Here's another series tried recently at our wine tasting club at work.

Pio Cesare, Arneis, 2007 (Langhe, Italy) - This was a high end high quality white grape which expressed a variety of crips fruits including grapefruit and had a nice clean clear look and body.  I remember paying $25 for it and that seems a little high but the group at work agreed we could see it for $20.  7 out of 10 for above average.

Blange, Ceretto, Arneis, 2006 (Langhe, Italy) - Unlike the fruitier sample we tried this was completely dry and had a very subtle effervescence to it.  Although still enjoyable to me and in fact not that far off from a cava or txakolina there were members of our tasting group that sternly did not like it.  All agreed the other sample of arneis was better.  Naturally the other sample cost more (around $25, whereas this was in the $15 to $17 range).  I'll give this one a 5 out of 10 for lower average.

Excelsior, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 (South Africa) - This was brought in by one of the other members of our tasting club and although we had already done a blind tasting of various cabs we opened this as  second bottle on one of our nights.  Really I was pretty impressed, but it was an inexpensive Trader Joe's wine and I've come to accept they often (but not always) have wines under $10 which taste like higher priced wines.  This $7 cab had good body and a rich flaor.  In our blind tasting it may have knocked off some pricier competitors.  I'd give this at least a 6 out of 10 for upper average.

Domaine des Cassagnoles, Reserve Selection, Cuvee Gros Manseng, 2006 (Vin de Pays de Cotes de Gascogne, France) - This is the only time I've seen this grape as a single varietal but occasionally you'll see it in a blend.  It's used in the Jurancon sweet wine which I previously reviewed.  The description on our varietal posters lists a long mix of complex tastes.  Frankly this sample was drier and didn't express all those flavors.  But it was indeed a high quality white and many in our tasting group were more impressed with it than I.  Still I'd give it at least a 6 out of 10 for upper average.