2002 MacRostie Pinot Noir, Carneros

A somewhat firm version of California PN. There is the perfume in the bouquet, and lots of cherry fruit, but not the apparent touch of sweetness that some have. Medium-bodied, with a fairly long taste. Tannin and oak probably contribute to the backbone, but inobtrusively. A very good style. Regular price $23, less 20% discount.
Rating: Very Good

2004 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

A superbly-balanced wine, with good acidity, and SB fruit without grassiness. Lovely bouquet, medium body, and a long taste. Regular price $16, less 20% discount.
Rating: Very Good +

2001 Bogle "Phantom", California

Described as "a blend of old vine zinfandel, petite sirah and old vine mourvedre". Loaded with luscious dark fruit, but also bit of an acidic edge that improves on the softness that many wines like this have. Deep dark color, with tannins well in check. Intense and flavorful, but without much complexity as such, and a fairly long taste. When first opened, the wine gives of a pleasant buttery bouquet. Delicious to drink, and should hold well. Close-out price $12, regular price $17.
Rating: Very Good -

2001 Torbreck Woodcutter's White, Barossa Valley, Australia

Very dry, with a dried-herb component. The color is a deep gold with a slight tinge of brown; it has a slightly oxidized taste to it. Moderate intensity, fairly long. A description of the wine has it being almost all semillon, which is surprising because there is none of the floral character and softness I usually associate with semillon. Close-out price $11, regular price $22.
Rating: Good ++

Greek Wine Tasting at Brookline Liquor Mart: I only tasted a few, but the general impression was of cleanly made, small-scale wines that were over-priced.

2002 Cabernet Merlot, Biblia Chora, Macedonia, Greece

Fairly hard without much charm or varietal character, short taste. Price $26.
Rating: Good -

2003 Sauvignon Blanc/Assyrtiko, Biblia Chora, Greece

Herbal SB notes, good acidity, relatively light, short taste. Price $20.
Rating: Good

2002 "Cuvee Grand Colline", Lyrarakis Estate, Alagni, Peza, Crete, Greece

A blend of Vilana (described as fruity) with Sauvignon Blanc and Sylvaner. Good acidity, a touch of floral character, clean, but no particular depth or length. Price $17.
Rating: Good -

2002 Plyto, Lyrarakis Estate, Alagni, Peza, Crete, Greece

From mountain vineyards, it has the acidity and steeliness of far more northern wines, but not much in the way of intensity. Clean and well-made. Price $17.
Rating: Good -

2000 Cuvaison Pinot Noir, Napa Valley, Carneros

California style, but with a bit less perfume and a touch of tannic structure. Fairly dark, with cherry-plum fruit, moderate acidity, above-average intensity and good length. Close-out price $20, regular price $31.
Rating: Very Good

Note added April 19, 2006: Compared to a 2002 Pernand-Vergelesses "Les Boutières" Reserve, Domaine Marius Delarche (Vieilles Vignes, Vin non filtré) open at the same time, the Cuvaison had a touch of sweetness and, of course, more opulent fruit.

2003 The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

Recognizably Marlborough SB, with the crisp herbal character of bracing acidity and some grassiness. Moderate intensity and good length. It quickly joins our list of recommended NZ SBs. Sale price $12, regular price $15.
Rating: Very Good

2000 Leeuwin Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Art Series, Margaret River, Australia

Probably the best SB vinified like chardonnay that I've come across. More than medium-bodied, with some richness and depth, complex flavors and a long taste. There's vanillin oak, no trace of herbal character, and sufficient acidity. Close-out price $15, regular price $30.
Rating: Very Good

This wine is a fine illustration of the foolishness of single-number ratings and the dominance of personal taste. We served this together with one of our favorite NZ SBs, a 2004 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc; some of us preferred the richness of the Leeuwin, while others enjoyed the crispness of the Whitehaven.

2002 Golding Sauvignon Blanc, Lenswood, Australia

Good acidity, noticeable SB grassiness, medium-bodied and fairly long, but there's something offputtingly unbalanced about it. Maybe it's SB wanting to be chardonnay, but with wood and grassiness fighting each other; or maybe its just a bit of residual sugar. Close-out price $14, regular price $23.
Rating: Good

2002 Mâcon-Charnay "Le Clos Saint-Pierre", Verget, France

Medium-bodied, fine acidity, well-balanced wood; moderate intensity and good length. Does not have that special white-burgundy character, but has a bit of lean- rather than fatness that makes it more appealing than many Mâcons. Close-out price $11, regular price $16.
Rating: Very Good -

2001 Buena Vista Pinot Noir, Carneros Reserve, Carneros

Nice perfumed bouquet, lightish red color, high acidity. Low-intensity cherry fruit, with relatively short finish. No noticeable wood. A good accompaniment to orange-glazed shrimp (yes, a red with seafood). Close-out price $12, regular price $19.
Rating: Good

2001 Bourgogne Les Grands Champs, Jean Raphet et Fils, France

Acidity in a wine is usually a plus, but this one has too much, even while exhibiting good cherry fruit, and a nice bouquet. No noticeable tannin or wood. Moderate intensity and length. A North Berkeley Import, but I think I trust their white burgundies more than their reds. Close-out price $18, regular price $25.
Rating: Good +

1999 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese, Dr. Fischer, M-S-R

Sweetness at the border of Kabinett and Spätlese. Riesling bouquet a bit subdued, moderate intensity and length. Has some of the Saar flintiness, but not the elegance. Good accompaniment to Cornish hens with a rhubarb and date chutney that made the wine sweetness appear almost dry. Close-out price $9, regular price $14.
Rating: Good +

2004 Huia Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

Prototypical Marlborough SB, with some grassiness, good acidity, moderate intensity and fairly long. A touch of softness avoids austerity. Delightful with grilled salmon. Regular price $16, less 20% discount.
Rating: Very Good

2001 Testarossa Palazzio Pinot Noir, Monterey/Santa Barbara/Santa Cruz

Lots of warm, sweet fruit and scented bouquet, somewhat low acidity, intense and lingering, with some complexity. Moderately dark red color, with a bit of murkiness. Also has a touch of clove and cinnamon. Very enjoyable to sip, may be a bit much for some food. Close-out price $10, regular price $20 (half-bottle).
Rating: Very Good

2000 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, E. Guigal, France

Given the pedigree, I expected more (and Parker gave it a 92). Lots of fruit, with tannic backbone, but austere and a bit closed in. Robustness rather than complexity or refinement, moderately long. Close-out price $21, regular price $30.
Rating: Good ++

2002 Bethel Heights Pinot Blanc, Estate Grown, Willamette Valley, Oregon

A wine that has a lot going for it: flavorful with some weight but not heaviness, and a long taste. Golden color. Very smooth, with some honeyed softness, subdued acidity. That said, this comes as an off-dry package, so that one has to be careful with food matches. Broiled salmon went well with it. Regular price $14, less 20% discount.
Rating: Very Good -

2004 The Jibe Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

A new brand from the Nobilo Wine Group, part of Constellation Brands in todays' conglomerate world. There's lots of fruit, a touch of grassiness, and good acidity, but alas, also a softness most likely due to residual sugar. It goes down easy, making for pleasant, uncomplicated sipping, probably designed for the mass market. Sale price $12.
Rating: Good +

Having found both this wine and the Dry Creek Fumé Blanc DCV3 (just below) to have some less than desirable characteristics, I decided to try a 50/50 blend: reduce the off-dryness of the Jibe with austerity of the Dry Creek, and use the exuberant fruit of the Jibe to give the Dry Creek some character. Altogether, I think I got a better wine out of the mix.

2001 Dry Creek Fumé Blanc DCV3, Limited Edition, Dry Creek

If the label didn't say that this wine came from a special vineyard and had special vinification, one wouldn't know. It shows moderate intensity, no great length or depth; in short, there is no particular characteristic that leaps out to engage one. Close-out price $13, regular price $18.
Rating: Good

2003 Kotare Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

Smaller-scale Marlborough SB, relatively light, without great length, well-balanced with a little grassiness. Sale price $11.20, regular price $14.
Rating: Good

Compared to a 2004 Oyster Bay SB, Marlborough (which I think is not their best effort), it has less intensity and about the same length.

1999 Mark West Pinot Noir, Sonoma County

The last time I tasted this wine (Oct. '02), I think I under-rated it, perhaps because it was paired with an outstanding one. Or it may have developed with some age. This time it showed a lovely varietal perfumed bouquet that carried into the taste. No noticeable tannin, moderate acidity, medium intensity, and quite long. About the only negative was a trace of bitterness, maybe from a little too much wood contact. Regular price was $19 at the time, less 20% discount.
Rating: Very Good -

Red-tag close-out sales this month:

Whites:

2002	Macon-Charnay, "Le Clos Sainte-Pierre", Verget, France	($11, orig. $16)
2001	Torbreck Woodcutter's White, Barossa Valley, Australia	($11, orig. $22)
2002	Golding Sauvignon Blanc, Lenswood, Australia	($14, orig. $23)
2000	Leeuwin Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Art Series, Margaret River, Australia	($15, orig. $30)
2001	Coriole Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, McLaren Vale, Australia	($12, orig. $20)

Reds:

2001	DeLoach Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley	($12, orig. $16)
2002	Rodney Strong Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley	($13, orig. $21)
2002	Carneros Creek Pinot Noir, Los Carneros Reserve, Carneros	($18, orig. $24)
2001	Buena Vista Pinot Noir, Carneros Reserve, Carneros	($12, orig. $19)
2000	Cuvaison Pinot Noir, Napa Valley, Carneros	($20, orig. $31)
2001	Testarossa Palazzio Pinot Noir, Monterey - Santa Barbara - Santa Cruz [Half-bottle]	($10, orig. $20)
2001	Bourgogne Les Grands Champs, Vin non filtrée, Cuvée unique, Jean Raphet et Fils [North Berkeley Imports]	($18, orig. $25)