1 | Wine | Page 407

"The dense purple-colored 2006 Madrona Ranch is extraordinary. Its nose of charcoal, espresso roast, blackberries, cassis, crushed rocks, and white chocolate is followed by a ripe, pure wine with a fabulous mid-palate texture (a characteristic of all these wines), and good balance as well as length."

"The 2010 “The Hall of Famer” Chardonnay is rich and delicious, and will pair wonderfully with salmon, poultry or pasta in a cream sauce."

A dry riesling from the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

"Represents a return to the velvety-textured, rich, sexy style most readers would associate with Pichon Lalande. This blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot no Petit Verdot was included in the final blend exhibits a dense purple color as well as abundant aromas of chocolate, coffee, cedar, black currants, and a subtle touch of smoke, a rich, savory, full-bodied mouthfeel, plump, fleshy fruit, and a superb finish." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Bright red. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes candied red fruits, rhubarb and allspice, with musky herb and vanilla nuances building in the glass. Offers an array of red fruit flavors that put on weight and gain spiciness with air. A floral note comes up on the finish, which clings with impressive tenacity and focus. I suspect that this wine will age nicely on its balance. But the way, the 2003 version of this wine is drinking extremely well right now."

"This Syrah shares an abundance of bold aromas including blackberry, plum, black cherry and baking spices combined with vanilla, white pepper and roasted meats. Full flavors of blackberry, blueberry and chocolate uniquely mingle with cinnamon,vanilla and a touch of toasty oak."

"Displays ripe, juicy blackberry mingled with resin, cinnamon, dark chocolate, vanilla, and clove, and underlain by beet root and a subtly present sense of forest floor. A vivid, tart berry edge and salted meat suggestions serve for invigoration and saliva inducement in a long finish. The alliance of sweet richness with levity and bright ping of acidity reflects the unusual proclivity of this site, where Bergstrom says “you can let the fruit hang as long as you want, and still come up with Burgundian pH numbers.” The flip side of that, he notes, is that the tannins can be aggressive if vines and young wine are not carefully monitored under that aspect; but in the present instance I find them fine-grained and well-integrated. Incidentally, apropos the youthfulness of so many of the vines in this site (roughly half were planted only in 2006), Bergstrom maintains that quality doesn’t have to suffer in the vine’s “adolescence” if the crop is managed tightly, and I suppose this wine makes that point pretty decisively!"

"Plush in texture and vivid in flavor, showing brilliant blackberry and spice character on a juicy, generous frame. The finish doesn't quit easily."