#1 This Week

Veramonte Primus 2004 Chile, South America Special Price: $14.99 Regular Price: $18.00 Number 5 on the Wine.com 100 of 2007! Primus is a racy blend of Carmenère, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon made from the highest quality grapes at the Veramonte Estate. It showcases the rare Carmenère variety, a distinctive grape that has found its home in Chile. Well structured with mature, ripe fruit that exhibits an evolved complexity with a seamless blending of the three varietals. Velvety, with a medium body and smooth, yet powerful tannins.

#2 This Week

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005 Napa Valley, California Special Price: $15.99 Regular Price: $20.00 The 2005 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay is a fresh, youthful wine, with lively acidity and abundant fruit. Aromas of zesty citrus, green apple and tropical coconut are enhanced by the subtle use of oak. Ripe layers of fruit flavors unfold in the glass, with citrus and green apple leading to pear and pineapple. In the background, smoky oak deepens into crème brulée.

#3 This Week

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand Our Price: $17.99 "Concentrated and very intense, weaving together a harmonious medley of crushed stone, grapefruit and nut flavors. Savory herbs, grass and lime notes highlight a bright, vibrant finish. Drink now." -Wine Spectator Appearance: Pale straw with touches of green. Aroma: Delightful hints of tropical fruits are accented by aromas of citrus and the traditional New Zealand herbaceous notes. Flavor: Ripe stone fruit, citrus and tropical flavors mingle with the soothing herbaceous notes. Nice acidity with a touch of sweet passion fruit add to the full, crisp finish.

#4 This Week

Tintara Shiraz 2005 McLaren Vale, Australia Special Price: $15.99 Regular Price: $19.00 "Break this out on Valentines Day and it will scotch any chocolate craving. Leave it in a decanter for a few hours, and the wine gains dimensions beyond those rich tannins, adding layers of fruity mushroom and pipe tobacoo scents… A great buy." -Wines & Spirits

#5 This Week

Annie’s Lane Shiraz 2004 Clare Valley, Australia Special Price: $13.99 Regular Price: $17.00 The 2004 Annie’s Lane Shiraz is dark, plummy red in color. Aromas of spice, pepper and dark berry fruit characterise the lifted nose. The palate has subtle integrated oak and silky tannins, creating a luscious mouthfeel to support the spicy cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. Food pairings: Beef Wellington with glazed winter vegetables Cellaring: Enjoy now or cellar for 5 to 7 years. "This is an outstanding value." -International Wine Cellar "…this bargain-priced beauty is more about displaying the Clare Valley terroir than simple fruit or oak, unusual in this price range…" -Wine Enthusiast "For smoky, grilled meats, pizzas and veggies, I love the spicy richness of the Annie’s Lane McLaren Vale Shiraz from Australia—it’s perfect for a barbecue crowd." -Decanter "What I like best about it is that it’s not overripe, so it maintains enough acidity to make it a good food wine in a category where many similar wines are not." -San Francisco Chronicle

#6 This Week

Martin Ray Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Sonoma County, California Special Price: $29.99 Regular Price: $55.00 Martin Ray 2003 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 30 months in new French oak barrels. This hearty, bold Cabernet has a deep garnet hue with rich aromas of black cherries, luscious chocolate and an underlying whisper of black currant. The rich, concentrated flavors include abundant layers of ripe cherries and black currants covered in vanilla cream, leading to a long, full finish. Enjoy the Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled steak topped by your favorite spices or sautéed lamb chops and squash. "Bryan Davison of Martin Ray purchased the fruit for this wine from the Van der Kamp Vineyard, 1,400 feet up Sonoma Mountain on a northwest-facing slope. (He also blended in a small amount of fruit from Eaglepoint Ranch in Mendocino.) The soils range from red volcanic loam at the top of the vineyard to clay farther down, producing a remarkably delicate cabernet with mineral complexity. Dark flavors of woodland berries weave into the ferrous tannin, feeling strong without any overt muscularity. It’s beautiful from the moment the aroma hits, and the fruit impression lasts. It’s alive." -Wine & Spirits

#7 This Week

Annie’s Lane Copper Trail Shiraz 2001 Clare Valley, Australia Special Price: $16.79 Regular Price: $24.00 The wine is a vibrant deep purple in color with intense aromas of blackcurrant, violets, dark berries and a hint of chocolate on the nose. Aromas promised on the nose are delivered in a rich, concentrated and well-balanced full-bodied palate. A backbone of sweet oak and long velvety tannins complete the structure and the wine finishes with a silky mouthfeel and excellent length. "So I’m a sucker for Clare. It’s not just how cool and absolutely balanced this wine feels, with nothing heavy or hot as it melts over you, a shower of flavors and deep, refreshing fruit. The wine puts on its performance, fragrant, fresh, saturated with fruit, then it just stands there, lifted and gleaming, center stage, as if to finish by taunting ‘I’m in Clare, and you’re not.’ And as that pure, bright flavor slowly recedes, the only way to get it back is to take another sip, and gain the pleasure of Clare all over again. A masterwork from winemaker Caroline Dunn." -Wines & Spirits

#8 This Week

A to Z Pinot Noir 2006 Willamette Valley, Oregon Special Price: $17.99 Regular Price: $20.00 The 2006 A to Z Oregon Pinot Noir is blended from wines made from at least sixteen different vineyards representing all of the Oregon AVAs that grow Pinot Noir. A to Z takes great care over many months in crafting one cuvee each vintage, a complex blend that embodies the essence of Oregon Pinot Noir. Clear and vibrant, the initial aromas of this wine are of raspberries, blueberries, baking spices and Bing cherries but evolve to the more complex aromas of clean earth, minerals, smoke, red currants and flint. The mouth fulfills the expectations promised by the aromatics and has a rich texture, good acidity and a strong structure. The 2006 A to Z Pinot Noir shows great poise, concentrated depth and purity within a lacy framework. Rich, classically proportioned and built for mid-term aging.

#9 This Week

Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, South America Special Price: $16.99 Regular Price: $19.00 Lustrous ruby red in the glass. Aromas of ripe red and black fruit aromas mingle with leather and spice, exquisitely balanced by wood notes evoking vanilla and toast. On the palate, supple tannins and a majestic structure conclude in a complex and persistent finish. Serving suggestions: Delicious with steaks, wild game, hearty stews, casseroles and ripe, semi-creamy cheeses "Bright ruby. Musky red berry and cherry aromas are complicated by underbrush, pungent herbs and dried rose. Impressively complex on the palate, offering sweet red- and blackcurrant, bitter cherry, mocha and licorice flavors. Dusty tannins carry through the long, spicy finish, adding structure and grip. This is balanced to age and could stand up to many Bordeaux at three times this price." -International Wine Cellar "In the 2005 vintage, Medalla Real again ranks as one of Chile’s most elevated under-$20 wines… The nose veers between herbal and ripe, while the palate shows nothing but pure cassis, cherry and Maipo terroir. Its tight, structured and still ready to drink. Juicy more than beefy; a real treat." -Wine Enthusiast

#10 This Week

Bernardus Chardonnay 2005 Central Coast, California Special Price: $16.99 Regular Price: $22.99 Number 24 on the Wine.com 100 of 2007! One of the best values in California Chardonnay that we’ve seen in a long time. "Bright yellow hue. Shy scents of peach, brown butter and dusty gravel. Rich, quite ripe, though very taut, flavors of buttery banana, lime and oak spice. Very long close positively gushes with stone fruit and apple notes." -The Wine News 95 Points The beautiful weather throughout the critical months of September and October of 2005 provided us with ripe and perfectly balanced fruit. At Bernardus, all our grapes our hand picked and very gently pressed in order to retain their best characteristics. The resulting wine is a perfect expression of Monterey Chardonnay, with bright citrus and tropical fruit aromas married with mineral notes and subtle toasty oak nuances. The lush, opulent palate is intense and focused with complex flavors of ripe pineapple, lime, mineral notes, and crème brulèe lingering on a long, creamy finish.