What I'm drinking part III

You're not reading this for meaningless chatter so let's get down to the reviews

• Castoro Cellars 2006 Cabernet Paso Robles (WA 90, $9 CC). My wife liked this a few months but I wasn't that fond of it, but it was a cheap bottle I could open for her. After 30 minutes, this opened up. Big obvious good cassis flavor and lots of brute oak. It tasted chunky as the flavors weren't well integrated... with fruit and then oak. Reminds me of a very good low-cost chilean wine. By the end, once my expectations were set, I liked it. My score: 88.
• Thorn Clarke 2006 Shiraz Shotfire Barossa (WS 91, $20). The 2004 and 2005 got even higher scores, but have been erratic for me. Very dark berry, some oak with a less fruity style, more earthy style than I expected. Some acidity not much tannins. Not as rich as I had hoped. My score: 88.
• Razor's Edge 2006 Shiraz Viognier (WS 91, $10 CC). One of the cheapest 91 pointers out there ... was still at the Sunnyvale Costco as of Jan 2009. Quite reliable. Dark and some red berry in a medium lean style with acidity and a wiff of minerality on the finish. A bit like a fruity Cote du Rhone. Too lean to get the really big score, but hard not to like. My score: 89-90.
• Jim Barry 2005 Shiraz Lodge Hill (WS 90, $13 CC). One of my top wines for 2008. Intense red cherry and raspberry in a pure style. Medium bodied with some wood and just a wiff of spice. Good acidity and no tannins in this fresh wine. My score: 90-91.
• Norton 2004 Malbec Lujan de Cuyo Reserva (WS 91, $16 CC). The WS review said "very creamy" which is an odd flavor for wine. But a previous bottle (my score: 87) was indeed "creamy", but lacked intensity. This bottle suffers too. Not much on the nose or the palate. Redoubling my tasting effort (aka closing my eyes), gives dark red berry, dried cherry with hints of tea and yes, cream. Smooth. Grading it as an elegant wine, my score: 89.