Francois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire Les Boumais 2005

An amazing wine. Yellow and gold color throughout. Honey, melon and ginger on the nose. The palate has a surprisingly strong medium body, that remains thick and creamy. There is a crispness underneath, but the body is just too strong to let it come through. The palate also adds a touch of nut, and it remains coated in the mouth on the aftertaste. A truly great white, maybe even a little better with more cellar time. Four and a half out of five stars. Buy it if you can find it!

Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2004

An interesting contrast to the Quinta do Vale Meao Duro 2003 that I tasted a few weeks ago. There was a similar nose of plums and spice on the nose, however the tannins were much, much stronger (mouth puckering, so). The wine also exhibited clear signs of oak, which gave it a milk chocolate texture. A very good wine, and may be even better two years from now. Four out of five stars.

Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Sadly, this wine was on its last legs. Not as good as the Dominus, but still had some strength left in it. Definite red fruits on the nose, and the palate had surprisingly moderate-to-strong tannins. However, whatever fruit the wine still had was located on the nose, with little to none continuing once it hit the tongue. After a little bit of time, the wine did show some mocha and vanillan notes. In short, I think this wine has seen better days, and I am glad I did not wait a year to open it. Three out of five stars.

Clos du Bois Marlstone 2002

A Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. The deep purple color has started to turn ruby at the edges. When opening the bottle, I was struck by how powerful and fragrant the wine is -- and, unfortunately, I knew that I had opened the bottle too soon (impressive, since this wine is at least five years old by now). Currants, plums, cloves and vanillan on the nose. Very firm and sturdy tannins on the palate, which adds a touch of chocolate to additional flavors of dark berries. The finish is seductive without overpowering. In short, a great wine that probably still has a few years of improvement ahead of it. Finally, at $50 a bottle, it feels like a steal compared to other California or Bordeaux producers. I've never done this before, but I'm giving this punchy red five out of five stars.

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva 2004

With my dishes finally arrived in San Francisco, I decided to make a basic: Veal Parmigiana. To go with what is generally a light meal, I picked a Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Reserva 2004. At approximately $20 a bottle, it was a surprisingly great find. Clear cherry on the nose, with light to medium tannins and additional red fruits on the palate. The aftertaste is minimal but, hey, it was a cheap bottle of red (and when added to the ingredients, it did some amazing things to the meal). However, I would not say that this wine should be set in the cellar for consumption a year from now. A very strong three out of five stars.