Two wine reviews

Hayman Hill 2005 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Reserve Selection, $14: I bought this wine because it was chilled and not Kendall-Jackson. It was a surprisingly complex Chardonnay for the price — a little bit of oak, deliciously buttery, yet with a crisp citrus aftertaste. A pleasing wine to serve with dinner that should delight your average white-wine-drinking friends.

Red Guitar 2005 Navarra Old Vine Tempranillo/Garnacha, $12: The vines might be old, but the wine is not. This is not a good thing, though I doubt aging could improve this bottle one whit. Tempranillo/Grenache blends tend to have a pleasant spice and acidity to them; however, I can't imagine that even Robert Parker with his love of "fruit bombs" could find anything pleasing about the overload of syrupy plum and cherry in this wine. My sometimes significant other tasted the wine and asked if I had added fruit punch to the wine. If you must buy this wine because of the cute label, use it only to make sangria.