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October 1, 2000
15/20 points. Indian Springs, 1999 Viognier. Price @$15.00 through Indian Springs Wine Club. This wine will fool you. Very slight nose of citrus and lemon drop, but interesting flavors of lemon, apricot, and vanilla. This is one of the few Viogniers I've had that appears to be ripe! No flavors of grapefruit and the use of oak (vanilla) is well balanced with the acids and medium body. Almost a Chardonnay-like finish. Food really helps to "bring out" this wine.

October 2, 2000
16/20 points. 1998 Sonoma Creek, Sonoma County Chardonnay. Price $8.99 at Safeway. Ahhh, the wife is making chicken...again! Uh oh, no wine! Well, off to the local Safeway where I find this wine. Being familiar with their Cabernet, I grab a bottle. Definitely not a disappointment! The first thing out of the ordinary is the color. Not the normal straw yellow, this is tinged slightly green. A good nose of vanilla (nobody can go without oak!) but it is in balance with the herbal nuances. The mouth feel is just right, not too heavy or oily. The acids are a softer style, but do not make the wine flabby. The vanilla/herbal flavors follow on the on the palate but offer more complexity than you would expect from a wine in this price range. Well done!

October 3, 2000
18/20 points. 1994 Il Poggiolino Reserva, Chianti Classico. Price $25.00 at Mangrove Bottle Shop. I had some splurge money so I bought this for our next "spaghetti night". Dark red color, all the way to the rim. The nose is rather rustic with dried cherries and some sage. Great legs (I know, the new thinking is glycerin doesn't mean much but I disagree) with a full body. In the mouth, this wine comes alive! Very complex with more flavors than I can possibly describe, but I will try. Very perfumed flavors of sun dried tomatoes, olives, and sage to name a few. One of the best and most interesting wines I've ever had. If you can find this, buy it!

October 4, 2000
9/20 points. 1997 Round Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon, California. Price $5.98 at Winco. Dark cherry red color. Rustic nose of raspberry with a slight herbal character. Light bodied with light cherry flavors lead to drying tannins with a simple candied fruit finish. Not my style of wine, but may work with hot dogs and burgers on a summer afternoon.

October 5, 2000 - October 10, 2000
Thank you Robin Garr for the wonderful review of my homepage. I want to let everyone out there know that I appreciate all the wonderful responses I have received and I will answer them all next Tuesday when I return from a much needed vacation. I am very happy with all the positive feedback I have gotten from everyone. Be sure to check back next week for new reviews. Enjoy!

October 9, 2000
16/20 points. R.H. Phillips, 1998 EXP, Syrah. Price $10.39 at Costco. I'm baaaccckkk! One day early and no deer to show for it! Oh well, stopped off at Costco, again. Here's today's pick. Dark purple/red color. Nice dusty nose of blackberries and wood. These same flavors follow with more pronounced berries, white pepper, a hint of coffee. Chalky tannins round out this well balanced wine. Not a huge wine, but not a light and juicy style. This should go with fairly robust fare.

October 11, 2000
10/20 points. 1999 Louis Jadot Beaujolais. Price $6.39 at Costco. Of all the Beaujolais' I've ever had, this is certainly one of them! Better than the two previous years and less "grapey" than its American counterparts, this is a nice sipping while cooking dinner wine. Light red, almost verging on pink. Pleasant nose of cassis and well....dirt. Cherry cola with more earthy flavors follow with a slight raspberry finish. As with this type of wine, it is light bodied and very easy to drink.

October 12, 2000
15/20 points. 1999 Francis Coppola ,Diamond Series, Gold Label Chardonnay. Price $11.39 at Costco. Francis Ford Coppola Presents.....Chardonnay! ( I just had to say that). Ok, enough silliness. Straw gold color, verging on yellow. Not much of a nose, but in the mouth it's a different story. Pretty strong to oak, but it's in balance with the strong tropical fruit flavors and butter. I'm not much of a "oaked" wine fanatic, but this is very nicely balanced. It went very well with turkey and stuffing, which is something to consider with Thanksgiving just around the corner. A good food wine.

October 13, 2000
16/20 points. 1998 Robert Mondavi Winery, S.L.D., Sauvignon Blanc. Price $16.99 at Costco. S.L.D. stands for Stag's Leap District, an area know for very distinctly flavored wines. This is a very good "Blanc". Nice ripe nose of grapefruit and just a touch of oak. In the mouth it's very crisp with a very firm grip. Grapefruit, Citrus, and stone fruits round out the palate. The oak (vanilla) comes in last! Very nice wine, very food friendly, if a bit pricey. Would be a better bargain at $11-12 dollars.

October 15, 2000
17/20 points. 1997 Edgewood Estate, Napa Valley Chardonnay. Price about $18.00 at the winery. This was a pre-dinner wine we had at a relative's home. Cost was a "best" recollection. Yellow/Gold color. Distinct nose of peaches and minerals. Mouth feel right on the money with very good weight and viscosity. Flavors of peaches, nectarine, and smoke almost overwhelm, which is not a bad thing. Finishes with an almost golden raisin flavor. An absolutely first class wine.

October 16, 2000
13/20 points. 1998 Chateau De Saint-Lager, Brouilly. Price $7.99 at Trader Joe's. I took to heart some of your email and finally made it to a Trader Joe's. If you've never been to one and one is close to you, go! They are a budget minded shoppers dream. Well, on to what I found. Bright red and somewhat clear at the edge. Good fruity nose of cassis and minerals. Light bodied with almost nonexistent tannins. This is a candidate for light pre-dinner sipping. Decent flavors of cherries, earth, and wood follow. Finishes slightly herbal. Not bad for an $8.00 Burgundy. Oh, by the way, it's not Pinot Noir, but made with the Gamay grape.

October 19, 2000
19/20 points. 1996 E& J Gallo, Sonoma, Alexander Valley, Barrelli Creek Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon. Price $19.00 at Costco. Inky black color and red/purple at the rim. Thick nose of raspberry, blackberry, and forest floor. Thick bodied with smooth almost chalky tannins. Low in acid. Jammy cassis flavors on the palate dominate, but give way to notes of berries, briar, and plum. These flavors coat your mouth without being overwhelming. Absolutely a first class wine, and at under $20.00, quite unbelievable! One of the best red wines I've ever had in its price range.

October 20, 2000
11/20 points. 1997 Sequoia Ridge, California Chardonnay. Price $2.99 at Trader Joe's. Another Trader Joe's wine that I purposely chose because of its price. You'll have to excuse my "French" but it's color is piss yellow! I thought it might be oxidized but it proved not to be. Simple nose of oak and not much else. In the mouth, there's some melon and a decent amount of body. Not much here, but I've had worse for more money. It doesn't offend, so it may be good as a party beverage.

October 23, 2000
0/20 points. 1996 Gabbiano, Vino Rosso Di Toscana. Price $2.99 at Raley's. Sorry Guys, no points on this! I did not smell this before I drank it! Bad news! It's turned to vinegar!! Aghhhh! I found out the hard way.

October 24, 2000
8/20 points. 1998 Villa Sonia Valpolicella. Price $2.99 at the Food Outlet. I tried to find a "cheap" Italian Red, so I thought I would give this a try. Good dark red color, but almost no nose. Very slight aroma of raisins. Very light bodied with drying tannins. Teases with slight flavors of fruit (berry) but dies off immediately. Very short finish. Oh well, I tried.

October 26, 2000
16/20 points. 1998 Clos Du Bois, Sonoma County, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Price $10.99 at Costco. Medium dark cherry color. Cherries and earth on the nose. Medium bodied with almost mouth watering acids (good for food!) which are followed by flavors of berries, wood, and earth. Fairly long finish, but the mid palate tends to get a bit light. Tannins are rather lacking, which makes this a near term drinker. It's elegant and very nice for the money.

October 29, 2000
12/20 points. 1997 Meridian Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, California. Price $6.99 at Costco. Medium dark red color, somewhat clear at the rim. Rustic nose of bing cherries, alcohol (13.6%), and wet earth. Somewhat one dimensional palate of red fruits. Finishes slightly woody and hot. Give this wine about 1/2 an hour to "open up". It was very good with cheddar cheese and crackers. Don't let the score scare you away, it's just not quite balanced and the palate could have been a little more complex.