Cederberg, 2007 Chenin Blanc, South Africa $17.
Remarkably, this winery was established in 1893. I had it for the first time at a tasting several months ago and purchased some on the spot. Chenin Blanc is one of my current favorite varietals, which combined with a tradition of this grape in South Africa, gives you a winning combination! When I opened the bottle the aroma jumped out at me, which doesn't happen as often as it used to. In the glass it has a golden color, great bouquet and the flavor is rich. With alcohol of only 13.5% this is a real winner.

David Bruce, 2006 Pinot Noir, Central Coast $21.
David Bruce sources grapes from a wide variety of vineyards with his best wines coming from Sonoma County. This Central Coast wine had a light color and mild aroma, but the taste worked very well, even with a New York Strip.

Domibio de Longaz, 2004 Bodegas Victoria, Carinena D.O. $16.
This Eric Solomon import comes from the Carinena region northeast of Madrid and is a blend of traditional Spanish grapes and international varietals. With a deep red color and austere nose, the flavors are deep and intense. Best if decanted 40 plus minutes.

Annie's Lane, 2007 Riesling, Clare Valley $10.
What a value! This Australian Riesling is mostly dry but at this price level it offered great flavors. The slight mineral/citrus flavors added extra interest. It works well as an aperitif or the roasted chicken we had with it.

Concannon, 2005 Petite Sirah, Livermore Valley $14.
There is nothing small about Petite Sirah. This dark, rich wine has intense flavors that require beef or lamb to match with it. It certainly is a value wine from one of the better red wine producers in California.

Girard, 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel , Napa Valley $27.
This "old-vine" wine is produced from 35-year-old vines from the northern Napa. Girard is one of the better producers in Northern California and makes wine from both Napa and Sonoma fruit. The Zin is rich with good fruit flavors and enough acidity for balance.

Childress Vineyards, 2005 Barrel Select Merlot, North Carolina $14.
California has planted so much Merlot to satisfy consumer demands that most inexpensive Merlots are not worth buying because they totally lack varietal characteristics. North Carolina Merlots, on the other hand, do represent good values and have the flavors that should be present in respectable Merlots. The Childress wine fits this concept with rich flavors that are distinct from other red wines. This is well worth seeking out.

Girard, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley $17.
This California-styled wine, as opposed to the New Zealand citrus style, is clean, crisp and full-flavored. There is a light citrus flavor on the finish which makes it a refreshing wine. A good food wine and one I think will age well. Check these notes next spring when I try another bottle.

Weingut Max Ferd. Richter, 2002 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel
With the Richter family being in the wine business since 1680, you can be assured that they know their vineyards well, and 2002 was a very good year in the Mosel. This Riesling, at a first sweetness level, is one terrific wine. With 6 years of age the sweetness is still very much present, and the balance is as good as it gets.

Joseph Drouhin, 2006 Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy
My sister is not much of a wine drinker, so I was quite surprised to find this bottle in her refrigerator. She had no understanding of how good this would be, so I, of course, suggested we open it during my recent visit. As I expected, it was glorious, with soft fruit flavors yet enough backbone to age for 5 to 10 more years.

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Four Vines, 2006 Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee, California $14.
This has to be one of the best values I've had in quite a while. For a California appellation to achieve this level of quality is impressive. I've learned that Four Vines has taken its leftover wine from their other designated vineyard locations and added them to this vintage. Not overly bold, but with distinct Zin flavors this is a wine for current drinking.

Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy, 2005 Moscato d'Asti La Serra  DOCG $15.
This is adult 7-up! After a filling meal this is one of my favorite dessert wines because it is so light and fruity that it's actually refreshing. The wine has soft flavors with a delicate finish and is worth having in your cellar.

Martinelli, 2004 Gewürztraminer, Russian River Valley
After trying numerous Gewürztraminers in the Alsace in September I was taken back by this very bold wine. Perhaps the most densely-flavored wine of its type that I've had, which is the good news and the bad news. I should have looked when I was drinking this wine, but didn't notice the alcohol level of 16% until writing these notes. It is one fascinating wine. Try it and judge for yourself.

Junius Lindsay, 2006 Viognier, North Carolina $14.
Michael Zimmerman, the proprietor, is a friend who planted vines on his family's farm a few years ago. His production has risen to about 1,500 cases and is becoming more widely available. His tasting room should open in Lexington in early 2009. The Viognier is a full-bodied version that shows great promise. It is a very pleasant wine and the richness will work well with a wide variety of dishes.

Louis Latour, 2005 Meursault, Premier Cru
Louis Latour, 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin
On a quiet evening in Lewisville there is nothing better to do than open a couple of bottles of Latour wines. The Meursault was just right with rich flavors that we expect. However, this wine will continue to improve for at least several more years. The Gevrey was absolute elegance. Soft, yet flavorful, and paired with my Julia Child recipe for chicken, it was a wonderful match.

Flora Springs, 2006 Chardonnay, Napa Valley $17.
John Komes has been a frequent visitor to our area and is a fascinating man to taste with. He also produces some of the finest wines in Napa. This Chardonnay is rich without being over oaked and at 13.9% alcohol this makes a great starter wine or can be matched with a wide variety of dishes.

Duval-Leroy, Brut Champagne $35.
Just brought into our area in the last 3 to 4 years, this is one flavorful sparkling wine. The price is at the lower end for non-vintage Champagne making it a wine for celebration or simply a Saturday night, which is when we opened it.

A. Raffanelli, 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley
This has been in my cellar for quite a while, and I was not planning on opening it just yet, but my son had one from the 1990s and suggested it might be time. Frankly it could have aged longer, but why wait. We decanted it for about 45 minutes, and it still remained vibrant, deep and rich. A great wine from a great producer.

Domaine Weinbach, 2000 Tokay Pinot Gris, Cuvee St. Catherine, Alsace
Robert Mondavi Winery, 1971 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Lewis Cellars, 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa Valley
Arrowood, 2000 White Riesling, Special Select Late Harvest, Hoot Owl Creek Vineyard, Alexander Valley.
With my son home during the holidays, we took an evening to enjoy some fine wine and talk over a very long dinner. I opened the Weinbach since I wanted to share my experience at the tasting with Catherine Faller and show him the wine. This deep yellow wine was a great starter with rich flavors that lingered long after the wine had been swallowed. We opened the Mondavi with the expectation that it would be long past its prime and were pleasantly surprised that it still had rich, yet very light taste. The sediment was mostly dusty but it was a treat to have a 36-year-old wine. Lewis is one of the very special Napa Cabs which are always soft and elegant. It was the perfect follow-up to the Mondavi. We finished with the Arrowood which was almost brown, but not in a spoiled manner. The sweetness was apparent at the beginning and still there on the finish. What a great night for great wines and conversation!