This review’s selection is an eclectic mix of a national brand, a rising cult winemaker cuvee from Oregon, an unknown grape variety from the mountainsides of Mount Etna, and a couple of négociant efforts.

A négociant is a winemaker and producer who make wine from sourced grapes, usually tied to long-term contracts with middle-tier growers. But in the case of recent phenomena, we’re starting to see more of the premium growers unloading inventory in one-off arrangements. This is actually a practice we’ll see more often in the next few months as the domestic 2006 crush is about to wrap up. With premium growers sitting in more than a year’s inventory in their warehouses as a result of the record 2005 harvest, they are forced to move their supply anonymously under private labeling arrangements. Drop in at the store and we’ll tell you which ones are selling at a quarter of their main brand counterparts.

1. Estancia Chardonnay Pinnacles ($13.00 estimate) – Though widely distributed, produced in gazillion cases a year, and owned by the industrial wine giant, Constellation Brands, Estancia Chardonnay Pinnacles still delivers outstanding quality for the price.

The color is pale yellow-gold, the aroma exhibits rich tropical fruit and pear. The flavor follows through with equal intensity, but balanced with good lemon-meringue pie nuances, and a clean, medium finish.

1. G Dehesa Gago 05 ($14 estimate) – The perennial best value creation of Telmo Rodriguez. This is a wine described by Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate as a ‘sexy fruit bomb’. Whatever that means, I’m buying it!

Dark garnet in color. Aroma structure is dominated with globs (and globs) of fresh berry nose. Flavors are typical new-world Tempranillo: Dark berries, a little bit on the fat side (muted acidity), and just a hint of tannins. Good finish.

1. Domaine Andezon Cotes-du-Rhone Village “La Garnacha” 04 ($13 estimate) – This is an Eric Solomon project that prior sold its juice to Marcel Guigal. Although the wine is labeled Cotes-du-Rhone Villages, it is made with 100% Grenache. Typically (as in, if the wine was sold in the European Union market), Cotes-du-Rhones Villages wine must also contain Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a sprinkling of 10 other varieties.

Color is dark red. Very perfumed aroma. Flavors are mainly raspberry and dark cherry, with a dash of currant, and cocoa. Finishes solid.

1. Morgan Pinot Gris Santa Lucia Highlands R&D Franscioni 05 ($14 estimate) – A Pinot Gris offering from a venerable Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer. The Santa Lucia Highlands is a cool climate region that typically harvests a few weeks later than the average North and Central Coast vineyard. The results are grape berries that have ripened well as opposed to well-ripened berries typical of California.

Pale straw in color. Fresh tropical aromas – orange and bananas to be exact. Flavors are actually fresher and less ripe than its aroma. Zesty lime, pears, and granny smith apples are more evident on the palate. Some traces of minerality and complexity on the finish.

1. Pillar Box White, Henry’s Drive 06 ($9 estimate) – Following the huge success of the Pillar Box Red, Chris Ringland (the winemaker) and the Longbottom family extended the brand to include a white blend offering. Blending 66% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and 14% Verdelho. The result is a well-balanced wine: Chardonnay lends intense aromatics and flavor, so does Sauvignon Blanc, but the latter also contributes acidity. Verdelho, on the other hand, imparts creaminess for a heavier mouthfeel.

Pale straw in color. Fantastic nose of ripe white peach, pineapple and tart apple. On the palate, the chardonnay flavor dominates with apple, fig, and hints of banana. On the finish, the verdelho character is more evident.

1. Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia 03 ($16 estimate) – Pitch is a brand new project of Tom Byrnes, who owns T. Edward Wines of New York. The juice is sourced from an unnamed high-end grower from Washington State’s Columbia Valley.

Color is brick red. The aroma is typical cabernet sauvignon: dark berries, cherries, and dried herbs.  Fairly dense and fat. Mocha, cola, and black currants on the front palate. Very linear flavors, but finishes with good tannin structure.

1. Solena Pinot Noir Grand Cuvee Willamette Valley ($27 estimate) – A project of Pine Ridge and Archery Summit scion, Danielle Andrus, and her husband-cult wine maker, Laurent Montalieu.

Garnet red. Violets and currants on the nose. Unusually dense for an Oregon pinot noir. Complexity is outstanding – layers and layers of flavor, ranging from tart cherries to cola to blueberries.  Finishes with a touch of oak-influenced tannins and the signature Oregon earthiness.

1. Bodegas Marco Real Taurus Tinto de Toro Roble 03 ($13 estimate) – Twenty years ago, the Toro region was known as the backwater of Spanish winemaking. After the family that owned Vega Sicilia wines started buying and developing projects in the area, the region boomed so with it, fortuitously, the quality of wines made. Bodegas Marco Real (of Navarra) made this 100% tempranillo from 80+ year old bush vines. Tinto de Toro is one of the many synonyms of the tempranillo grape.

Light red in color. Strawberry and bing cherries on the nose. The palate is less traditional with French oak influence. Dried plums, strawberry, balsam, and saddle leather are present – sort of a reminder that you’re still drinking a Spanish wine. Finish is solid with firm tannin structure. A very good value for the money.

1. Vega Sindoa El Chapparal Garnacha Navarra 05 – This is an excellent value red from old Garnacha (Grenache) vines. This wine is akin to a very well-made, top-notch Dry Creek Valley or Calistoga benchland Zinfandel.

Color is dark red. Aromas of cherries and red berries. On the palate, the black berry flavors are well integrated with its fine tannins, producing a silky and elegant structure. Finishes long and complex.

1. Terre Nerre Etna Rosso Calderara Sotana 04 ($20 estimate) – Easily one of my greatest finds of the year. A very well-made, super elegant wine from the high elevation vineyards of Mount Etna mountainsides. Although, Sicily is a considered a warm climate growing region, the vineyards are at a much higher elevation (3,500 ft above sea level) – where the temperature, on average, is 30°F cooler than the island floor.  A new project of Marc and Iona de Grazia (brother-tandem Italian wine exporters), Terre Nere produces three cuvees from an old, indigenous Sicilian varietal called, Nerello Mascalese. The wine character is very similar to Pinot Noir: silky, earthy, complex, and dare I say it - Burgundian.

Color is garnet red. Very aromatic with high notes of dark berries and white truffles. The palate is a complex amalgamation of fresh berries, hint of dried herbs, earth, minerals, and sweet tannins. The finish is long and complex.