2005 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills (H3) & 2007 Mollydooker The Scooter Merlots

Columbia Crest's H3 Merlot was beautiful upon opening it last night. On the other hand, my mother thought it was a bit closed and required aeration. That being said, as more was poured during dinner the luxurious amounts of fruit that flowed were a pleasant surprise; simply said, tasty and a worthy representation of Washington merlot at its finest. This is definitely a wine that can be enjoyed several days after opening, one that'll pass . Tonight, is Mollydooker's The Scooter. Upon opening, ripe cherries were the dominant aroma with a spicy overtone I find common in Australian reds. After doing The Mollydooker Shake the chunky texture described by Wine Spectator's Harvey Steinman disappeared.

1995 Guenoc Reserve Beckstoffer IV Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

At age 13, you could smell and taste the loamy currant, well-integrated tannins coat the mouth, all of this leaves me wanting more. This pales in comparison to the other wine of the night (see below).

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Wine Spectator named this Wine of The Year in 2005 and gives it 96 points and predicts it to be best starting in 2008. Upon opening, aromas of black currant and other black fruit were quite apparent. Tasting the wine revealed a symphony of flavors that were strikingly balanced and followed by an extremely long finish that made me blush. It's been nearly 4 minutes since my last sip and I can still feel the softness of the tannins on the inside of my cheeks. How well this pairs with the porterhouses that have been marinating remains to be seen. This one is for you P.

2004 Marquès de Càceres

Two days old, but still a nice tempranillo showing aromas of wet earth and spicy red fruit. The aromas remind me of this wine in particular.

2006 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

A Paso Robles Cabernet with little, if any, aging potential--two day test yielded mostly oxidation as opposed to fruit and secondary flavors, three day test revealed what little fruit was remaining.

2005 D'Arenberg The Stump Jump

I think the wine glass had soap residue leading to the initial tingly taste in the mouth. I thought the wine was one of Wine Spectator's Best Values, but it turns out the white was the Best Value. That being said, I still found the wine to pair nicely with Pizzeria Regina Margherita pizza (medium basil, no parmesan, well-done) because it cut through the cheese enough to go with the tomato sauce.

2007 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier

Aromatic, with melon and many other aromas that are difficult to distinguish which proceed its lusciously sweet, yet crisp flavors of Chinese pear. Surprising, a nice choice for my first voyage with Pine Ridge's Chenin Blanc-Viognier. The beauty of chenin blanc is that the winemaker's touch can have such a dramatic effect on what it turns into. In this case the viognier adds