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Dark gold in color, this very sweet dessert wine has intense flavors of apricot nectar, pineapple-infused crme br?le, vanilla frosting and butterscotch. It's rich, but balanced with a squeeze of lime acidity.

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Pale and refined, with elegant flavors of raspberries, strawberries, vanilla and yeasty lees. With a slightly sweet finish, balanced with crisp coastal acidity, it's a beautiful sparkling wine.

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Shows a dryness and earthiness that mark Calera's most ageworthy Pinot Noirs. But that doesn't mean it's not good now. It is, with impressive black cherry, licorice, bacon, vanilla and sandalwood flavors, wrapped into a drily crisp, silky texture. Drink through 2012, at least.

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Here's a sophisticated and elegant Amarone with very forward use of oak that supports its soft, velvety curves. The wine boasts thick concentration, an inky color and loads of spice, candied fruit and tobacco. It's full and soft with velvety tannins and a long finish.

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The prettiest of De Loach's new Pinots, and also the most accessible. It's dry and silky, with rich, pure flavors of cherry pie filling, mocha, cola, cinnamon spice and sweet, buttery oak. Really delicious. NowC2012.

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Bottled in a decanter (thoughtfully supplied with a stopper), this is De Venoge's homage to King Louis XV, who first decreed the bottling of Champagne in the region to preserve the bubbles. This shows toasty, petrol richness, but has preserved much of its original freshness, leaving a good few years' potential.

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Ripe and forward in the modern cult style, with flavors of blackberry tart, black currants, milk chocolate and ripe mulberry, in addition to sweet, smoky oak. Sturdy mountain tannins provide structural bite, and should help the wine mature beyond 2011.

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The aromas are of smoky bottle age and this translates into the flavors, with a light rancio character giving complexity to a finely made, rich, raspberry-flavored wine. It is full-bodied in the Charles Heidsieck style, a definite food wine.

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Big, rich and extracted, this Syrah is a bit heavy and ponderous now. It shows soft flavors of melted blackberry jam, plum liqueur, dark chocolate, grilled meat and smoky oak, liberally dusted with black pepper. Fancy, but could use through 2009 to knit together.

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This is a gorgeously extracted and dense wine with thick concentration and intense notes of ripe fruit, blackberry jam, dried currant, tar, asphalt and resin. The aromas are immediate and opulent but the wine also delivers a streamlined and polished mouthfeel that suits it very nicely.

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Beautifully rich and ripe in cherries, raspberries and sweet smoky cedar, this Pinot is fully drinkable now, although decanting will help. But it's also an ager. Shows a mushroomy dryness and herbal grounding that suggest improvement through 2013.

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Piattelli is an under-the-radar label that makes very good to excellent Malbec from old vines in Lujn del Cuyo, Mendoza. And the prices are more than fair. This wine is big and focused, with intense blackberry, chocolate and espresso qualities throughout. And the finish is midnight dark. Good through 2012.

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Remo Farina is an excellent operation (now taken over by the next generation and currently undergoing a winery refurbishment) and the estate's beautiful Monte Fante Amarone is thickly extracted with mature aromas of black fruit, apple, cola and exotic spice. The wine offers character and pizzazz thanks to the polished quality of its tannins.

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An absolutely beautiful Zin, and a must-have for restaurant wine lists. It's pure and complex in blackberries, cherries, cola and mocha, with wonderful spices erupting all the way though, and the most elegant silky texture. What a great job.

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A beautiful Merlot, noble and classic. It doesn't have the stuffing for cellaring, but is absolutely lovely now, with fine, brisk tannins framing flavors of cherries, herbs and sweet oak, and a lingering finish. Easy to find, with 12,100 cases produced.

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The three A's stand for wine from Avize, A? and Ambonnay, all grand cru villages. It is in the rich De Sousa style, but with an extra dimension of Pinot Noir that gives concentration and a perfumed character. The green plum juice and cranberry texture are full-on, leaving a dense finish.

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There is good bottle age here, the wine full and ripe with an integrated dosage that is relatively high. Flavors of sweet pastry go with white nectarines and pears. It's deliciously balanced, finishing with a soft, fresh aftertaste.

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It's a shame to release this wine so young, because its constituents are individually impressive. It will need a few years for the acidity to come together with the ripe melon and grapefruit flavors, the soft texture and the bright vivid character.

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Here's a crisp Chardonnay that gets those tastebuds whistling with tartness. Yet it's balanced out by extremely rich fruit and oak. Pineapple crme br?le, white peach, green apple butter, vanilla and toasty sandalwood are the flavors of this delicious, complex Chardonnay. Drink now.

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Girolamo Russo is an impressive winemaker and we are absolutely smitten with his elegant line of Etna wines. The Feudo cru offers an interesting medley of fruit, spice and mineral notes with playful dabs of smoked bacon. Try it with a thick cutting of pecorino cheese.