welcome to the fifty best wines of 2005

                 Presents

Page 4

31   Laetitia 2004
Chardonnay (Arroyo Grande Valley);  $16. 
This Chard shows the boldly ripe flavors of tropical fruits, roasted hazelnuts, buttercream, Asian spices and toast that many California Chards have, but also a distinctively high acidity that pushes those flavors out and makes them sing.

32   Rudd 2002
Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville);  $90. 
Bursts open with scads of fine French oak, cedar and char, with a rôti quality riding high over the cherries, cassis and white chocolate. So good, it’s scary. Rich, long, powerful in cassis and cherry fruit, yet wonderfully firm and tannic. This wine is fabulous now, but will easily improve through 2015 and possibly beyond.

33   Sanford 2002
La Rinconada Vineyard
Pinot Noir  (Santa Rita Hills);  $46. 
This superior Pinot Noir gives everything the appellation is famous for. Lively acidity makes the wine bright and clean. The flavors are deep and complex, suggesting black cherries, cola, rhubarb, dried leaves, crushed spices and smoky oak. There’s a dusting of fine tannins, the texture is pure silk and velvet, and the finish is dry.

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34   Ravenswood 2002
Dickerson
Zinfandel  (Napa Valley);  $30. 
Another great success from this famous old vineyard. Rich, dense and complex, yet dry and balanced, this Zin has a marvelous melange of flavors: blackberries, wild blueberries, black cherries, pepper, cocoa and oak, and a spicy hint of raisins. The finish is amazingly long and vibrant in fresh fruit.

35   Mt. Billy 2002
Liqueur Shiraz  (Barossa Valley);  $26/375ml. 
So thick and so delicious. It is a deep, almost glowing, red-garnet color, and smells like fresh whipping cream and black pepper. Despite its almost 18% alcohol, this fortified Shiraz is very well balanced. It floods the palate with sweet cassis and vanilla, then settles down to reveal smoky, charred wood flavors, smooth, gripping tannins, and a nutty, long finish. Torbreck winemaker Dave Powell is behind this sexy, must-try “late-night” dessert wine. Imported by Australian Wine Connection.

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36   Duckhorn 2002
25th Harvest
Merlot  (Napa Valley);  $48. 
This is a Merlot for the cellar. Rich, dramatic and creamy, it throws a thick carpet of tannins across the palate that spread the ripest cherries and blackberries, assisted by scads of toasty oak. Fully dry, perfectly balanced, sensual and satisfying, it should improve for at least five years.

37   Il Palazzone 1999
Riserva  (Brunello di Montalcino);  $95. 
A gorgeous wine with amazing texture and integration. The nose and feel are so soft and silky, and the fruit is as expressive as Sangiovese gets. Plush and royal, with perfect tannic structure, smiling acidity and smoky shadings. A dream in the glass, with meters of depth. Imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates.

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38   Whitehall Lane 2001
Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon  (Napa Valley);  $70. 
A sensational Cab that exhibits power and opulence in the ripe black currant, cherry, cocoa and new oak flavors, yet is subtlely balanced and harmonious. Showcases preternaturally gorgeous tannins, soft and sweet. The more you sip, the greater the impression.

39   Bollinger NV
Special Cuvée Brut
(Champagne);  $50. 
The Bollinger style is always rich, food friendly and impressive. This wine is all of those things, with power and intensity of flavor along with ripe fruit, a layer of toastiness and a dry aftertaste. This is a style of wine that can take even more bottle aging.
Imported by Paterno Wines International.

40   Musella 1999
Amarone della Valpolicella;  $32. 
Finely textured with exemplary aromatics. The bouquet is graced by cola, black licorice, marzipan, pipe tobacco and other alluring smells in addition to pure, dark fruit notes. Flashy and smooth in the mouth, where the berry and prune notes are touched up by leather and spice. Just right, with more potential if given a few more years of cellar time. Imported by Selected Estates of Europe Ltd.

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