Robert Mondavi 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

*Bottle #7: Robert Mondavi Winery 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

*Price: $40-60, depending... For Erin = Free!

*Running Tab: $86

Napa Valley... Ever heard of it?

I've seen my fling for the week, Robert Mondavi, looking flashing on many restaurants' charged-up reserve wine lists. He's racked up a lot of dough and has wine ratings sky-rocketing so he deserves his big head in the Valley of Wine.

So you can imagine how psyched I was when my roommate brought home this gem for me. He took it from his hotel room and accidentally bought the mini-bottle... He doesn't drink so I reaped the benefits.

The bottle is mostly on backorder and is sought-after by many aficionados. I haven't had a lot of high-roller wines and I pretty sure Robbie classifies as one of them, but this was the best cab I've ever had. 

The bouquet was incredible, I could almost taste the rich, dark berries and black currant with a bit of some coffee (straight espresso maybe?) with a punch of spice. The taste was just as fabulous, offering those exact characters with complex yet submissive but noticeable tannins. It was all-encompassing - this is love.

Robert Mondavi was seductive, powerful, knew just how to caress my tongue and linger in my mouth for minutes after my first swallow. I wanted to propose after our one-night-stand but I thought that was a little too forward. We'll settle with a high score on my lionized seventh wine blog.

Score: 9.5. (There's always something better out there...)

Kennedy Shah 2006 Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend

*Bottle #6: Kennedy Shah 2006 Columbia Valley Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend

*Price: $20

*Running Tab: $86

Winemaker Tom Campbell sold me on his description of his 2006 Kennedy Shah label, Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend. He offered "diversity and quality" with a "unique blend of new world fruit" tied into "old world structure" of the wine. Plus, the little girl in me really like the colorful logo.

Well, Tom, I feel like you kind of threw me a fast one here. I wasn't quite ready for the battle of old vs. new wine to have a dual in my mouth, throat and ending in my stomach.

I'm not going to say I didn't like this white blend, just as I'd never say I don't like hot dogs. They always have this great allure to them until you've finish it and realized you've just choked down a gut bomb. 

I am going to say if you want to taste the drunk you're having, you'll have to let Auntie Meredith take a shot.

I don't know if it's my inexperience with whites but I could not only taste the alcohol but smell it on Auntie Meredith's breath. Other than the sharp distinction of booze, I found delightful pear, peach and other tropical fruit aromas and just as easily was able to find them on the palate. But that was once I was past the alcohol. She's 50% chardonnay with the definite oakiness of her body and 25% viognier which gave Meredith her sharp curves. 

She's a bit pricey for the quality of the time I spent with her but Auntie is a boutique wine from a small Washington winery so what can you expect when you buy it in-house. 

Not a wretched bottle of absinthe but Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend is not something I can picture someone skipping along with in a wooden basket. I lost that image when she stung my nose hairs with her acidity and now I think I'm drunk. 

Score: 3.

Los Zorros Roble 2004

*Bottle #5: Los Zorros Roble 2004 Bodegas Vinas Zamoranas

*Price: $12

*Running Tab: $66

The further I venture into old-world wine, the harder time I have understanding the people selling it to me. Enter Jens Strecker, German-American wine shop co-owner in Seattle, who was forced to repeat himself several times to me when finding a wine to my liking. I went with Option #3 he presented, half to save him the agony of translating and half because I had never tried a tempranillo.

Thank God Jens was there otherwise I would have no idea what the label said. American wines are generally the only wines that are labeled by varietal and I haven't really read Spanish since 9th grade. I know, I'm a typical American.  

A couple factors I found enticing about this Spanish wine before I actually opened the bottle were the description of the wine in Germish ("juicy"), the alcohol content (one whopping percent more than most American wines) and a label my boyfriend could probably pronounce (I think it's sexy when he plays with Spanish). 

This particular Spanish delicacy was aged in the barrel for 8 months and is 100% tempranillo. The varietal is a black grape typically used for full-bodied red wines, specifically Rioja. Looking at the wine in my glass, its scarlet hue was intimidating. I was afraid it would taste too much like grape juice, which would mean I'd be forced to pound in the bottle in sheer ecstasy. 

My taste-buds were watering as I put my nose into the glass - berries, vanilla and plum fragrances seduced me with what I think red wine should smell like. It was delicious.

The palate was the best I've had yet, as far as the first glass goes. The vanilla and sweet fruits truly taste of a black grape. Jens was right, the wine was very juicy, Welch's for grown-ups. However, I could still find the tannins but it was so well balanced that I almost had to go in search for them.

The only downfall of this wine is that it's so very rich, I could have no more than two glasses. It was too much of a good thing. Which, if you ask country icon Alan Jackson, is a good thing.

Score: 9. 

A to Z Pinot Gris

*Bottle #4: A to Z 2006 Oregon Pinot Gris

*Price: $13

*Running Tab: $54

I'm not going to lie, I bought this because the name rhymed and I'm a thoroughly amused nine-year-old. A to Z Pinot Gris - how fun is that! Plus, it was a screw-top and I'm lazy and irritable when it comes to breaking off corks with my rusted corkscrew.

Now, the drum roll please... My first review on a white wine! Keep your pants on, I'm pretty excited too. Surprisingly, I really do like white wines - they're crisp and fresh like Sprite! My new zeal toward white wines comes from knowing they probably have as much sugar as soda but I achieve a much finer buzz from the bottle of fermented grape juice.

Starting with a pinot gris was my idea to ease my drinking partner for the week into the world of whites. I figured the basic and distinguishable sweet fruits would welcome her, considering she's a dessert fiend. 

Gung-ho and in it for the long run, I opened my screw-top bottle of A to Z, poured out the glazed and flaxen toned wine only to sense a smell in my glass I've been able to identify maybe twice. Wet newspapers... This bottle smelt as if it were corked but there was no cork! My partner couldn't tell the difference.

1 out of 12 bottles of wine are corked - spoiled by oxygen or bacteria that came in with a shoddy cork. Kind of discouraged me from buying a case of any one wine... I'm still at a loss for how this scent was pulled off without a cork in this bottle.

Despite the nose dive (pun intended) that stunk up my initial impression of the wine, I decided to give it a try anyway. A sommelier from the Glen Fiona Winery told me to never judge a wine on the first sip if your palate isn't spot-free because you're picking up on whatever was last in your mouth. My assumption was that this may also apply to the bouquet of the wine.

Good thing I listened to that guy because the wine was much better in my mouth. I found pronounced characters of honey, apples and pears with a resounding sweet pineapple finish that lingered pleasantly after I swallowed. Yummy. 

The nasty aroma for the cork-less, seemingly-corked bottle of wine almost threw me but I was able to hold on for the ride while it smoothed out.

Score: 7.

Hedges CMS Red

*Bottle #3: Hedges Columbia Valley 2005 CMS Red

*Price: $13

*Running Tab: $41

I swear this is my last red for a while. That's one of my things - I'm a red wine girl, I subconsciously enjoy having blue-stained teeth. It's unbelievably sexy and so is a classic red wine. I shot for a blend to be my final red for at least one week, courtesy of my local Safeway.

The Hedges Columbia Valley 2005 CMS Red (they have a white blend under the same acronym) is a cabernet sauvignon-merlot-syrah blend. I shared it with my uncle who kept referring to it as a cabernet-merlot-sauvignon blend, which was entertaining paired with his discolored teeth.

The CMS is what it is. A slightly overpriced bottle from a slightly over-glorified local winery. I've been to the stunning family estate chateau in the Red Mountain region of Yakima Valley, with its intentional Bordeaux-style architecture and hints of French reminisces. Despite being surrounded by the sheer artistry of the building, I wasn't blown away by this simple wine. Don't get me wrong, simple wines can be good - I especially like it when I can easily detect what I'm drinking. However, I was bordering on yawning here. 

The aroma of the wine is plum and  raspberry but it wasn't very significant - a disappointing nose. The wine was tannic, being the blend of fuller-bodied grapes, but held a gentle acidity. It was just enough to burn a little on the way down on the first sip, which I love. I don't know exactly what that says about the wine...

I also found a hint of cinnamon which was refreshing after so many reds with so many "big, dark fruit" flavors. The overall taste of the wine was refreshing as well but I hold to my earlier point that it's overpriced. Good and simple but far from bracing and definitely overpriced even at a discount grocery store on sale.

Score: 5.5