(1) 4/5-star rated wines

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: bold
• Look for at: wine.com

Of the three Pinots that Sea Smoke makes, I have always preferred Ten. The 2006 has a great nose of cherries and blackberries, with notes of toasted oak. This is a full bodied wine with lots of muscular fruit on top of silky tannins with a little dust thrown in. I think the 2006 Ten is a great cocktail and contemplation wine, if you have the money. ($75)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: sparkling
• Look for at: wine.com

I picked up this wine at K&L Liquors in San Francisco, where it is a staff selection, and I can see why. We tried the Ariston along side a special cuvee from Bollinger. The Bollinger managed to surpass the Ariston by a nose, but at half the price, I would recommend you get two bottles of the Ariston. In the glass, the Ariston is fresh and crisp with a medium-fine mousse and a touch of chocolate on the end. This is a great aperitif, and it also goes very nicely with a summer’s afternoon in Golden Gate Park. ($27)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: earthy
• Look for at: wine.com

Domain Albert Grivault is one of three producers in Clos Blanc. The 10.3 acre premier vineyard is the southernmost of the premier cru vineyards in Pommard. I have had the ’02 in the cellar since I got it at release, and this is the first taste that I have had of it. The nose is classic Pommard — barnyard, forest floor, and bit of red fruit. For sure, the wine still has lots of fine tannin, but it is balanced, approachable, and a great drink. I wish I had lots more bottles of this vintage from Grivault just to see how far this wine will go. ($?, $50 @ release)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: bold
• Look for at: wine.com

One of the funny things about being a researcher and starting a web based wine enterprise is that I don’t have the money to buy expensive wine. Back in the day, I spent some money and time chasing wine around the globe. But these are more austere times, and I am drinking more modest wines.

But as the saying goes, I know people. And one of them brought by a 2004 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon. California Cabernets were among the first wines that I drank, and they have a soft place in my heart, if not in my cellar. My friend brought the wine because the salesperson had talked him out of a bottle of Silver Oak and he wanted to know what we thought about the substitution. (Unfortunately, my friend is not Bill Gates, so we did not have the Silver Oak to compare with the Altamura, and that might have been best.) The Altamura rocked right out of the bottle through to the last fought-over drop. The nose is full of ripe cassis, earth, and oak. In the mouth is rich and full of flavor with plenty of silky tannins. The finish goes on and on.

We did not enjoy this wine with a meal. We just set in front of the fireplace and thought about the flames and the wine in our glass. This is a cocktail and contemplation wine that I would highly recommend. ($70)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

This is a powerful Ripasso. In the nose, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, smoke and leather. In the mouth, the wine offers ripe fruit and licorice, and the finish on this wine just keeps going. There are plenty of smooth tannins in this full bodied Ripasso, suggesting it could do well with a little time in the cellar. This rich wine would go great with a hearty meat dish such as roast beef. To now, this may be the best Ripasso of the year! ($18-21)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

This bottling is the 40th anniversary issue for one of my perennial favorites, and it offers a lot to celebrate. Like all Ridge “Zinfandels”, this is a blend composed of 77% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, and 6% Petite Sirah, and like most Ridge Zins, it rocks. Sweet aromas of berries and oak are accented by spicy notes. The wine is rich, but not really ripe, and has an earthy quality. This wine would make a grilled ribeye a wonderful companion. It would also be a great bottle to share with an old friend. ($30-33)