2006 Cotes du Rhone Village-Cairanne-Domaine de l'Ameillaud $12.99 net per bottle (regular price: $15.99)$155.88 an unbroken

Cairanne is one of the best of several Cotes du Rhone villages that produce excellent, full-bodied red wine. Domaine de l'Ameillaud, owned by ex-patriate Englishman, Nick Thompson, produces prototypical Cotes du Rhone that has lots of rich, sappy, spicy strength. The 2006 was another excellent vintage for many southern Rhone growers; L'Ameillaud's 2006 Cotes du Rhone Villages is one of their best wines to date. On the palate, it is seamless with lots of soft, jammy fruit flavors, excellent concentration, and delicious flavors of Provençal herbs, with pepper and spice in the aftertaste. It tastes great now but will age and develop for a few more years. At $12.99 net per bottle for a single vineyard Cotes du Rhone Villages, it is a great buy! Robert Parker in the Wine Advocate has praised previous vintages of Domaine de L'Ameillaud. It's a cinch he will praise this one as well.

2005 Zinfandel-Old Vines-Robert Mueller Vineyards-Russian River $29.99 net per bottle (regular price: $39.99) $359.88 a case

I've been selling Robert Mueller's wines since he started his winery in 1991. Bob is a perfectionist and is making world class wine that can stand with some of the best wines from anywhere, regardless of price. He now makes some of California's best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with lots of acclaim from various enlightened sources. His fabulous Russian River Zinfandel is produced from very old wines. How old are the vines? "Nobody is around who had anything to do with planting them." says Bob. They date back to 1915. It has a deep, inky red/black color. On the palate it is complex, unctuous and silky with focused, concentrated flavors of blackberry confiture, blue berries and plums with a hint of coffee. This is a California wine that will age and improve, gaining additional complexity and seems nearly impervious to oxidation. A recent bottle was still strong 4 days after first being opened! Look for the wine on the list at Hamersley's Bistro in Boston.

2001 Chianti Classico Riserva-Fulignano Vieri Salvadore -$12.99 net a bottle(regular price: $14.99 a bottle)-$155.88 a case

Since first being introduced last year, this wine has become one of our all time most popular/best selling red wines-ever! Understandably, as this Chianti Classico Riserva is from the superb 2001 Tuscan vintage and family owned vineyards located outside of the tiny, beautiful medieval Tuscan town of Monterigioni. It is medium to full-bodied with a ruby red color. The bouquet is redolent of complex berry fruit, spice and bing cherries. On the palate the wine is lush, smooth and supple, with soft tannins and a long berry tinged flavor. In spite of the historic weakness of our dollar, buying this wine in volume, directly with no intermediaries, has enabled us to offer this high quality Riserva Chianti from a great Tuscan vintage at this exceptionally low price.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon-Hidden Vineyard-Topel Winery-$19.99 per bottle $191.88 an unbroken case

Topel Winery was formed some years ago by Mark and Donnis Topel. The vineyards, which he and wife, Donnis, planted from scratch, are located outside their beautiful home in Hopland, 30 minutes north of Healdsburg, on gentle to steep slopes with excellent sun exposition. Topel cabernet sauvignon is concentrated focused and balanced. It has a deeply saturated, ruby/purple color. Flavors of cassis, dark chocolate, blackberries and cassis are warm, enticing and long on the palate. Its quality is a reflection of the unique mineral soils and micro climate of Topel's beautiful mountainside vineyards; it is a wonderful wine and a terrific value! The 2003 vintage was one of the longest growing seasons experienced for Topel Cabernet Sauvignon which allowed for an extended hang time for the grapes, encouraging deep, mature flavors to evolve. The wine is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. The wine is delicious now butwill age effortlessly and develop further nuances.

2004 Chablis Domaine de la Boissoneuse-Domaine Jean Marc Brocard $19.99 net per bottle (regular price: $24.99) -$239.88 an unbroken case-All ORGANIC

From 2004, a classic Chablis vintage, Brocard's Chablis Domaine de la Boissoneuse is fabulous. Produced all ORGANIC by method biologique, its fruit is pure and natural. The outstanding Chablis characteristics of this wine are due to the balance between the wine maker's skill and hard work in the vineyard and the vineyard site itself. This site, known as "la Boissoneuse" consists of alternate layers of limestone and clay containing marine fossils. Six years ago, Julien Brocard, Jean Marc's second son, took over the vinification and vineyard management of the estate utilizing biodynamic principles, which are: work in the vineyard following the phases of the moon and the planets, as well as no herbicides, insecticides and all natural composts. The resulting wine is stunning.This Chablis has excellent body, structure and grip, yet is soft on the palate with complex, flinty, mineral flavors and a long, lovely aftertaste. It has the expected, smoky, highly extracted flavors that one associates with fine Chablis in a great year.

Several of Brocard's wines have won awards over the years with some of his 1er and Grand Cru Chablis' rated in the mid-nineties by the Wine Spectator. Some have been listed as high as fourth in their top 100 wines.

2005 Marsannay-Les Favieres-Domaine Fougeray de Beauclair $29.99 net per bottle-(regular price: $36.99) $350.00 an unbroken case

I have carried this single vineyard Marsannay from Fougeray nearly every vintage for 15 years. I served the 1996 when my son was wed 8 years ago. Fougeray's Les Favrieres proves that despite the cost of more exalted Burgundy appellations, you can still buy high quality wine from the best growers. Fougeray de Beauclaire makes a small amount of Bonnes Mares and Vosne Romanee. However, for me their best wine, price to quality, is their single vineyard Marsannay-les Favieres. From 35-50 year old vines it is reminiscent of Gevrey Chambertin for a fraction of the price. From one of the all time great Burgundy vintages, it is silky, subtle and seductive with elegance, power, finesse and character. Beautifully balanced, it has a medium dark color, an abundance of deep, pinot noir fruit with enticingly attractive nuances of spice, lavender and violets, with beautiful wood integration and a pleasing, long aftertaste.

2006 Clos de los Siete, Mendoza Argentina $13.99 net per bottle-(regular price: $16.99) $165.00 an unbroken case-rated 92 Points Wine Advocate

Clos de los Siete has become the favorite red wine of many since being introduced here a few years ago. Clos de los Siete is oenologist Michel Rolland's initial wine venture into Argentina. Rolland is one of the world's best and busiest wine consultants; he's involved with more than 100 wineries around the world. But Clos de los Siete belongs to him. He makes all of the vineyard decisions and does the final blending. This wine is a blend of 50 percent Malbec, 30 percent Merlot, 10% Cabernet and 10% Syrah.

Clos de los Siete is no wimp at 15% alcohol by volume. It's full-bodied, totally dry, youthfully exuberant and it has a moderate amount of fine, soft, well integrated tannins. On the nose and on the palate there are expressions of smoke, black pepper, spice, plums, and blackberries. With some aeration slight, delightful, herbal notes emerge, suggestive of garrigue a la Provence. This wine is some where between a powerhouse red and one that is more subtle. It certainly has lots of presence. With food, it becomes smooth, round and soft and is a pleasure to drink.

2006 Sauvete-Sauvignon de Touraine $12.99 per bottle $125.00 an unbroken case

This is the 3rd and BEST vintage of Sauvete that we have offered; 2006 was a GREAT Loire vintage. Sauvete is a hand crafted, 100% Sauvignon blanc from the Loire.While Touraine is most noted for Vouvray, Sauvete produced from 100% organically grown grapes, makes a shockingly good sauvignon blanc that is price competitive to and better than most wines labeled sauvignon blanc from anywhere. Qualitatively it is more than more than equal to sauvignon blancs from around the world selling for far more!

Its color is pale yellow and silver with some green tinges. Extraordinarily fresh and precise, the bouquet has hints of pear and lemon butter with abundant white flowers. The exceptionally long aftertaste offers flavors of wet stones, pear butter and a hint of white pepper. It is perfectly balanced. This wine has the crispness and minerality of sauvignon grown in clay and silex soil, like Sancerre.

2006 Jean Bousquet Malbec $11.99 per bottle $119.88 a case

In the October 31st edition of theWine Spectator, Jean Bousquet Malbec is included in their listing, "Recommended New Wines From around the World." They wrote, "Bright and juicy with forward red fruit, licorice, and floral notes that stay lively on the open-knit finish." Jean Bousquet's 100% malbec comes from vineyards in Tupungato, Alto Gualtallery, at 4000 feet of elevation. The wine has a vibrant dark purple color. A lovely bouquet evoking raspberry and chocolate waft forth after the bottle is opened. On the palate, it is fruity and rich with flavors of black cherry, mocha and minerals. It is a classic example of a quality Argentine Malbec.

Wine making in Argentina does not have a long history. Only in the last 10-15 years have they become serious world players. The wine-making regions range between the 22° and 42° South latitude. They spread out along more than 2,400 km at the foothills of the Andean Mountain Range, from the Province of Salta to the Province of Río Negro. There are a variety of climates and soils which make each region separate and unique. Most of the areas devoted to making wine are arid with little rain fall or humidity. Irrigation is allowed and required. Water does trickle from melt down from the Andes, but it's not nearly enough. Lots of sunny days make for mature, ripe grapes at harvest and the fact that the grapes must work for moisture makes for better wines. Look for this inexpensive, "fun" wine on the list at Lexx restaurant in Lexington Center where they pour it by the glass.

2005 Chardonnay-Sonoma-Mill Creek Vineyards- $15.99 net per bottle (reg price: $19.99) $191.88 a case

Mill Creek is a small, family owned winery. Located at the southern end of the Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, they have been producing quality wines for over 30 years under the direction of various members of the Kreck family.

This Sonoma Chardonnay made from 100% Estate grapes and partially barrel fermented, is made organically, although it isn't listed on the label. It is crisp and clean on the palate with notes of green apple and honeydew melon with good minerality. It offers more than expected character and value, especially because it's American and we pay for it in dollars.

Mill Creek wines have won many of California's most prestigious awards, including the coveted "Sweepstakes Award" at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, the "Best Wine in State" at the California State Fair and Orange County Fair's "Four Star Gold", among dozens of other gold medals and awards.

2006 Macon Davaye-le Moulin du Pont-Vins Auvigue $12.99 net per bottle-(regular price: 15.99) $155.88 an unbroken case

Jean-Pierre Auvigue, one of the best Pouilly Fuisse growers, has been making Pouilly Fuisse and Macon Villages for far longer than the 15-18 years that I've been doing business with him, and his family made wine long before him.

Although Auvigue is renowned for the quality of their Pouilly Fuisse, it's their Macon Davaye that I opt for every time. The village of Davaye is located not far from that of Fuisse and, like most white wines from this Maconnais area, is 100% chardonnay. What I and many of my customers have liked about this particular wine is it has been vinified without using wood.

Macon Davaye is a wine that is pure and clean on the palate offering good crispness with subtle flavors of butter and citrus. No mirrors, no "make-up" (wood) to mask the clean, honest flavor of the wine. This has been a perennial favorite at the shop, including my wine-lovers on the staff, as it is honest, fairly priced and delicious.

2004 Syan Shiraz Pyrenees, Victoria, Australia $15.99 net per bottle-(regular price: $24.99) $191.88 a case Rating: 93 points James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion

Australian shiraz have become staples in the American market over the past several years. And why not? They are full bodied, dark and powerful with gobs of upfront fruit and lots of flavor. Subtle? Not usually, but they do provide instant gratification and are great "food wines". So why the low, almost wholesale price for the highly rated Syan shiraz? The next vintage is due imminently so our distributor cut us a volume deal on what was already a shop favorite. We jumped on it and are offering this now.

Quoting the Wine Advocate, "The 2004 Shiraz reveals a hint of toasty oak in its blackberry, blueberry, and floral-scented bouquet. Rich, attractive, pure, and elegant, but tightly-knit and primary, it should unfold over the next 2-3 years, and last for a decade. 89 Pts" Robert M Parker Jr - Wine Advocate Issue 161 - Oct 31, 2005

Quoting Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar "Deep violet color. Spicy, fresh aromas of blackberry jam, kirsch, vanilla, cinnamon and incense. Dark berry flavors are nicely accented by oak spice, which reinforces the impression of sweetness. Supple and persistent on the back, the sweet finishing notes of dark cherry and candied plum complemented by suave oak and firmed by gentle tannins. 89 Pts"