Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir - Otago, New Zealand. 2007 (13.5%) $27 – 88 pts

Medium ruby in colour with sweet vegetal, cola, strawberry, cherry, spice and oak. Dry palate with a medium body, medium-plus intensity, raspberry, cola, earth and chocolate. Light in tannin but medium length and some good, ripe-sweet fruit characters. Should be popular style and great value Otago Pinot.   RATING: 88 pts

Finca Flichman Misterio Malbec – Mendoza, Argentina. 2008 (13.5%) – 87 pts

Medium-plus purple. Lots of oak with damsen plum, blueberry and raspberry and spice. Palate is dry with medium-plus body, medium acid and tannin and some nice raspberry fruit to balance the vanillan oak and cocoa. A little rough around the edges with some pepper and touch of heat on the finish. Lacks finesse but some good character. RATING: 87

Don Miguel Gascon Malbec – Mendoza, Argentina. 2007 (13.6%) – 88 pts

Deep purple in colour with classic brambly, spice, blackberry and raspberry fruit aromas. Quite ripe and raisiny but in balance and some nice, well done, custardy oak. Palate is dry and full with medium acid and medium-plus tannins. Ripe, brambly fruit with clove spice flavours. A touch coarse and rough around the edges and tad hot but good length and some complexity. RATING: 88