One of the beauties of the Internet, besides locating rare vintages of fabulous wines, is the real-time aspect of reader response. You know almost immediately if you've struck a nerve.

So it was with my recent column on 100-point wines. Shortly after it was posted on the Creators Syndicate website, a reader going by the handle "klags" weighed in.

"100 points better be a rare score," wrote klags. "And NO California cab deserves it. I have never tasted one that deserves 100 points."

It's only a guess, but I suspect klags is a Francophile. Fair enough. I enjoy French wines myself. In fact, one of my three 100-point wines last year was a grand cru white Burgundy. And my deep interest in wine was nurtured early on by a passion for red Bordeaux.

But I must give California its due. The Napa Valley occupies some of the greatest terroir in the world for cabernet sauvignon. To deny that is to be stubborn, or biased in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But klags goes on.

"I have never tasted any wine that has not aged for more than five years in the bottle that is worth anywhere close to 100 points," klags wrote.

He obviously misses the point of wine evaluation. A good critic must look beyond the moment and project a wine's ultimate worth at its peak. Not everyone can do that. When I take a strong position, the evaluation is based upon years of experience with wines at every stage of development. That said, my opinion is only my opinion and there's always a chance I could be wrong on any given wine.

There's more from klags.

"The 100-point system is a joke," wrote klags. "If everything scores above 80, and the top is 100, what the hell is the point of a 100-point rating?"

Good question. First, let me say that many wines score well below 80. But wines that merit scores in the 60s and low 70s generally won't make anyone's list of recommendations.

Finally, klags offers this: "Just because you like California cab that much doesn't mean the rest of us will think it is worth 100 points. All in all, I think the scoring system is a stupid way of dumbing down wine reviews ... people are sheep. They will drink what you tell them to."

The beauty of a signed commentary is that it comes with accountability. When I recommend a wine, it is my reputation as an arbiter of what's good that is on the line. I can afford to miss a time or two, but I can't afford to miss often. My readership depends upon my reliability.

You might not always agree with my wine picks, but you should know they always come from the heart. My mission, after all, is to steer you in the direction of wines that will speak to you as they have spoken to me.

As for the scoring system, it is merely a communication tool. Most wine enthusiasts get it.

BEST BUY

Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value.

Familia Bianchi 2006 Malbec, Argentina ($17) — Bianchi's delicious '06 Malbec is a medium-bodied red that is well balanced, with ripe red-fruited flavors, firm acid and well-integrated tannins. It has good length in the mouth and finishes dry and clean, with a hint of spice. Wines like this make it easy to understand why a new generation of wine enthusiasts has embraced Argentine Malbec. The way it opened after getting a bit of air suggests this wine will most likely improve with time. Rating: 90.

TASTING NOTES

Duckhorn Vineyards 2005 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, Napa Valley ($85) — More tightknit and less generous at the moment than Duckhorn's estate merlot, the Three Palms is no less compelling and probably is a better candidate for long-term cellaring, which is to say it can deliver immediate pleasure now if decanted well ahead of serving. Those aren't recommendations often associated with California merlot, but this one's big, bold and complex, with the structure of a cabernet. It shows layers of dark berry fruit, hints of anise and vanilla bean, mocha and cedar, and uncommon depth and weight without being jammy. A smashing wine. Rating: 96.

Eponymous 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($56) — This is Bob Pepi's own label, which he started after the sale of his father's Robert Pepi winery in Napa. Bob was the winemaker at Pepi and he's since become one of the top consultants in California and around the world. (He also has a big hand in the Bianchi wines of Argentina). The Eponymous Cabernet shows Bob's keen sensibilities as an even-handed winemaker who crafts exceptional wines that strike that delicate balance between power and elegance. The '04 is pure and smooth, with sweet tannins, bright red fruit at the top and an underpinning of darker flavors with a hint of earth and spice. And the price is modest for a truly big-time Napa Valley Cab. Rating: 94.

Domaine Pierre Morey, 2006 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru, France ($55) — The beauty of Saint-Aubin is its accessibility. When I'm opening a young premier cru from one of the big three villages of Burgundy's Cotes de Beaune — Meursault, Chassagne or Puligny — I always feel as though I'm cheating mother nature as well as myself, because those wines tend to go through a miraculous transformation as they age, showing more nuance and complexity. Saint-Aubin is always ready to drink when young, usually exhibiting more flesh and weight on the palate than the more sought-after white Burgundies of the Cote d'Or. So it is with this delicious and lovely expression of premier cru chardonnay from this underrated village. It shows more of a floral note than minerality, which is typical, and pleasing aromas of yellow citrus, brioche and baked apple. And given that it's from the iconic Pierre Morey, I wouldn't bet against its ability to improve in the cellar over the next five years. Rating: 91.

Domaine Pierre Morey 2006 Monthelie, France ($45) — Morey's '06 Monthelie is an exceptional value in red Burgundy given the quality the Domaine obtains from its several parcels on the hillsides surrounding this relatively obscure village. As with all the estate wines, the vineyards are farmed bio-dynamically and the wines are impeccable. The '06 Monthelie is fresh and delicate, showing a strawberry/raspberry nose, hints of spice and firm acidity, with supple tannins. It will doubtless fatten up and lengthen in the mouth with another three to five years of bottle age. Rating: 90.

Henry's Drive 2006 Shiraz, Australia ($37) — This is a truly beautiful, minty, smooth Shiraz that has loads of crowd appeal to go with its spicy ripe red-fruited flavor. The tannins are supple and sweet, and the wine shows exceptional length in the mouth, though it does finish slightly hot, for which I've deducted a few points. Rating: 90.

Decoy 2006 Red Wine, Napa Valley ($30) — Lovely and complex aromas of black cherry, currants and spice beguile the senses, leaving the impression of a much more expensive wine. The reality is this vintage of Decoy is one of the great values in Napa Valley red wine. A Bordeaux blend, the '06 Decoy is fresh and lively, with supple black and red fruits on the front of the palate, hints of dried herbs, woodsmoke and cigar box on the back end, and firm if somewhat leathery wood tannins. Rating: 90.

Loredona 2007 Riesling, Monterey ($12) — Monterey County has long been the closest thing to a hotbed for riesling production in California, so it's no surprise that a Monterey riesling would do well at the California State Fair. This dry riesling from Loredona is complex and generous, with bracing acidity and complex aromas of tropical fruit, melon and red citrus fruits. It's a nervy white with an exciting thread of minerality, and the price is stunning given the quality. By the way, it won Best of Show white at the fair. Rating: 90.

Loredona 2006 Pinot Grigio, Monterey ($12) — Crisp and refreshing, this wine is an example of an appealing New World pinot grigio at a time when much of the wine made from this grape is thin and utterly lacking in character. The Loredona grapes are sourced from the San Bernabe vineyard in the heart of Monterey County, where the cool nights keep the acids elevated and preserve the aromas of these aromatic white grape varieties. Flavors of fresh pineapple and pear dominate, there is good weight on the palate and the wine finishes cleanly, showing just a hint of spice. Rating: 89.

Pillar Box 2006 "Red", Australia ($11) — A juicy cabernet-merlot blend that's ripe and round and ... big, with 15 percent alcohol. It shows an earthy, tarry nuance that is quite attractive and rich dark fruits. Not as balanced as I would like, but a style that is popular. And the price is quite decent given the quality. Rating: 86.

Vino Dei Fratelli 2006 Chianti, Italy ($10) — It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the chic wines of chianti classico or Montalcino and forget the simple pleasures of Tuscany. This everyday chianti is a reminder that a wine doesn't have to be expensive to deliver. The '06 Fratelli is a smooth, rounded chianti with bright acidity and lovely red fruits. It's not terribly complex, but it's probably the perfect mate for a platter of antipasti, a spicy salami or pasta with a tomato ragu. Rating: 82.

To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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