2006 Joseph Drouhin "Laforet" Bourgogne (red)

This is a nice, straightforward Pinot for people who want a lighter version of the varietal - and it's a good buy on occasions. I picked this up for $12 at Whole Foods and it has gone well with both a hearty stew and a rich, stuffed fish dish. Cherry up front, without too much comlexity, and a clean finish. There's a little spice in the aroma too, but nothing over the top. A good bottle for a good price. 84/100

2006 Vivac Sangiovese

We finally tempted fate and cracked the first of the 6 New Mexican wines bought in early September near Dixon, NM. I bought 4 at Vivac, including this Sangiovese, which is the bulk of this wine, but which has minute amounts of Cab and Merlot for some fleshiness. And it needed it - I haven't seen a Sangiovese this limpid and pale in color since the early 80s when Tuscany was awash in bad Chianti. Still, a "correct" nose of vine-ripened tomatoes, with some oak/plum in the back, and a largely accurate replica in the mouth on the palate. This is decent - I probably won't go back for seconds, but it was fun to sample the first of our New Mexican purchases. I think the extraction level could be higher, and I wonder how much the young guys running Vivac actually green harvest their graps to improve concentration. 79/100.