Stephen Tanzer's IWC: (15.8% alcohol) Saturated bright ruby. Aromas of boysenberry, dark chocolate, mocha and oak. Fat, silky and sweet but not heavy; this really fills the mouth. Less minerally th...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape has oodles of black raspberry and kirsch notes intermixed with roasted Provencal herbs, licorice, and spice box. Medium to full bodied, dense, and...

Wine Spectator: There's lots of currant and blackberry in this, with hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins that turn chewy, but also a solid core of fruit underneath, with ne...

Wine Spectator: Dense but restrained, with a charcoal frame holding the solid core of black currant and blackberry fruit at bay for now. There's a nice smoldering feel through the finish, wit...

About this Wine: Land: A plateau of limestone; bordering slopes with chalk and clay soils....

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: From the bottle, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape has lived up to its pre-bottle form. Composed of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre, Cinsault and other varietals, it...

About this Wine: Land: A plateau of limestone; bordering slopes with chalk and clay soils....

Andy Frieden: Purple core with a deep garnet rim. Nose is suggestive of Bordeaux, with perfumed red and black fruit complemented by cherry blossom and underlying fresh earth and crushed roc...

About this Wine: Primus is one of Chile's top red meritage style wines, a blend of power and finesse that merges Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, the lost Bordeaux grape. Carmen...

About this Wine: Fattoria Viticcio's Chianti Classico Riserva is the result of careful selection of the finest grapes during harvesting, with a predominance of Tuscan Sangiovese. Vinification ...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: A big, sweet, ripe nose of raspberry jam interwoven with white flowers, blueberries, kirsch and some subtle oak and camphor is followed by an intensely concentrated yet silky ...

Wine Enthusiast: This gorgeous Carignano-based wine from the sun-drenched island of Sardinia shows amazing harmony and personality. There are rich and ripe notes here of blackberry, mature che...

Wine Enthusiast: A terrific value in Barossa Shiraz, Langmeil's 2008 Valley Floor bottling features bold oak-fruit styling without ever seeming jammy. It's full bodied but not unstructured, wi...

Wine Spectator: Candied cherry and milk chocolate mark this round, creamy red. This is well-structured, with some astringent tannins capping the finish. Should come around soon. Drink now thr...

Wine Spectator: A forward, jammy red, with layers of blueberry, blackberry and plum notes that pick up hints of smoke, graphite and mocha on the round finish. Drink now. -NW

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2008 Martinet Bru is a bit more forward and elegant. It can be approached now but will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring. Mas Martinet is owned by Jose Luis P...

Wine Spectator: Firm, slightly dusty-edged plum and cassis fruit here, with a good sappy feel on the finish. Underlying tarry edge. Solid, if a bit reticent today.-J.M.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2009 Langhe Nebbiolo is a big, powerful wine endowed with considerable textural richness. Sweet red cherries, tar, mint, flowers and licorice are some of the notes that ta...

Wine Spectator: A good, winey core of cassis and blackberry is framed by a noticeable plum skin edge that is in turn offset by polished toast. Modern and direct in style.-J.M.

About this Wine: Land: A plateau of limestone; bordering slopes with chalk and clay soils....