2003 Sticks Shiraz

Yum! This 100% Shiraz from Australia's Yarra Valley is a treat, not a bold & complex Shiraz but lighter and fruitier. But don't think this means it's not a good wine, Wine Spectator rates it 90pts.
Red purple color and a fruity cherry nose with a floral trace. This medium bodied wine is fun, with it's silky and smooth feel and lively cherry, blue/blackberry flavors leading to a long finish with white peppery attributes.
$12.99 at Costco, we rate it a great value, give it a try.

2004 Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva

Another Costco deal, $12.99 for a Wine Spectator 91pt. wine.
Well worth the time to let this wine open, besides the aromas expanding and the flavors maturing & concentrating, a slight hotness to the finish mellows. Mellow cherry-cranberry aromas and a trace of fresh cut wood that adds to the fruit without over shadowing it. The color undeniably purple. As with most Malbec's I've tried, soft yet lush structure. Medium body and finish yet firm, nice tannic feel. Earthy dark plum, dark mocha and a slight exotic spicy flavor.

This “Reserva” is made with selected grapes from vineyards at least 30 years old. As with the Terrazas de los Andes Malbec I reviewed these vines are in Argentina's premier wine growing region- Mendoza.

Of the two Malbecs I reviewed that are currently at Costco, we prefer 2005 Terrazas de los Andes (88pts.)to the 91pt. Norton. The Terrazas comes to together better overall, more mature and smoother.

Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2006

In 2006, nearly 13,500 wines were reviewed from around the world in blind tastings. Nearly 3,000 of them earned outstanding ratings (90 points or higher on our 100-point scale).

Four major criteria used in selection:

• quality (represented by score)
• value (reflected by release price)
• availability (measured by case production or cases imported)
• and an X-factor they call excitement.
• But no equation determines the final selections: These choices reflect the editors' judgment and enthusiasm about the wines tasted.

Thirteen countries are represented in our 2006 list, making this the most diverse group in the history of the Top 100, which debuted in 1988.
The average score of the group is 93 points, while the average price is $49.

Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of 2006-
The Top 100

Great wine values of 2006: Top-scoring value releases-
Outstanding wines $15 or less