Top 10 Web Selections - This Month's Picks...

#1 on the "Top 100 Best Buys of 2009" and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast: "Continues the solid trend of this label producing some of the best values in California. Dry, crisp and delicious, with mineral-infused flavors of oranges, honeysuckle and buttered toast. A blend of Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Roussanne." (10/09) Once owned by the rapscallion Randall Graham of Bonny Doon fame, the Big House label has gone through many permutations over the years, but none of its wines has ever achieved the level of success of the 2008 Big House ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The unoaked 2008 Punto Final Clasico contains 97% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc aged for 10 months in stainless steel. It was sourced from own-rooted vineyards over 50 years of age. Made in a late-harvest style, this deep purple-colored wine reveals a nose of spice box, incense, and black cherry. Layered and rich on the palate, it conceals some ripe underlying tannin that should allow the wine to provide pleasure over the next 4 years. It is an amazing fruit bomb for $10!" (08/09) Malbec does not get much more qu... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

92 points and a Best Buy, Wine & Spirits: "Slice a late summer Bosc pear over puff pastry and bake it - the tart will taste a lot like the flavors of this Chardonnay. It's grown at Cuvaison's estate vineyard, on 30-year-old vines. Though tightly built, the wine broadens into the finish, refreshed by a bristle of acidity. Decant it for roast veal with chanterelles." (07/09) 92 points and an Editors' Choice, Wine Enthusiast: "A beautiful Chardonnay with so much class and elegance, it's a bargain at this price. Shows lush flavors of pineapple creme brulee,... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

90 points Robert Parker: "Slightly superior to the 2005, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses a dark ruby/purple color as well as a creme de cassis, spice box, and floral-scented bouquet, and a medium to full-bodied finish. A strong effort, it should drink nicely for 12-15 years." (12/08) 89 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Medium red-ruby. Aromas of black cherry, currant, menthol, licorice, minerals and tobacco, plus a whiff of superripeness. Plump, broad and smooth, with an early sweetness making this accessible from the outse... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Valletta is opaque purple-colored with a fragrant nose of toast, smoke, plum, and blueberry bordering on raisins. Thick and rich, this is a voluptuous, nearly over the top effort. Full-bodied, with well integrated tannins and a very long finish, this wine can be drunk now but it would be fascinating to see what becomes of it with 8-10 years in the cellar. At its asking price, it might be a prudent investment to lay away a few bottles. This is not a wine for delicate, European-trained palates. The proprie... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Quite possibly our favorite Pinot under $20. This is not a thick syrupy version of Pinot, but if you're a fan of balanced and delicate (and delicious) Pinot Noir we highly recommend grabbing a bottle. It comes from one of the top pinot producers on the Central Coast. Jim Clendenen makes great wine vintage after vintage, using exceptional fruit even in this entry-level beauty. Easy to drink with strawberry and plum notes, good texture, acidity and fruit. Good pinot for $20? Believe it. The Wine Spectator writes: "Floral, perfumed and peppery berry arom... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Wine Spectator: "This has lots of juicy grip, with a strong, briary undertow supporting red and black licorice, hot stone, currant paste, tobacco and chestnut notes. The long, muscular finish is typical of the vintage. Best from 2010 through 2025." (04/08) 90 points Robert Parker: "The 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a very aromatic display of white chocolate, black cherry, roasted herbs, pepper, and espresso. The wine has excellent concentration, lush tannins for the vintage, and a round, opulent mouthfeel. It is almost atypical for a 2005 in ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "La Fortuna’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is especially beautiful in this vintage. The wine is remarkable for its density, richness and concentration, all of which have been achieved while maintaining clarity and freshness. The French oak is beautifully integrated in this sumptuous, generous Brunello. Suggestions of flowers and spices add notes of brightness on the finish. The Brunello spent a whopping 40 months in 25-hectoliter medium-sized casks prior to being bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019." (06/09) ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

98 points Wine Spectator: "Very lush and racy at the same time, this starts with creamy layers of mango and papaya before giving way to persimmon, fig paste and crème brûlée notes, all carried by well-embedded acidity. The superlong finish lets date, spice cake and green tea notes linger endlessly. Yet another classic for this amazing wine. Drink now through 2032." (11/07) Philippe Delesvaux, a Parisian, was not born into viticulture but came to the vine while working on his agricultural studies on a cereal farm in the Loire Valley in the early 1980s. B... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

95 points and one of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2009: "This is a strongly structured and impressively textured wine. The tannins shoot through, giving a sense of dryness. But in the center, the wine shows power through both tannins and fruit, with blackberries and red plums. It has a preciscion and shape that promises long aging. Cellar Selection." (03/09) 93 points Robert Parker: "Showing better than it did from barrel, the 2006 Trotanoy does have one consistent characteristic that seems to be pervasive no matter what the vintage’s ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco