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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Darien Tempranillo 2008 Riojo Logrono, Spain This Spanish red rises to the roof of my mouth right away. There’s some pucker for sure, too much for me. I taste orange, currant, and leafy bitter greens. I don’t like drinking it; it’s not full enough or balanced enough for me. No nose to speak of.

McWilliams Hanwood Estates Shiraz 2008 Southeastern Australia Curry leaves and pepper come forward in the nose. The taste is interesting: cherry, not fully ripe, is foremost on the palate, but with a spicy tone that actually reminds me a lot of Trader Joe’s Cherry Cider. I can down a jug of that beverage in no
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