2006 Clos de L'Oratoire des Papes (Chateauneuf du Pape)

Wine Spectator rates this wine 91 points.  In the glass the Clos de L'Oratoire has an intense, opaque, ruby color with a clear rim on the edge.  The aroma of minerals is the first thing to hit the nose, but as the wine opens up, one smells dark red jammy fruit.  In the mouth there is a bright acid and soft tannins, followed by minerals, earth and dark cherries.  The acidity and tannic structure should help this wine last a few years and it should improve as the acid, tannin and fruit become more integrated with time in the bottle.  $26.99 at Costco.

2005 E. Guigal Gigondas

Rated 89 points by Wine Spectator, 91-93 by Parker.  This wine has a deep ruby red color with dark cherry and spice on the nose.  This Gigondas has a lot of fruit including plum and cherry on the front end with nice spice notes as it lingers in your mouth.   The wine is somewhat rustic and has good complexity and a medium to long finish.   A nice food wine, this is well-structured with mouth-drying tannins that should mature and soften given time in the bottle.   For around $24 at Costco (a few dollars cheaper through some online stores), I'll buy a couple more to lay down for two to three years so that the tannins will smooth out a bit. 

2007 Perrin & Fils Cotes du Rhone Reserve

Available at Costco for $7.49, this was rated 87-89 by Parker and 87 by Wine Spectator.  A typical Southern Rhone blend, this wine is composed of 60% Grenache, giving the wine sweetness and fruit, 20% Syrah, adding depth of color and spice, and 10% each of Mourvedre and Cinsault, which (ideally) provide structure and complexity.  This wine displays a deep red opaque color which belies its lightness in the mouth.  On the nose I get strawberry, cherry and alcohol.  The strawberry and other dark red fruits, as well as tobacco, are apparent in the mouth, but the finish is rather bitter and short (unfortunately, the bitterness lingers).  This is a fairly simple wine, but at 8 bucks, it may be worth a try.  And you can leave the corkscrew in the drawer...this one has a screwcap.

Update:  After having been opened for a day (vacuum pumped overnight) the bitterness seems to have dissipated, leaving a simple, but tasty wine.  Perhaps, given its youth, I should have decanted the wine on Day 1.  At $7.49, I'll probably try this again and decant for a couple hours before drinking.   Stay tuned!