Varietal:Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation:Israel, Galilee
Style:Red
Price:$26
WOW Rating:90
Observes Jewish wine critic Glenn Verk, “This wine receives 18 months of aging in French oak, and though unfiltered and a bit cloudy, the earthy nose is elegant and complex, though maybe not bone dry.”
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Varietal:Blend
Appellation:California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands
Style:Red
Price:$28
WOW Rating:92
“The blend is more Merlot based this vintage, though it traditionally starts out at 50% each of Cabernet and Merlot,” explains founder Edward Wallo. “It changes totally from year to year. Blending is the funnest thing each year.” A sniff reveals dark, earthy fruit aromas. The first sip offers blackberry, dusty plum, a bit of cedar, vanilla, jam and a long mineral finish. “We are one of the twelve original vineyards to be certified organic, since 1986,” says Wallo.
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Varietal:Shiraz
Appellation:Australia, Hunter Valley
Style:Red
Price:$30
WOW Rating:94
Inhale and enjoy lots of plum, with blackberry, black pepper, and eucalyptus or maybe mint. The nose is spirited and divine. Swallow from the glass and embrace the inky blackberry essence, the piquant black pepper, the vibrant mint, the earthy tar, and the gripping tannic structure. This important Shiraz demands attention.
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Varietal:Sauvignon Blanc
Appellation:California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands
Style:Dry White
Price:$14
WOW Rating:88
A crisp complex mix of bright citrus and delicate herbal, this white wine is well suited for most any food pairing. “We are one of the twelve original vineyards to be certified organic, since 1986,” says founder Edward Wallo. For more information, or to arrange to visit this winery (located about 100 miles north of San Francisco), go to www.yorkville-cellars.com. The vineyard is located in southern Mendocino County between Anderson Valley to the west and Alexander Valley to the east.
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Varietal:Blend
Appellation:New Zealand, Hawke’s Bay
Style:Red
WOW Rating:92
“Within this region, the unique micro-climate of Gimblett Road, in the lee of Roy’s Hill, is particularly renowned,” proclaims John Hancock, “Here, vines reach deep into the stony, free draining soil of the old Ngaruroro riverbed, sheltered from the prevailing Westerly winds, basking in an abundance of dry, warm weather. At Trinity Hill’s Gimblett Road Vineyards, the river stones gently release their heat long after the sun has set. This helps to promote perfect ripening of the grapes.
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Varietal:Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation:California, Napa
Style:Red
Aromas of green pepper corn, black fruit and a dash of pepper are followed by flavors of jammy blackberries, cassis, with bits of cedar in the long length. “It has a beautiful deep garnet color and an incredibly inky texture. Notice the overall bouquet of black berries, white pepper, toasty oak and a surprising note of jasmine,” says winemaker Chris Pisani.
Varietal: Albarino
Appellation:Spain, Rias Baixas
Style:Dry White
WOW Rating:88
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Varietal:Chardonnay
Appellation:California, Sonoma
Style:Dry White
Price:$15
WOW Rating:93
This Chardonnay exhibits ripe melon, mineral/limestone and lime/citrus in the nose. The sip presents a wine with restraint, though there is citrus marmalade and toffee. The Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay is bright, complex and beautifully balanced.
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Appellation:California, Sonoma
Style: Port
Price: $19
WOW Rating:91
This is a winery that has earned fame for the production of Cabernet. Their nearby neighbor is Silver Oak, the impossible to find and expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. The good news is that due to increased production, the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is very much an equal that is much easier to find.
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