Creamy vanilla nose with gobs of sweet oak. Smooth, delicious oakiness on the palate. Tons of vanilla. Pencil lead. Red fruit drives this, but it's a little simple. Not for everyone but I liked it. $17
Delicious black fruit. Slight heat. Medium oak, but fruit-forward. Honestly, fairly disappointing for a wine like this - it's very tasty, but it didn't move me.
Fairly shy nose - plummy dark fruit. Smooth, ripe, with medium oak. Rich. The acidity is odd - very acetic, borderline vinegary. I don't know if the bottle was slightly flawed, but it's a polarizing thing that I don't mind much.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin
Shy nose, with some heat. On the palate, rich, hot and fortified-tasting. Sauternes style. There's a very noticeable rubbery bitterness that distracts from this. $20/375
2008 Bodegas Montecillo Rías Baixas Verdemar 84 Points
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
Promising nose - ripe, with peaches, apricots and some herbal notes. Not as good on the palate - simple, lemony. Good acidity, medium body. $10
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NV Mont Marçal Cava Brut Reserva 87 Points
Spain, Cava
Leesy wet dog nose, a little herbal. Creamy, explosive effervescence that gets better after some swirling to tame it. Simple and tasty. $15
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2007 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas 89 Points
Spain, Aragón, Calatayud
Creamy vanilla nose with gobs of sweet oak. Smooth, delicious oakiness on the palate. Tons of vanilla. Pencil lead. Red fruit drives this, but it's a little simple. Not for everyone but I liked it. $17
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2005 Bodegas Felix Callejo Ribera del Duero Crianza Vendimia Seleccionada Flawed
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Dead bottle - oxidized.
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2005 Bodegas Felix Callejo Ribera del Duero Crianza Vendimia Seleccionada 89 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Shyish nose, with black fruit and olives. Smooth olive nose, slightly simple but tasty.
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2006 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Delicious black fruit. Slight heat. Medium oak, but fruit-forward. Honestly, fairly disappointing for a wine like this - it's very tasty, but it didn't move me.
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2006 Mas Doix Priorat Salanques 91 Points
Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
Fairly shy nose - plummy dark fruit. Smooth, ripe, with medium oak. Rich. The acidity is odd - very acetic, borderline vinegary. I don't know if the bottle was slightly flawed, but it's a polarizing thing that I don't mind much.
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2004 Domaine Cady Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin Les Varennes 83 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin
Shy nose, with some heat. On the palate, rich, hot and fortified-tasting. Sauternes style. There's a very noticeable rubbery bitterness that distracts from this. $20/375
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