Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
1993 Tokay Pinot Gris "Clos Jebsal" (Zind-Humbrecht)
A nice '93 from one of the world's great winemakers.  Compared to his '94s, this is a notch behind, but it is still flavorful and lovely.  Good finish, with smokey nuances and caramel.  Reasonable weight, and a bit off dry.   Excellent in the vintage, in particular.  It does seem a bit thin at times on the mid-palate and I would recommend drinking it up.  89 points.

1994 Gewurztraminer "Hengst" Vendange Tardive (Zind-Humbrecht)
Lush and dense, rich and long, this busts through its category.  I've tasted this many times since release,and I would say (a) it can age for a long while still and (b) it is drinking nicely now.  The intensity of the wine overwhelms most things, including the varietal characteristics of gewurz.  It took some time and air for the fruit to open and start revealing the lychee nut bouquets and flavors.  The sweetness is not as evident as you would think, although there, because the fruit is so rich and balanced.  A beauty.  94 points.

1997 Riesling "Rosenbourg"  (Paul Blanck)
This tends to a high acid style, but there is so much good fruit here that the acidity makes it refreshing rather than annoying.  The slight off dry nuances make for an appealing, refreshing package.  Good pricing, too, likely around $16 or so.    Those who enjoy a bit of acid will like it even more than I did.  P.s.    For some wondering at my critique of Clare Valley rieslings and Hunter Valley Semillons I tasted, here's a good example of how a young, high acid wine can show its components, have some steel, but still be charming and show fruit.  89-90 points.

1996 Riesling "Schlossberg"  (Paul Blanck)
The balance here is different than on the Rosenbourg, or maybe it's the year of age.  The acidity is more subtle, the fruit a bit more prominent, and there is a touch of sweetness on the finish.  This is more my style of wine, but both are excellent and likely to develop well.  Likely to be pricier than the Rosenbourg. Those wanting a rounder, less crisp style will pay the extra $5 or so and be happy with this wine. 89-90 points. 

1996 Pinot Gris "Furstentum Vielle Vignes" (Paul Blanck)
This is just terrific pinot gris. Not, perhaps, the best I've had, but head and shoulders above the ordinary and on my short list of great pinot gris.  A sugary start evolves into ripe, round fruit with a fine finish and superb depth.  Pinot gris is rarely this rich.  Delicious, and  a category buster. Will push up close to    $30, I'm guessing, so it had better be good.   92 points.

1997 Gewurztraminer  "Altenbourg"  (Paul Blanck)
Dry, smaller scaled gewurz with mild varietal flavors. For easy, uncomplicated drinking.  Estimated pricing around $16.  85 points.

1997 Pinot Noir  (Paul Blanck) QPR Winner
Surprisingly good basic pinot from Alsace, likely to come in under $15, for soft, easy drinking.  A bit sauvage at times on the nose, the palate is clean, elegant and velvety with good glycerine. Cheap, house pinots are hard to find if you insist on some flavor, and elegance and velvet. Here's all there.  Good deal.  Drink fast though; no depth or structure to speak of. 85 points.

1993 Pinot Noir  "Cuvée F" (Paul Blanck)
Amazing. When did they start making pinot this good in Alsace?  Maturing gracefully and beautifully, this is elegant and charming, shows some backbone, depth and glycerine, and falls a bit short mostly in the flavor category. It's real close to the real thing. Will probably be a bit pricey at just under $25, though. Pricey for Alsatian pinot, not pricey for pinot in general, of course.  The "F" stands for Furstentum vineyard.  88 points. 

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White
1998 Riesling Margaret River (Leeuwin Estate) QPR Winner
Pleasing, inexpensive wine that delivers a lot of value for the money.  If it does not quite become memorable, it can be excused. It is a wine to drink, not collect.  The crisp acidity is softened by  reasonable amounts of fruit, and the balance is excellent for a young wine.   It integrates nicely with some air and warmth.  Decent finish,  a bit short on intensity and depth. Very appealing though. Lotsa charm, and a great summer wine. 86 points.

1996 Classic Dry White (Wolf Blass)
This blend of chardonnay, semillon and colombard runs around $13 US.  It is a charming wine with crispness for character, but creamy, rounded edges, pineapple  nuances and fresh fruit.  Sweet, pleasurable, but a bit short.  It has more body than the Riesling, perhaps, above, but it fades a bit too quickly with air.  86 points.

1998 Riesling "Annie's Lane" (Queltaller) QPR Winner
This wine is fully ready and has to lose points for depth, ability to age,  etc.  But still. What a pleasure to drink on a hot summer day. Light and elegant, fruity and a touch off dry, this is perfect for early drinking and uncomplicated fun.  The finish is short, the life span will be, too, I think. But live for the moment and knock it back.   87 points.

1998 Watervale Riesling (Mitchell)
Mitchell is one of the boutique producers that is attracting more and more attention in Australia, and they are particularly known for Riesling, this included. I would like to say I was impressed, but I really wasn't.  This crisp, steely wine seemed to be a bit short on fruit. Yes, yes, I know that rieslings need time and great ones from Alsace can seem dull and flavorless when too young, also.  But there just wasn't anything here that convinced me that this wine, about $14 AUD, was anything special, although it will improve with some age.  83-85 points.

1997 Growers' Semillon (Mitchell)
At about $14 AUD, this wine is inexpensive and a good value.  Medium bodied, decent balance, everything in place, but nothing exceptional anywhere.  85 points.

1998 Gewurztraminer (Skillogalee) QPR Winner
I didn't see too many Aussies making gewurz. This was a nice one, but not even close to the best I had in Australia (from Murray Robson).  Bone dry, the wine lacks the viscosity and body of top notch gewurzs. At least, though, unlike many New World gewurzs, it shows good varietal character, and has some intensity. It needs a bit more depth of fruit, though, but is otherwise very nice. An excellent value at $14.50 AUD.  Not imported into the USA, however. 86 points.

1998 Bin 7 Riesling (Leasingham) QPR Winner
Clare Valley is reputedly the Australian wine growing region for riesling. I can't say I was tremendously impressed, while conceding that it is often hard to gauge young, steely rieslings.  This one was a super value though. Discounted to $8 AUD by the winery, this was lemony and a bit simple, but still refreshing and enjoyable.  As a premium riesling, it would fail.  I would not be impressed. In its category, it is terrific.  Normal price is $11.50 AUD.  84 points.

1997 Bin 37 Chardonnay (Leasingham)
Simple, crisp, more or less flavorless chardonnay.  About $11.50 AUD.   Not worth the effort.  80 points.

1998 Riesling (Tim Adams)
Steely and acidic, this is a riesling which is all power and crispness, and it is hard to find much fruit.  Rieslings do have a habit of aging well and coming around, but I have to bet against this one. It just doesn't seem to have enough fruit to come into balance. About $12.50 AUD.  80 points.

1997 Semillon (Tim Adams)
The Semillons in Clare Valley and Barossa tend to get a bit of wood, and are not acid-freak wines, as they are presented in the Hunter Valley.    This is crisp, but still elegant.  It helps that you can taste some fruit with the tartness. Well rounded, and pretty good value at $14 AUD. 87 points.

1997 Traminer Frontignac (Seven Hill)
This unusual wine runs around $9 AUD.  The price is decent, and the wine has a great nose with spice and lychees. On the palate, it is thin and short on flavor.   You would be better off just smelling it.  82 points.

1997 Semillon Hunter Valley (Murray Robson)
Murray Robson is a Hunter Valley "find" suggested to me by an Australian friend.  He also made one of the better Hunter Valley Semillons I had.   To understand that, you have to understand that Hunter Valley semillon is highly regarded in Australia.  By reputation, as one professional at Tyrell's told me, it should taste nasty on opening, and years later it develops into flavorful wine.  I have to say that this is not my theory of wine. Tasting undeveloped or disjointed when young is one thing; but unpalatable is another. Most Hunter Valley Semillons I had were unbalanced, and too high in acidity for the quality and density of fruit they had. Yeah, with time the acidity will moderate, but the famed tertiary flavors that develop on the fruit after many years sound to me just like faded and dying fruit that couldn't live well enough, freshly enough to survive the aging required to ameliorate the acidity levels. There are exceptions. Here is one. This semillon is crisp, but not overbearing, refreshing and pleasing.  The wine pays attention to balance, not just acidity, and one can actually think about drinking it when fresh.  Nice job. About $12 US.  88 points.

1997 Chardonnay Hunter Valley (Murray Robson)
This is a restrained, medium bodied chard that manages to provide lots of flavor.  It is made in an elegant, easy drinking style, and is a winning wine.   Lots of charm for about $14 US.  87 points.

1997 Gewurztraminer Hunter Valley (Murray Robson)
There are not many New World gewurzs that I consider worthwhile, but this is at or near the top of the list.  Gorgeous, varietally true bouquet of lychees, made dry, but very fruity, this wine shows great typicity, and an excellent finish. With air, drinking it later on, it got a bit flat, and a bit short on the pepper and spice, as it warmed up, but in all respects it was a real gewurz and beautifully made. Quite probably the best New World gewurz I have had.  About $20 AUD.  89 points.

1997 Chardonnay "Graveyard" (Brokenwood) QPR Winner
The most exciting winery I went to in the Hunter Valley was Brokenwood.   This is their top of the line chard, running for a mere $20 US (in Australia; in the US, the price may double!).  Decadently rich, so packed with fruit, it almost seems sweet, this chard is suffused with tropical fruit nuances and ends with a long finish.  The best chardonnay I had in Australia.  Here, this would be a cult wine selling for triple the price. (And actually, it probably will be a cult wine here and sell for at least double the price.)  93 points.

1997 Eden Valley Riesling (Rockford)   QPR Winner
Eden Valley is the other Australian area known for Riesling (after Clare). This one, from old vines, runs just $13 AUD, provides steel and some depth, and the promise of improvement. For a value priced wine, it shows a lot.  87+.

1996 Semillon (Rockford) QPR Winner
In marked contrast to the Hunter Valley "high acid/no oak" style, this gets light oak, and shows some balance right away.  The finish is long, the wine seems to have depth and substance, and it was one of the better semillons I tried.   Good density and texture, too.  Just $13 AUD.  89 points.

1996 Frontignac (Rockford) QPR Winner
Another great value white from Rockford.  Just $10 AUD gets this fragrant, just a touch off dry wine that reminds me of Muscat.  This has pretty good weight for its type and drinks well not. It's not a big bruiser, but it has more substance than you expect in this category.  Hard to resist; the perfect summer wine.  89 points.

1998 "The Valleys" Chardonnay (Penfolds) QPR Winner
This blends fruit from Eden and Clare Valleys.  It runs about $13 AUD.   On opening, it seems a bit tart and acidic, but the acidity is better integrated into the body than I first thought.  There is a touch of melon in flavor, and the wine is actually crisp, pleasing and flavorful. It is a relatively light chardonnay, not intended for great things, but I thought it was an excellent value with lots of charm for the price. 87 points.

1997 Clare Estate Chardonnay (Penfolds)
This is supposed to be a bigger chard in theory than "The Valleys" bottling above, but it has less flavor and seems more boring, even though it is somewhat denser and more concentrated.  This is wine that seems to have nothing distinctive or interesting about it, although it is technically well done.  85 points.

1998  Eden Valley Semillon (Henschke) QPR Winner
At Elderton, my preconceptions were confirmed, and I basically disliked their dry whites. At Henschke, I was exposed to a new world, and a new lineup. Their whites were pretty darned good.  This $18.50 AUD bottling is luscious, rich and round.  It was a world apart from the high acid Hunter Valley style, and one of the most appealing semillons I had in Australia. Pretty vanilla flavors on the finish, mouth coating fruit.   90 points.

1998 "Cranes" Chardonnay Eden Valley (Henschke)
Good, middle of the road chard that stops short of being really impressive, but does a lot right. Around $24 AUD.  It is heavily influenced by lees, and has a butterscotch finish.  Medium body, decent length.  The lees are a bit too prominent for the fruit quality, though, and become obtrustive.  It gives the impression of being heavier than it is.  Still,  pretty good. 88 points.

1998 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon (Henschke) QPR Winner
Mostly Sauvignon blanc (83%), this $17 AUD bottling is a good value wine, and also a good example of how you can make a high acid wine without it becoming overbearing and undrinkable. Crisp and refreshing,  the wine nonetheless has its acidity supporting some fruit instead of vice versa.  A particularly good summer wine.   87 points.

1998 Riesling "Green's Hill" Lenswood  (Henschke) QPR Winner
This bottling from the Adelaide Hills (read: cool climate, or at least cooler than Barossa Valley) was another good example of how to make a packed riesling that stays in balance, can age and is not unpleasant young.  At around $18.40 AUD, it's a good deal, too. The balance is simply perfect.  The fruit is plentiful, and will soften more with about six to twelve months of aging. It will one day be beautiful. It's not bad now.  89 points.

1998 Gewurztraminer "Jos Hill" (Henschke)
The alcohol is high, around 13.5%.  The price is modest, around $19 AUD.   The wine is  just a bit off.  It has a great nose, with typical gewurz smells. But it's a bit odd on the palate. The weight and density is fine, but the mid-palate seems a bit hollow and flavorless.  Maybe it needs a year?  84-86 points.

1998 Tantalus (Elderton)
This $13 AUD bottling blends in chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. The Aussies have never met a blend they dislike.  :)  It was utterly boring. Flavorless, light to the point of barely existing. About all you can say is that it is crisp and refreshing. 79 points.

1998 Eden Valley Riesling (Elderton)
Lotsa kerosene, followed by lime juice and too much tartness made this riesling rather unappealing. This will improve with age, but I see no reason to believe it will be anything really interesting ever.  Elderton is well known for their reds, and I saw no evidence that this was an error in thinking.....  80 points.

1998 Semillon Vat 18 "Belford" (Tyrrells)
Tyrrells is famed for their acidic, unwooded Semillon. This is a sort of cult thing in Australia.  The Hunter Valley style in particular is to make high acid wine that need lots of cellaring, and in theory, come into balance with time. Other areas, like Barossa, add a little wood, and the balance is better from the outset.  The Hunter Valley style is not one I particularly like, nor is the theory expressed by people at Tyrrells--the nastier the wine tastes when young, the better it will be--one I agree with.   It seems to me that too many of these wines are simply unbalanced. Sure, you have to hold them for years to let the acidity die down. But that doesn't mean there is sufficient fruit there to justify that cellaring. What you get at the end are tertiary aromas from age and underlying, lingering citrus flavors, but not fresh fruit.  And so it goes. This inexpensive semillon is tight, disjointed, steely and very acidic.   It seems to lack fruit, and personally I don't want to have to hold a $10 US wine with modest fruit for 8 years in order to let the acidity come down to some reasonable level. 79-81 points.

1998 Hunter Valley Semillon Vat 1 (Tyrrells)
About $12 US. The winery says this wine is attractive young and will hold until 2008.  Ha, ha. It may hold, but attractive young? This shows very tart, although most of the acidity is on the first attack.  The finish is better than the Vat 18, and the body is a bit bigger. It actually has a chance. Still, this is not a wine too many will get excited about.  81-83 points.

1994 Hunter Valley Semillon Vat 1 (Tyrrells)
Here's an example of a somewhat more mature Semillon, coming along nicely, so says the winery. Well, the acidity has moderated a bit, but it is still way out of balance and overwhelms the fruit.  As noted above, here the acidity is declining, but the fresh fruit is, too.  Why bother holding these? Why make them this unbalanced?   82 points.

1998 Chardonnay/Semillon Vat 63 (Tyrrells)
About $10 US.  This wine has a lot better balance. Give some credit to the chardonnay, I guess. The fruit is rounder and fresher, though the wine is still crisp. It drinks well now, and is pleasant enough, though unexceptional.  82 points.

1998 Sauvignon Blanc (Fox Creek) QPR Winner
At about $14 AUD, at least in Australia, this is a super sauvignon and a great value.  It is varietally true, and there are trademark grassy notes, for sure.   But the wine displays excellent balance.  The fruit is fresh, and the crispness does not overwhelm the fruit.  The grass components are in moderation. On the whole, an expansive, open, well integrated sauvignon for early drinking.  90 points.

1998 Verdelho (Fox Creek) QPR Winner
This Portuguese varietal is gaining favor in Australia as an early drinking quaffing wine.  Here's why.  This is one of the best of the type I had. The nose is fragrant, the body is of good weight for this class of wine, and the fruit is flavorful.  There is a touch of intensity and focus most Verdelhos do not have, but nothing impairs the charm and easy drinking elegance of the wine.  About $15 AUD.   Great stuff. 90 points.

1995 Chardonnay (Fox Creek)
This chard, with a touch of age on it, showed just beautifully for my tastes.   Mature and buttery, with a great, long finish, the wine has a touch of mushrooms in the mid-palate. This is a tertiary flavor some makers always seem to get in maturing wines with a lot of chardonnay from Ravenau Chablis to Dom Perignon.  Of course, this is a 1995, not a 1965.  Still, the balance is perfect, the wine has distinctive character, and good weight.  It was simply a pleasure to drink, with complexity an added bonus.  92 points.

1997 Muscat Blanc "Paris Creek" (Richard Hamilton)
I've become a fan of Richard Hamilton's merlots, but the white wines did not present much of a statement for the winery. This is about $14 AUD, For that, you get a routine wine that is crisp, but flat, boring and flavorless. No bouquet to speak of from this, the world's most fragrant grape.  Varietally unrecognizable. 79 points.

1998 Riesling "Slate Quarry"  (Richard Hamilton)
Steely and powerful, with good weight, the wine seems not to have quite enough fruit and is frankly short on flavor.  I found it kinda boring.  It is a very young Riesling, and when I sense good weight, I hate to dismiss them out of hand, since they do often come around with age.  Maybe I'll be wrong, but at the moment my impression is that the fruit will not sufficiently develop.  Only $13 AUD, though.    82-84 points.

1997 Chardonnay "Signature"  (Richard Hamilton)
About $18.50 AUD.  This is a pleasant enough chard, but nothing extraordinary.  Medium bodied, with hints of new oak, it is sweet and pretty for early drinking.  I think it will charm a lot of people if drunk now, but it lacks depth to move to the next level. Drink it as a great summer wine and you may not care. 87 points.

1997 Chenin Blanc  (Richard Hamilton)
About $17.50 AUD.  A bit flat, this Chenin seems boring and inoffensive.   There is not enough intensity, little flavor,  and medium weight.  It is nice to see someone trying to make a Chenin Blanc, though. 82 points.

1996 Chardonnay "The Other Side" (d'Arenberg)
At about $35 AUD, this is a premium priced chard. It's pretty good, but not a good value.  It has a fragrant and delightful tropical nose, a nice leesy flavor and finish, a medium body. It becomes a bit pineapple-y with some air.  Pleasing, a bit odd, tasty.  88 points. 

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Australian Red
1998 Pinot Noir (Yarra Ridge)
If you insist on tasting pinot noir flavors, this Victoria pinot won't be your wine. The mint and coconut from the American oak is pronounced enough to obliterate pinot varietal flavors. The label claims "hints of spice." May I say that the spice is oak, and there are more than hints?  The wine seems ready to drink now, and otherwise does a good job.  It is round and smooth, with a reasonable weight and body.  If you could forget that it was supposed to be a pinot, you might find some things to like.  It is hard to deal with pinot made in shiraz-style, though, a typical problem I found with many Aussie pinots.  In scoring this, call it a reasonable wine with good fruit for the money, that bears no resemblance to pinot noir, in large part to the oak. If you can be happy with that, you will like it better than I did.  If you're anti-oak, you may wonder how I scored it so high.  Available in the USA for around $15 US.  83 points.

1997 Pinot Noir (Fox River) QPR Winner
Light and thin, a bit tart on the finish, this wine opened poorly but showed some character by blossoming in the glass with air. Appealing black cherry fruit poked through, which, if not classically pinot, was at least identifiable red fruit. The wine is ready to drink now. It is simple, one dimensional and not typically pinot, but it is an excellent value for a low price and reasonably tasty. This wine does not have as much quality fruit as the Yarra Ridge, above, but it is not as eccentric, either.  True pinot lovers would probably prefer this, at least giving it some credit for finesse.  Call them about even in score, but for different reasons.  83 points.

1995 Shiraz (Yalumba) 
This Barossa shiraz shows sweet blackberries, nuances of American oak that are not too marked, elegance and charm. It is a bit too angular and crisp, though, and ultimately a simple wine for routine drinking.  84 points.

1997 Shiraz Moonambel (Dalwhinnie)
After so many young wines that appeared more or less ready to drink on the spot, I ran into this at the end of my trip, and it was suprisingly tight and tannic.  Here was a wine aiming for the cellar, it seemed. That said, I regret to say that the fruit seems insufficient to support the tannin levels, and the wine is a bit unbalanced.  I liked the stylistic effort, although I suspect its window of "in balance" good drinking will be relatively short.  86 points.

1996 Cabernet/Merlot Coonawarra (Petaluma)
A charmer.  This wine lacks intensity and depth, but it has elegance and balance, and a soft, pleasing core of fruit, with hints of tannin on the finish.  Likeable, not memorable. 87 points.

1983 Pinot Noir (Moss Wood)
This wine left me a bit conflicted.  On the one hand, it had the most depth I tasted in an Aussie pinot noir.  Also, at age 16, it was still alive and vibrant, although it did fade a bit too soon. So, on two counts it confounded expectations, showing big and thick, with sweet, almost candied fruit in the mid-palate.   There were a lot of reservations, though. The wine cracked up and became pruney at the end, a sign it is near the close of its useful life.  It also lacked much pinot typicity, again seeming a lot closer to shiraz than pinot.  Still, the simple quality of fruit had me originally thinking of an 88-89 score.  It faded too fast and too unpleasantly to sustain that, however.  85 points.

1997 Pinot Noir Reserve (Coldstream Hills)
By a fair consensus, this is one of Australia's best pinot makers, in Victoria, the state that most Australians seem to think has most of Australia's great pinot producers.  I found it to be one of the few pinots on the right track, and at times I was all in favor.  It did have some shortcomings, though. First, it was elegant and silky, classic  pinot noir.  There was flavor, too, to go with the texture.  It is drinking pretty well now.  On the downside, the flavors were broad and more redolent of strawberry than raspberry. It was in the pinot family, but not classic pinot.  The flavors faded too quickly and never developed with air.  The finish was short and a bit odd, seemingly marked by menthol.  I would call it a basic Santenay-type, with a lot to recommend it, but not enough depth or intensity. Heading in the right direction for sure, though.  This would get my vote as "most likely to become a star."  87 points.

1996 Coonawarra Shiraz (Redman)
I kept hoping that I was wrong, that suddenly this would blossom and amaze, but mostly it seemed weedy and thin, a bit too tart, and too light. The flavors were ok, but were unsupported by much of anything, and could not quite redeem the bottle. 83 points.

1997 Pinot Noir Victoria (Delatite)
At about $25 AUD, this is a premium pinot. I heard different viewpoints, but I liked it. Fat and fruity, good depth, hints of strawberry, and a nice body.  There were some hints of oxidation that I would attribute more to storage.  It opened nicely with air and became elegant and sweet, a bit spicey and a touch tannic.  It needs a year or so of cellaring.  A pretty nice effort.   88 points.

1996 Shiraz (Bannockburn)
Call this the single most startling wine I tasted in Australia. This cool-climate, Victorian Shiraz is unlike any stereotype of an Aussie shiraz you can think of.   Not much oak, briars or brambles.  Not rustic and big.  In fact, I'd defy you to pick this out as shiraz in a blind tasting. It reminded me most of a Washington State Merlot, but had some Pomerol similarities, too.   Elegant, refined and fascinating. Boysenberry and rhubarb flavor nuances.  I don't know what to make of it, but I rather liked it a lot.  90 points.

1997 Pinot Noir (Lenswood)
Elegant and velvety, this wine does some things right, but lacks flavor and complexity. You keep waiting for it to go some place with air--and it doesn't.  It is also a bit atypical, but the biggest complaint is that it does not develop much in the glass. It's a good drink, and that's all, folks.  84 points.

1996 Shiraz "Seven Acres" (Greenock Creek)
Cheap in Australia, this is pretty pricey in the USA, being part of the "new wave" boutique wineries.  It is a wonderful wine that lacks only a bit of structure and intensity.  There is intense purity of fruit and sweet blackberries on opening. It is as if someone injected essence of shiraz.  As it opens, however, it integrates and attains balance and elegance very quickly.  A beautiful wine, that falls a touch short of  a rave review. But don't let that get in your way.  91 points.

1996 "Cabernets" (Leconfield)
This Bordeaux blend is tight and astringent and needs about 3 years of cellaring. The fruit seems supple, but at the moment it is hard to find.   It opened with air and some sweet fruit poked through, but I think there are some balance questions here, and I'm not sure there is enough fruit to support the unusually tannic (especially in Australia) style.  I think it will fall a bit short. 87 points.

1994 Shiraz (Clarendon Hills)
Tasted and purchased in the USA.  Saying this is typical Clarendon pretty much says it all. Exotic, flamboyant, over the top.  You'll like it or you won't.   The fruit tastes like pure jam. No, I don't mean jammy as in real thick.  It has good weight and body, but it tastes like, well, jam. Maybe creme de cassis. It is very sweet and eccentric, with a heady nose.  Tip: It complimented very well a sweet, dark sauce on food, by the way.  It actually has some tannins under the fruit which popped up, too, and I think it can hold well for a few years more.   Still, this is drinking fairly well now, and if you like the style, go for it. 91 points.

1998 Growers' Grenache (Mitchell) QPR Winner
This is a good value wine that is 100% grenache, a varietal that will be making big news, I predict, when tasted from various Australian wineries in the next decade.   This is very nice for the price.  Smooth, with a hint of rhubarb on the finish, focused, and tightly wound, this needs a year or two of cellaring to show at its best.  When it matures, it should be flavorful, velvety and a great deal at $14 AUD.   86-87 points.

1997 Shiraz "Peppertree" (Mitchell)
This $22 AUD Shiraz is theoretically a premium Shiraz, but it seemed a bit lacking to me.  Using French oak, the wine shows some restraint,  and a medium body,   but it is a bit too tart.  If the winemaker was shooting for elegance, the idea was right, but the mark was missed. 86 points.

1996 Cabernet "Sevenhill Vineyard" (Mitchell)
I enjoyed this wine, but couldn't really get excited about it.  The American oak is a bit too prominent for the medium bodied cabernet fruit, but the fruit isn't quite obliterated. The balance is otherwise good, and some varietal character pokes through.   Nice fruit, but a bit overwhelmed and the wine is unexciting in everything else it does.  88 points.

1997 Grenache(Skillogalee)
At $24.50 AUD, this Clare Valley Grenache was going for a big statement. It made one, but I'm not sure I liked what it said.  The wine has odd charcteristics, with smoked maple barbecue sauce nuances.  It has only been in the bottle a short while, but I wonder where it is going. Reasonable depth, but seems too soft.   Very dark color.  If you like these flavors and smells, you may not care that it is eccentric, but it's pretty eccentric.  84 points.

1997 Shiraz (Skillogalee)
This is decent, but rather pricey ($24.50) Shiraz. By Australian standards, that should get you more. Here, it gets you stereotypical shiraz, medium bodied, easy drinking, and too marked by new American oak.  Not bad, but it seemed overpriced for the quality level.  86 points.

1997 "The Cabernets"(Skillogalee)
It's a bit of a trend in certain parts of Australia to call Bordeaux-style blends "the cabernets," meaning cab sauvignon, cab franc, and usually merlot. This is another wine that hits the winery's $24.50 price point and seems decent, but overpriced. Pleasant, medium bodied, soft, but a bit too lean, with oak outpacing the fruit.  It needs more depth.  Not bad.  Not great.  85 points.

1998 Cabernet Rosé (Langmeil)QPR Winner
Yes, I know that Rosés are not red wines, but I had to pick someplace to put them. Langmeil is a brand new winery, just three years old.  I think they are going to be a good one.  I was pleased to see lots of fine Australian Rosés, and this is excellent.  Probably will not be exported, as most are not.  About $13.50 AUD.  Fruity and fresh, strawberry nuances, gorgeous flavor and nice body.  I think when I came home from Australia I said that the two best categories I could review were grenaches for the future and fortified wines for today. But I should probably add a third. The Rosés were excellent. 90 points.

1997 Selwin's Lot (Langmeil)QPR Winner
This value blend, at about $13.50 combines cabernet, grenache and shiraz. It seems like they threw in everything but the kitchen sink, but it works. It's a light, early drinking wine, but friendly, charming and pleasing, with sweet, smooth fruit.   No depth or structure, but lots of charm.  Good deal. Too bad this probably won't be exported either.  86 points.

1997 Shiraz (Langmeil)
This is their top wine, and it needs a bit of work.  One day this will be exported, and you'll want it.  The nose is more Rhone than Aussie shiraz.  The body is medium in depth and weight, but there is just a bit too much acidity--a common failing I found in some shirazs that appeared to have been manipulated. (Not that I know this was; just guessing.)  It needs a year or two to come together  and it also needs a bit more fruit. A pleasing wine, but a couple of notches more are needed to make this a flagship. 85-87 points.

1997 Cabernet/Merlot (Veritas) QPR Winner
Veritas is super hot.  This is one of their value wines, priced at just $15 AUD, the type of thing that's not exported. The type of thing that explains why Australia is such a treasure trove of great inexpensive wines.  It's delicious. Simply put.   Elegant and gentle, soft and charming, the wine is only for easy and early drinking. But it does absolutely everything along those lines very  well. It has no structure to speak of, won't last long, ready now.  Loses points for structure and aging ability. You won't care.  86 points.

1996 Cabernet/Shiraz (Veritas)QPR Winner
Another inexpensive find from Veritas.  This one's even better, at the same $15 AUD.  It has more body, some structure, and more flavors, sometimes beautiful, unrelenting flavors.  $15 AUD??  $10 US???  Oh, my.  88 points.

1997 Mourvedre/Grenache (Veritas)QPR Winner
And finally, in this trio of awesome cheap wines from Veritas, this full bodied, smooth, intense and spicy Rhone clone. It needs a year to come around.  Lush, deep and lovely.  Oh, yeah. This actually costs $20 AUD.  The little old lady in the tasting room seemed bemused by all the attention her family was getting lately.  She wasn't too happy about it.  But she better get used to it.  90 points.

1997 Bin 45 Grenache (Leasingham)  QPR Winner
Only 180 cases are made of this wine, which is not exported.  It is another example, though, of how Australia is heading toward being a major grenache producer.   This retails around $15 AUD, which makes it a great bargain.  When production gets larger, it will show up in the USA.  The wine is light, soft and velvety, for early drinking.  I think it is ready now.  There are hints of strawberry percolating up from the velvety texture. It could use more intensity of flavor and depth, but at this price level, it's a great deal. 87 points.

1997 Bin 61 Shiraz  (Leasingham)  QPR Winner
At about $18 AUD, this Shiraz is simply beautiful and a bargain. The texture is smooth as satin, there is intense sweet blackberry fruit in the middle, good balance and richness.  A case study in what the Aussies can do for not much money. 90 points.

1997 Bin 56 Cabernet/Malbec  (Leasingham)
At around $18 AUD, this is not quite as successful as the Shiraz in the same category range. Pleasant, with a hint of velvet on the texture, but not much more, it is a bit flat and doesn't display much flavor.  Decent weight, but so-so wine. 85 points.

1996 Cabernet "Classic Clare"  (Leasingham)
The "Classic Clares" are Leasingham's premium wines.  The 1996 was not released as of the time of tasting at Leasingham, February, 1999.  It has all the components in place to be a beautiful wine.  Well balanced, good texture, medium bodied.  The fruit could use a touch more flavor, and the wine could use a little more intensity.   This will always be a wine you will enjoy drinking, but I don't think it will ever provide much to talk about.  Maybe it will fool me and take on weight and intensity in the cellar.  About $35 AUD.  88+ points.

1996 Shiraz "Classic Clare"  (Leasingham) QPR Winner
In the same AUD $35 category, is their premium Shiraz, of which there is about 1500 cases.  It has a little more class than the Bin 61, but frankly I liked them about equally well. This shows a bit more depth and will probably age better. This will probably pull ahead in five years.  The fruit is sweet, velvety and tinged with some extra oaky notes. But the wine is generally in beautiful balance.  It strikes you as "pretty." Still,  at double the price of the Bin 61, you might the Bin 61 is more satisfying.  90 points.

1997 Fergus (Tim Adams)  QPR Winner
At about $15 AUD, this mostly Grenache wine (with some Shiraz, cab franc and malbec blended in), is an incredible value.  Velvety texture to kill for, sweet fruit, elegant charm, and a framboise nose to boot. Beautiful, and a steal. A bit light, and drinking well now. Tim Adams is one of Australia's emerging boutique wineries, and the wines are not easy to find in the USA. If you are interested, call  the importer, C. Daniele &  Co. in New York at (212) 534-3421.  89 points.

1997 Cabernet (Tim Adams)  QPR Winner
This has about 10% cab franc blended in, and runs around $18 AUD.    Another big winner from Tim Adams, and one of the more enjoyable cabs I had in Australia. The trademark velvety texture--something Aussies seem to love, and I do, too--is surrounded by sweet, gorgeous fruit and gentle tannins.  The price is fantastic for the quality. It is a bit of a short termer, but everything else is in place big time. 90 points.

1997 Shiraz (Tim Adams)
In the same $18 price category, this Shiraz earns its money, but is not quite the marvel that the Fergus or the Cabernet, above, are. There are hints at new oak, some roundness on the texture, and a medium body.  The flavors are a bit muted.  The wine does nothing really wrong, but it lacks the pizazz of the last two reported on.   It represents its price category well, rather than busting through it.  87 points.

1997 Shiraz "Aberfeldy" (Tim Adams) QPR Winner
Their premium ($30 AUD) Shiraz is another story. This is a great wne. Take the regular shiraz. Now, add depth, sweet, intense fruit, richness, power, and a bit of licorice from the new oak.  You have a tremendous wine for a very reasonable price considering the quality.   What it will sell for in the USA, of course, is another issue. Some of the markups on the boutique wines have been considerable.  91 points.

1997 Shiraz (Seven Hill)
Mostly pleasing Shiraz ($18 AUD), but it falls short of exceptional.  The fruit, weight, body, flavor are all decent, but the effect is spoiled by a rather bitter, tar and leather finish that seems to come out of nowhere. OK. But if you've been paying attention, you know that you can do better in Australia in this price range.  85 points.

1996 Bushman's Red Reserve (Murray Robson)
This cab/shiraz/merlot "kitchen sink" blend, works.  It is ready and drinking well now. It shows pepper and blackberries, a soft, velvety texture and nice finish. It finishes with a dark chocolate nuance and maybe just a touch of tartness.   About $11 US.  Might be rated higher if it had more depth. Not imported in the USA.  87 points.

1997 Shiraz (Brokenwood) QPR Winner
Along with Fox Creek, Brokenwood poured me about the most stunning array of wines I had in any tasting in Australia. Running about $14 US,  this basic Shiraz shows more stuffing than most.   It is bright and fruity and packed, but it needs time and cellaring to come around and shed some tannins.  One of the biggest I found in this price range. 88-90 points.

1997 Cricket Pitch (Brokenwood) QPR Winner
This is mostly merlot, with a lot of cab and a touch of shiraz.  It is ridiculously cheap for the quality, about $12 US.  The fruit is round and lush, rich and full, suffused with flavor.  The wine has plenty of body at 13.5% alcohol.   The finish is great. For cheap wine, exceptional. Ready. Another great wine from a great winery hardly known in the USA.  89 points.

1997 Shiraz "Mistress Block" (Brokenwood)
With this wine, we enter into Brokenwood's premium shiraz. (I did not get a chance to taste their Graveyard shiraz regrettably; the Graveyard vineyard Chard was probably the best I had in Australia.)  Running about $30 US (again, in Australia; look for big price hikes when these things reach US shores, as some of them from Brokenwood do), and made all of Hunter Valley shiraz, this is rich, dark and full bodied.   The fruit shines through strongly, and the wine has the structure to age. It needs a couple of years, actually.  Packed, dense. Terrific.  90-92 points.

1997 Shiraz "Rayner" Old Vines (Brokenwood)
This shiraz is all from McLaren Vale fruit, and runs around $32 US.  Look for it in the USA at closer to $45 or so. It is a massive wine, 14.5% alcohol. So big and powerful, it is currently disjointed a bit and needs some aging time.  The dense blackberry fruit is tremendously flavorful and the finish is long.  Another great wine from Brokenwood.  93-94 points.

1996 Pinot Hermitage (Charles Melton)  QPR Winner
Only $15.90 AUD, this wine is an old-fashioned blend of pinot noir and shiraz, a blend becoming increasingly rare, but that has a certain following.  It works.   This is delicious.  The pinot provides bright raspberry flavors, and the shiraz provides body and depth.  The texture is high in glycerine, round and smooth.   This is simply remarkable for the price.  Was better after half an hour of air, too.  Charles Melton is another of the boutique wineries that are making their move in Australia. Not everything in their lineup is imported, but they are developing a presence in the USA.   91 points.

1997 Grenache (Charles Melton)  QPR Winner
Let me repeat:  this is simply remarkable for the price, too, at about $18 AUD.  It is another example of not only Charles Melton's quality, but the Aussie touch with grenache. Spicey, and dark in color, the wine appealed to me  from the first impressions, including the fragrant raspberry nose.  The body is thick, velvety and jammed with flavor.  From old vines.   A great deal, a fine wine.  I began to get spoiled in Australia, given how many fine wines like this sold for such modest "bargain wine" prices.  California could take a few lessons in that regard. 90 points.

1997 Nine Popes (Charles Melton) 
This wine is their most famous, and has something of a cult following in Australia,  but actually I liked the Grenache slightly better.  This runs about $27 AUD, and is a rhone clone, blending grenache, shiraz and mourvedre.  It is full of class and elegance.  Silky smooth in texture, well balanced, with spice and strawberry on the finish.  Another winner.  89 points.

1998 Rose of Virginia (Charles Melton)  QPR Winner
This rosé (ok, I'm tossing it in with the reds), runs about $13 AUD.  It is named after Virginia Melton, and "Rose" in the name carries no accent.   A fine rosé all around.  A big thick wine, a bit closer to Beaujolais than a typical  rosé, this hits all the right notes. Gorgeously fragrant and flavorful fruit, mostly grenache, but some cab. It has bright berry flavors and density more than flamboyance.   I found, by the way, that there were a lot of good Australian rosés being made; it's another category of winners. 90 points.

1996 Grenache (Rockford)  QPR Winner
This grenache is spicy and beautifully elegant. It lacks the depth of the Melton, above, and also lacks the pure flavor but it is utterly charming and was a pleasure to drink.  88 points.

1996 Cabernet (Rockford) 
At about $20 AUD, this is still a pretty good value wine, but I wasn't as impressed.  The body is great, actually impressive in density and concentration for a wine in this price range.  The tannins are there to support aging, but there is not much in the way of flavor.  The wine could be a bit dumb at this stage, and may develop. Either way, there is a lot here for the price.  87-89 points.

1996 Shiraz "Basket Press" (Rockford) 
This is probably Rockford's most famous wine.  It is my second exposure to it, and while it is very good--I am not saying otherwise--I did not find it to be the star of the lineup.  It is certainly of good weight and density, but the flavors are a bit muted and the wine does little to stand out.  It could use some time and will probably improve with age or aeration.  As a relatively famous wine, though, it doesn't ring any bells.  88+ points.

1996 Old Vines Grenache/Mourvedre/Shiraz (Penfolds)
Around $20 AUD.  Intense, and structured, this wine is unusually tannic, and finishes with mouth drying astringency.  If it ages well, it will be a steal.   The question in my mind is balance, and I tend to think the tannins are too powerful for the fruit.  Modest oaky notes.  It would be interesting to put this away and see what happens.  87-89 points.

1996 Cabernet "Bin 407" (Penfolds)
Around $20 AUD.  Pleasant, inoffensive cabernet with modest fruit slightly drenched by the American oak flavors Penfolds loves so much.  Not enough varietal typicity, not enough body. 86 points.

1998 Rosé (Turkey Flat)
At about $11.50 AUD, this is another good value wine, and another fine rosé.   It is mostly grenache, with some cab added, and is in a full bodied style, fragrant, with glorious fruit. A bit candied and none too subtle, but a lot of fun in a big bruiser. 89 points. 

1997 Grenache Noir (Turkey Flat)
This is 100% grenache. At about $13.50 AUD, it is another Aussie bargain. Black spices and blackberry spice flavor a medium bodied,  bit tight grenache.  The wine seems a bit disjointed, and I don't think it is all the way there, but a pretty good try.  May improve. 87+ points.

1996 Shiraz/Cabernet/Merlot "Keyneton Estate" (Henschke)
This kitchen sink bottling runs around $26 AUD, and shows a lot of class.   Rich and flavorful, it's a mouthful.  The fruit is sweet and fragrant, and the texture is all velvet. It still has enough structure to make me think it will show better in two years. 90+ points.

1996 Merlot "Abbott's Prayer" Lenswood (Henschke)
This Merlot (85% merlot, anyway) was less impressive. Coming from the cool climate Adelaide Hills, it seems leaner and more austere and angular.  The tightness may vanish with age, but I don't see the wine ever putting on a lot of flesh, or developing lots of flavor.  Not bad, but not the star in the lineup here. 85-87 points.

1996 Shiraz "Mt. Edelstone" (Henschke)
One of Australia's most famous Shirazs, this is made from 80 year old vines. I fondly remember buying this for $12 in the late 1980s.  Oh well. Should've stocked up. It was not necessarily the best Shiraz I had in Australia, but it is on the short list. Yes, the fruit is gorgeous, sweet and lush. The mid-palate has this apparent injection of  fruit that seems like essence of shiraz. You expect no less.  But the balance is also impeccable and the wine has surprising elegance and charm, too.   It never seems overbearing or out of control. Will be better in 2001, is my guess.   92-93 points.

1996 Cabernet (Elderton)
This cab, around $18.50 AUD, seems a bit unbalanced.  It has focus, but little fruit flavor.  The body seems too thin for the level of tannins.  It may develop some and improve with age, but I think a more supple style would have been appropriate for the quality of the fruit.  84-86 points.

1996 Merlot (Elderton)
The Merlot is a bit offbeat, but I rather liked it. The bouquet is pure cherries, the palate gives way to some rhubarb nuances.  It has good weight and density, and nice, smooth fruit.  Eccentric, but pretty good. Rather pricey though, at around $25 AUD.  87 points.

1996 Shiraz (Elderton)
Flamboyant shiraz that goes up and down the flavor spectrum, a little blackberry to start, a bit of coffee to finish.  The concentration level is superb, and it is rich and dense.  A mouthful.  Good balance with the oak. Elderton has in the past been a major offender with oak. They told me that their top wines will be spending less time in oak from now on, and they will also be using less American oak.  As for this wine---eccentric, but delicious.  89 points. 

1997 Merlot (Fox Creek) QPR Winner
Fox Creek is one of Australia's top boutique wineries. Nobody I went to in Australia had as many excellent wines poured in the tasting room, excepting Brokenwood (and Seppelt for the fortifieds).  Of the  8 wines I tasted, including cheapies never intended to be anything but quaffers, 7 were scored at 90 or above. What's more, four were QPR Winners, too!  Be warned: the prices   listed here are very reasonable, but that's at the cellar door in Australia. By the time they get to the USA, you may find the prices marked up by quite a lot, probably more than double. If you can find the wines at all.  The importer is the Grateful Palate. This $30 AUD wine has a touch of cab.  Overall, it seems like a fine Pomerol. Well balanced--all of Fox Creek's wines seem to be--with chocolatey textures and a dark, burnished finish.  It is so elegant, yet such a lingering mouthful of wine.  One of the best Merlots I had in Australia.  91 points.

1997 J.S.M. Shiraz/Cabernets (Fox Creek) QPR Winner
At $20 AUD, this is a steal.  "Cabernets" in Australia usually signifies a Bordeaux blend, particularly cab franc and cab sauvignon.   There is a gorgeous intensity of flavor, sweet, chunky, lush fruit, notes of blackberries and spice.  It assaults your tastebuds, takes no prisoners, and lingers. Another tour de force from Fox Creek.  92 points.

NV Clearskin Pinot Noir/Shiraz (Fox Creek) QPR Winner
In Australia they have the habit of selling at the cellar door "Clearskins." The name derives because they are usually sold without labels; just the clear, glass bottle.   The wines are light, everyday drinking wines for immediate consumption, picnics and barbecues. Fox Creek's clearskin busts the category.  It also encapsulates another Australian tradition, namely a mixture of Pinot Noir and shiraz. It works.  Intense raspberry flavors up front belie the delicate, light nature of this wine.  If the body is light and the fruit is young, it is sweet and delicious, though.  A lovely wine for just $8 AUD.  Gasp.  Oh, and it will never be imported here, is my guess, so airfaire is extra.  If it were not for the young vines, inability to age, and deliberate lightness, this would merit a much higher score. Here, the score is deceptive if you think it signals a so-so experience. It was great. The Aussie answer to Beaujolais stored in barrique at a bistro.  87 points.

1997 Shiraz Reserve (Fox Creek)
This was the densest of the Fox Creek wines. It is not as lush or as sweet as the J.S.M. or the Merlot, but it is packed.  At the moment it is a bit dum and needs some time to come together. There's a touch of acid up front that I could have done without. I would cellar this for two to three years before trying again. 90-91 points.

1998 Pinot Noir (Richard Hamilton) QPR Winner
In the bottle only two months, this has a fruity, candied raspberry nose, and decent velvety texture. At about $13 AUD it was a darned nice value.  For the short term--and I would drink it up in 1 to 3 years, it is a sweet, delicious wine that loses point for being simple and short lived.  Very nice effort, though, and a lot of fun.   87 points.

1997 Shiraz "Gumpers Block" (Richard Hamilton) QPR Winner
About $16.50 AUD.  This wine will be better in about a year.  It shows classic peppery notes, good texture and good weight. It is pleasing and fragrant.  A lot of fun at a very good price. 88 points.

1997 Red Ochre (d'Arenberg)
d'Arenberg is a winery that has really hit stride and is making a push for the big time. Prices seem to be rising, but the quality is good throughout. This simple wine is underwhelming, but it is only $10 AUD.  The flesh and flavor are missing, and the 14% alcohol is a heckuva hit considering how light the rest of the wine is.  Has its good points, but very much a routine quaffer. 80 points.

1997 Chambourcin "Peppermint Paddock"(d'Arenberg)
Let's be honest. It's not like chambourcin is such a great grape that Aussies have to start imitating it!  Why bother? This is marginally better than the Red Ochre, light, with modest flavors, and a touch of astringency. At least here you can taste some fruit. Not bad, and $15 AUD.  But gosh, why waste the time?  83 points.

1997 Shiraz "Footbolt" (d'Arenberg)
This always seems to me to be a bit of an eccentric shiraz. I like it.   Instead of pepper and blackberries, there often seems to be a round, chocolately finish, with olive flavor nuances at the back end.  How you react to that will determine your view of the wine.  The 97 seems not as successful as the 96, though, and there is also a touch too much acidity here. Other than that, it's Footbolt.   Maybe it will integrate better with some age.  $15 AUD at cellar door.   86-87  points.

1997 Cabernet "High Trellis" (d'Arenberg)
This inexpensive cab ($15 AUD) is basically mediocre. Dry, and a bit astringent, the modest flavors and fruit not support the tannins very well.  Comes up short in general, but not bad in this price range, which translates to about $10 US.  84 points.

1996 Grenache "The Custodian" (d'Arenberg) QPR Winner
At about $20 AUD, this is a deal and delicious. There is some game on the nose, but the sweet chambord fruit overwhelms everything else.  The body is dense and of good weight. The fruit is a bit candied, but it is exuberant. The winery says this can easily be cellared, but it is pretty glorious now.  89 points.

1997 Mourvedre "The Twentyeight Road" (d'Arenberg)
Grit and game start the wine off, but the texture rounds off, and dry, clean fruit emerges eventually.  At $20 AUD, it is fairly priced, but it lacks depth. It could use a little distinction somewhere, and never quite pulls it off.  87 points.

1996 Grenache/Shiraz "Ironstone Pressings" (d'Arenberg)
This pricey blend (AUD $35) is 2/3ds Grenache.  It is delicious and deeper than the Custodian, but not head and shoulders above its cheaper sibling. There is a sweet raspberry nose, which follows through with intense fruit flavor.  The wine has a framboise character that is blatant, and, I thought, delicious.   Exuberant and intense. It needs some cellaring to let the components, especially the acidity integrate. The texture should also take on some velvet.   90-91 points.

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Austria (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Grüner Veltliner "Federspiel" (Nikolaihof)
The workhorse wine of Austria shows beautifully here for those who don't mind a bit of acid. The fruit never lets the acid get too overbearing.  However, what really saves this wine and makes it special is the finish. The unusual finale is redolent of caramel and molasses, and there is more flavor in the wine that you would have thought at first sip.  Pricing probable in the mid-20s, though, which is perhaps a bit high for this.  I think this will be a fairly controversial wine that makes a lot of fans and opponents depending on what elements you focus on. Better in 6 months.  88 points.

1997 Grüner Veltliner "Smaragd" (Alzinger)
This wine is a couple of dollars more; I like it less. It shows many of the same components, but the finish is neither as long, nor as interesting. For me, this was overpriced wine.  85 points.

1997 Rhein Riesling "GRAFIN PILEHIT TROCKEN" (F. Schmid)
Pretty, but faint floral nose gives way to a bone dry, rather forbiddingly austere body of decent weight.   There is a touch of lemon on the finish, and the wine never develops much other  flavor until it warms.  As it warms, it becomes a bit less crisp, and the finish is adequate, but the flavors never emerge and the wine always seems a bit dull. It has its moments, but it is not overly interesting.   80 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)

1975 Haut Brion
A more powerful Haut Brion can hardly be imagined.  It is perhaps more a sign of the vintage, than the style of the Chateau. Tar and leather on the finish, surround a big, fat body with some big tannins on the end.  As it airs, it softens and and gains some velvet on the texture. It was a mistake not decanting this. For Haut Brion, this wine represents intensity and power, rather than typical  charm.  It is still distinctive and complex, though.  Twenty-five year old Bordeaux doesn't show better depth too often. 91 points.

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Burgundy (Red) (except dessert/sparkling)

1997 Beaujolais-Villages "Perreon" (Domaine Madone) QPR Winner
Amazingly good value.  This wine is made more like a pinot, seems to evidence no carbonic maceration technique, and is structured enough  to need some age.  It is a bit hollow in the mid-palate, but here's the best part: a very fine drink for about $10 a bottle.  Yikes.  Bursts through its category.  88-90 points, will improve with a year or so of cellaring. 

1997 Savigny-les-Beaune "Vielles Vignes" (Dubois)
This is a nicely perfumed Burgundy that doesn't quite follow through on the palate.    Good flavors are surrounded by a bit too much acidity.  A bit disjointed at the moment, too.  This will benefit from a year or two of cellaring, but it doesn't seem like a really fine Savigny no matter how you cut it.  83-85 points.

1997 Rully Rouge "En Rosey" (Dureuil-Janthial) QPR Winner
A great deal.  I am not positive at what price this will come out, so I can't be sure how great a deal.  I would guess around $20 a bottle, and Burgundy this good around that price is hard to find in the USA.  Beautiful velvety fruit that coats the mouth and lingers signals an exceptional Rully. Actually, I can't remember a better one I have had.  Good weight for a little wine, excellent finish, well integrated red berry flavors.  Will be better in a year.  88+ points.

1997 Rully Rouge "En Guesnes" (Dureuil-Janthial)
This, unfortunately, is more typical Rully.  Tarter and more angular than the "En Rosey, " above, it seems to lack both the flesh and the flavor.  May improve with some cellaring, but I wouldn't rush out and gamble on a lot.  83 points.

1997 Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru "Argillieres"  (Dureuil-Janthial)
Pinot noir. It's good to be a wine drinker when they show like this.  Beautiful, velvety fruit, unrelenting, but well focused flavors, and superb depth make this a beauty.    The wine is approachable now, but tannins on the back end provide needed structure, and it will improve with short term cellaring.  This is a bigger scaled version of the Rully "En Rosey" above.  Pricing is another issue, though; look for this to exceed $40 per bottle.  Your call.  90 points.

1997 Chambolle-Musigny "Sentiers" (F. Magnien)
Bright, cherry fruit doesn't quite survive the rather light body and tart finish of this wine.  Yes, it will improve with air and age, but it seems to me there should be more stuffing here.  Underachieving, and underwhelming.  Likely to be around $40.  85-86 points.

1997 Morey St. Denis "Ruchots" (F. Magnien)
This has much better weight and depth than the Chambolle, above, and decent glycerine.  The flavors are oddly muted, though.  This wine may just be a bit closed and tight, and could develop nicely with a couple of years in the cellar. It was hard to evaluate at the moment.  I put it in a 87-89 point range, and would like to check back in 2001.  Around $40, give or take, too.

1997 Pommard "Noizons" (J. Garaudet)
This wine packs a punch. Its most immediate impression is its tannic grip and focus, and some of the tannins on the finish are mouth  drying and astringent at that.     For all of that,  and despite a nice nose, the body of the wine seems too light and thin.  Needs a few years to age, but I suspect that when the tannins are fully sorted out the fruit will not be holding up so well either.  84-86 points.

1996 Pommard "Clos de la Platiere" (Prince de Merode)
This is a wine that will show better in two years, but despite being a bit tight and dull, I don't see it ever being an exceptional Burgundy.  It lacks the intensity of flavor and depth. Nothing stands out. Boring enough so that you might fall asleep drinking it.  85-87 points.

1996 Corton-Marechaudes (Prince de Merode)
The wine has decent length and a fragrant framboise nose. It has some silky characteristics, and some flavor. It needs a couple of years of cellaring to develop. That's the good news. The bad news is that it shows a bit tart on the finish, and never seems to have the depth it should. Not bad. But not a memorable grand cru, either. 87-88 points.

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Burgundy (White) (except dessert/sparkling)

1991 Meursault-Charmes (Comtes Lafon)
I've gotten a lot of fine '91s to sample, and they are, at this stage of their lives, leaving me royally unimpressed. This wine  and the next are two good examples.  Two superlative producers churn out a good product, but in each case they fall short of exceptional. The wines show lean and rather austere.  This has a bit heavier lees finish, medium body, decent flavor and bouquet.  There are bright, welcome tannins to provide some liveliness, but the wine lacks some oomph and pizazz. A very good effort--for the vintage. 88 points.

1991 Batard-Montrachet (Domaine Leflaive)
This had a beautiful, burnished finish, and improved with air. But it never went anywhere in particular. Like the Lafon, the wine ultimately seemed a bit flat and too modest for its pedigree. I slightly preferred the brighter, crisper Lafon, but this one probably has an edge in depth. Call them even, both flawed, both doing well under the circumstances. 88 points.

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California / USA (Red) (except dessert/sparkling)
1994 Pinot Noir  "Sonoma" (Kistler)
Kistler, that old chard maker, is now producing some might fine pinots.   They have taken a long haul perspective from the looks of things. These are wines that need some cellaring, have some depth, and want to be special. Given how early this effort is, it is very impressive.  There is gorgeous, typical pinot fruit on the finish, excellent depth on the mid-palate, and a considerable hit of tannins that pop up with air.  A year more of cellaring is probably appropriate to hit peak, but the wine has a lot to recommend it now.  It will be interesting to see if the fruit develops more and everything comes into perfect balance.  I would bet yes, but at the moment give a range of 89-91 points.

1978 Zinfandel "Geyserville" (Ridge)
The wine still shows good body, but is otherwise cracking up.  The finish is flavored with barnyard, the fruit is being overwhelmed by alcohol, and I would have to say I found just about nothing particularly pleasing with this wine. Those who are more tolerant of defects, or even find that defects add character, may like it more.   Most, I suspect, won't think much of this as a zinfandel.  79 points.

1987 Pinot Noir (Kent Rasmussen)
In its day, this was  a real fine pinot, if a bit eccentric, but I guess I made the mistake of holding it too long. The fruit has just cracked up.  The wine shows few obvious defects like oxidation, but it has lost flavor and vibrancy.   Nothing much is happening. It is downright unpleasant.  78 points.

1997 Pinot Noir "Russian River" (Selby) QPR Winner
This exceeded my expectations and if I am right that it hits the shelves around $20, it is a good value pinot, too. The wine shines brightly, the flavors are modest but persistent, and well integrated with the body.  The wine shows elegance, and charm.  I expect it to drink well young; it's not bad now.  It loses points for depth and aging potential, but pinot this charming is hard to find in the USA from any source in this price range. 87 points.

1995 Syrah "Sonoma" (Selby)
This should come in around $20.  It is a touch disjointed at the moment, but shows intense and fruity, with supple tannins.  Another year or two of cellaring would help. The biggest quibble I have is a bit of crispness on the finish that, while welcome in Sancerre,  prevents this wine from achieving the velvety texture that I prize. 88 points.

1995 Pinot Noir "Sleepy Hollow" CASE (Talbott)  QPR Winner
I have come to the conclusion that Talbott is the most underrated winery in California. That sounds odd, since it is rather highly respected. But its Diamond "T" chardonnay, is on the short list for California's best chard.  Yet, it doesn't get the publicity some others do.  Maybe it's too available and doesn't achieve cult status.  Then, Talbott starting making Pinots under labels saying Case and Logan.  They are excellent, too. The '94s were terrific (the Case bigger and deeper, though), and this Case is lovely, too. Plus, the price is likely to be right: about $25.  Beautifully balanced, with subtle flavors that linger, the wine has good finish and persistence.  Add elegance, charm.  Nice job. Drinking fairly well now, could use a bit more time to hit peak.  Kistler quality, more or less; a better value. 89-90 points.

1996 Cabernet "Les Pavots" (Peter Michael)
This is a big, tough mouthful of wine at the moment that appears built for the long haul.  Tight, focused, and tannic, the wine nonetheless has a big burst of fruit flavors that pops through with some air.  A very promising sign.  The texture appeals and I think it will be elegant and velvety with age.  A lot of age, perhaps.  2005?  At the moment though, all you can say is that it should be a super wine; but send it to the cellar. 90+ points.

1997 Pinot Noir "Santa Lucia" (Barnett)
Barnett is famed for its cabernets, and especially its cult wine, but this is a pretty nice pinot. I liked it a lot. As befits a pinot from a cab maker, there is some attention paid to structure.  The wine is not overbearing or clunky, though, and shows plenty of pinot charm and hits of raspberry fruit.  Needs a year or two in the cellar.   Nice job.  Will run somewhere around $30, I'd guess.  89 points.

1996 Merlot "Spring Mountain" (Barnett)
Middle of the road Merlot that is nice, inviting, has everything in place, but does nothing exceptionally.  Round and smooth, lacking a bit of depth.  Not bad, but doesn't hold a candle to their cab lineup.  88 points.

1996 Cabernet "Spring Mountain" (Barnett)
This is not their top of the line, but it still may hit shelves at around $40+.  It may be worth it.  Velvety and supple, the wine has texture to die for.   It reminds me more of Pomerol.  Gorgeous fruit is surprisingly well supported by supple and ripe tannins. The wine shows all the charm you could want without sacrificing much structure.  Approachable now, but will develop and improve over the next five to ten years.  It reminds me a bit of 1990 Dominus. 91 points.

1996 Merlot (Cafaro)
This was a super merlot.  The texture was round and velvety, the fruit shone brightly, the tannins were ripe and supple.  The wine was packed. Everything was in perfect balance, well integrated, and made to develop in the cellar, although the wine isn ot overbearing and unapproachable.  I'm not a big fan of most New World merlots, but a few shine through. This is one. Nice density, medium weight. Everything in place. Pricey though, likely to be in the low 30s.   90 points.

1996 Cabernet (Cafaro)
A beautiful, mid-level cab, likely pricing also in the mid to low 30s. Not yet released.  Elegance and balance are again hallmarks, but this is not a wimpy cab. There is beautiful focus to the fruit, and gentle cassis flavors catch your attention. Attractive in all respects, although not the deepest or longest ager you'll find.   Needs 3 years in the cellar, though some might like it now.  89-90   points.

1995 Cabernet "Reserva" (Cafaro)
An impressive nose gives way to a bit of disappointment, as the intense bouquet doesn't quite follow through to the palate. Still, everything's relative.  The flavors of cassis and some blackberry, perhaps, are excellent and prominent, the length is good; the finish a bit overly crisp.  This seems less charming than the 96, above, but the extra bottle age gives it some welcome nuances on the bouquet that are not yet present in the more youthful 96.  Not yet released. Similar pricing to the '96, above. 88-90 points,  depending on how the components integrate in the next couple of years.

1996 Petite Sirah (Rockland)
I didn't realize this well known PS was made by Aubert, Peter Michael's winemaker. That explains a lot. This is simply a great PS.  The fruit is intense and thick, along the lines of blueberry jam in flavor.  For all of its density though, the wine doesn't seem clunky, but tightly wound, focused, and built for aging.   Fruit, structure. The whole nine yards.  92 points.

1993 Pinot Noir Reserve (Panther Creek)
When last I reported on this wine, so tannic and in need of cellaring on release, it had cracked up and gone pruney. I thought this was strange, and probably the bottle. This is my last bottle. NOW, as life tends to have it,  this shows quite nicely and meets my expectations on how it was supposed to age.  It is now in perfect balance, gentle and charming, with good weight and impeccable integration of components. I was a bit disappointed because the fruit flavors have subsided. This is a problem with tannic pinots; often by the time the tannins moderate, the fruit has lost some of the flavor and flamboyance that seemed to make the wine special in the first place. Others will say that the balance is good and they like it this way.  Still, a solid performance, even if it has lost some of its charm. 88 points.

1995 "Orion" (Sean Thackrey)
Opened with a trio of La Chapelles, I thought this held its own, although it was obviously very different.  Exuberant, fruity and grapey, the wine had  sweet fruit  surrounded by supple tannins for structure. Blueberry flavors, and sheer flamboyance made it a winner. The structure made it more than a fruit bomb.  It may well be that in 12 years no one will say it shows well among aging La Chapelles, but at the moment it is pretty special, and in need of 1-2 years of aging.  92 points.

1981 Cabernet (Duckhorn)
Known best for its merlots, Duckhorn has at times produced fine cab, too.  Served blind, this reminded me of nothing more than a fifteen year old Bordeaux with a lot of oomph and depth.  I do think the wine is now having some balance problems. The tannins are a bit astringent and the fruit is settling down, and I do not think will keep up in the long run. But I liked the general style, the depth, the concentration, the big statement. If someone had said "1978 Montrose," I might have agreed. 88 points.

1994 Pinot Noir Reserve (Mondavi)
This is a well made wine that doesn't quite get there. The body seems good. Red berry flavor pokes through at the end. But it seems curiously dull and unexciting. I can't find much to complain about, but I can't find much to get excited about either. Good, not exceptional.  88 points.

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California / USA (White) (except dessert/sparkling)
1991 Chardonnay "Frederique" (Chateau Woltner)
On first taste, I was really going to trash this wine. As a premium chardonnay, it was pretty poor.  It got a bit better with air. The bitter finish turned a bit leesy, there was a reasonable body.  Still, the oxidation didn't help, and it never developed into anything interesting. The only good news that Woltner wines, which were released at high prices, were re-released in Pennsylvania for around $13.   At that price, a mature chard like this might be worth gambling on and the next bottle might be better.  80 points.

1997 Sauvignon Blanc "L'Après Midi" (Peter Michael)
In the past, I thought this was the most idiosyncratic sauv blanc I had ever tasted.   The new vintage weighs in on the side of typicity.  And I like it less. A powerful cat pee nose is offputting, but sauv blanc fans may like it better. Good depth, good crispness, but the flavors are not as interesting as the nose--at least if you find cat pee interesting. Melons and grapefruit nuances.  Better in 6 to 12 months. Good, not great. I mourn the older style. Too pricey at around $30 per bottle. 88-89 points.

1997 Chardonnay "Mon Plaisir" (Peter Michael)
This has never been a bottling I've liked much.  There are lotsa lees. That's the good news.  This year's version I dislike equally with past years, but for different reasons.  The wine seems flat, and needs a bit of crispness for structure.  If I'm asking for acid, you know it needs it.  ;)  It just seems clunky and dull. Maybe it will integrate a bit better with a year of age, but I wouldn't bet on it.   86-87 points.

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Dessert / Sparkling Wines
1996 Botrytis Semillon "Noble One" (De Bortoli)
I've generally found De Bortoli to be a bit overrated. Their wines are indeed like a Sauternes, but for the price, about $25 US per half, I generally find them overpriced.  That said, this is pretty nice.  A dead ringer for a decent Sauternes, you would be hard pressed to taste this and guess "new world."   It is a bit advanced, drinking nicely now, and is heavily marked by botrytis.   It is a touch light, but with air, it does not fade, and finish lingers. The wine shows charm and elegance beyond its weight and body, and I confess that it won me over after I sat with it awhile.  It's simply "pretty."  90 points.

1994 Riesling Late Harvest (Navarro)
In the mid-80s, this winery delivered some of the greatest American dessert wine I have ever had.  I have to say that I keep waiting for the experience to repeat itself, and it hasn't.  This has typical late harvest riesling flavors, and seems to be very familiar.  It is a bit light, and seems to lack the depth of early offerings.   Pleasant wine, but the thrill seems gone.  87 points.

NV Champagne Guy Charlemagne Brut
Elegant sparkler that I rather liked.  It had a sweet nose, but the palate followed through dry. A medium to light body provides a lot of elegance without becoming boring or thin. The finish at first was a bit acidic, but as the wine got some air, it did not crack up, but rather increased intensity on the finish.  I was surprised at how good its finish was, and began liking it more and more. It is not a blockbuster style, and not a monumental champagne, but it has a lot of charm and persistence. 88 points.

NV Tawny Port "Old Cave" McLaren Vale (Chateau Reynella) QPR Winner
This was tasted and purchased in the USA, but certainly sought out due to my tastings of Australia's fortified wines, probably the country's best kept secret. Compared to the really great stuff I tasted there, like 1981 Seppelt Para Port, this is several notches before. But it sells in the USA for a mere $12.99.  It is an amazingly powerful and vibrant wine, almost too much so. The alcohol is a tad out of balance I think, but in fairness, the fruit sneaks up on you and coats your mouth, lingering for a long, long time. There are more spice and tangy nuances than there are nutty ones common to this type of wine--at least unless it is decanted for a long while.   If I did not know exactly how good these things can get in Australia, I would now be very excited, despite modest quibbles. SO, I'm a little jaded. But take it from me: this is a steal at this price if you like this type of wine. If you can't find this, try the Yalumba Clocktower at the same price. (See below.)  The Old Cave will improve with cellaring, and really needs some. I'm sending mine to the cellar for a few of years. I would also note that it was better after being on a vacu-vin for a week.  Actually, it was tremendous after being open for a week, and I gained new insights into the balance of the wine.   Taste one of your batch before you decide how long to keep it--who knows what year it was released. But after a week on the vacu-vin, most of the harshness disappeared, and the nutty aromas and flavors poked through.  The wine never lost its vibrancy or body, though.  92   points.

NV Tawny Port "Clocktower" (Yalumba) QPR Winner
Tasted/purchased in the USA. Whereas the Old Cave, above, is a big brute with power to spare, the Yalumba, is lighter in alcohol, sweeter and creamier, completely accessible. Its approach is more immediately charming, although admittedly it has no upside.   It is just a completely different, more accessible style. Purists may say it is too light, but it is sweet, delicious and elegant. It does not hold terribly well with long aeration.  Many people will have a distinct preference for one rather than the other, but newbies to fortified wines will certainly prefer this more accessible, gentler bottling. 88 points.

1981 Para Port (Seppelt) QPR Winner
Perhaps my best discovery in Australia was the magical hand the Aussies have with fortified wines. The best of their tawny ports (so they call them....) were world class wines that could compete with the best of anything of that type. I thought they were better than the Shiraz bottlings!   Further, the fortifieds were often dirt cheap.  This monumental wine was $30 AUD, which is simply a steal.  Lesser bottlings (see the Old Cave from Chateau Reynella, above) were amazing bargains. In this wine,  you may be more familiar with the red label Seppelt Para Port; the vintage dated bottling is not imported into the USA.   But this adds many layers of depth, concentration and complexity.  Rich and luscious, it belies the label "tawny." Suffused with hazlenut flavors and caramel nuances, the bouquet is intense, and the palate carries through in kind. The viscosity level is remarkable for a tawny, let alone a wine available for about $20 US.   Add a long, long finish that coats your mouth and never seems to stop.   Seppelt is known in Australia for their fortified wines. Now I know why.  97 points.

NV "D.P. 90" Show Tawny Port (Seppelt)
More Seppelt magic.  This is a 21 year old tawny, several times more expensive than the '81 Para Port, and very complex.  The flavor profile changes by the moment. Still,  I liked the more vibrant, richer Para Ports better,  and they were a lot cheaper to boot. 90 points.

NV "D.P. 57" Show Tokay (Seppelt)
These wines all call themselves "show" this and that, and they are "liqueur" wines, as the Aussies say. Or, as the French say, liquoreux.   Fortified.  This and the Show Muscat (below) were a couple of notches thicker and richer than bottlings I've had in the USA; maybe I just stumbled across slightly mistreated things here (excellent though they were). As this shows at the cellar door, it is a thick, almost syrupy wine, unbelievably rich, amazingly concentrated and utterly delicious.  Sweeter and more unctuous than the Para Port, although the Para Port seems brawnier  Choices, choices.  $23.50 AUD per 375ml. The Muscat at least is available in the USA for around $21 US per  375 ml.  If you are familiar with the more common (and much cheaper) Yalumba Show Museum Reserve, the styles are very similar.  The Yalumba is an excellent buy, but does not begin to approach the Seppelt Show Muscat and Show Tokay in depth, concentration and flavor. Non-vintage, but 1997 bottling. 95 points.

NV "D.P. 63" Show Muscat (Seppelt)
Tasted five times, at the winery, in restaurants and in the USA in the last month. The USA bottlings, as noted above, were a bit less rich, but still damned fine. Same pricing, same characteristics as the Tokay, just the flavors differed a bit. Frankly, I don't quite know which I liked better.  Non-vintage, but 1997 bottling. 95 points.

1996/1995 Liqueur Shiraz "Viva" (Seppelt)QPR Winner
This is a new offering from Seppelt. I don't know that it has gotten to the USA yet, but it probably will.  The idea here was to make a lighter styled fortified wine, elegant, inviting, easy drinking, and cheap--and entry level fortified, as it were.  But that's insulting.  All the goals are met well, a little too well to consider this the cheap junk.  The '96 is sweet and charming, with raspberry nuances.  Half of the juice is unfermented. Maybe that makes the wine so round, so soft and velvety.  You would never guess its high alcohol content. It is probably not quite sweet enough to be a real dessert wine, but it is close, and it is wonderful by itself. Best of all...in Australia, $15 AUD.  Loads of charm. Easy drinking.  Despite the alcohol levels, these are not keepers.   The '96 was glorious. The '95 was lovely and charming--no complaints--but it was already losing some flavor.  This is a wine you drink for the flamboyance. The best analogy I can think of? Clarendon Hills Shiraz.  (Ok. I jest. This is a lot sweeter and a lot richer. But the flavors aren't much different.)  89 points for the 1996; 87 points for the 1995.

1996 Liqueur Chardonnay "Viva" (Seppelt) QPR Winner
This is the white version of the Viva, and it is just beautiful, too.  Sweet, but  lighter and airier than the shiraz, immensely charming and friendly.  It's fresh and fruity, charming and elegant.  A crowd pleaser for sure.  88 points.

NV Liqueur Muscat (Skillogalee) QPR Winner
Another Aussie tawny. And my, they are fine!  This is off dry with a flavor profile like fra angelica liqueur.  Lotsa nuts and caramel. Talk about typicity. They tossed a couple of extra bags in here, and it gives them a lovely nutty bouquet, too.  This is pretty powerful. It comes with some kick. Not imported into the USA. If you find it, drink slowly.  89 points.

NV 10 Year Malmsey Madeira (Henriques & Henriques)
At about $25 a bottle, this at first glance seems pricey, but it's a beauty.  It's perhaps the best analogy to the Aussie tawny ports I've been writing about lately, since they seem to be thicker than real tawnies.  Nutty and rich, thick, but not heavy, there is just the right level of sweetness on this to hold up to a dessert. It would be great by itself, too.  Delicious, reasonably rich and well balanced. 89 points.

1989 Champagne (Veuve Clicquot)
A charming Clicquot, any way you look at it. This has the toast, the body, some fullness. But at this point in its life, it stops short of
full bodied in the way a Krug or a Bollinger might define it, and substitutes elegance and charm.  Rich in flavor and utterly pleasing. 90 points.

1997 & 1998 Botrytis Riesling (Tim Adams)
If Tim Adams made great red wines (see above), his latest examples of stickies may show him even to be a better dessert wine maker.  The 1997 is all charm, gorgeous, fragrant fruit, semi-dry, and very refreshing.  90 points.  In   1998 [$20 AUD per 375ml], though, it goes to a different level, and the residual sugar increases by 500% -- a very different style of wine.  Bigger, sweeter, redolent of pineapples, rich and beautiful, it stops short of syrupy. A beauty in perfect balance.   94 points.

1997 & 1998 Botrytis Semillon (Tim Adams)
The 1997 Botrytis Semillon [$15 AUD per half] gets triple the sugar of the '97 Riesling , above.  It is heavier, sweeter, thicker and gorgeous.  It is also a pretty good Sauternes imitator.  91 points.  However,  the 1998 Botrytis Semillon [$20 AUD per half]  gets double the residual sugar--180 grams--than the 97.   Easily the richest and thickest of the four wines, showing very sweet, pretty close to the "s" word--syrupy.  Redolent of peaches and apricots.  I like the style and flavors of the riesling slightly better, but that is mostly a matter of taste. 94 points.

NV Liqueur Verdelho (Seven Hill) QPR Winner
At about $16 AUD, this is not only a bargain, but it is the only fortified Verdelho I found.  It works well. Candied and powerful, thick and rich, the wine manages to retain some elegance.  The nuttiness characteristic of many of these wines is not as strong, but it hits on all other fronts.   A steal.  90 points.

NV Liqueur Tokay (Seven Hill) QPR Winner
The Tokay is denser and richer than the Verdelho, more tending to syrupy.   But it is not as discernibly sweet or as flavorful and is perhaps a bit less charming.  Which you prefer will be a matter of your taste preferences.  At the same price, you get a choie of  two very different styles: Big and bigger; thick and thicker; sweet and somewhat less sweet. Ok. I jest. This one is the Wilt Chamberlain though, whereas the Verdelho is only the Karl Malone. They both provide everything you could want, and are absolute steals in this price range.  90 points.

1987 Port (Seven Hill)
This is an odd, very eccentric port. It doesn't have much intensity. It seems flat and dull.  The flavors are muted and not all that pleasant either.  The structure is nominal.  It sells for $4 AUD more than the liqueurs, which I greatly preferred. Go figure.  79 points.

NV Sweet Sherry (Seven Hill)
The sweet sherry, uh, wasn't too sweet. Another odd wine that seemed to lack intensity, richness, and anything that would be truly pleasing. After the fine liqueur Tokay and Verdelho, I was disappointed.  80 points.

1998 Jelka Riesling (Brokenwood) QPR Winner
The fruit here is from McLaren Vale. One of the oddities of Hunter Valley wineries is how often they feature a bottling made with fruit from elsewhere. Anyway....  This is also one of the best rieslings I had in Australia.  Rich, very sweet, delicious, with apricot and tangerine notes, intense pure flavors.  A delight to drink.  $12 US at cellar door for 500 ml. A steal. 91 points.

NV Tawny Port "P.S. Marion" (Rockford) QPR Winner
Rockford has a following for its ports, and this 15 year old tawny shows why.   It is sensational and one of the best I tried in Australia, and certainly the best I had outside of Seppelt.  At just $18 AUD, also, it is licensed robbery to buy this. The catch is that it does not come into the USA.  The level of sweetness and luscious, creamy richness is unusual for a tawny, and unmatched by any Australian late harvest wine I had except a couple of the vintage Para Ports by Seppelt. Caramel and hazlenut aromas and flavors suffuse the wine.  Thick, delicious and remarkable.   As life tends to go, not imported into the USA. Maybe one day.  If you're in the area, stop by and pick some up.   94 points.

NV Port Club Reserve "Bin 421" (Penfolds)
It wasn't too long after hitting Rockford that I went up to Penfold's and tried this. My lips curled in scorn at this lightweight, modestly flavored tawny. Then I found out the price.  $10.90 AUD. Well. At about $7.50 US, this is a bargain. I would still rather pay a few extra bucks for Rockford-type quality, but if you are in need of savings, this is a lot of bang for the buck.  84 points.

NV Tawny Port "Magill Bluestone" (Penfolds)
At about $19 AUD, this represents a good value, too. But at slightly higher pricing than the Rockford, above, why bother? The Rockford just blows it away.  This is more powerful than the Club Reserve, richer, and nutty. But it pales in flavor, power, richness and quality next to the Rockford. 87 points.

1997 Golden Semillon (Elderton)
Heavily marked by botrytis, this has a dense, rich body, voluptuous fruit and great caramel and toffee flavors.  It's a super stickie.  It will be better in 2001, too, when it puts on weight and melds together.  Great finish and length to boot. 90-92 points.

NV "Vixen" Sparkling Shiraz/Cabernets  (Fox Creek)
Another Aussie tradition: sparkling red wine. These are always pretty scary when first poured. The red froth looks like it will result in a sweet, Mogen David style wine. Not at all. This has a dense body, and it is a bit fruity, but hardly sweet.  It has intensity of flavor but also great focus and structure. Arguably the best red sparkler I have tasted from Australia.  Not everyone will care for this style of wine, but in its class it is pretty terrific.  This winery seems to pay attention to all of its wines, and overlooks no details.  My scores are relative, remember, and we're not talking Cristal here, but for sparkling shiraz....93 points.

1982 Champagne (Salon)
Opens toasty and rich, a big mouthful of champagne.  With more air, some unwelcome oxidation pops through, but I had to be impressed at the richness of the mouthcoating fruit and the long finish. I could ignore some hints that the wine was showing some flaws.  91 points.

1994 Late Harvest Riesling (d'Arenberg)
I have grown to be a fan of d'Arenberg's unusual late harvest rieslings, which in some vintages seem to have almost a pink blush.  In my experience, while alive, the wine has three stages, which it goes through fairly quickly.  First, youthful and bright. A year or so after release, second, it takes on weight and becomes thick and honeyed.  Third, it loses flesh and oxidized qualities start to chip away at the fruit. This wine has hit stage 3.  It is also high in alcohol and seems a bit hot.   The touches of oxidation though, cannot destroy the flavors remaining, even if the berries seem a bit old now.  Still pretty nice, but not at peak.  88 points.

1996 Late Harvest Riesling (d'Arenberg)
This is more like it. At peak, in prime time. The only problem is that the price has now escalated to $25 AUD per half.  I used to get these for $10 per half in the USA; what it is now I am afraid to ask.  But anyway.... thick and sweet, honeyed and gorgeous. The wine is redolent of pineapples and oranges, and even though it is so thick, it seems fresh, lively and invigorating. Beautiful. 92 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
1995 Riesling "Maximim Grunhauser Herrenberg" Kabinett (Von Schubert)
Simply,  a stunning Kabinett, one of the best I have ever tasted. Gorgeous, lush, round fruit persists and lingers.  The wine is more off dry than I'd expect, but maybe that's just because there is so much concentration of fruit.   Pretty floral bouquet.  When you're done, the fruit leaves a coating on your mouth that doesn't go away--and you don't want it to.  93 points.

1997 Riesling Spatlese "Westhofener Morstein" (Wittman)
This shows a bit disjointed at the moment, but has promise.  The opening is all lemons and acid,  and it makes your mouth tingle a bit-not unpleasantly. The finish is excellent, though the wine shows a bit light in the mid-palate.  This is a style of wine that some hate; some love. I've seen better examples, but fans of the style will like it a lot. Priced in the upper teens.  87 points.

1997 Riesling Auslese Haardt Bürgergart (Muller-Catoir)
A mouthfiller.  This is going to be a super wine. Well, it already is.   Full and rich, it is a mouthful. Off dry, perfect balance, ripe, floral fruit. The sweetness is modest.  Lingering finish.  Just lovely. Looks like it may break the $50 level, though.  I can't get too interested at that point.  90-91   points.

1997 Riesling Kabinett I (Selbach-Oster)
This is a modestly priced riesling, estimated to come in under $15, but it's not worth that.  Thin, short, and uninteresting, it shows little to recommend it.   It's not bad.  It's just underwhelming and mediocre. There's a lot of choices in the wine world. This doesn't have to be one of them. 80 points.

1997 Riesling Kabinett "Graach Domprobst" (Selbach-Oster) QPR Winner
For about the same price, you can get this wine. And it's a major step up. It overachieves, whereas its lesser sibling underachieves. A minerally nose gives way to a lemony palate, but the fruit has excellent depth, and there is a nice finish.  This wine delivers some bang for the buck. 88 points.

1997 Riesling Spatlese "Zelting Schlossberg" (Selbach-Oster)
This will run a couple of  bucks more than the Graach Domprobst, but the difference is mainly stylistic. The acidity is more intense here; the lemons are strong enough for iced tea.  But the finish is longer. On the other hand, the body seems a bit lighter, leaner.  I liked different things about each wine, ultimately liking them about the same. I suppose given the price difference, modest though it is, that makes the Domprobst the better deal. But this will have its fans and the difference in price will be modest.   88 points.

1975 Riesling Auslese "Graacher Domprobst" (Deinhard)
Round and flavorful, this wine needed to be drunk, but still provided some enjoyment.   It was also a pretty good foie gras match, as the texture of the foie gras matched well to the smoothness of the wine. The sweetness is muted by now, and the wine has more than a few hints of decay, but on the whole, it has held well. 87 points.


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Loire (except dessert/sparkling)

1997 Vouvray Sec "Coulée d'Argent" Vielles Vignes (Bourillon Dorleans) QPR Winner
Pretty, easy drinking wine with a crisp finish, loads of flavor and an excellent mid-palate that belies its value pricing under $15.  This will mature and improve, but it drinks well now. Lotsa charm and quality for this price level.  88 points.

1997 Vouvray Sec "Argilo" (Bourillon Dorleans) QPR Winner
Focused and tighter than the Coulee, above, this will age better and seems to have  a bit more depth.  It won't, I'd bet, ever be as charming although I've learned not to bet too much against the ability of chenin blanc to open with age.  Good finish, but not as opulent.  A bit pricier but still a fine value.  88 points

1997 Vouvray Demi-Sec (Bourillon Dorleans) QPR Winner
I loved the flavor profile in this wine.  Hints of caramel suffuse a superb finish, but the wine seems a bit light and underwhelming.  At about the $15 price barrier, though, it is another good value for this estate.  87 points.

1997 Vouvray Moelleux (Bourillon Dorleans)
Light and airy, this wine shares some of the same characteristics as the demi-sec, but the flavors are less intense and the wine seems rather inoffensive and somewhat boring. A bit of hollowness in the mid-palate gives it the sensation of being a bit too thin.  This will probably come out somewhere under $30 a bottle, but that's a bit pricey for this.    85 points.

1997 Vouvray Moelleux "Coulée d'Or"  (Bourillon Dorleans)
The best wine in this lineup, and the priciest (I guess it would come out at about $35 a bottle or so), this shows moderate sweetness, deliciously subtle but pure pear notes, good depth and a lovely nose.  A success, but a bit pricey for what it is, perhaps. 90 points.

1996 Bourgueil (Domaine des Ouches) QPR Winner
This youthful, value priced Bourgueil shows great potential, but is a bit too tight and astringent at the moment to show everything. Good flavor, medium bodied.  And the price is right at roughly $10 a bottle.  87-89 points.

1997 Chinon Blanc (Olga Raffault)
Tart, thin, almost unpleasant wine that at best aspires to be boring.  I think you should skip right to their red Chinons, which are fine wines. 79 points.

1995 Chinon "Les Picasses" (Olga Raffault) QPR Winner
Wonderful easy drinking Chinon with tons of charm.  The fruit has an appealing velvety texture, and plenty of flavor. The wine is soft, and this is not one of those dense, tannic ones, but what it loses in power, it makes up for in elegance and sweetness. Old Vines.  Likely to be in around $15. 88 points.

1995 Bourgueil "Grand Mont" (Druet) QPR Winner
This Bourgueil from 50 year old vines is a tannic monster.  The fruit is there, but buried at the moment.  I suspect this will drink best around 2008--2012.   It is a monster Chinon.  How well the fruit develops is not as clear; there may also be some balance issues.  I'm betting on it, though.   I expect this to be around $20 a bottle. 87-89 points.

1996 Bourgueil Vielles Vignes "Fiefs de Louys" (Druet) QPR Winner
This atmospheric bottle maintains a label from the turn of the century. It is marvellous, one of the best Bourgueils I have tasted. Big and powerful, dense and thick, this wine has potentional to spare.  Look for it to develop into a rich, velvety cab franc in about five to seven years.   This may wind up being priced a few dollars more than the Grand Mont, and I'd say it will be worth it. 89-91 points.

1996 Chinon Clos de Danzay (Druet)
Druet likes to make them tight and tannic.  I'm not sure that is always a good idea. Sometimes you wonder if there's quite enough depth of  fruit, or if   the wines will always seem a bit unbalanced. That's the issue here, although I think there will be a reasonable window where the wine drinks pretty well. Still, it is not a major investment, and it could also turn out special.  Around $20.  86-88 points.

1997 Bourgueil "Les Cent Boisseleés" (Druet)
This represents Druet's kinder, gentler side, and also a wine that should be more around $15.  This is easy and drinking nicely now, although it will be better in a year. It has some Beaujolais characteristics.  It seems simple, but it is also an excellent value. Pretty and pleasing.  85 points.

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Rhone/ South / Southwest France (except dessert/sparkling)

1996 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Rouge Cotes du Rhone (Beaucastel)
This is simply a gorgeous Cotes du Rhone. What else can I say? Suffused with deep, sweet fruit, almost like blueberry jam at times, this is so young and flamboyant, so packed and beautiful, that it is hard to believe we are talking Cotes du Rhone here. A tour de force. It is going to be pricey for its classification, probably around $20, but then again, it bursts through its classification. Treat it as wine, not Cotes du Rhone.  For sure, this benefits by being accessible and open,  but I liked it a lot.   91 points.

1996 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge (Beaucastel)
Tasted from a newly opened bottle, with no time for aeration, this was hard to evaluate.  It is very big, very tight, and a bit disjointed at the moment. It has great length, power, a slightly crisp finish. It seems packed.  I anticipate this will be a fine Beaucastel, but I didn't sense I was drinking a superstar.  A star, though.  Needs to be retaste