Martine Galhoune Moulin 2010 Pinot Noir France Nectarine. The nose of this wine is full of nectarine. It’s thin-bodied, fun to drink, and a welcome shift from the overly dry wines I’ve had lately. I’d call this one medium dry. It has vanilla, spice, nectarine, chocolate, and cherry all balanced well together. The MGM 2010
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Bogle Merlot 2009 Graton, CA   This wine strikes me as smooth right away. It’s full of bright fruit, but not tart fruit like so many bottle I drank over the past two months. The main notes are strawberry and a juicy, juicy plum with subtle spice and vanilla.   I enjoy how unobtrusive and
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Gaetano D’Aquino Chianti 2010 Italy Normally, I’m a big fan of chianti because it’s mellow in a way that it makes mellow seem like an art form. This one’s not there. It smells sharply herbal with a tart berry undercurrent of currant or cranberry. It’s tart on drinking, too. There’s almost a fizz to it,
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Sombras del Sol 2009 Carmenère Valle Central, Chile The nose of this red wine is cayenne, allspice, and cardamom swimming in a medium of tart berries. That fruit is much more prominent when drinking. The wine is warming and on the thinner side of medium-bodied. Just-ripened blackberries dominate the palate until the spices kick in,
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Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley, CA This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. One sip at the Trader Joe’s tasting table, and I was sold on it being worth the $9.99 (hey, that’s expensive for TJ’s wine!). The nose is very appealing, with a scent of warmed spices and vanilla
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Arge & Tina Malbec 2009 San Juan, Argentina Who can resist a pun like this wine’s name? Mr. Gourmez won this bottle of wine at a trivia game—hooray, free wine! Nail polish and heavy spice meet my nose, but I’ve found a nail polish smell does not always make a nail polish wine. Tobacco is
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Castillo de Monseran Garnacha 2006 Cariñena, Spain The nose of this Spanish wine is full of spiced strawberries. When drinking, the strawberry is joined by raspberry and a helping of twigs from the bushes, giving it a nice, earthy quality. The spice is still there but not as strongly as in the nose. It’s highly
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Tres Pinos 2009 Red Wine San Luis Obispo, CA This wine is from my stomping grounds, though I didn’t know much about wine back when I stomped there (that’s only been marginally improved). There is a sharp cranberry smell followed by the lush scent of fresh, moist dirt—a great nose, as far as I’m concerned.
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2 Copas Red 2009 Mendoza, Argentina The spice of this tempranillo and malbec blend comes on too strongly at first but quickly mellows as I drink it (isn’t that somehow always the case?) Raspberries and strawberries round out that very spicy profile, which may be extra strong because it tastes young. Cardamom and vanilla come
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Novella Synergy 2008 Paso Robles, CA This is a very smooth blend of bunches of varietals. The nose smells richly of ripe strawberries and blueberries. There’s a hint of spice. It’s a lightweight wine and easy to drink. Tannins are light, and the strawberry is in full effect when sipping, with a small amount of
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