This week’s Wine Word of the Week is lees.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Lees is the Old English word for the dregs or sediment that settles at the bottom of a container such as a fermentation vessel. Wine lees are made up of dead yeast cells, grape seeds, pulp, stem and skin fragments, and insoluble tartrates that are deposited during the making and aging of wine.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Lees is the sediment that settles in the bottom of tanks, vats, and barrels during fermentation.

Pecan pie is one of the Wine Peeps’ favorite desserts. In fact, it is John’s absolute favorite! Kori is actually the pecan pie maker in the family; although, I made the one for this challenging wine pairing. Each year, Kori makes pecan pie for her dad’s birthday in November as well as for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let’s just say that we enjoy a lot of pecan pie in the fall. Pecan pie is very rich, but, oh, so good! Since the holiday season is rapidly approaching, we thought it would be fun to try some dessert wines with our go-to holiday dessert.

To determine which dessert wines to try, once again I referred to my favorite resource, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. This time, rather than referring to the book itself, I used the What to Drink with What You Eat app on my iPhone. (So handy!) I decided to go with Sherry and Sauternes and selected the Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 from Spain and the 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes from France. Both wines were delicious; however, the Sherry was the unanimous choice as the best pairing with the pecan pie. When you are pairing with a sweet dessert, you want the wine to be at least as sweet as the food. Sipping a really sweet wine like this Alvear Pedro Ximenez with a really sweet dessert like pecan pie, the sweetness level actually seems to go down and the flavors really come together.

What would you have paired with this dessert? It is always great to hear your thoughts. Also, please share your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 (Montilla-Moriles, Spain): 100% Pedro Ximenez. Dark amber brown. Very aromatic with raisins and molasses on the nose. More raisins and molasses as well as chocolate and prunes come through on the palate. Very sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $16 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $17 to $50

2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes (Sauternes, Bordeaux, France): Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Medium golden yellow. Nice nose with honey and peach aromas. Honey, peach, mango, and almonds come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K & L Wine Merchants (California), $30 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $34 to $60

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2010 Mercer Estates Riesling from the Yakima Valley of Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Mercer Estates is a family-owned winery located in Prosser, Washington. The family has a long history in the Washington wine industry with more than 25 years of grape growing and winemaking experience. Mercer Estates’ vineyards are located in the Horse Heaven Hills and the Yakima Valley. Jessica Munnell serves as winemaker for Mercer Estates, following in the footsteps of their founding winemaker, David Forsyth, who left earlier this year to focus on his own winery.

“Delicate aromas of peach, apricot and beeswax in the nose are confirmed on the palate along with a mouthwatering acidic frame, revealing a hint of sweetness. Well-balanced of acid and residual sugar, this dryer-style Riesling is a refreshing aperitif or a delicious companion to crab cakes, bleu cheese and spicy foods.” –Founding winemaker David Forsyth

2010 Mercer Estates Riesling (Yakima Valley, Washington): 100% Riesling. Pale, greenish yellow. Aromatic with peach and petrol on the nose. Lemon zest and honeysuckle come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 0.99%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $14.99; Available elsewhere, $11 to $15

Founded in 1995, Planeta Winery encompasses six distinct wine estates throughout Sicily. The Planeta philosophy is, “For each terroir, its own winery.” Planeta has tried to identify the area within Sicily where certain varieties grow best and then has established a boutique winery with its own surrounding vineyard in that respective area. Planeta’s boutique wineries include Ulmo at Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa at Menfi, Dorilli at Vittoria, Buonivini at Noto, Sciara Nuova on Etna at Castiglione di Sicilia, and the new winery, La Baronia at Capo Milazzo. Earlier this year, Planeta hired French consultants Florent Dumeau and Xavier Chone to help them further their terroir-based approach. Planeta’s total annual production is about 20,000 cases.

Winemaker Alessio Planeta, his brother Santi Planeta, and their cousin Francesca Planeta established the winery, but numerous Planeta family members are involved in the operation. Francesca’s father, Diego Planeta, is a pioneer in the Sicilian wine industry and has served as president of the highly regarded wine cooperative, Settesoli, for many years. He was instrumental in introducing international grape varieties to Sicily as well as researching indigenous varieties. In 1989, Alessio and enologist Carlo Corino began experimenting with grape varieties and working to match each variety to its ideal soil and terroir. Their work ultimately led to the site selection for the Planeta wine estates.

Recently, Dad (John) and I had the pleasure to attend a luncheon with Francesca Planeta at Seattle’s Barolo Ristorante and taste through six of Planeta’s current releases. The wines were all very good and paired wonderfully with each course. We were especially impressed with the 2010 Cometa, the 2007 Santa Cecilia, and the 2010 Passito di Noto.

If you have not yet tried any Planeta wines, I encourage you to give them a try if you see them on the shelf at a wine shop or on a restaurant wine list. And, if you find yourself in Sicily, I highly recommend a visit to one of Planeta’s six estates. I haven’t been there myself; but if the pictures are an accurate reflection, they look amazing.

2011 Planeta La Segreta Bianco Sicilia IGT (Sicily): 50% Grecanico, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, and 10% Fiano. Medium greenish straw yellow. Nice nose with bright, fresh tropical and citrus fruit aromas. More citrus fruit as well as melon come through on the palate. Light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Pairing: Served as an aperitif
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $15; Available elsewhere, $9 to $17

2010 Planeta Carricante Sicilia IGT (Castiglione di Sicilia, Mount Etna, Sicily): 100% Carricante. Medium straw yellow. Aromatic with fresh apple, pear, and minerality on the nose. Green apple, pear, and a touch of pineapple come through on the palate. Light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, fresh finish. Pairing: Insalata di polipo (octopus salad)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $36; Available elsewhere, $30 to $31

2010 Planeta Cometa Fiano Sicilia IGT (Menfi, Sicily): 100% Fiano. Medium golden yellow. Nice nose with lemon and floral aromas. Very rich and mouth-filling with lemon, tropical, and floral notes on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively. Well-balanced with a long finish. Pairing: Branzino (seabass)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $43; Available elsewhere, $33 to $43

2010 Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (Vittoria, Sicily): 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato. Medium ruby red. Aromatic with spice, red fruit, and oak on the nose. Fruit-forward with cherry, strawberry, spice, and a touch of smoke on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, smooth tannins, and a long, smooth finish. Pairing: Fettuccine al coniglio (fettuccine with rabbit)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $23; Available elsewhere, $18 to $23

2007 Planeta Santa Cecilia Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT (Noto, Sicily): 100% Nero d’Avola. Deep purple in color. Nice nose with spice, smoke, and black fruit aromas. Smoke, spice, black cherry, and herbs come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish. Pairing: Arrosto misto di carne (filet mignon and lamb)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $43; Available elsewhere, $30 to $43

2010 Planeta Passito di Noto DOC (Noto, Sicily): 100% Moscato Bianco. Medium deep golden yellow. Gorgeous nose with honey and dried apricot aromas. Honey, peach, and dried apricot comes through on the palate. Full-bodied with vibrant acidity and luscious mouthfeel. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish. Pairing: Pera al moscato (poached pear)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $41 [500ml]

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is claret.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Claret is the English (not American) term generally used to describe red wines from the Bordeaux region, or red Bordeaux. Claret has also been used as a generic term for a vaguely identified class of red table wines supposedly drier, and possibly higher in tannins, than those wines sold as generic burgundy….

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Claret is the European term for red Bordeaux wines. Some American producers use the term to describe their red Bordeaux-style blends.

Rodney Strong founded Rodney Strong Vineyards, located in Healdsburg, California, in 1959. Current owner Tom Klein and the Klein family purchased the winery in 1989. In 2005, Klein added a “winery within a winery” concept to the Rodney Strong portfolio to focus on small-lot, artisan winemaking. The debut release from their Single Vineyards line was the 2005 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon. It was the first in a series of three single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon debuted with the 2006 vintage, and then the Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon debuted with the 2008 vintage. Symmetry is a red Meritage blend from their Reserve line produced with grapes primarily from those three prized Alexander Valley vineyards—Alexander’s Crown, Rockaway, and Brothers Ridge.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the 2009 vintage of both Alexander’s Crown and Symmetry in a blind samples tasting. Both wines are very good, but we especially enjoyed the Alexander’s Crown. In fact, this is the second time we have tasted the 2009 Alexander’s Crown, and both times we have thought it was excellent.

The fruit for both wines comes from the Alexander Valley in California’s Sonoma County. Alexander’s Crown Vineyard is located in the southern part of the Alexander Valley, just north of Healdsburg. Established in 1971, Alexander’s Crown is recognized as the first vineyard in Sonoma County to produce a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It rises to about 350 feet at its peak with a soil composition of predominantly well-drained gravelly loam.

If these wines are out of your price range, Rodney Strong also offers a lineup of more moderately priced wines that we have found to be good with high QPRs.

2009 Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander’s Crown Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark purple in color. Nice nose with black fruit and leather aromas. Blackcurrant, black cherry, leather, and cocoa come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $75

2009 Rodney Strong Symmetry Meritage Red Wine (Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 6% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black fruit and bacon on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $55

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret from California.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

The Coppola family has been making wine for several generations. Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased 1,560 acres of the Inglenook Estate in 1975 and began making wine on their Napa Valley property. In 2006, they purchased the former Chateau Soverain tasting room, restaurant, and winemaking facility in Geyserville, California, with the plan to turn it into a family-friendly wine and food destination in Sonoma. They named Corey Beck as Director of Winemaking and General Manager for Francis Ford Coppola Winery, which produces seven wine brands including the Diamond Collection. Since its inception in 1997, Claret has been the flagship wine of the Diamond Collection. It is distinguished with gold netting, a tribute to the way Europe’s finest wines were once presented. Today, Francis Ford Coppola Winery features a wine tasting bar, two restaurants, swimming pools, a movie gallery, a performing arts pavilion and a park area with game tables and bocce courts.

“The 2010 growing season experienced chilly spring temperatures, and a mild summer. Waiting for that late, warm fall to arrive pushed harvest out weeks later than normal. But having the extra hangtime, allowed the fruit to develop beautifully concentrated flavors, and become a very layered, textural wine with dark, rich fruit impressions, supple tannins and distinct spice nuances that enhance the oak barrel character.” –Corey Beck, Winemaker

2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret (California): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep red in color. Aromatic with blackberries, vanilla, and spice on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with smooth tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $17; Available elsewhere, $10 to $19

Washington State Cabernet Sauvignons are among the best in the world, and they are much better values (higher QPR) than most Cabs in other wine regions of the world. Last Friday evening, we tasted six Cabernet Sauvignons from the 2008 vintage from Washington State in our wine tasting dinner. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, mixed green salad with a lemon garlic balsamic dressing, grilled beef tenderloin steaks, rosemary roasted sweet potatoes, braised kale, and German chocolate dessert with whipped topping garnished with dark chocolate.

The consensus favorite was the 2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. Well-known for their Grand Estates, H3, and Two Vines lines, it is their Reserve line that puts them in the league with the premier producers in the state. As you may remember, the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was named as the #1 wine of 2009 in Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 Wines list, the first Washington wine to receive the honor. Rounding out the top three wines in this tasting dinner and also receiving Quality ratings of 4.5 stars were the 2008 Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon.

Not only did five of the six wines receive a Quality rating of 4 stars or higher (out of 5), but the top three also received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money. I would encourage you to try any of these wines, especially with a meal, to decide for yourself how Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon compares to other world-renowned Cabs.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. Deep, dark red in color. Gorgeous nose with blackcurrant, black cherry, smoke, cinnamon, and clove aromas. Black fruit, leather, earth, and clove comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $30 to $50

2008 Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Merlot. Deep, dark purplish red. Very aromatic with smoked meat, leather, spice, and black fruit on the nose. Blackberry, blackcurrant, smoked meat, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $60; Available elsewhere, $59 to $75

2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Merlot. Dark, dense purple in color. Beautiful nose with blackberry, black cherry, and spice rack aromas. Black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, cinnamon, and a touch of tobacco come through on the palate. Full-bodied and fruit-forward with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity, and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $42; Available elsewhere, $32 to $42

2008 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Dark, dense red. Aromatic with black fruit, pencil lead, and oak on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, mocha, spice, and a touch of green pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, silky tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $70; Available elsewhere, $65 to $78

2008 JB Neufeld Artz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Artz Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with black fruit, oak, and a touch of spice. Red and black fruits, spice, and earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium tannins. Well-balanced with a medium to long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $28

2008 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Galitzine Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot. Dark purplish red. Aromatic with cinnamon, vanilla, and black fruit on the nose. Cinnamon, black cherry, and a touch of black pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $98; Available elsewhere, $110 to $190

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is body.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Body is the tasting term for the perceived ‘weight’—the sensation of fullness, resulting from density or viscosity—of a wine on the palate. Wines at either end of the scale are described as full bodied and light bodied. …. Body is not related to wine quality, balance being more important in a wine than whether it is full or light bodied.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Body is the feel of the wine in your mouth, from watery (light-bodied) to creamy (full-bodied).

Nota Bene Cellars is a small, family-owned winery located in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. Owner/winemaker Tim Narby and his wife Carol Bryant founded Nota Bene in 2001. Tim got his start in winemaking over 15 years earlier in the Boeing Employee’s Wine and Beermaking Club. When their youngest child was out of preschool, they decided to start their own winery. The winery name incorporates the first letter of Tim and Carol’s surnames. The Latin phrase “nota bene” is directly translated as “note well” but is commonly used in legal documents to mean, “pay attention” or “take notice.” Tim still works for Boeing virtually as an IT Software Project Manager. Carol was a state prosecuting attorney for 23 years.

While Nota Bene is an urban Seattle winery, they source their grapes from some of the top vineyards in Eastern Washington. Tim believes in sustainable farming and loves to blend wine and the grapes from many vineyards. Nota Bene produces about 1,100 cases per year.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste all twelve of their current releases from the 2009 vintage in a blind samples tasting. All of the wines were good, but we especially enjoyed the Cabernet Franc, the Miscela Bordeaux Style Blend, and the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Syrah. We found the Nota Bene wines to be very fairly priced, too, with eight of the twelve priced less than the average of their peers of similar quality, i.e. 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5) or more.

If you have not had any Nota Bene wines, I encourage you to give them a try if you see them on the shelf at a wine shop or on the wine list at a restaurant. Other than pouring during the South Seattle Artisan Wineries open houses, Nota Bene is open by appointment only.

2009 Nota Bene Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): 81% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec. Medium-deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with red and black fruit, green bell pepper, earth, and leather on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, soft tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20

2009 Nota Bene Miscela Bordeaux Style Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec. Deep, dark purple. Nice nose with mint and black fruit aromas. More mint and black fruit as well as tobacco comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25

2009 Nota Bene Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Syrah (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Syrah. Dark, dense purple. Nice nose with spice, smoked meat, and black fruit aromas. More black fruit, spice, and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2009 Nota Bene Cabernet Sauvignon (Conner Lee Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark purplish red in color. Aromatic with earth and barnyard aromas. Fruit-forward with black cherry and earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2009 Nota Bene Merlot (Conner Lee Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Merlot. Deep, dark ruby red. Nice nose with black cherry, black plum, and spice aromas. Black cherry and mint come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2009 Nota Bene Una Notte Rhone Style Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 51% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 9% Mourvedre. Deep, dark ruby red. Nice nose with black fruit, spice, and smoked meat aromas. More black fruit comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30

2009 Nota Bene Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Bordeaux Style Blend (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 14% Merlot. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with rose petals and black fruit on the nose. Black fruit, spice, and floral notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2009 Nota Bene Abbinare Bordeaux Style Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 61% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Malbec. Deep, dark purplish red in color. Aromatic with black fruit and spice rack on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, soft tannins, and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25

2009 Nota Bene Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): 87% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 3% Merlot. Dark, dense purple. Nose is a bit tight at first and then red and black fruit and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, soft tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25

2009 Nota Bene Malbec (Verhey Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): 100% Malbec. Dark, dense purple. Aromatic with black fruit, molasses, and a touch of tire rubber on the nose. More black fruit and molasses come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25

2009 Nota Bene Mourvedre (Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Mourvedre. Deep, dark purple. Nice nose with black fruit and licorice aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30

2009 Nota Bene Conner Lee Vineyard Bordeaux Style Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Deep, dark red in color. Nose is a bit tight at first then aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, plum, and spice come through. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35