Re: Wine and dinner
Here's some great domestic wines under $20.
Winery: Buehler Score: 93
Wine: Zinfandel Napa Valley 2003 Highly Recommended
Price: $15
Country: California
Region: Napa
Issue: Oct 31, 2005
Amazingly plush and supple, with a flow of ripe blueberry, blackberry, plum and wild berry fruit that goes down easy. Hints of pepper, spice and cedar flavors linger in the background, letting the fruit shine through. Drink now through 2008. 1,200 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Cliff Lede Score: 92
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2004 Smart Buys
Price: $18
Country: California
Region: Napa
Issue: Aug 31, 2005
Vibrant and pointed, with wonderful concentration to the rich passion fruit, grass, hay, floral and lemon peel flavors. Stays deft and crisp, with a wash of palate-cleansing acidity along with a measure of harmony and finesse. Drink now through 2006. 1,140 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Novy Score: 92
Wine: Syrah Sonoma County 2003 Smart Buys
Price: $19
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Jul 31, 2005
A bold, rich, dark-hued wine, with roasted plum and juicy blackberry and boysenberry. Turns thick and plush at midpalate and finishes with a gush of fruit, smoky toasty oak and a touch of heat. Drink now through 2010. 1,116 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Rosenblum Score: 92
Wine: Zinfandel Paso Robles Richard Sauret Vineyards 2003 Highly Recommended
Price: $19
Country: California
Region: South Coast
Issue: Jun 30, 2005
A delicious young Zin, with layers of ripe, zesty blackberry, boysenberry and wild berry shaded by toasty oak. Plush, rich aftertaste. Drink now through 2009. 7,029 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Buehler Score: 91
Wine: Chardonnay Russian River Valley Reserve 2002 Price: $20
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Jul 31, 2005
Plump, ripe and fleshy, with a complex range of pure Chardonnay flavors built around apple, pear, spice and a hint of mint that offers a shade of anise. Keeps its focus and finishes with a lingering aftertaste. Drink now. 300 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Ferrari-Carano Score: 91
Wine: Fumé Blanc Sonoma County 2004 Smart Buys
Price: $15
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Jul 31, 2005
A terrific, stylistic effort. Vibrant and lively, with a delicious mix of orange rind, grapefruit, fig compote and subtle grass tones. Lemon blossom and tart quince flavors keep pumping out the intensity through the finish. Drink now through 2007. 30,000 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Kenwood Score: 91
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County 2004 Smart Buys
Price: $13
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Jul 31, 2005
Tangy, with high-toned lemon-lime, grapefruit, fig and peach flavors. Already harmonious, with a bright vibrancy that will complement food. Kenwood's at the top of its Sauvignon game. Drink now through 2007. 78,000 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Ledgewood Creek Score: 91
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc Suisun Valley 2004 Smart Buys
Price: $10
Country: California
Region: Other California
Issue: Nov 15, 2005
What an exciting Sauvignon Blanc. Fragrant, with orange blossom, lemon-lime and grassy flavors that are intense and vibrant, picking up a green apple and tart citrus edge. It keeps pumping out the concentration through the finish. Drink now through 2007. 250 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: LinCourt Score: 91
Wine: Syrah Santa Barbara County 2003 Smart Buys
Price: $20
Country: California
Region: South Coast
Issue: Sep 30, 2005
This wine offers a wonderful array of ripe, fleshy wild berry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit that's intense, concentrated and impeccably balanced and finishes in a long, pure aftertaste. Best from 2006 through 2012. 1,058 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Carrefour Score: 90
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2004 Price: $16
Country: California
Region: Napa
Issue: Aug 31, 2005
Intense, complex and concentrated, with vibrant sweet pea, green fig, grass, floral and grapefruit notes, the flavors lingering on the finish with a lemony vibrancy. Drink now through 2006. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 340 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Chateau Souverain Score: 90
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley 2004 Smart Buys
Price: $14
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Jul 31, 2005
Tight and concentrated. Slowly unfolds to reveal a medley of rich grass, lemon-lime, fig and floral character, with a citrus tanginess lingering on the finish. Drink now through 2006. 9,468 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Eola Hills Score: 90
Wine: Syrah Columbia Valley-Oregon Reserve 2000 Price: $20
Country: Oregon
Region: Oregon
Issue: Jun 30, 2005
Tastes a bit like a Barossa (Australia) Shiraz, with its tarry, licorice-scented cherry, dark raspberry and plum flavors lingering on the remarkably clear-headed, open-textured finish. Drink now through 2010. 500 cases made. (HS)
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Winery: Gordon Brothers Score: 90
Wine: Merlot Columbia Valley 2002 Smart Buys
Price: $15
Country: Washington
Region: Washington
Issue: Aug 31, 2005
Smooth and rich, a plush mouthful of sweet cherry, dried currant and dusky spice flavors that linger on the silky finish, hinting at sage as the wine persists. Drink now through 2009. 2,561 cases made. (HS)
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Winery: Barnard Griffin Score: 90
Wine: Merlot Columbia Valley 2003 Smart Buys
Price: $19
Country: Washington
Region: Washington
Issue: Oct 15, 2005
Fresh, generous and appealing for its pretty currant and blueberry aromas and flavors, remaining polished and juicy through the extended, gently spicy finish. Drink now through 2010. 5,600 cases made. (HS)
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Winery: Morgan Score: 90
Wine: Chardonnay Monterey 2003 Smart Buys
Price: $20
Country: California
Region: Bay Area/Central Coast
Issue: Sep 30, 2005
A touch floral and leafy in the aroma, but very rich and complex on the palate, with concentrated apple, pear, melon, spice and citrus notes all adding to the flavor range; the acidity gives the finish a lively edge. Drink now. 10,300 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Sebastiani Score: 90
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2002 Smart Buys
Price: $17
Country: California
Region: Sonoma
Issue: Oct 31, 2005
This skillfully balanced wine combines ripe, fleshy Cabernet fruit with light cedar and mocha-scented oak, letting the currant, plum and black cherry fruit shine through. A delight to drink now and over the next few years. Drink now through 2009. 52,000 cases made. (JL)
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Winery: Three Rivers Score: 90
Wine: Gewürztraminer Walla Walla Valley Late Harvest Biscuit Ridge Vineyard 2003 Price: $12
Country: Washington
Region: Washington
Issue: Oct 15, 2005
Sweet but succulent, with lovely rose petal and orange peel overtones to the sweet pear and honey flavors, lingering well. Drink now through 2010. 536 cases made. (HS)
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Winery: Viento Score: 90
Wine: Syrah Columbia Valley Cuvée R 2003 Price: $20
Country: Washington
Region: Washington
Issue: Oct 15, 2005
Rich and generous, with a lively balance of just enough acidity to keep the smoky plum and cherry flavors rolling through the long, peppery finish. Drink now through 2010. 150 cases made. (HS)
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