All four of today's reviewed wines I recommend to try, even the last one which was a bit of a surprise but I guess shouldn't have been.

1) Geografico Chianti Colli Senesi 2005 (Italy) - Best Cellars recommended this as a good basic chianti and I agree.  It's nicely balanced with just the right acidity and good flavor but not overpowering.  Goes good with food or by itself.  Nancy and I both really liked it.

2) & 3) Matua Valley, Marlborough New Zealand (Pinot Noir 2004, Sauvignon Blanc 2006) - Nancy had heard that fantastic wines were coming out of New Zealand so I picked these up for us to try together.  Both are very good.  I don't always like pinot noir, in fact I sometimes find it a little foxy.  This pinot noir is balanced with nice acidity and drank easily.  We picked up an extra bottle for her parents to try.  Then, the sauvignon blanc, which is the original claim to fame of New Zealand wines, is simply outstanding.  Like the label says it has aromas and flavors of pears and gooseberries.

I had heard that New Zealand tries to be different from Australia and so far I think that's true where wine is concerned.  Granted I really like some Australian wines too but they tend to be flavor bombs.  My impression from my first two New Zealand wines is they focus more on finesse and balance.

4) Baron Herzog Jeunesse Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast 2005 (California) - I had great things to say about the black muscat I tried by Baron Herzog.  In this case this is an affordable cab described on the label as having the "youthful nuances of character that are displayed in the wine's infancy...(including) a perceived sweetness on one's palate".  Probably this 2005 sat on the store shelf for awhile and I should have found a newer one, but here we go.  I popped this thinking it would just taste like any cheap cab but really both Nancy and I were surprised by it and liked it a lot.  I'm not convinced the sweetness is natural and undoctored from the grape juice, however, it is a mild subtle sweet which I find a lot more enjoyable than the port I reviewed earlier, and with only 12% alcohol this is much easier to drink.  I don't really get the "nuances" they refer to, but I will say it has more character than the port which I called overblended.  Anyway, Baron Herzog has a very nice product here and again I have to say I tip my hat to them for making something interesting, enjoyable, and unique in its own way, and for an affordable price.