Top wines of late

Let's review some wines I've had lately that stick in my memory in no particular order. Also, while it is easy to be blase about the scores, it has taken the recent economic meltdown and the continued improvements in wine making to allow this. Prior to 2005, I could count the number of 93+ pointers I had tried on my fingers.

1. Rosenblum 2005 Syrah Kick Ranch (WS 94, $23 list $45). This is what I'm drinking now. I've been saving this, but we needed a wine to open and I finally decided it was time. And it is good. My wife gives it an "A" (aka 93-95 points) which is pretty darn rare. I've decided she agrees with James Laube of the WS when it comes to Cali Syrah. It's a classic complex, meaty, leathery, California Syrah that is thick, intense and has dusty fruit flavors and a hint of tannins backing it all. This has opened up nicely over the last hour. It had the Rosenblum drying tannnins at first but now I'm impressed. I can see how it got 94 points (which is huge), but it's not that much my style. My score: 92-93 (this is going up as I write this and find more flavors...yum).
2. Landmark 2006 Syrah Steele Plow (WS 94, $30). While we are on the topic of Cali Syrah's here is another one. I brought this to the Artisan restaurant in Paso Robles recently and while I didn't drink too much of it, it was very smooth, rich and had those hints of beef and dusty fruit. Everyone else really liked it. My score: 91-92.
3. Paraiso 2007 Pinot Santa Lucia Highlands (WS 92, $16). Every so often a Pinot blows me away. This was almost one of them. A big pinot that was rich, smooth, and balanced. Fruit, some spice. It just went down really nicely. This was also brought to the Artisan dinner. My score: 92.
4. Montes 2006 Syrah Alpha (WS 91, $16). This will likely be my wine of 2009. Consistenly very good to excellent, and this last bottle was just that. The most complex nose of any wine in 2009 at its best. This last bottle did not quite have that, but still just a lovely wine. I think I bought over case. The last bottle, my score: 90.
5. Seghesio 2007 (?) Pinot Noir ($28?). Had this at a restaurant Poc Chuc with no corkage. A bunch of shared this and it was very fruity, but not as big as I expected with more red raspberry and purple fruit than black. Smooth, but not too complex. My score: 90.
6. Sebastiani 2004 Cabernet Alexander Valley (WS 88, $23). This is the wine that reminded me via a gentle slap, that I need to drink more Cabernet. Elegant with that high-end California unmistakable cabernet taste. Smooth, with some complexity. Lovely. My score; 91-92.
7. Columbia Crest 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Estates ($8, WS 88). My wine of the year for 2008. This was probably my last bottle. After having the Sebastiani a few days before ... it had that same classic cabernet taste. The oak had died down and it was a lovely, somewhat one-dimensional wine that was just starting to fade. My score: 90.