I don't review many everyday table wines here on the Blog Wine Cellar, but it's not because I think I'm somehow too good for a bottle of wine under ten dollars. In fact I enjoy drinking quality wines in a lower price tear because I feel that there is something special about the wine being the compliment to the meal or the dinner table and not so much the wine always being the main center piece.

The Private Selection Chardonnay from Mondavi is primarily sourced from graped grown in California's Central coast. I do know that although it's a very large production that they do partially barrel ferment this wine and the rest goes through stainless steel.

On the nose I get lemon pudding, lots of buttery oak, and even a touch of banana peel. It actually has a pretty nice aroma complex that isn't always available in cheaper Chardonnay. It's a bit too oaky for my liking and I tend to gravitate to Central Coast Chard that is on the crisper and fruit driven side.

On the palate the wine shows good balance and some nice acidity. I get pretty standard flavors of apple, melon, citrus, and a good dose of oak and buttered toast on the finish. The alcohol peers through a bit on the finish but not enough to be turned off. It an absolutely serviceable wine that wouldn't offend at the dinner table. 85 points

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Sauvignon Blanc is usually one of the more uninteresting varietals for myself and my palate. I taste quite a few of them and yet I'm almost always underwhelmed. However, I've tasted this wine twice in previous vintages and know that it usually has quite a bit of depth and complexity. Now whether this has to do with the fact that it's barrel fermented or the fruit source is just amazing, I do not know. What I do know is that it's the best Sauvignon Blanc I've ever tasted.

On the Nose I get amazing aromatics of mandarin, lime zest, white flower, orange blossom, honey suckle, guava, baked apple, and honey dew melon. There are some really nice creamy bread notes as well. One thing Sauvignon Blanc more often then not excels in is the aroma department, and this wine has an absolutely brilliant bouquet.

On the palate the first thing that speaks to me is the amazingly round and dense texture. The wine has great acidity and sharpness that shows up after the initial creamy and thick texture. I get intense and mouthwatering flavors of yellow apple, tangerine, lemon-lime, honey dew melon, honey suckle, cream, and just the slightest hint of toast. There is also great mineral and crushed rock notes that show up towards the finish that add to the complexity.

I'd like to mention the length and intensity of the finish of this wine. I'm not sure I've ever had a white wine that has such an intense and long finish. The flavors just keep exploding and unfolding on the finish for minutes after the initial sip. It's really no wonder that this wine gets such amazing press year after year.

Simply the best Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. 97 Points

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The 2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve is made from fruit sourced primarily from estate vineyards grown in the Dundee Hills (59%) and Eola Hills (41%). It's a blend of various Pinot Noir Clones such as Pommard (27%), Dijon (55%), and Wadenswil (18%).

This has been one of my favorite wines for quite some time. I used to sell it wholesale about three or four years ago and had the opportunity to taste it several times and every time it is great. I also was able to meet Ken & Grace Evenstad when I went to Oregon Pinot Camp a few months back. We did one of our tastings at their beautiful property and then had the famous "salmon bake" close by as well.

This wine is quite typical of the 2006 vintage in Oregon. It has the characteristics of a warm and classic vintage that allowed the fruit to fully ripen and for the tannins to become soft and integrated. The 06' vintage is much more voluptuous and and round then the recent 07' wines and the Evenstad Reserve is the pinnacle of that example.

The more I taste wines from Willamette the more I'm convinced that this place really surpasses the quality of Pinot made in California as a whole. The acidity and balance of these wines can only be matched by Burgundy, but the purity of fruit is unparalleled.

When serving this wine remember to give it ample time to open up and breath because upon opening this wine it took about 15 minutes to start to open up and really show it's aroma profile. If you have a decanter I strongly suggest rolling it out!

On the nose I get aromas of big black cherry, sarsaparilla, licorice, very pure black raspberry, strawberry strudel, coco, cedar, and cola nut. There is a great purity about the fruit in this wine and the one constant theme throughout smelling and drinking this wine is the absence of any funk or secondary elements of terroir. I'm not saying the wine lacks a sense of place, but it just isn't earthy at all.

On the palate I get amazingly rich, powerful, round, and voluptuous fruit flavors. There are amazing pure black cherry notes that combine with hints of strawberry pie, cola, cedar spice, and dark chocolate. It a savory and sexy wine that shows a full throttle richness and depth and long and extended finish.

I truly believe that only in Oregon's Willamette valley can you find this kind of wine. It's perfectly balanced wine with sharp acidity, the purest of fruit flavors, and a seamless tannin structure. The only thing that keeps it from being a perfect wine is that secondary tier of complexity that just may develop in bottle with some time in the cellar. Amazing Stuff!!! 94 points

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The 2007 Kosta Browne Russian River Pinot Noir is sourced from seven different vineyards located in the central part of the Russian River Valley appellation. Those Seven vineyards are Castaldi, Copain, Nonella, O’Neel, Amber Ridge, Keefer and Koplen. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 16 months (46% new wood).

It's not that often that I get to taste the Pinot's from Kosta Browne because of the high demand and small quantity produced. However, with the economy in a down turn I was easily able to acquire this bottle and just couldn't wait to crack it open to see what it was all about.

On the nose I get aromas of deep strawberry preserve, intense cherry, sandalwood, kirsch, cinnamon, brown spice, and a touch of mineral and/or crushed rock. The bouquet is quite tight at the moment but with some aeration it seems to open up a bit and show some of it's layers. I do believe with some bottle age the bouquet will develop positively and be more profoundly nuanced.

On the palate the wine shows great intensity of fruit and good purity as well. There are some very nice ripe bing cherry notes that combine with red raspberry, blood orange, toast and perhaps a touch of smoked meat, sassafras, and toasted oak on the finish. The finish is long and extended with those same toasted oak notes that continue to linger.

It a very round and texture wine with not a lot of flaws. I would prefer a bit more edge and sharpness in acidity but the wine is clearly well made. It has intense fruit on the palate but just lacks the extra layer of complexity to make it great wine. 91 points

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This Russian River Chardonnay was hand sorted and gently whole cluster pressed directly into 50% new and 50% once used French oak barrels. Another cool note about the vinification process was that the wine was fermented with 100% native wild yeasts and the wine went through 100% native malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lies for 10 months.

On the nose I get aromas of baked apple, lemon curd, mineral, star fruit, guava, white flower, and a touch of buttered toast and toasted oak. I also get the strong impression that this wine is distinctly Russian River Chardonnay because it appears to be cool weather Chard and doesn't appear at all fat or over ripe.

On the palate I get flavors of lemon curd, yellow apple, poached pear, toast, and caramel. The texture is ribboned and balanced with good acid and great oak integration. The sur lie aging added a nice richness and thickness to the wine that helps it linger on the palate. The finish is long and shows brilliant notes of baked apple, toast, fig, ripe cantaloupe, and pear.

This wine is very well made and a very quality wine for the price. I also had it with my dinner which was breaded chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn, and it pair beautifully. It lacks the "it" factor to make it a classic but is very good wine. 90 points

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Château Prieuré-Lichine is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It currently consists of about 70 hectares planted with 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.

After fermenting in concrete and stainless steel vats, the wine is aged for up to 16 months in 55 percent new oak barrels. This wine is also classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus (Fourth Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

The color of this wine is quite dark and has a dark red core with vibrant and young ruby red shades towards the edges of the glass.

On the nose I get amazing aromas of violets, dried flowers, black plum, black cherry, chocolate truffle, cedar, and leather. On the palate the wine shows nuances of black cherry, licorice, tar, blackberry, leather, mineral, crushed rocks, meat and jerky, and a touch of pencil lead.

The fruit flavors are very organic in nature and taste like "real fruit" and don't have any candied flavors to them. It's like eating a bowl of fresh black cherries! The finish is very long and extended and nuances of ripe cherry, leather, cedar, and dark chocolate grace the palate for at least a few minutes.

I think it's important to talk about the structure of this wine and the amazing ripeness of the tannins. It's a polished and refined wine that shows the perfect balance of alcohol, acid, and tannin. I love the fact that I can't detect too much of an "oak" influence on this wine and the fruit shows great purity.

This wine is a great testament to an amazing vintage in Bordeaux. I have only tasted a handful of wines from the 05' Bordeaux vintage and all been immaculate so far. What's great about this wine is it's amazing approachability in it's youth and with a little oxygen this wine drinks amazingly and I find it hard to put down my glass. 93+ points

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