feel is round and balanced with lush, soft tannins. A lengthy finish lingers with a seamless impression of dark fruit. Vintage: Collectors who enjoy big, rich, fruit-forward wines will find Columbia Valley's 2003 vintage to their liking. This was one of Washington's warmest seasons on record with overall heat accumulation rivaling the high numbers posted in 1998. Temperatures were warm from June to August, allowing grapes to reach an exceptional level of maturity. In short, it was a wonderful vintage from start to finish. Winemaking: Chester-Kidder is a hand-crafted blend of classic red Bordeaux varietals and Syrah, styled for complexity and elegance. Fermented in small lots and aged 27 months in tight-grain French oak, winemaker Gilles Nicault and Long Shadows founder Allen Shoup, selected a diverse collection of Columbia Valley's finest vineyards to create a layered wine with ripe fruit character that is reflective of the vintage. Vineyards: The 2003 Chester-Kidder represents a diverse collection of select Columbia Valley vineyards, all farmed for low yields, resulting in a rich, multi-dimensional blend. Cabernet Sauvignon from the old vines at Sagemoor Vineyards, near Pasco, contributes complexity and deep flavors to the wine; Cabernet from Weinbau Vineyard on theWahluke Slope gives the wine rich tannins; Walla Walla Syrah adds dark, lush flavors.

Red Wine by Clos du Bois from Sonoma County, California. The introductory, 1978 vintage of Marlstone stands as the first release of a Bordeaux-style wine from Sonoma County. The release of the 2003 vintage of this wine thus marks the 25th anniversary of Marlstone, and is the first vintage of this historic cuvee which winemaker Erik Olsen has shepherded from vineyard to bottle. This wine's inky, deep, ruby color promises intensity and depth. Its generous nose reveals layers of aromas: from black cherry, vanilla, toasted oak and cedar to nutmeg, cinnamon, blackberry and notes of violet and sweet tobacco. Ultra-rich and round, this powerful, generous wine offers up ripe blackberry and black licorice flavors on the palate and a lasting, memorable finish.

Red Wine by Santa Rita from Chile, South America. This superb wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, three varieties originally from Bordeaux that have been carefully cultivated by Santa Rita. Triple C benefits from the best of both the Old and New World, combining the elegance of traditional grape varieties with state-of-the-art New World techniques. The specially selected grapes are grown at Santa Rita's Alto Jahuel Estate in Maipo Valley, Chile, approximately 40 miles from Santiago. Triple C represents a new style in Chilean winemaking, becoming a true expression of Chilean nature; complex and abundant. Blend: 55% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Carmenere

Red Wine by Ch?teau Dassault from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. Since being purchased by Bordeaux's well-known aircraft manufacturer, Dassault has gone from strength to strength. The fruit-forward, supple-textured 2004 offers abundant amounts of plum, black currant, and cherry fruit, medium body, silky tannin, low acidity, and an undeniably charming, sensual style. Drink it over the next decade. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 89 points Aromas and flavors of dark chocolate and light berry, with just a hint of mineral. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a delicate, fruity finish. Best after 2008. Wine Spectator 88 points

Red Wine by Franciscan from Napa Valley, California. Magnificat is a hand-selected blend of the vintage's finest lots of fruit. Every year, winemaker Janet Myers tastes hundreds of barrel samples to craft Magnificat, a wine as seamless and harmonious as the Bach masterwork it honors in name. This is the twentieth vintage. For Magnificat, our goal is simply to make the best glass of wine possible, says Janet. We pay no attention to variety percentages until we put the wine together. We can afford to do this because, frankly, our Merlot is as rich and concentrated as our Cabernet. In Oakville, that is saying something. Blend: 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc Appearance: Deep garnet. Aroma: Enticing aromas of dark cherry and black plum with a dark chocolate background and notes of sage and black tea. Appealing and complex. Flavors: Elegant, well-structured mouthfeel, with cherries, rich chocolate, black pepper and vibrant plum flavors filling the palate. Very supple, with fine texture and firm structure, giving an immediately approachable richness. The finish is a seamless continuation of fruit and cocoa-like tannins.

Red Wine by Seven Hills from Walla Walla Valley, Washington. Pentad vintage red wine, a Walla Walla Valley blend of five varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (13%), Carmenere (6%), Cabernet Franc (13%) and Malbec (13%). The intention with Pentad is change through time, shaping expansive flavor, complexity, and creation of an evolving sensory experience. Every care has been taken in the production of Pentad, to provide a transcendent wine that is both enjoyable and collectible. The 2003 is the most open at release of the three Pentad vintages released to date. It offers an inviting accessibility, accenting warm, ripe tones and expansive fruit characters. Red and blackcurrant dominate the nose, interwoven with tropical passionfruit and hints of blueberry. Sweet cooking spice and light notes of fennel and licorice round out the aroma. I find red raspberry, vanillin, light smoky notes by mouth. The structure is broad, balanced, and elegant yet very persistent and generous. Overall, a beautiful representation of the nature of this very warm vintage year. - Casey McClellan, Winemaker