2008 Hangtime Pinot Noir

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $16

This Pinot actually got better on days 2 and 3 after opening. The cherry came through better with time. The name Hangtime was selected to reflect the amount of time grapes spend on the vine, the more concentrated the fruit character, resulting in wines of distinctive, delicious varietal expression. This Pinot is sourced from select CA vineyards that allow grapes to ripen slowly, producing lovely delicate, intriguing fruit character.

2007 Wild Z Zerba Cellars Red Wine

Taste: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $20

Wild Z is a blend of 37% Melot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah and 4% Cab Franc. Reminiscent of cedar, dark plum and white pepper that lead up to blackberry and dark cherry with hints of earth and olive. This wine was a little bold for me the first day - would definitely benefited from decanting. Not sure I would pay this price point for it again as there are enough wines priced less that I enjoy at least as much.

2008 Firestone Discoveries Chardonnnay

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5
Price: $13

The both the bouquet palate struck me instantly of tropical fruits - pineapple and banana, then unfolded to crisp apple with a hint of pear. True to the grape without being masked by oak. Both the taste and price point make this a great everyday wine, and one I would buy again. Day 2 and 3, my impression was more lemon and bright - still very good!

Discoveries goal is to produce bright, fresh and fruit forward wines. Based on this selection, I would be interested in trying other varietals from their portfolio.

UPDATE: tasted the Firestone Cabernet at a wine tasting, I'll stick with the Chardonnay on this one - not impressed by the Cab - there was a whole lot going on on the palate, but not all that pleasing.

2009 Cline Cashmere

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $15

So, I went to a wine/liquor store to buy Sake for a marinade I planned to make and overheard another customer talking about this wine. She bought 2 of the 3 bottles they had. I was intrigued enough to buy the last one and opened it that night with company and hamburgers. True to its name, it is soft as cashmere but also smooth as silk. A blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache, this wine envelopes you with flavors of cherries, raspberries, chocolate and hints of plums and ends with a long, smooth finish. Our company was equally impressed!

2008 d'Ardenberg Stump Jump Verdelho

Taste: 5/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $19

I really liked this wine, but it reminded me a lot of Le Lapin Ingenuity, which at $8/bottle is a much better value. Regardless, this wine is nicely floral and tropical on the nose and richly acidic on the palate. "An enticing floral tropical character is noticeable on the nose with white stone fruits, figs, and flower stems in the background. There is good palate weight with pear and lemon characters making way for stone fruits on the mid palate. The acidity and minerality make for a clean and crisp finish."

WS, 85 points - "Soft and refreshing, with pretty apply and leaf flavors. Drink now."

Top 10 wines tasted in 2010

1) 2003 Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

2) Le Lapin Ingenuity White

3) Bogle Petite Sirah

4) 2009 Matua Sauvignon Blanc

5) Tarrica Zinfandel

6) Mercer Riesling

7) Rosenblum Cellars Roussanne

8) Bitch (Garnacha)

9) 2008 Palo Alto Reserve

10) Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose

2007 Mercer Riesling

Taste:5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $13

Mercer Estates is a family-owned Washington State winery and a partnership of the Mercer and Hogue families. Despite the description below, I found the finish to be off-dry. Can't wait to try it again with Asian food!

"Riesling grapes grown in the Washington State's cooler Yakima Valley appellation produce a brisk, tangy and refreshing wine. Flavors and aromas of apricot, peach and tangerine along with the bracing acidity of the Mercer Estates Riesling reflect the unique character of Washington State Riesling. With little less than a percent and a half of residual sugar this Riesling is a bit dryer than many Rieslings and lends itself quite well to food pairings." -David Forsyth, winemaker

Wine Spectator: 88 points

Wine Advocate: 87 points