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Schug, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2008
Michael Apstein
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January 12, 2010
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 At the recently concluded San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, my panel awarded this wine a Gold Medal and selected it as the “Best of...
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Santa Carolina, Rapel Valley (Chile) Carmenère 2008
Michael Franz
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January 12, 2010
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 This very solid wine offers lots of flavor and fun for the money.  Although it is a bit simple, with dark-toned fruit that is...
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Terrapura, Central Valley (Chile) Carmenère 2008
Michael Franz
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January 12, 2010
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 This is a terrific example of how good Carmenère can be–even at relatively low price points.  Although the wine is big and robust in...
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Louis Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2008
Michael Franz
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January 12, 2010
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 For years I’ve been openly dismissive not only of Beaujolais Nouveau, but also of most other bottlings from Beaujolais, which are frequently grapey and...
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Santa Digna, Central Valley (Chile) Carmenère 2008
Paul Lukacs
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January 12, 2010
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 Showing the varietal’s tell-tale hint of green, weedy herbaceousness, this Carmenère also offers plenty of ripe, plum-like fruit, so certainly never seems raw or...
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Cono Sur, Colchagua Valley (Chile) Carmenère 2008
Michael Apstein
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January 12, 2010
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 Carmenère, a variety formerly popular in Bordeaux, has found a new home in Chile, where it flourishes.  This mid-weight wine has an appealing spice...
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Fetzer Vineyards, California (United States) Chardonnay 2008
Michael Apstein
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January 12, 2010
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 Fetzer, which made its name with well-priced wines, continues to do so with this bargain priced Chardonnay. Not an overdone style, it manages a...
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Celler el Masroig, Montsant (Catalonia, Spain) 2008
Paul Lukacs
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January 12, 2010
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 A delicious full-fleshed but still supple wine, made predominantly with Carignan along with a dash (10%) of Grenache, this new-styled Spaniard avoids tasting excessively...
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Fondo Antico, Sicilia IGT (Sicily, Italy) Nero d’Avola 2008
Michael Apstein
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January 12, 2010
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 Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s best known indigenous red grape, makes a spectrum of wines from simple and fruity to one with smoky earthy components.  This...
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La Crema, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2008
Paul Lukacs
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January 12, 2010
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 This wine, released only a year or so after the grapes had been harvested, tastes so young that its disparate parts don’t yet fit...
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Inkberry, Central Ranges (New South Wales, Australia) Shiraz – Cabernet 2008
Michael Franz
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January 5, 2010
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 A 60/40 blend, of Shiraz and Cabernet, with deeply pigmented fruit that lives up to the wine’s name, this is a wine that announces...
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Notime, Navarra (Spain) Tempranillo 2008
Michael Franz
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January 5, 2010
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 Fresh and juicy, this wine showcases the delicious flavors of Tempranillo without a lot of earthy or oaky notes.  That means that it is...
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