Paul Zinck, Riesling, 1998 (Alsace, France) - A coworker had brought this in to our wine tasting group and what I find most fascinating is the age.  This is a 10 year old sampling of Riesling and you just don't see that very often.  But I had red Riesling is indeed one of the few white varities which actually can age well.  And sure enough this wine turned out to be immortal.  It still had a fresh taste, a slight zing, and lived up to the classic Riesling profile.  Had I not seen the label I would have thought it a recent vintage.  But we all agreed even though it was still good it didn't really stand out above other Rieslings we've had, so I'm only scoring this a 5 out of 10 for lower average.  Still, it's long life was amazing.  And our wine periodic table said this grape when it ages can take on petrol and honey tastes, yet I'm relieved to say we weren't drinking petrol.  It must have been a quality (though affordable) Riesling to hang on for 10 years.

Midnight, Aurora Reserve White Wine, 2006 (Paso Robles, California) - This was highly recommended by a store and pricey (around $30) and it includes grapes you don't find in the same blend often (60% Viognier, 20% Roussanne, 20% Marsanne) so I expected a unique stand out of a white.  Well, personally I found it to be rich and with a decent finish BUT rather bitter.  In fact in some ways it reminded me of cheaper Viognier samples I had compared to melon rind.  So right away I was discouraged with it.  Meanwhile Nancy ended up drinking most of the bottle, which is unusual because she doesn't tolerate bitter.  In the end she said it was OK but it wasn't her favorite white.  So in the end I just cannot justify $30 for this bottle, half that maybe.  And I'm just going to score it a 5 out of 10 for lower average.

Lolonis, Fume Blanc, 2006 (Redwood Valley, California) - I bought this hoping it would be a shining example of what Sauvignon Blanc is supposed to be because  I had really liked some other wines from Lolonis.  But I have to admit this sample, although exhibiting the right characteristics to represent the grape, really was a milder sample than most I've had.  I'd only score this a 5 out of 10 for lower average.