Wines and Beyond

1 cent shipping ends 2/21. Promo code and details at Wine.com.Red Wine by Bodegas El Nido from Spain. The inky purple 2003 El Nido, which comes from 26-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines (70%) and 61-year-old Mourvedre (30%), was aged 26 months in new French and American oak barrels. It exhibits leathery, creme de cassis, and pain grille characteristics, additional tannin and body, and a formidable palate. A wine of extraordinary extract and richness, it will be a target for old timers and reactionaries who will feel it is too internationally styled, but it is an eye-opening wine from an area better known for large cooperatives and mediocre quality. It should evolve for 15 or more years. Well-known Australian winemaker, Chris Ringland, oversees the winemaking at this estate, fashioning intriguing reds with great depth as well as richness. These wines have broken all the parameters previously established by the backwater appellation of Jumilla. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Pichon-Longueville-Lalande from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. ...plenty of structure, wonderful sweetness, a closed style, but a rich, textured, persistent character... -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ceretto from Piedmont, Italy. A complex, ethereal bouquet with hints of dog-rose, violet and liquorice. With its caressing, dry taste, in the mouth this wine highlights the excellence in the range of Barbarescos. Though it is capable of exciting the taste-buds after just a year in the bottle, the sensations are sure to increase on ageing: we recommend 3 to 15 years.

Red Wine by Ch. Montelena from Napa Valley, California. This wine has a deep, dark color revealing its concentration and extract. Its room-filling fragrance is the pure essence of Cabernet, with ripe cassis and black cherry fruit and the signature earthiness of The Montelena Estate's complex soils. On the palate the wine is full and warm with ripe fruit flavors and layer upon layer of complexity. A velvety-soft texture is framed by a stylish tannic grip, ensuring drinking pleasure now and for many years to come.

Red Wine by Yalumba from Barossa Valley, Australia. The 2001 The Reserve is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Shiraz aged for 20 months in 70% new French oak hogsheads. From old vines with low yields, the wine is densely colored and glass-coating. It has a splendid bouquet of smoke, pencil lead, tar, espresso, blueberry, and blackberry. On the palate it remains an infant developmentally with full, ripe tannin, gobs of fruit, and great length. It needs a minimum of 10-12 years of cellaring and will drink well through 2040. - Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Beaulieu - BV from Napa Valley, California. Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot Georges de Latour is the classic, original Reserve California wine, reflecting many decades of experience with some of Napa Valley's most historic vineyards. This wine was aged for 21 months in oak. Hand-harvested fruit, whole berries, careful but vigorous extraction during fermentation and gentle handling throughout the winemaking process yield a stunning wine for the ages. The 2004 vintage of this extraordinary wine offers intense aromas of black fruits, mocha, toast and briar. It is full bodied, with rich, mouth-filling tannins and deeply concentrated black currant, vanilla and anise flavors. This vintage will require seven to nine years of aging to reach maturity, yet tastes fine now - an excellent example of the vintage.

Red Wine by Beringer from Napa Valley, California. Since 1981, when Winemaster Ed Sbragia first began blending the most expressive components from Beringer's best vineyards to craft the Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, he and Bob Steinhauer, vineyard manager at the time, worked steadily to identify Napa Valley sites that they thought could be developed into producing the rich, intensely colored and flavored Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that Ed requires for the Private Reserve. In 2002, Ed had six reserve-potential vineyards to draw from, choosing the best lots after vinification and aging for a well-balanced, full-flavored final blend. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate transition to rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate as ripe supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish. ...This wine is delicious yet promises to age gorgeously for 15-20 years. Ed Sbragia compares it to the 1992 which, by the way, is drinking superbly in 2005, but is one of those rare vintages that has never gone through a closed period. It's always a fascinating education to taste through these component parts, but the resulting blend that Ed Sbragia puts together, the extraordinary Private Reserve, is one of the great Cabernet Sauvignons of California and he has fashioned a succession of beauties since 1991... -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Monbousquet from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. A strong performance in a difficult vintage, the 2002 Monbousquet (60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc) reveals abundant aromas of espresso, sweet black currants and cherries, damp earth, compost, and new oak. It is a medium to full-bodied, fleshy offering with light tannin as well as a long finish. Drink it over the next 10-12 years. This is the home estate of Chantal and Gerard Perse, who have become the poster children for owners taking a less hallowed terroir and producing sumptuous, high quality wine. Readers should realize that Monbousquet is not meant to be cellared for 20-30 years. It is a beautifully made wine that has performed well in every blind tasting I have conducted, often out-scoring far more hallowed as well as expensive wines. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars from Napa Valley, California. Planted by the Warren Winiarski Family in 1970, S.L.V. achieved international fame when the very first harvest at the winery in 1973 produced a wine that astounded the wine world by triumphing over some of France's greatest wines in a 1976 blind tasting in Paris, now commonly referred to as the “Judgement of Paris. Thirty vintages later, S.L.V. continues to yield wines of classic elegance and structure. T his history-making vineyard and terroir is beautifully expressed in this 2003 vintage wine. Alluring aromas of cocoa powder and black cherry evolve alongside pretty floral tones and a hint of smoke. Flavors of chocolate, raspberry, and black cherry coat the mouth with a light touch of cedar and truffles that weave through the multi-layered structure for which S.L.V. is renowned. Time will take this wine to even greater heights, but it can be enjoyed now for those who appreciate the robust quality of its fruit

Red Wine by Pio Cesare from Piedmont, Italy. Ornato is the name of the estate vineyard owned by the Pio family in Serralunga d'Alba. Ornato is more modern in style than Pio Cesare's traditional Barolo, but still true to its roots. The characteristics of the soil, the microclimate and favourable exposure, allows the grapes to become extremely rich. Fermentation at a slightly higher temperature, together with skin maceration for 12 days, produces a wine with great soft tannins. The first Barolo Ornato was produced in 1985. Since then, it has only been produced in outstanding years. Barolo Ornato has a deep crimson red color and its nose exhibis intense fruit scents. On the palate, the tannins are fat and found, yet also mellow and elegant. Concentrated flavors of ripe fruit previal with subtle hints of tobacco, chocolate and pepper, culminating in a rich finish.

Red Wine by Yalumba from Barossa Valley, Australia. Yalumba The Octavius has established a reputation as one of Australia's icon Shiraz wines, an amazing feat considering the first release was the 1990 vintage. In addition to being sourced from a number of very old vineyards in the Barossa, The Octavius is matured in American oak octaves of 90 liters capacity. It is the only red wine in the world that is matured in such small barrels. The secret of the wine not becoming overpowered by the oak lies in the wood which is seasoned at Yalumba's own on-site cooperage for eight years before the octaves are crafted. Yalumba The Octavius 2003 is very dark, impenetrable, deep black purple red in colour. A fine nose of ripe dark fruits, plums, prunes and licorice exudes scents of violets, dark chocolate and espresso. A smooth, silky textured palate seamlessly integrates inky black berry flavours. Beautifully refined with supple tannins, this is a wine of outstanding poise, elegance and length.

Red Wine by Frescobaldi from Tuscany, Italy. A generous, multi-layered aromatic spectrum, veined with crisp nuances of menthol, followed by clean-edged fragrances of dark red berries, in particular blackberry and blueberry. Last to emerge are notes of rich spice, where elegant hints of black pepper and cinnamon predominate, capped by pungent tobacco leaf. It shows exquisite balance on the palate: a subtle weave of dense tannins integrates nicely with a full-bodied, beautiful structure, and a thread of crisp acidity acts as an elegant foil to its heady, opulent alcohol. It unfurls an almost endless finish that is complex and appealing.

Red Wine by Antinori from Tuscany, Italy. Extraordinary intense ruby red in color. Intensely fruity, more of cherry than cassis, with hints of toast, coffee and dark chocolate. Finely structured and complex; balanced, with soft tannins and a lingering finish. Displays unmistakable varietal flavor while retaining strong regional character. Guado al Tasso, meaning literally Badger's Ford, takes its name from a common sight at the estate of Tenuta Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, where it is produced. The vineyard is at an elevation between 44 and 58 metres (145 and 190 feet) above sea-level on stony, slightly calcareous soils. Tenuta Guado al Tasso is located 60 miles southwest of Florence, near the medieval village of Bolgheri, in an area known as the Maremma. The 900 hectares (2,223 acres) estate stretches up from the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the hills, and aside from extensive vineyards, also grows wheat, corn, sunflowers, tomatoes and olive trees. Guado al Tasso was first produced in 1990. All the vintages have been produced in limited quantities. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah and other red grape varieties.

Red Wine by Paolo Scavino from Piedmont, Italy. The Bric del Fiasc is noticeably deeper and richer, with notes of sweet dark fruit, tar and scorched earth. Made in a big, bold style, this is a powerhouse of a wine that has enough fruit to balance the tannins, although it is not for the faint of heart. As opposed to Cannubi which has loosely packed, sandy soils, at Bric del Fiasc the soils are more compact and thus retain water better, which helps give this wine a little more freshness, says Scavino. (90-93), 11/05 With his boyish enthusiasm it is hard to believe Enrico Scavino has a full 50 vintages under his belt. I started working at the family estate when I was a young boy, says Scavino. I remember the 1958 vintage in particular. We had a very cool spring and many vineyards were affected by peronospora (a fungal disease that can affect the vines). Flowering was irregular and the plants carried very little fruit. We made a rich, concentrated Barolo that year that was a huge hit with our customers. It was a great way to start, and I've been hooked ever since. -Wine Advocate 90-93

Red Wine by Ch. La Nerthe from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France - Rhone. Cuvee des Cadettes is a result of strict selections of the best Syrah, Grenache & Mourvedre Chateau La Nerthe has to offer combined with maturing in 100% small barrels. It is recognized as being among the finest bottlings of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Red Wine by Clarendon Hills from McLaren Vale, Australia. A black, sexy beast, the 2004 Syrah Brookman (aged in 50% new French oak) offers up amazingly full-bodied, intense, blackberry fruit intermixed with notions of roasted coffee, flowers, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied, rich, beautifully textured, opulent, and long, it should drink well for 10-15 years. It appears to be slightly more forward than it was last year. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Guigal from Rhone, France - Rhone. Only 200 cases made. A successful effort for the vintage, the 2004 St.-Joseph Vignes des Hospices exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a beautiful perfume of black raspberries, crushed rocks, flowers, licorice, and a hint of tapenade. Rich, medium-bodied, and concentrated, this is a stunning success for a vintage such as 2004. It should drink well for a decade. -Wine Advocate 90-92

Red Wine by Ernie Els from South Africa. Producing a wine made up of five Bordeaux varieties to reflect the unique diversity of the Stellenbosch terroir. This wine, made by cellarmaster Louis Strydom, is Ernie Els and Jean Engelbrecht's vision to produce an exceptional wine, reflecting their respective commitment to quality. Mediterranean with the rainfall ? 650mm per annum, the EE vineyards are located high up on the northern slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. This contribution imparts warmer fruit flavours to the wine. In summer, the vineyards' close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean result in cool sea breezes that keeps temperatures lower, extending the ripening period. Earthy and mineral, wild berries, mocha, this wine is forever changing in the glass. Firm tannins and French Oak seamlessly integrated, with dried fruit flavours that linger nicely on the slightly dry finish. Larger than life tannins will ensure good ageing. Decant! 2002 Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) Merlot (24%) Malbec (5%) Cabernet Franc(5%) Petit Verdot (5%)

Red Wine by Wolf Blass from Barossa Valley, Australia. Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz is the ultimate expression of their winemakers' masterful skills, showcasing a blend of the finest parcels of fruit from selected South Australian vineyards. Made in extremely limited quantities from low yielding vines, Wolf Blass Platinum Label is, quite literally, the pick of the crop, a wine crafted to epitomize the best of vintage, variety and vineyard. Wolf Blass Platinum Label 2003 Shiraz is deep purple in color. The lifted, fragrant nose shows spicy, ripe berry and dark chocolate characters. The palate is elegant, rich and concentrated, with complex layers of blackberry, freshly ground coffee and spice supported by integrated, smoky oak, a seamless, balanced structure and long, fine tannins. Enjoy with rare-roasted eye filet of beef, venison or kangaroo. This wine's aromas may well draw you in, black and electric with mineral tension. Then the flavor delivers with sliver-thin layers of earthy complexity. This is a wine for the long haul, its gritty Barossa power restricted by French oak aging. The potential is there, as is the polish to decant it now for lamb. -Wines & Spirits

Red Wine by Dom. de Beaurenard from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone. Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2006 - #19! Parcels of old vines 60-100 years in age, planted in soils of great character and complexity, provide the grapes for this wine. They are picked when fully mature and meticulously sorted by hand to further enhance concentration. These old parcels, in which different varieties are planted together, embody the symphony of 13 varieties, though Grenache predominates. Loaded with rich, dark layers of black currant, blackberry, truffle, tar, mocha and bittersweet cocoa, this pumps out both fruit and terroir on the gripping finish. Immense in scale and depth, this is hard to lay off now, but should be even more impressive when it drops its muscle to show more elegance (that will take a while though). Best from 2008 through 2030. 1,665 cases made. - Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Bialla Vineyards from Napa Valley, California. The label depicts an old stone structure which is believed to be the oldest house in Tiburon, CA. It is referred to in history books as the Castle. The house sits a few hundred feet above the San Francisco bay and commands a 180 degree view of the bay. In its golden days it was a distribution center for alcoholic libations during prohibition. It is complete with tunnels, hidden caves, and has been the home of actors, authors and entrepreneurs. Today, slightly improved for today's lifestyle, it is the residence of the Bialla family. All fruit in this fine Cabernet Sauvignon is estate grown. Bialla's goal is to spare no expense in making the finest wine possible, with a maximum production limit of 500 cases per year. This is a rich Cabernet true to Napa's world famous style. Look for dark fruits and hints of tobacco, with a nice long finish.

Red Wine by Clarendon Hills from McLaren Vale, Australia. Planted on quite sandy soil with a flatter gradient, the wine is early to ripen and always shows its characteristic raspberry/plum, blackberry fruits intertwined with mint and other herbs. A very voluptuous wine which is always a real crowd pleaser.

Red Wine by Allegrini from Veneto, Italy. Blend: 80% Corvina Veronese, 15% Rondinella, 5% Oseleta Allegrini Amarone is deep purple in color with a rich bouquet of dried fruit. Modern in style and very polished, it offers jammy aromas of ripe wild berries, candied fruit, chocolate, charcoal and cinnamon. Intense and super-rich, with chewy tannins, this wine is traditionally enjoyed with game, roasted and grilled meats, casseroles and well matured cheeses, but it is also recommended with Asian and Middle-Eastern dishes.

Red Wine by Yalumba from Barossa Valley, Australia. Yalumba The Octavius has established a reputation as one of Australia's icon Shiraz wines, an amazing feat considering the first release was the 1990 vintage. The 2002 vintage was exemplary. The weather remained mild and dry over the long ripening period - in fact the month of January experienced the lowest day temperatures on record. The end result was wines with great color, varietal flavors and intensity. Yalumba The Octavius Barossa Shiraz 2002 is vibrant deep ruby red in colour. Deep, dark, brooding aromas of plum, blackberry and chocolates are lifted by nuances of ground coffee, licorice, violets and cassis. Soft, velvety and sumptuous, the palate is a voluptuous concoction of blackberries, cherries, dark chocolates and creamy vanilla oak, all framed by tight knit tannins. The length is remarkable and the balance exceptional.

Red Wine by Grant Burge from Barossa Valley, Australia. With Meshach I am seeking the epitome of the Barossa shiraz style - a big, powerful, intensely rich and robust dry red with the potential to age for 20-25 years and develop enormous complexity. I regard this as the most complete Meshach I have yet released. It shows great length and huge intensity on the mid-palate, with a dry finish but not any sign at all of harshness. Made from vines in Burge's Filsell Vineyard that are nearly 100 years old, this is one of Barossa's gems. In this warm vintage it's ripe and gooey, dense with delicious cherry pie, blackberry and licorice flavors that persist through a long, glorious finish. Has depth and presence, a real candidate for triumph after long-term cellaring. Best after 2011. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Henschke from Barossa Valley, Australia. In 1912, Ronald Angas planted the sandy loam slopes of Mount Edelstone with Shiraz. Located high in the Eden Valley region this vineyard came to be known as Mount Edelstone meaning gemstone. The 90-year-old ungrafted dry-grown vines from this historic single vineyard are low yielding, producing a depth of color, concentration of flavor, length and maturity of tannins unique to old-vine Shiraz. Mount Edelstone has achieved a formidable reputation since its first vintage in 1952. Deep crimson in color. Sweet ripe plum, anise and blueberry aromas with earthy/dusty hints, gentle ferny characters, spicy cedary oak and eucalypt. Sweet, juicy and ripe on the palate with a fleshy texture, good structure and depth, firm ripe tannins and a long rich finish.

Red Wine by Giaconda from Victoria, Australia. The 2004 vintage was an exceptional year for reds; dry, cool weather produced wines that delivered power, finesse and complexity at much lower alcohol levels. In short, ripeness without sweetness, power without the heavy cloying hand of overripe fruit and alcohol. Warner Vineyard Shiraz is the outstanding red wine of the vintage. Superior in every way to those trail blazing shirazes from 2001 and 2002. This wine breaks new ground. Color: Deep, intense, vibrant with magenta to black hue. Bouquet: Brooding; aromas of black cherry. Sechzuan pepper, spices, smoked meats, briary forest floor notes and graphite erupt from the glass. Aromatically stunning. Palate: Powerful and savory; tightly coiled with fine savory tannins and acidity working in with the graphite characters to produce a tensile wine. An explosion of flavors at the end; black cherry, pepper, smoked meats and briar notes concluding with a lone dry savory finish. Bright-hued violet color. Explosive and utterly captivating on the nose, showing pure cassis, blueberry, wild strawberry, cola, sassafras, espresso, mace violet and magnolia. The palate displays a full range of shiraz (or syrah) flavors: blackcurrant, blackberry, candied cherry and plum, cured tobacco, smoked meat, roasted coffee-you name it. Sweet as can be but there's superb focus and energy, too. Finishes sweet, lush and long, with fine-grained tannins slowly emerging to provide grip and structure. -International Wine Cellar