Do Wine Reviews leave you colder then your cellar?

We read a lot of wine reviews trying to discover something new or that will delight my tastebuds. When reading a lot of red wine reviews, they all seem to use the same terminology or description.
"..mature, complex, full-bodied with a hint of berrys and spice.." or words to that effect.
If you read enough red wine reviews, you may come to the conclusion they all taste the same!

How can you determine which is a wine you would like, and which wine is best left on the shelf?
The best way for us, is to be our own reviewer. We keep a wine journal and write down the wine's we've tried with perhaps a rating, and a cliche description. We like oak in my wine, so that's always a plus. We like blackcurrant, but not a fan of the aftertaste that some 'spice' flavors give. we use our own tastes to choose wine's when reading descriptions on the label.
Our advice is to start your own wine journal or wine list. If you see a high rated wine in a magazine or website, it's not necessarily going to be to your taste. Be your own reviewer. Write down the wines you like, so you can find them again. There's nothing worse then when you've disposed of that bottle you enjoyed a couple nights ago and have no idea what the name was or even if you know where you bought it from.