2004 Amber Knolls Vineyard Cabernet

This Cabernet from the "Red Hills Appellation" packs a real punch. The aromas of sweet cherries and a hint of flint and oak bring this little number to life. A mouthful of wild berries and a hint of vanilly-oak push this bad boy over the top. For $18-$22 per bottle, I was not expecting the depth of this bottle. A good many Cabs in this price range are either oak-bombs, watered down or too fruity for my palate, but this one delivers. I recall purchasing 3 bottles of this wine a year or so ago. After opening the first bottle, my immediate impression was that I opened it too early. Still needed time in the bottle. I was right. I'm kicking myself for giving a bottle away to a friend...now my collection is depleted of this gem. You can bet that I'll be calling around today to see if I can find anymore of the 04 vintage. As my buddy Rigby would say.."this wine is big"

I rate this wine 8.0 BigBecks out of 10...Quality/value/price ratio is high on this one.

07 Diseno Malbec (Argentina)

A good effort for an inexpensive Malbec. Floral tones and a hint of tobacco on the nose. The tannins are a bit forward, but settled down after the wine was allow to open up for about 30 minutes. The tannins should also smooth out over time in the bottle. If you like drinking Shasta "black cheery cola" with your Hershey bar, you will appreciate this wine. I would recommend serving this wine with any type of grilled meat. This is not a "sipping by the fire in your smoking jacket" bottle of Malbec, but what do you expect for a $10-$15.

I rate this wine 6 Bigbecks out of 10

Beck

06 Husch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

Brilliant aromas of Bing cherries and cola spark the nose on this Anderson Valley treat. Raspberries and a hint of oaken vanilla bring this Pinot to life. As most of my follows can tell, I am very partial to Pinots from this region. I have tried many and have not been disappointed in any of them. This Husch is no exception. Drinks well and has cellar potential. I would recommend decanting this wine for at least an hour prior to serving. It grew and grew in flavor over time. My only hesitation is the price on this one. At $25-$30 per bottle...may be better quality Pinots from Anderson Valley in that range. I would recommend purchasing 4 bottles and try one a year over the next 4 years to see how the wine grows over time.


I rate this wine 6.95 BigBecks out of 10.

06 Melipal Malbec

A brilliant nose of tobacco, vanilla and a hint of mixed berries brings this wine to life before tasting even begins. This is a lush, velvety wine that stays with you on the back palate for a good while. Like most Malbecs, the juice is inky-maroonish like in color. The grapes were harvested from 85 year old vines which is special in itself. An easy drinking wine that does not need food to be enjoyed. For about $12-$18 bones, a real steal without breaking the weekend budget. Should drink well now until 2010.

I rate this wine 7.85 Bigbecks out of 10.

Beck

2004 Meyer Family Cellars Syrah

This Mendocino County Syrah is a wonderful mouthful of vanilla bean, crushed raspberries and blueberry pie. The tannins are present, but are so smooth that you may miss them. This fruit was carefully aged for 25 months in mainly American Oak barrels which is where the vanilla comes from. I Also found a slight hint of caramel on the nose. This wine was given to my wife and I by dear friends and fellow wine lovers. It is going to be hard to find a bottle in this same price range as a return gift...Approx $35.00...that will beat this one. One last note, this wine got even better after it sat in the glass for a little while...I would recommend pouring this wine about 15-30 minutes prior to serving at your next dinner party.

I rate this wine 8.25 Bigbecks out of 10

Beck

07 Martin Codax Albarino

My wife recently tried this wine by the glass down at Brasserie Ecosse on a whim as she was looking for something different but still white & chilled as it was hot as hades outside. I think she may have found a new gem after I got my taste of it. We called the bartender over and he told me a little about it. It is from Spain and gets nowhere near the recognition as Rioja does so it is kind of overlooked. Unlike most whites this stuff is aged 100% in stainless steel. As for the taste its pretty smooth and a little sweet with touches of lemon, melon, and apple. Its dry but not the kind of dry like a chianti would be and it finishes very clean. It can also be picked up down at Tony's wine shop (Carriage House) for a surprising $13.

I give this "new" white 7 bigbecks out of 10.