($15, North Lake Wine): Bordeaux’s Château Mouton Rothschild started a joint venture with one of Chile’s premier wineries, Concha y Toro, to produce what has turned out to be one of Chile’s greatest wines, Almaviva.  In addition, the owners of Château Mouton Rothschild produce other wines in Chile, such as this Escudo Rojo (which is a literal Spanish translation of Red Shield, the meaning of Rothschild).  I have liked previous vintages of this wine, and the 2003 is no exception because of the way it melds the styles of the Old World with the New World.  It has slightly leathery, smoky and chocolaty overtones–what I refer to as a ‘not just fruit’–that complements its red and black fruit flavors.  Fine tannins lend structure without being aggressive. 90 Michael Apstein Jan 16, 2007