2007 Castano Monastrell Yecla

Medium ruby red. Strawberry licorice, saucisson (not the fresh stuff - more like the plastic encased version at the supermarket) and peppery spice. Simple nose. Nice grip and zip on medium minus bodied frame. Cherry fruit. Finishes short. Can't complain for the price. Bring to a poolside BBQ.

$7

C+

2007 Caldora Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Vibrant ruby red. Attractive plummy red fruit with subtle notes of vanilla, flowers, and hay. Fruity and simple. Medium bodied, round and soft with bright sweet tart acidity, short finish. Easy and fun. Nice plump quaffer.

Enjoyed with a 'magic fridge' pasta creation...Penne with Sauteed Portobello Mushroom, Asparagus, Kalamata Olive & Grape Tomato with White Balsamic and Olive Oil White Wine Sauce topped with Parmesan.

$12

B-

2005 Franz Hirtzberger Spitzer Gruner Veltliner Rotes Tor Federspiel Wachau

Golden and honeyed in color. Creamy nose with key lime and nougat. Other 'low toned' aromas of honey, sweet oyster, lentils and legumes, and river rocks. Viscous and olive-oily on the medium bodied palate with nice zip. Finishes long with citrusy grapefruit rind and orange marmalade. Really nice action!

This paired beautifully with Seared Ginger-Soy Tuna Steak, Orange Vidalia Onion and Kalamata Olive Salad, and Israeli Couscous.

A-

$27

2003 Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Sagrantino

Deep red and bright. The nose is fresh and ripe, but hard to pin down complexities at first - decanted for an hour. Orange peel and clove reduction as well as cooked down pie cherries on nose. There is a lifted fresh sage, sweet pipe tobacco and just picked bundles of roses nuances. Later, cinnamon graham cracker emerges. Rustic and burly tannin coat the youthful, full bodied, yet restrained palate. This '03 is just a baby and could use another 5-7 years in bottle.

Wines this big are difficult to pair with vegetarian cuisine, but tonight Sarah nailed it! She prepared a feast of Arugula and Peppered Balsamic Feta baked Portobello Mushrooms, Olive oil and Shallot Farro, and Sauteed Sun Dried Tomato Lemon Kale topped with Toasted Walnuts and Pecans. Mmmmm!

A-

$48

2005 Tenuta Del Portale Aglianico del Vulture

Medium ruby red. Initially aromas of leather and farmyard. Very slow to open and seriously needs 2+ hours of decanting to show its stuff. Complex nose with subtle nuances coming and going. Pretty and perfumed with plenty of tobacco. Fennel seed and dried sage in the background. Plummy fruit with red cherry emerging later. The palate really makes this wine serious. Medium in body, but packed with dry extraction that coats your entire mouth. This wine is dry and astringent with puckery acidity, but at the same time - round, and full. Finishes long with dried straw, tobacco and cardamom black tea. There's no doubt that this is old world in style - a thinker's wine made for the table.

$15

A-

2006 Nugan Estate Durif Manuka Grove Vineyard

Deep red and bright. Initially medicinal and resiny on nose. A sour hint turns to dill with air. It's meaty with roast beef and char. Dusty cherry fruit. Rustic tannins combined with high acidity don't totally jive. More smoky char on the finish. This would be a great wine to have around the campfire.

$22

B

2006 Four Vines Biker Zinfandel Paso Robles

Dark red, slight haze. Heady nose with menthol, cherry, and mulling spices. Similar flavors on the palate. Hot, hot, hot in the mouth. Dried out oak dominates finish. Overall, a pretty unpleasant experience. 92 pts. WS

$25

C

2007 Edgebaston The Pepper Pot Stellenbosch

Dark ruby red. Initially, opens with cracked pepper (living up to its name) and beef jerky. Slow to open, but with air, raspberry chocolate reduction sauce emerges. It has a unique baked earth minerally quality and iron. There is a steel beam note too. A pretty floral note blossoms late. In the mouth, its super focused and lively. Packed with fine grain/chalky tannin, like biting into high grade milk chocolate. Tannins finish medium, but a smoky chipotle pepper note hangs on for a minute plus.

64% Mourvedre, 30% Tannat, 6% Syrah

$15

B+