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Wines to Check Out

2003 Bordeaux Index

VINEYARD/VINTAGE

PRICE

RATING

TASTERS' COMMENTS

Château Beaulieu (Comtes de Tastes) (Bordeaux Supérieur)

$16.99

Good/Very Good

Best of tasting. Really tastes like Bordeaux, albeit a junior Bordeaux, with good fruit and lean and somewhat elegant and structured tastes.

Christian Moueix Merlot (Bordeaux)

$9.99*

Good/Very Good

Best value. Dull at first, but it comes together with some air and warmth. Light blackberry fruit, good acids and simple in the best sense of the word. Charming and informal.

Château Bonnet (Bordeaux)

$11.49*

Good/Very Good

Simple but pleasant, with some earth and light, cherry fruit.

Château Cotte des Rambaux 'Cuvée Petit Martinot' (Bordeaux Supérieur)

$11.99*

Good/Very Good

Friendly wine. Broad tastes that are quite smooth, perfect for Merlot-lovers (though it's 50% Cabernet Sauvignon). A dry, earthy finish that demands food.

Château Au Grand Paris (Bordeaux Supérieur)

$10.99

Good/Very Good

Grapey and light and very easy to like, with happy-go-lucky, drink-now tastes. Great with light food. Repeat favorite.

Château Haut Nadeau (Bordeaux Supérieur)

$13.99*

Good/Very Good

Pillow-soft and very easy to drink, with tastes of black plums and a nice, round fullness.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARD/VINTAGE PRICE RATING TASTERS' COMMENTS
Chateau Ste. Michelle 'Indian Wells' (Columbia Valley) $17.59 Very Good Best of tasting. Lovely nose of rich fruit and tobacco. Far more interesting than others, with dense-packed, dry fruit, good texture and a nice balance of ripe grapes and oak. Tastes expensive.
Michael Sullberg (California) $9.49 Good/Very Good Best value. Pretty, dark, rich color. Tightly wound fruit, good acidity and some earth underneath. Real wine and a great deal.
Alexander Valley Vineyards 'Wetzel Family Estate' (Alexander Valley) $16.99* Very Good A grown-up wine, with dark, tight, dry fruit, a good oak-fruit balance and some interesting layers. Could age.
Barnard Griffin (Columbia Valley) $14.49* Good/Very Good Pleasant, with some blackberry fruit and a nicely dry finish. No real complexity, but lovely to drink, with broad, fruity tastes.
Francis Coppola 'Diamond Collection Claret/Cabernet Sauvignon' (California) $15.49* Good/Very Good Nicely round and pleasant, with an interesting hint of herbs and a drying finish. Reliable name.
Gallo Family Vineyards 'Sonoma Reserve' (Sonoma County) $10.99 Good/Very Good Well-balanced, with some stuff underneath and a dry finish of spices and herbs. As Dottie said, "It's criminally easy to drink, but not simple." Perennial favorite.
R.H. Phillips Vineyard (California) $9.25 Good/Very Good Friendly wine. Light, smooth and easy, with some raspberry fruit. Try this with hamburgers or spicy pasta.
Rodney Strong Vineyards (Sonoma County) $13.99 Good/ Very Good Quite soft, like a Merlot, but some nice spices, pepper and earth make it interesting. Blackberry fruit. Easy to drink. Perennial favorite. Drink now.

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