2002 Puligny-Montrachet, Paul Garaudet, France

A touch lean, with very nice acidity, medium-bodied. Some complexity and a fairly long taste, but could have had a little more intensity. Close-out price $33, regular price $45.
Rating: Very Good -

2004 Chablis "Cuvée de la Butte", Verget, France

More full-bodied than I would expect from a Chablis, with a touch of softness, but with lots of flavor and intensity. Very well balanced, without oak, fruit or acidity dominating, and a long taste. Price $49 at EVOO restaurant.
Rating: Very Good

2003 Côtes du Rhône, le Clos du Caillou, Vieilles vignes, vin non filtré, France

A totally different style from their 2002, which was fairly acidic and without depth. The 2003 has lots of flavor and depth, a deep dark color, and a long taste, so one can well believe the old vines and lack of filtering. There's some tannin and oak but, alas, the term "sweet fruit" is entirely too applicable. A North Berkeley Import - was this made for American tastes? Sale price $20.
Rating: Good ++

2003 De Loach Pinot Noir, OFS, Russian River Valley

Lovely perfumed fragrance, lighter style with touch of tannin and light oak, sufficent acidity, lots of raspberry fruit, with fairly long taste. There's that touch of sweetness though, that's just a little too noticeable. Dry with a bit of firmness would make it a better wine. Close-out price $28, regular price $40.
Rating: Good ++

2004 Wachauer Grüner Veltliner, Steinfeder, Heinz Sigl, Austria

The term Steinfeder, as well as Federspiel, signifies a lighter, lower-alcohol wine. Here that's 11.0 %, but the wine is more flavorful than one might expect. Dry, on the edge of austere, light fragrance, with moderate intensity and length. Close-out price $9, regular price $12.
Rating: Good +

2004 Hill of Content Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Lots of sour-cherry intensity, with a touch of clove and a bit of tarriness that one expects in a petite sirah. Superb acidity, little noticeable wood or tannin. The color is moderately deep red, with purplish tinges, indicating that it is still young. Pinot Noir perfume and a long taste. There is already a nice complexity to it that will should deepen with age, Regular price $19, less 25% discount.
Rating: Very, Very Good

2004 Sancerre "Le Chene", Lucien Crochet, France

Very elegant and smooth, but also without the crispness I expect in a Sancerre. Medium-bodied, great balance, with a long taste. Restaurant price (Harvest, Cambridge, MA) of $65 seems a bit high.
Rating: Very Good -

2005 Bopparder Hamm Mandelstein Riesling Kabinett, August Perll, Mittelrhein

Real depth and intensity with some spiciness, and a long taste. Lovely riesling aroma and taste, reminding of ripe peaches. Sweetness above average for Kabinett, with excellent acid balance. Having seen the Bopparder Hamm vineyards with their great southern exposure on a recent Rhine cruise, I can see why the wines are so good. A great buy at a regular price of $13.
Rating: Very Good +

2005 Laroche Punto Niño Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, Valle de Maipo, Chile

Wow, what a find. Crisp acidity, lots of fruit without grassiness, depth and some complexity, very well balanced, long taste. A great deal at a close-out price $7, regular price $10.
Rating: Very Good

2001 Montevina Zinfandel, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

Started out without too much character: some blackberry fruit, only moderate acidity, grainy tannins, moderate intensity and length. It certainly did not have the intensity and depth of the 2001 Terra d'Oro, Deaver Ranch version (see below). Over a few days it opened up, and proved a very good accompaniment to a flavorful pasts with meat sauce. Close-out price $8, regular price $12.
Rating: Good +

1998 Byron Pinot Noir, Sierra Madre Vineyard, Special Selection, Santa Maria Valley

Somewhat low intensity, moderate aromatic fragrance, warm raspberry fruit with a touch of sweetness. Moderately long taste. The color says that it hasn't faded much, but maybe age has taken some of the fresh fruitiness away; in short, I expected more. Close-out price $19, regular price $28.
Rating: Good +

2004 Martinsancho, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain

A bit soft and subdued, with moderate acidity and a noticeable wood component. Moderately long taste. Close-out price $12, regular price $15.
Rating: Good

German Wine Tasting at Brookline Liquor Mart:

2005 Pinot Gris, Villa Wolf, Ernst Loosen, Pfalz

Good concentration, a bit fat, could use more acidity, just a touch off-dry. Taste none too long. A Grauburgunder - pinot gris for the American market. Regular price $13.50.
Rating: Good

2002 Riesling Trocken, Sybille Kuntz, M-S-R

Still tastes very young and fresh, fine acidity, dry but not austere, moderate intensity, riesling character, good length. Regular price $14.
Rating: Good ++

2004 Rüdesheimer Klosterlay Riesling Kabinett, Josef Leitz, Rheingau

Spätlese sweetness, very good acidity, young, peaches and pineapple, long taste; should age for a few years to gain complexity. Regular price $18.
Rating: Very Good

2003 Riesling Spätlese, Gunderloch-Hasselbach, Nackenheim, Rheinhessen

Upper end of Spätlese sweetness, lots of peach in taste, good acidity, has depth and a touch of spiciness, long taste, light golden color. Regular price $30.
Rating: Very Good +

2001 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Auslese, Emrich Schönleber, Nahe

Golden color, some apricot in the taste, glass-filling aroma, has depth and complexity, good acid balance, long taste, Auslese sweetness. Regular price $46.
Rating: Very, Very Good

2005 Selaks Ice Wine, Marlborough, New Zealand

Not a German wine, of course, but fits reasonably among a tasting of German sweet wines. Store notes say that it's mostly riesling with some gewürztraminer. Sweetness balanced by good acidity, some apricot and peach notes, golden color. Moderate depth with a touch of complexity, but the taste is surprisingly short. Regular price $21.50 for half-bottle.
Rating: Good +

2003 Eiswein "Madonna", Valkenberg, Rheinhessen

Deep golden color; very young with peach notes, so it has not yet developed much. Very sweet, but not quite matched by acidity in this very hot year. Not specifically labeled as riesling, nor does riesling jump out of the glass, so presumably it's a blend of grape types. Needs time, but the low acidity may limit its potential. Regular price $39.50 for half-bottle.
Rating: Very Good -

2001 Montevina Terra d'Oro Zinfandel, Old Vines Deaver Ranch, Amador County

Color a carmine red that is somewhat lighter than expected from 15.5% alcohol and old vines. Also not overly extracted or heavy - there is some tannin and light wood along with warm sour-cherry fruit to go with zinfandel blackberry. A bit more acidity would be helpful, but there is good intensity and a long taste, with a touch of complexity. Close-out price $16, regular price $23.
Rating: Very Good -

2003 Château Majureau-Serellan, Bordeaux Supérieur, France

Fleshy fruit with some but not too much tannin and some backbone. Deep dark color. Substantial wood with some mustiness that is not unpleasant: maybe from old barrels, or from a touch of corkiness. Good intensity and fairly long taste. Price not known.
Rating: Good +

2002 Elke Pinot Noir, Donnelly Creek Vineyard, Anderson Valley

Relatively light color, perfumed raspberry fragrance, good acidity, little noticeable wood or tannin. Long taste. Superb with roast chicken. A perfectly-scaled wine that avoids the excesses of over-extraction or too much oak. Close-out price $21, regular price $30.
Rating: Very Good

2004 Clouds Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Somewhat fuller-bodied than New Zealand SBs, well-balanced and with sufficient acidity, and without grassiness. Moderately long taste. Close-out price $13, regular price $19.
Rating: Good ++

2002 Valdivieso Pinot Noir, Reserve, Lontue Valley, Chile

A Chilean pinot noir that's quite good. There's a bit of tannin and a touch of sweet oakiness, but good black fruit with some firmness and balancing acidity. The aroma could be a bit more floral. There's intensity and depth, and a long taste. This is a good example of a "terroir" wine: it has more character than just fruitiness while not being thin or acidic. A great deal at a close-out price $10, regular price $20.
Rating: Very Good -

2004 Mas Donis Monsant, Capçanes, Spain

A Parker-rated 90, so I was cautiously expecting a fruit bomb. Not so - this one has good fruit, but also firmness and structure. No trace of residual sugar, some tannin and oak, as well as nice acidity, give it a touch of complexity that promises to develop with further ageing. Fairly long taste. Sale price $11.
Rating: Very Good -

Red-tag close-out sales this month:

Whites:

2006	Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand	($8, orig. $12)
2004	Clouds Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa	($13, orig. $19)
2004	Martinsancho Verdejo, Rueda, Spain	($12, orig. $15)
2005	Laroche Punto Niño Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, Valle de Maipo, Chile	($7, orig. $10)
2004	Sancerre, Cuvée des Moulins Bâles, Celestin Blondeau, France	($13, orig. $19)
2002	Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru "En Caradeux", Reserve, vin non filtré, Domaine Marius Delarche, France	($29, orig. $40)
2003	Rüdesheimer Klosterlay Riesling Kabinett, Josef Leitz, Rheingau	($13, orig. $20)
2003	Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Kabinett, Hexamer, Nahe	($11, orig. $16)
2004	Wachauer Grüner Veltliner, Steinfeder, Heinz Sigl, Austria	($9, orig. $12)

Reds:

2002	Valdivieso Pinot Noir, Reserve, Lontue Valley, Chile	($10, orig. $20)
1998	Byron Pinot Noir, Sierra Madre Vineyard, Special Selection, Santa Maria Valley	($19, orig. $28)
2001	Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva, Fabrizio Bianchi, Italy	($18, orig. $25)