Wine Pairings

Do you want to know my favorite thing to pair with wine?

   Television.

Harvey Steiman mentioned that most people do not drink wine with food.  This is certainly true, even when I am specifically serving wine with a dinner.  All too often, I hav a fair bit while cooking, then only have a small bit of wine with the meal with the rest being consumed afterwards.

My wine selection is typical of this country.  I want a wine that tastes good on its own.  Pairing, schmaring.  Hence my preference for rich, fruity reds and whites.  Since there's nothing to clash with it coming out of the TV.

When I do consider a food wine pairing, I've devolved to largely avoiding full on clashes.  A white or rose or even a pinot goes with pretty much anything at my place.  I'll have a red with anything except mild seafood.

A top 10 wine of my 2012: Cercius CdR

This CdR  wine was promoted by both The Wine Club and ArtisanWineDepot, as it was a WA 93 for $14.  I'm not normally too swayed by these "amazing" CdR deals, since Parker has several every quarter where a "CdR tastes like a CdP", but this wines lives up to the hype and more.  It is the Michel Gassier CdR "Cercius" 2010.   Wow!

It is an 85% Grenache 15% Syrah blend that tastes of very ripe, very intense Grenache.  Ripe sweet blackberry and ripe raspberry and a bit of cherry kirtsch liquor.  Being a CdR, despite being so ripe, the Grenache does not tastes jammy or pruney, as there is a leanness to it with a hint of mineral and graphite.  It is very clean with no earthy or funky notes.   It doesn't quite have the secondary flavors of a super high end CdP but who cares?  It's all fruit and an explosion at that.   One of the greatest Rhone red I've had.

The first bottle I had was quite nice and left me wanting more.   The second bottle was/is amazing.    Easily a wine of 2012.   My score: 93.  

PS I just ordered another case of this.

Top wines of 2011

It's been a while since the last post, but it is time to start up again.  Here are my wines of 2011 in no particular order, except as I remember them, which favors the wines I've tasted more recently.

1. Micheal Chiarlo 2008 Barbera D'Asti (WS 90, $10 CC).  A solid clean Barbera for $10 with good availability?  How can you go wrong?  Like a medium big dark fruit pinot with no earthy notes and good acidity.   Great with Italian food.  And the 2009 just got a WS 90 too, so I look forward to that.
2. Dona Paula 2009 Malbec Mendoza (WS 90, $10-11 CC).  The nicest Malbec I've had a few years. Rich ripe red fruit with hefty mouthfeel (though others say it has no finish).  I like this much more than the Norton's at CC which also get WS 90.  Also the 2007 Dona Paula of which I only got 2 bottles was an even better wine with rich coffee notes and slightly darker fruit.  I've loaded up on this.
3. Tablas Creek 2009 Patelin (WS 91, $18).  This was my favorite wine when tasting at the winery.  Great pure mix of red berry and watermelon with good acidity and minimal tannins.  Super lovely.
4. Beringer Knight's Valley 2009 (WS 91, $18 CC).  This is one of the great buys of a 91 point Napa cab ever.  Even though Knight's Valley is technically in Sonoma, it is between the two and could have been deemed Napa.  Lovely ripe cassis in a medium body that goes down smoothly with a hint of mineral.  Refined and impossible not to like.  Drinking very nicely now.
5. Columbia Crest 2008 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet and/or Merlot (WS 89-91, $11).  Neither of blew me away, so they were not my wine of the year, but they are consistenly better than almost any random wine.  Focused flavors, the right amount of oak.  I keep buying these blind, they are so reliable.
6. Schild 2007 Shiraz (WS 92, CC $16).  Schild was embroiled in a dicey second "run" of their 2008 Shiraz of which the first run got WS 94.  I have every year since the barnbusting 2004, but haven't tried the 2008 which was in somewhat short supply.  The 2007 was widely available at my Costco. And since they have scored over 92 points consistently for the past 6 years for under $20, I don't give a hoot about their inferior second run.  Their 2009 just scored WS 92 and I've been picking some of those up, now.
7. Chronic Cellars 2009 Zinfandel ($9 CC at SLO).  A bizarre zin with ripe but not jammy red berry and a odd but compelling raw cedar/pine note.  I keep asking myself "what is that?" and wanting more to figure it out.  Others don't taste the oddness but like it nonetheless.  Note the 2010 is even more extreme to the point of being undrinkable.
8. Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. 2007 (WS 90, $13 various).  The first Chianti Classico I've had with a lovely pure ripe raspberry note and significant acidity.  Just great with Italian tomato sauce but the acidity is a bit much of other foods or just on its own.  Still this is was an eye opening wine for me, as I've found other Chianti's too dirty / earthy to really like.

Testing, testing, as this blog has been down for a while

I keep getting an error when I try to access this particular blog of mine.

Best wines of the last 2 months

I recycled the bottles from last 2 months, and these were the most memorable, aka the best ones. As usual, scores and price had little correlation with what I liked.

1. Sebastiani 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma (WS 83, $11?). I had had a magnificent 2001 about 3 years ago and had been saving this. And boy did it reward. Smooth classic cabernet flavor, perfectly balanced. At it's peak and just lovely. My score: 92
2. Razor's Edge 2006 Syrah Grenache (WS 90, $8 CC). Ironically, there were two bottles in the bunch, but it was the last bottle that blew me away. Like a fine Rhone wine, there was a purity of red fruit with a touch of minerality. Previous bottles have not been nearly this good. My score: 91.
3. Domain Roche 2005 Fitou. This Southern France Grenache-Carignan blend was stunning with red fruit purity with saline notes. The last few bottles have been off (too ripe) but the last bottle of this reminded me of its previous glory. So pure, no saline, medium weight, truly delightful. My score: 92.
4. Montes 2006 Syrah Alpha (WS 91, $16 CC). This was tasting and smelling beautifully. Still one of the nicest noses of any wine. (Surpassing the recent 2005 which I thought was the better wine). My last bottle and a wonderful way to send it off. Still flavorful but without the youthful edges. My score: 91.
5. Neyers 2005 Syrah Old Oakville Road (WS 86, $20+). This former brute reminded me of a Rhone wine, and mostly grenache at that. Nice red fruit. Very enjoyable. This was much better than the 2006 bottling of the same wine, which I had a few nights later that got a WS 93.
   

Hewing my purchases to conform to a budget

My wife tallied up our 2010 expenses broken down meticulously as usual. And my wine expenditure was simply excessive. In that I spent more than we would consume in a year times the average price per bottle I expect (about $14).

So I've put myself on a wine budget of roughly $2500. Our cellar is too big, so we should drink into it. We are already members of 3 wineries which is roughly $800 annually, so that's roughly $1700 a year. Or $140 a month. For someone who buys a case somewhat freely that's a brutal level.

But it is working.

I was at the (very) local BevMo today and they have another of their 5 cent sales (the second bottle of select wines is $0.05, after they mark up the first bottle). I manage to escape with just 1 pair, the Bertrand 2007 Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Tautavel Grand Terroir (WS 91) at $20.

It turns out I've spend more than my Jan allotment, which was before I instituted the budget, on the following

• Schild 2007 Shiraz Barossa (WS 92, $15.50 CC)
• Schild 2008 Shiraz Barossa (WS 94, $20 ArtisanWineDepot)
• Montes 2008 Shiraz Alpha (WS 90, $16)

What I want to buy (and just did at 6+ bottles) is the Ch de Macard 2009 Bordeaux Superior (WS 90, $11 WC). This is ready to drink now, and will make a lovely gift wine.

But the bottom line is I'm having to think about every bottle I purchase. Which is a really good thing.

Wines of the year 2010

It's time for the annual ritual of all important wine publications and writers to post their top wines of the year, due in no small part to the wildly popular Wine Spectator Top 100.

Here are my top wines, listed in no particular order. I'm doing this partly so I can recall years from now what I was enjoying the most this past year. Not unexpectedly, Washington/Aussie wines dominate.

• Columbia Crest 2005 Washington Red (WS 87?, $5, BevMo on sale). A medium bodied, super smooth drinking wine. Reminds me of the Monte Antico 2006 Toscana which was a WS top 100 for 2009 (which was a fantastic wine when I tried it back then after 30 min of air, but the last 4 bottles have lost their freshness/complexity). But this is better with more fruit density, yet equal amounts of floral, oaky, spicy complexity. At its best, an amazing, super friendly wine by itself or with food. I was stunned and bought 2+ cases. Probably the greatest wine value under $10 I've ever found. My score: 92.
  
  I tasted their latest release at the winery (I think it was 2007). It was a different blend but also extremely compelling. So this is a wine to look out for.
• Columbia Crest 2007 Merlot Horse Heaven Hills (WS 91, $12 various). This was initially overshadowed by the stunning Cab Sauv H3 from CC for 2007, but over time the Merlot has won out as the better wine. Super polished with dark berry, it tastes oh so refined, with floral and spice notes creeping in if I let it breathe long enough. My score: 92
  
• Marquis Philips 2008 Shiraz (WS 88, $10-12 Costco). Probably my wine of the year back in Sept. It is a major fruit bomb, but the flavors were perfect and it was so delicious. Sadly the last bottle was a bit unbalanced tasting too ripe. My score: 92

The winner is the wine I most wish I could buy another case of. My wine of the year:
Columbia Crest 2005 Washington Red

Back to a region that has been berry good to me

After wandering the world of the wine yet again, I'm coming back to a tried and true region. It is known for it's outstanding value or QPR (quality to price ratio). Ironically, I'm attracted to the quality, but uh, the prices, not so much, as much as they have risen slightly but consistently across the board. I have greatly lowered my buying from this region in the last 2 years, which is not terrible as my cellar of 2004-2006's are starting hitting their peak now.

The region? Australia. Yes, I'm referring to pretty much an entire continent as a "region". Why the renewed attraction? Because their wines are reliably good. Not just to me but to my wife.

Of late, I've noticed a new style of red. I'll call "intense berry", as they taste like fresh berry juice with the attendant acidity and a subtle complexity backing them up. These wines are moderate in body with not a lot of richness. But boy are they refreshing. The tannins are moderate but the acidity hides it. Since there is no flabbiness, they could age for a while. Some recent examples are

• D'arenberg 2008 Shiraz The Stump Jump ($7.50 Costco (Sunnyvale), WS 90, #58 in WS Top 100). Lovely red and black berry. Pure, focused (aka good intensity), nice acidity in a medium body. Still fruity the next day, after a warm Calif night, indicating this can age nicely. I bought 8 bottles upon rediscovering this, as I bought a single bottle and was blown away a year ago. Only 5000 cases imported. And this price is a amazing. My score: 91.
• Penley Estates 2007 Shiraz Hyland Coonwarra ($20 for 2 at BevM0; WS 90). Intense dark and red berry flavor with good acidity. Some minty and coffee notes. Nicely integrated, this tastes classy. Very good the first night; less good the second night but the herbal flavors come out, which can be interesting. Only 5000 cases imported. My score: 91.
• Jim Barry 2005 Shiraz Lodge Hill ($12, WS 90). I've mentioned his several times, but it was the leader of the pack of "pure berry" Aussies as I found it over a year ago. This is fresh blackberry and sour ollalieberry. Still have a few bottles.

In contrast, there are still the big or rich Aussies fruit bombs. And if done right, aka to my liking, they are as good as it gets. My last great bottle was last week.

• Tait 2008 Ball Buster ($16, WS 87). Wow, this was reminiscent of a super bottle of the 2005 I had several years ago. I've had more of each the vintages since, but I've been disappointed. Trying the 2007 and 2008 side by side at F's many months ago, and the 2008 was decidedly better. (The 2007 had done nothing for me previously.) So I bought a few bottles at the Wine Club. It was everything I could have wanted. Rich ripe plum with nicely integrated spice, and chocolate notes. It's the plush texture that gets me. My score: 93.

91 is the new 90... and 17 is the new 20

Wine makers practice better vinification than ever before. Even in stodgy old Bordeaux, the top wineries, which get all the press, but account for less than 3% of production there, have made serious upgrades to their equipment and their methods. The result is that there is more good wine being made than ever before.

The world wine economy underwent a significant recession in 2008 and is still slowly recovering. Wine priced under $20 sells decently; wine over that price has been hammered in the market place. In many, but not all, cases, wine prices have fallen to better align supply and demand.

The upshot is that 91 points is what 90 points used to be. And $17 is the price point that $20 used to be. Put another way, a 90 pointer for under $20 was a good bargain a decade ago. You had to hunt a bit if you wanted to find variety but it was doable. Now, finding 90 points for $20 is like shooting fish in a barrel. The modern version is 91 points for $17. (Or if you insist on staying at 90 points, I'd say find 90 points at $13. ((Or if you want to stay at $20, uncover 92 points at $20)).

Here are some recent finds in this mold

• Columbia Crest 2007 Merlot (WS 91; $12) - it scores even better than its Cab Sauv twin, which a tad ironically is actually the better wine (and my likely wine of the year).
• Yalumba 2008 Viognier (WS 92; $13) - what ripe Viognier should taste like. Pure, fruity with a lovely floral nose.
• Zaca Mesa 2006 Shiraz (WS 93; $17 CC) - Their 2005 was 92 points and the 2006 should be just as compelling. Snatch this while this 5000 case production lasts if you like Central Coast Syrah with it's big, meaty style.
• Hall 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (WS 96, $45) - A Napa cab scoring over 94 points for under $75!? This world has gone mad, I tell you!

Great buys on sub $10 wines

I've been loading up on these bargains all under $10 bottle, listed in order of goodness. The BevMo deals are due to their current 5 cent sale where you get a 2nd bottle of select wines for $0.05. All of these have production of 30,000+ cases, except the first.

• Penley Estates 2007 Shiraz Hyland Coonwarra ($20 for 2 at BevM0; WS 90). Intense dark and red berry flavor with good acidity. Some minty and coffee notes. Nicely integrated, this tastes classy. Very good the first night; less good the second night but the herbal flavors come out, which can be interesting. Only 5000 cases imported. My score: 91.
• Sterling 2008 Chardonnay ($6 Costco with $2 discount; WS 88). Good ripe yellow fruit with toasted oak (I get a hint of Cheerios). A solid by at $8, so a super buy at $6. I got case. My score: 89.
• Paringa 2008 Shiraz South Australia ($12 for 2 at BevMo; WS 89). This is a rare wine under $12 that actually needs to breathe a good bit, as in overnight. The roughness and restraint disappears by the second night and it was still good the third night. Bold berry with some spice. Not as well integrated as the Penley's but still a very fine wine at $6. My score: 89.
• Brancott 2008 Sauvignon Blanc ($7.80 Costco; WS 89). A solid New Zealand SB at under $8 is getting very rare. It is a bit lighter than the best NZ SBs I'm used to. It has got interesting green peach, lime and guava flavors. Very dry. Not as good as I expected. My score: 87.

Top wines of the first quarter of 2010

It shouldn't be a surprise as my top wine has to be a something I've mentioned. But there's the list:

1. Columbia Crest 2007 Washington Red ($5, BM, WS 88). I just love this wine after 30 min of breathing. Consistently very good to outstanding. I bought 2+ cases.
2. Columbia Crest 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills (WS 90, $11, WC). I also bought 2+ cases of this. A high-end Cab flavor and body for a pedestrian price.
3. Four Vines 2006 Zinfandel Biker (WS 92, $20) - drank my only 2 bottles in quick succession. Very lovely ripe red cherry and berry with spice.

I should finish this but if I don't... well I need to get something out as it's been a month.

Getting hooked on Riesling

If you survey wine people, especially sommeliers, perhaps their most favorite grape is riesling. A white, to boot.

Why? It pairs well with more foods than just about anything else with it's nice acidity, fruit, yet it has a nice structure to it, often with good minerality. Plus, it is not an excessively expensive varietal. It can be made sweet, off dry, or straight out dry, which is becoming increasingly popular. It can be reasonably inexpensive at under $10 or be over $100.

I've always liked, but never loved Riesling. Oh sure, I keep trying it as a good general match to Asian food and a nice white with cheese and crackers. But I've never had a hankering for it. Until now. Ironically, I've been hooked while drinking non-premium Rieslings where I hoped to find a good value. But the taste just all came together at this time.

These are all from Chateau St Michelle, the large Washington winery which has largely corrected the quality issues they've had in the past few years. The good thing is production is large year in and year out and there will be sales off and on. I got all of them from the recent BevMo sale on WA wines.

• 2008 Dry Riesling Columbia ($8) - very solid, reminiscent of riesling from Germany with a bit more citrus fruit and less minerality. Good acidity and length. I bought 4 more. My score: 89.
• 2008 Riesling Columbia ($8, WS 87) - similar to the Dry Riesling, but perhaps just a tad less intense. Still very nice and drinkable. My score: 88-89.
• 2008 Late Harvest Riesling Columbia ($6 BM) - I only got one bottle and don't remember that much but it was solid. At $6 I'd get more, if the sale were still on and they had more. My score was likely a 88-89.

The other region, besides Germany/Austria/Alsace for good rieslings is Australia, of all places. One of my wine deals of 2008 was the Leasingham 2007 Riesling Magnus (WS 91) for $7, by the case. Citrus with lots of lime over mineral/steel. I think I've got 8 bottles left and I'm slowing down on it to let some age. Another is the St Hallett 2008 Riesling Eden Valley (WS 91, $12), which also featured citrus over a minerally finish. Not quite as rich as the European versions.

Two that were not so good, as previously blogged, were the Yellowtail (WS 88) and the Columbia Crest.

The $5 buy of the year. Wow.

(Originally posted on 1/23/2010). Through 2/8/2010, BevMo has the Columbia Crest 2007 Vineyard 10 Red (WS 88) for $4.97. I simply cannot say enough good things about this wine. Made from an unusual blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, it is an elegant, medium bodied, smooth red that reminds me of a mildly-fruity Bordeaux with gentle hints of tobacco and earth, likely from the Sangiovese. It drinks beautifully now. Lovely on its own or with food. My score: 91.

Last night, I had the Chateau Petit Bocq 2005 St Estephe (WS 89-91, $16), a Bordeaux from the famed 2005 vintage, and I prefer the Colubia Crest red. That's how good this wine is. At $10, I would buy 6 bottles, but at $5, I'll get at least 2 cases, if just to give some away. Easily the best under $6 value I've seen in the past 12 if not 24 months. [Update, I've since had this 3 more times and it's a great wine. It needs 15-30 minutes to open but it is so reliably excellent.][Update 2: I've had this wine yet again, and it continues to impress. It really needs 30-45 minutes of breathing to open up. A serious candidate for wine of the year in 2010 for me. I am upping my score: 91-92.]

I don't like all Columbia Crest wines, shocking as that might seem...

BevMo also the corresponding white, the Columbia Crest 2007 Vineyard 10 White for $5, but I find this a bit too sweet. A mix of Chardonnay, Sav Blanc, and Semillion, it tastes a bit disjointed and flabby. I'm going to pass. My score: 84.

Similarly a Columbia Crest 2007 (?) Riesling Grand Estates was also too sweet with not enough acidity. It too tasted flabby. My score: 83.

Finally their 2007 (or 2008) Chardonnay Two Vines (WS 86-87?, $6 Safeway) was too sweet and not oaked enough for my test. No more of that. My score: 85.

European wine deals at Costco, late Feb 2010

Two from France, and a Tokaj.

1) Another Costco screamer is the Domaine Pichot 2008 Vouvray (WS 90, $13).

Vouvray wine is from the Loire Valley in France in the region of Touraine. It uses the much abused chenin blanc grape, which in previous decades has been the term used for bulk white box or jug wine. In this region, chenin blanc is used to make wonderful wines, from dry to sweet, even botyrized, that can age for decades. Costco has carried previous vintages of this in the past, but the 2008 got 90 points, finally! :), and being in the midst of a wine class that just covered the Loire, I bought 6 bottles.

Pale yellow. Good acidity (aka "racy"), with a gentle nose of unripe peach, citrus and mineral. Off dry and a similar palate with some grapefruit peel coming in, and the acidity coming through at the end. Well balanced. Hard not to like. My score: 90.

2) A solid CdR (Cote du Rhone) for under $10. The Perrin & Fils 2007 Cote du Rhone Villages (WS 90, $9.59 CC). This 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah was flavorful, with good intensity, but nothing exceptional. A good example of a CdR. From memory, my score: 88.

3) The landmark sweet white Tokaj from Hungary, centuries ago considered one of the greatest wines on earth, the Royal Tokaji 2005 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos (WS 94, $26). I had a taste of this sweet botrytized rich white about 3 months ago and it takes some getting used to. Imagine a Sauterne with iodine and briny notes. I wasn't really in the mood after a long and filling dinner, but it was still noteworthy. But really now, this can age for 15-20 years easy, and it's a classic for $26. Why not explore a unique part of the wine world? My score: 90 (now) but could be a lot more a decade later.

A shockingly rich Pinot Gris

I picked this up in late January from Costco for $16, the Domaines Schlumberger 2005 Pinot Gris Alsace Grand Cru Kitterle (WS 91, $40). I had no idea Pinot Gris could be like this.

The color was deep gold. The nose was reticent with aging flowers and their associated astringency. Off dry, but appears sweeter. The palate was surprisingly rich and thick with honey, and notes of dried apricot, and ripe tropical. Clean but ends very long, with an intriguing bittnerness (WS said bitter orange peel and I think the tasting notes are spot on) and mouthwatering acidity that kicks in and lingers until the next inevitable sip. It tastes older, like a 2003. My score 93.

Wow. I need to get more of this.

Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Alsace Grand Cru Kitterlé

Trying the Aleatico varietal

L and I exchanged wine and I got Jacuzzi Family Winery 2006 of the Aleatico varietal.

A few days later, I poured this pale ruby wine. No nose initially, but it shyly opened to raspberry jam and some spice. Sometime later a floral flash reminiscent of the Muscat white grape of which this is related.

The palate is similar. Reticent with red fruit, floral, spice, and tree branch. Like a mutant pinot noir. A surprisingly heavy body for such a low intensity wine. Moderate acidity and no tannins. An overall impression of smoothness. It finally occurred to me to view this as a dark rose, not a red.

If you're expecting something moderate or big, it's disappointing. But as an elegant, restrained but surprisingly thick wine, my score is 89 points. Thanks L.

Portugal 2002 and France 2004: both winners

Over break before Christmas in San Luis Obispo, I spied the Casa Ferreirinha 2002 Vinha Grande (WS 88, $10). How often do you get a chance to try a 2002 wine for this price, so I bought one. I've been disappointed with Portuguese reds with high scores, but this was an exception. Smooth, with raspberry, cherry and kirsch in a medium body. Drinking very nicely. My score: 89-90.

I've since bought another bottle at Cost Plus and it was identically nice. But their practice of entering your birthday (they ask for ID to ensure you can buy alcohol) to "unlock" the register is extremely invasive. If you purchase by check or credit card, they have both your name and your date of birth in their system. I will not shop at Cost Plus any more.

I have also shared a bottle of the Perrin & Fils 2004 Vacqueyras Les Christins (WS 92, $15). It was still dark, with big fruit in the way that Cote du Rhones have (which is not big by new world standards). Could last another 4 years easily. But drinking nicely with some minerality and spice. My lunchmates liked this a good bit. My score: 90.

A week of 90+ pointers

Unfortunately... telling my my wife Sarah, "This got 91 points from Wine Spectator.. and was a Top 100", results in a response so blaise that I don't get any response most of the time. But her response is justified. Here are the wines we had that I can remember in the last 10-14 days (back in Nov):

1. Fox Gordon 2004 Shiraz Eight Uncles (WS 91, $16). Bought this 3 years ago. Intense juicy berry (raspberry, blackberry) with some dust and a touch of earthiness. Medium to full body. Drinking well now. A lot like the Jim Barry 2005 Shiraz Lodge Hill, but a touch bigger. My score: 90.
2. Monte Antico 2006 Toscana (WS 90, $8 Costco). One of the wines I bought over a case of recently. My score: 89 (the most disappointing bottle out of 4)
3. Beringer 2007 Chardonnay Sbragia (WS 92, $6 special closeout sale). Lived up to the WS review and a typical Beringer Chardonnay. Very ripe almost tropical fruit, tons of smoky oak almost bordering on bitter, thick and rich. This got better after being open for a few days as the bitter smokiness faded and the richer, spicy elements came out. My score: 89-92.
4. Columbia Crest 2007 Cabernet Horse Heaven Hills (WS 90, $11). I bought two cases of this. Possible wine of the year for me. My score: 90-91.
5. Provenance 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Rotherford (WS 91, $15, Top 100). Nice sour citrusy flavors with a hint of sweetness and guava. Lively acidity. My score: 90-91.
   
6. Yalumba 2008 Viognier Eden Ranch (WS 92, $14, Top 100). After warming up and given some air, rich tropical fruit with some floral elements. My score: 90-91.
7. Norton 2006 Malbec Reserva (WS 90, $10 Costco). Not nearly as comlex as I expected. Straightforward pure berry and grape flavors with a hint of mineral in the finish. Once I knew what to expect, it grew on me. Was still good two days later. My score: 89-90.
   
8. Yellow Tail 2005 Shiraz Reserve (WS 90, Top 100). Medium bodied with pure blueberry and blackberry. Touch of spice, oak and mineral in the evolving finish that goes down nicely. My score: 90.
9. Le Vieille Ferme 2007 Cote du Ventoux (WS 87, $9 magnum). I bought this to cook coq au vin, but being a magnum there was a lot left over so I had it while cooking. I expected more tartness but it was a remarkably "bland" wine, with smooth fresh cherry and red berry in a silky finish. Touch of minerality. Next thing I knew I was downing this like water. Do magnums always taste better? Really very nice. My score: 89.
10. Roederer Estate NV Anderson Valley Brut (WS 91, $18 - 2.50 Costco). Nice sparkler with crisp apple. Balanced. Not too "sour". I am not a big fan of sparklers but this was nice. My score: 89.
11. Thorn Clarke 2005 Shiraz Shotfire (WS 91). Dno't really remember this so it wasn't that special.
    

Two case worthy buys and possible wines of the year

I just bought 15 bottles of one and two cases of the other. Both are medim bodied, a bit complex with a sweet but not overly ripe or overpowering fruit. Both have wonderful balance. And both are (were) under $11. And I bought over a case of each.

First, the Columbia Crest 2007 Cabernet Horse Heaven Hills (WS 90, $11). A higher-class wine with elegant currant and purple berry. So smooth with a hint of sweet spice. I bought a case unseen and then tried it and bought another case. It tastes like a higher end cabernet. Drinkable now, despite WS saying wait until 2011. 30,000 cases. [Update: I've two more bottles and everybody who tastes this agrees this is super nice. My score: 90-92 very consistently across all bottles, which is astonishing.]

Monte Antico 2006 Toscana (WS 90, $8 at Costco, $10 list). Smooth red berry, cherry and strawberry, with spice, vanilla, a wisp of dusty earth and more on the elegant finish. Not at all earthy. Could almost be an alluring Pinot, it is that light. Goes well on its own and with food. Just lovely. 80,000 cases. [Update: I've had 4 bottles now. It varies from nice red cherry and berry (first opened) to gaining some earthy notes (after some breathing, sometimes) to having a sublime vanilla, sweet brown spice, oak note (2 of the 4 bottles). It remains medium light in body with nice balance and acidity. My score: 89-93.

Costco and the Wine Spectator 2009 Top 100

The WS published their Top 100 wines on Monday for those who have online membership. There was a pronounced emphasis on value in part due to the economic downturn, which affected pricing as well as purchasing power. As usual, I had managed to obtain a decent number wines on the list.

Today 11/17, I went to my local N Calif Costco today, and found the following wines on the Top 100 list.

• Catena 2007 Malbec Mendoza (WS 91, $17): Consistely at 90 or 91 points over the past 3 years, this is the first Catena I've ever bought.
• Neyers 2007 Chardonnay Carneros (WS 93, $23): A very ripe, heavy, smoky, oaky, on occasion bitter wine. Didn't care for one bottle and loved the other. You'll likely feel the same.
• Provenance 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford (WS 91, $15). A 91 pointer from Napa... I had to try this. Didn't know it was a Top 100.
• Juan Gil 2006 Monastrell Jumilla (WS 90, $11.89). I've liked 2 of the 3 bottles I've tried. Like a lovely ripe grenache when it works.
  
• Tohu 2007 Pinot Noir Marlborough (WS 91, $18). Intense but not heavy red cherry, with rose petals and some spice. Balanced. Some acidity. Typical of a fine New Zealand Pinot.
• Monte Antico 2006 Sangiovese blend Toscana (WS 90, $8). I bought a bottle and fortunately tried it this past weekend. Medium light bodied with red fruit with a beguilingly smooth and gently complex finish of spice, vanilla and chocolate. The second great bargain I've found in the last 2 weeks. Wow.
• Lehmann 2006 Shiraz Barossa (WS 91, $13). Decent ripe shiraz, but a bit hit or miss on the 2 bottles I've tried. (Much better than the green flavored 2005 which also strangely got a WS 91).
• Yalumba 2008 Viognier (WS 92, $13.50 sold out last week). The 2007 also made the Top 100 last year, but the year is even bigger and richer. A very nice wine.
  

I bought all of these wines except the Lehmann and the Yalumba, including more than a case of the Monte Antico, which was going fast.

A couple of other value buys with the ongoing wine coupons are

• Norton 2006 Malbec Reserve (WS 90, $12 - 2 = $10). Couldn't resist with the coupon. The Norton Malbecs have not done much for me but at $10 who can resist?
• Roederer NV Brut Anderson Valley (WS 91, $18 - $2 = $16). What a buy on a sparkling wine. The 2009 WS tasting notes are intruiging "A rich version, loaded with spicy cinnamon notes. Bold apple aromas, with a whiff of yeast, lead to complex, layered pear, crème brûlée and baked apple flavors that linger. Drink now. 80,000 cases made." With that production, it should not be hard too hard fine.
  

A couple of not so young Aussies

The first was the Lehmann's 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa (WS 90). It took a while to open up, initially smelling like pine, pinesol, mint, mineral with some black and purple berry. But after 45-60 minutes, it was a lovely with blueberry and currant in a medium light frame with some eucalyptus and mossy tree trunk. At its peak now. Very similar to the WS review. My score: 91-92.

Several nights later, I had the Pirramimma 2003 Shiraz Mclaren Vale (WS 92, $23 list). I don't remember drinking this so it was not particularly uh, what's the word... memorable.

Just this past weekend I had the Yellow Tail 2005 Shiraz Reserve (WS 90, $12 list). Yes, Yellow Tail. And double yes, 90 points. It took a while to open up with moderately complex blueberry, currant and just a hint of mineral. Very nice. My score: 90-91.

A bargain Riesling

It is not easy to find good Riesling on the cheap. The (really) good stuff is from Germany or the Alsace and it will be $14 at a minimum if you know what to look for. I did a WS search for 87+ points costing at most $10, with at least 10,000 cases imported made in 2005-2008.

There were a total of 12 matches, 8 which got 87 points and the remaining 4 scored 88 points. Three of the 88 pointers were from Washington State.

But I found the other non-Washington 88 pointer, and bought it yesterday. It has a huge production of 200,000 cases, so you can pretty much find it, if you are willing to get off your couch.

And it was under $6.

At Safeway. (Which is having a big sale. Combine it with their 10% off 6+ bottles discount, which I did.)

But the final kicker is that it is made by

Yellow Tail. That's right.

Here's the WS review: Yellow Tail 2008 Riesling South Eastern Australia, (88 points, $8 list) Light and tart, with a fresh-baked bread edge to the pear and kiwi fruit flavors. Drink now. 200,000 cases imported. --HS

Now go out and get some.

Update: I've tried it and it is a difficult wine. It is often a bit thin, meaning it has less intensity than a really good riesling, and most of the time the complexity is missing and the flavors are muted. But every once in a while it really shines. Don't serve cold and let it breathe a tiny bit. My score: 84-89 points.

Some $10 and under reds for Jez

As my wife chats with her pal Jez on Google Wave (not generally available, those lucky two) about wine, and asks for my recommendations, I thought I'd summarize what I said to her.

First, remember the cardinal rule: drink what you like and try not to pay more for it than you have to.

Jez tried two $6 Aussies: Black Swan (shiraz/merlot) and Yellowtail (shiraz/cab). She liked the Black Swan better but her favorite was an Italian, Luna di Luna (merlot/sangiovese).

Italy

The Italian blend is likely to be less fruity and more earthy, than the fruit-driven Aussies so I recommend she try the following:

1. Fontanafredda, Barbera Piemonte Briccotondo 2006, 2007, 2008. The 2006 and 2007 got 90 points from the Wine Spectator and the 2008 is equally nice. Can be tough to find once the 4 week release window has passed. (Costco carried the 2007 and then 2008 recently). It is hard to find a good Barbera (the grape varietal pretty much only from Italy) for under $25 so this is a real buy.
2. Falesco, 2006/7/8 Umbria "Vitiano" ($8-10). This is has been an up and not-so-up blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet over the years, with some tremendous bottlings and some others that were more average. The recent 2008 bottling got a very solid 88 from WS. It is widely available and has the earthiness of an authentic Italian Tuscan blend. These can be a bit rough initially and will taste fine for 4-6 years.
   
3. Monte Antico, 2006 Sangiovese-Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana ($9-12). This also got 90 points from the WS and with 80,000 cases made, it should be findable with a bit of a search.

It is not easy finding pure Sangiovese for under $12, so I've gone with blends. I find Italian wines are not priced cheaply so it pays to experiment with what you can find.

Australia

Here are some Aussie wines to try. They will all be fruit driven with controlled acidity and minimal tannins.

1. Yellowtail, Shiraz ($6): Their secret is to make sure their wines, both red and white, taste a bit sweet. I liked their 2005 (?). It's the most famous of the Australian "critter" wines.
2. Rosemount, Shiraz or Shiraz/Grenache or Shiraz/Cabernet or Cabernet or Merlot. A decade ago, the $8 Rosemount was one of the best value buys of the world, regularly getting 88-90 points. Times have changed with production of this going up 3-5X, and the rest of the wine world catching up by making better wines across the board. But it's still worth trying the $6-9 "Black diamond" Rosemount Shiraz. The Shiraz/Grenache blend about 6 years ago was one of my favorite sub $5 wine at Trader Joes. The 2005's scored well at WS but they are probably hard to find now.
3. Jacob's Creek, Shiraz or Cabernet Reserve ($8-11). Get the "Reserve" level ($2-3 more than the $6-8 non-reserve). This has been consistently good over the last 5 years. The 2001 Shiraz was stunning with some age, with sweet blueberry and spice. Unfortunately these wines are unusual for a sub $12 bottle in that they will improve with some bottle age; they will likely be tannic if drunk within 18 months of purchase. If you must open a recent bottle, let it breath in the glass for 15-30 minutes, sampling it every so often to see how it changes.
4. Penfolds, anything under $10 (3-8 types). Robert Parker consistenly likes their "Koonunga Hill" label Shiraz very much; I didn't find it to be that special. But their wines are big and fruity and worth a try. I had a few wonderful bottles of the "Rawson's Retreat" label ($6-9) about 5 years back.
   
5. Lindemans, anything for under $10. A very consistent never great, never bad, red wine. Worth a try. Think of it like a very well run chain restaurant... consistent.

France

These are all from the Cote du Rhone region (this link takes some zooming out to get the context) near the France-Italy border at the southern end of the Rhone river valley. These wines are very different from other French regions, so these wines do NOT represent all French wines. Each region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Rhone, and more) has its fans; I'm especially partial to the Rhone, which more often than not makes a diverse variety of blends from the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault grapes. The wines are fruity, but lean, and are balanced by acidity and/or some minerality.

1. Le Vieille Ferme (with a hen on the label), any of their $6-$10 wines including white, rose and their red "Ventoux". Good clean fruit with nice acidity giving the wines a nice crispness. A great buy was a 1.5L (double bottle) at Costco for $9.50 of the red. These are a perfect example of an authetic local Cote du Rhone that people might drink with many a meal.
2. Perrin et Fils, Cote du Rhone Reserve ($8-11). Similar to the Le Vieille, a wonderful widely available, esp at Trader Joe's, cote du Rhone.
3. Any Cote du Rhone wine for under $8 or $10. If possible find a few wines based on the Grenache grape. I've bought these blind with relatively good luck.
   

Top wines of late

Let's review some wines I've had lately that stick in my memory in no particular order. Also, while it is easy to be blase about the scores, it has taken the recent economic meltdown and the continued improvements in wine making to allow this. Prior to 2005, I could count the number of 93+ pointers I had tried on my fingers.

1. Rosenblum 2005 Syrah Kick Ranch (WS 94, $23 list $45). This is what I'm drinking now. I've been saving this, but we needed a wine to open and I finally decided it was time. And it is good. My wife gives it an "A" (aka 93-95 points) which is pretty darn rare. I've decided she agrees with James Laube of the WS when it comes to Cali Syrah. It's a classic complex, meaty, leathery, California Syrah that is thick, intense and has dusty fruit flavors and a hint of tannins backing it all. This has opened up nicely over the last hour. It had the Rosenblum drying tannnins at first but now I'm impressed. I can see how it got 94 points (which is huge), but it's not that much my style. My score: 92-93 (this is going up as I write this and find more flavors...yum).
2. Landmark 2006 Syrah Steele Plow (WS 94, $30). While we are on the topic of Cali Syrah's here is another one. I brought this to the Artisan restaurant in Paso Robles recently and while I didn't drink too much of it, it was very smooth, rich and had those hints of beef and dusty fruit. Everyone else really liked it. My score: 91-92.
3. Paraiso 2007 Pinot Santa Lucia Highlands (WS 92, $16). Every so often a Pinot blows me away. This was almost one of them. A big pinot that was rich, smooth, and balanced. Fruit, some spice. It just went down really nicely. This was also brought to the Artisan dinner. My score: 92.
4. Montes 2006 Syrah Alpha (WS 91, $16). This will likely be my wine of 2009. Consistenly very good to excellent, and this last bottle was just that. The most complex nose of any wine in 2009 at its best. This last bottle did not quite have that, but still just a lovely wine. I think I bought over case. The last bottle, my score: 90.
5. Seghesio 2007 (?) Pinot Noir ($28?). Had this at a restaurant Poc Chuc with no corkage. A bunch of shared this and it was very fruity, but not as big as I expected with more red raspberry and purple fruit than black. Smooth, but not too complex. My score: 90.
6. Sebastiani 2004 Cabernet Alexander Valley (WS 88, $23). This is the wine that reminded me via a gentle slap, that I need to drink more Cabernet. Elegant with that high-end California unmistakable cabernet taste. Smooth, with some complexity. Lovely. My score; 91-92.
7. Columbia Crest 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Estates ($8, WS 88). My wine of the year for 2008. This was probably my last bottle. After having the Sebastiani a few days before ... it had that same classic cabernet taste. The oak had died down and it was a lovely, somewhat one-dimensional wine that was just starting to fade. My score: 90.
   

Back to basic, lessons from the last year

It is time to come back home. I have traveled the world and sampled its bounty of terriors and varietals. I'll admit I cheated in my travels since I mostly went to local wine shops and headed to the foreign aisles. The main insight was European wines are largely miss with a few hits. I can stop buying these randomly, eager to discover how a wonderful famous region or varietal tastes.

1. France. It maybe the wine capital of the world, but except for the Rhones and Languedocs, I don't need to buy these. I'll admit, the Loire is still an open case. But, are you listening Bordeaux and Borgounone (Burgundy)? And most of my wine heathen peers feel even less generous toward French wines, not caring for them much at all.
2. Italy. I've tried numerous fine Sangioveses and sadly found I don't care for it. There are some Italian Cab or Merlot blends which are fine but Italian wines are not bargains, so I will stop actively looking. Too many Italian wines taste dusty or barnyard/leathery to me. The wines of Piedmont (barolo, barbera, nebbiolo) are too expensive for me and I'm not that fond of them to boot. The one good exception has been Primitivo (zinfandel) which is less ripe and more floral than the California counterpart.
   
3. Spain. Unpredictably hit or miss. Sometimes corked, sometimes too funky and sometimes amazing. Spain is the real conundrum, since even knowing the varietal I cannot predict if I'm likely to like the wine. I've had lovely Monastrell and Garnache; and some I didn't care for at all. Some of my favorite producers are Juan Gil, Luzon and Can Blau. Albarino is a white I've liked, but it is hard to find for under $10.
4. Portugal. Despite what everybody says about great red bargains coming from here, I have not tasted it, over 5 or 6 inexpensive reds, including a few 90+ pointers.
5. Isreal and maybe Lebanon. This was a surprise as the few reds (cabs, merlot) I've tried have been good. A bottle of the Golan Heights ($16?) I bought was quite good.
   
6. Greece, Turkey, other small countries. Nothing sticks out.
7. Argentina. This is mostly a miss. Perhaps 1 in 6 bottles is great. I still don't know what Malbec is supposed to taste like, since it seems to taste different everytime. Torrontes is the one find I like.
8. Chile. This was my next great white hope. Actually red hope, since the whites are not that special. For a bit, I had found some wonderful reds (an $8 Carmenere, the $16 Santa Rita Cabernet Reserva, some Santa Ema Merlots and Cabs, Montes Alpha Syrah). I even proclaimed Chile as perhaps my favorite new wine region. And as I am want to do, I bought them. By the partial case. And I've been drinking them. There not bad, but they just don't thrill me too often, as I had hoped. With the Montes Alpha Syrah 05, 06 and 07 as exceptions. Perhaps my expectations are too high. But I'm cutting back. A little bit. And it is not the savior I had perhaps thought it would be.
   

So what is a gal, who is actually a guy, to do? Back to the basics. Back to the fruit-forward new-world wines of old. (Notice how I worked in "back", "forward", "old" and "new"?) Back to Washington state, Australia, not-too-pricey California and some Oregon.

My wife loves this style, too, particularly Washington and Australian. These days, when I try to find an inexpensive bottle to open, I struggle a bit as all I have is higher-end stuff she'll like, and European wines she won't necessarly like. So embarrasing. I expect to load up on tried and true sub-$13 favorites including Columbia Crest, Jacobs Creek, Lehmanns, Jim Barry, Marquis Philips, Leasingham, Penfolds, Razor's Edge, and maybe even some Rosemount.

They say your wine tastes evolve toward more elegant old-world wines as you get older. Mine are; just not that fast.

What you can't get in a $10 wine

I espouse inexpensive wines. I claim you can get great wines for under $20. And you can.

But there are certain "rides" that where $10 just won't cut it.

Let's call this ride "intensity" or "focus" or "concentration", since naming something defines it.

Case in point: the Denner 2008 Viognier from Paso Robles, which I visited a few weekends back. Denner owns a huge amount of acres of vineyards and grows 18 varietals of which they've sold many of their grapes in the past, but are starting to make more wines from their own grapes. I liked their wines quite a bit, but they are a mid-high end producer and so my strict pricing rules got in the way. But their $30 viognier was a bit of a revelation. Bananas, pineapple and other rich tropical fruit. The deal was buy two bottles and they waived their tasting fee. Sold!

I opened a bottle last night and the concentration and intensity were obvious. This level of ripeness and flavor costs money. At $30, I consider it a bargain.

I need to drink this wine cool, not cold right out of the fridge to really appreciate the full range of flavors. It's thick, rich, sweet and intense. My score: 93.

The best rose I've ever had.... and you'll probably hate it

I went wine tasting a few weekends back in the Paso Robles area. One place we stopped at on the east side of 101 was Barrel 27 as they had some very nicely rated Syrahs by the WS at nice prices. I liked their wines alot, but the wine that caught my attention was their 2005 (!) Syrah Rose. It is a very big rose in that it has an edge of tar, smoke... and if pressed, I'll admit the slightest hint of burnt rubber along with slightly darker fruit flavors than I've found in any other rose.

I was tasting with friends and two of them had to spit this wine out, they disliked it so much. And this was the only wine they spit during the entire trip. My wife doesn't care for this much either. And the funny thing was this wine was $13 but if you bought a case, it was only $7 / bottle. So I thought about it long and hard for 2 minutes and prudently only bought 12 bottles.... aka a case. Talking to the servers at another winery ("where have you been?" "Barrel 27.. an this rose!"), they knew of this and thought it might have brett. Well that really sunk my boat as I had already bought the case. But you know what?

I am so glad I bought a case. Pretty much everyone on the tasting trip hated it, except for D who thought it was interesting. But I love this crazy wine. My score is 93 points. Some nights I wonder what to drink and this is at the top of my list. Warmed up a bit, it has notes of tobacco, tar, smoke, a bit of mineral and a wisp of steel all in a somewhat big rose body. I mean how can you like this? Yet I do. Holy crap.

A great buy a bit over a year ago.

Like everything in life, you can only a great buy when you take some risk.

It was the Leasingham 2007 Riesling Magnus that got a WS 91. And made the WS Top 100 list. The Wine Club offered it for $9.99 a bottle but if I bought a case, it was $6.99 a bottle. Heck, that's barely $84 for a whole case I thought. That's like 5 $17 bottles. So I bought a case.

It's an Aussie riesling so it has a bit more vibrancy (acidity and citrus) and less floral than a German riesling. It has a pure beam of lime once it breathes and warmes up a bit. Some minerality and it tastes like a riesling should. In short, it's superb. My scores over the 4 bottles I've had are 89-93 points.

If only I had bought 2 cases. :)

A lost case

A few months back, I packed up a case of wine as a gift but in storing it at work in an obscure location in the basement, somebody stole it. I think I lost 11 bottles. The dollar values was not too bad, since you know my price range. It was probably $160-$180. More galling was the wines I lost. Based on recollection they were:

1. Souverain 2007 Chardonnay (WS 90, $10 CC) - I have two cases, so not a big deal.
2. Yalumba 2007 Viognier (WS 91, $12 CC) - A WS Top 100 wine of the year, but I have 4-5 more bottles.
3. MacMurray Ranch 2007 (?) Pinot Noir (WS 89, $14 CC) - there's pretty good production so I can get more. I also have 2-4 more.
4. Janasse 2006 (?) some Merlot based Cote du Rhone - only bottle I had.
5. Devil's Lair 2006 Chardonnay (WS 92, $26) - this may have been the "best" bottle that was stolen. I have 4 more but this one pisses me off.
6. Fitou 2006 - ($8 WC) one of my favorite everyday French wines with a lovely purity and minerality.
7. ... well that's all I remember for now ...

An ideal pairing with a Malbec Rose

This summer Costco had a Crios 2008 Malbec Rose for $9. Parker gave it 90 points, so I tried it, liked it and bought a few bottles. It was a typical nice rose. Refreshing with nice acidity and some sweetness among the light strawberry and watermelon notes. It's now Sept and we've had some hot days. So my wife opened the rose.

And I've just found the pairing to make this rose sing. I get aromas of caramel, lightly roasted coffee, and sweet tar notes from this rose. It really smells like a red. And it tastes almost like a red in the finish. Very interesting. What is this magical catalyst for the rose?

A Spanish granache.

The Montgo 2006 Garnacha Calatayud Flor del Montgó Old Vines (WS 87, $10 WC) which has the taste I like. Namely it resembles a Cote du Rhone in a style I like with purple fruit, a bit of acidty and a hint of minerality.

And what the granache giveth, the malbec taketh. After having the rose, the Spanish granache tastes a bit flabby. But it's a worthwhile sacrifice, as a rose has never tasted better and has a complexity I've never had in a rose before.

And now I'm sipping one wine, just to make another wine taste better. That's a first.

Blind tasting scotches any ideas of reputation

I love drinking wine.

And I love buying wine.

I don't love drinking scotch.

But I still love buying scotch for my scotchy wife.

And so it came to a blind tasting. Motivated by Costco's $10+ coupons back in the late 2008 for Johnny Walker (JW) Green and Gold we got some bottles as gifts. And it is perfectly fine to gift to yourself! [JW product roundup: they sell blended scotch whiskeys. Moving up the chain, they make Red ($10-15), Black 12 yr ($20-$30), Green 15 yr ($40-$50), Gold 18 yr ($50-70) and Blue ($$$). I think of Black as comparable to Chivas and Glenlivet 12 or Glenfiddich, as they are all fine $20 bottles in the late 90's]. And then a week ago at the San Luis Obispo store, they had the Green for $32. No way I'm passing that up.

And so it was JW Green versus JW Gold versus Grants, a bargain blended whiskey from Trader Joes for roughly $10.

The tasters: my wife, her brother Paul and his wife Lynn.

The pourer was me.

I gave them each scotch A and then scotch B in their own glasses. Then finally scotch C.

The consensus was scotch A was a bit harsh, B was the smoothest and C was somewhere in between.

The bottom line:

• Best scotch was (B). The Grants for $9... well actually $12 for a 1L bottle.
  
• The Gold (A) and the Green (A) were second and third.
• Price was not at all correlated with preference.
  

PS I said I love buying wine... as witnessed by the 2 more cases I just got today. (My wife will be "Fitou" to be tied... since I got 6 bottles of this briny $11 French beauty (see a previous post))

Arranmore 2005 Shiraz Last Row

Unlike many wine reviewers, I try not to post about wines that you cannot purchase because

• the winery is sooo small you have to visit it to get wines
• the production is soo small ... it is not clear if there is any left after the wine maker gets his/her allocation there is any left
  
• the vintages is long past so nobody, not even the winery has it any more

And yet, this is one of those wines. We got it on our trip to Australia on a wine tasting tour. It's a small operation run by an "old guy" who makes wine in his garage in the Clare Valley. He let me press some of the grapes and I felt obliged to buy a wine of his... the 2005 Shiraz Last Row, which was the best tasting wine he had of his four or five available for tasting.

It's been 2+ years, since I bought it, and it was time to open it. My wife said she wasn't in the mood to "scale such a monumental red". Ironic, as I thought it was a rather small wine, almost reminiscent of a Pinot (Noir) on first opening.

The wine was very interesting. It was flavorful and had a richness in a light body... much like the best Burgundies (or so I'm told).

As the evening wore on, the wine got bigger. More subdued rich dark fruit with some earthy spice in a small frame, with a richness nonetheless. Not tannic but a touch of acidity. The combo made a nice food wine and also a nice solo wine. Quite nice. My score: 90.

Just don't try to find a bottle.

A Beringer tasting

I was able to taste some high end Beringer wines and this reaffirmed what I already knew. Namely, (i) price is not related to what you like and (ii) what you like is not necessarily related to what others, esp critics or wine makers, like. Based on memory here is what I tasted with rough notes

1. 2007 Chardonnay Reserve ($35 ish): this is my style - big, oaky, ripe and .... the initial nose and first sip lived up to its reputation, on subsequent tastings it lost much of it's flavor.... Perhaps this is a great "scoring" wine but not an enduring wine over the course of a bottle. My score: 92 initially and 87 subsequently.
   
2. 2003 and 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($120 ish): This is one of their top end wines and they tasted smooth and silky and arguably "elegant" and ... not much else. It was hard to get anything on the nose or palate. Perhaps this is what "high-end" Napa wines taste like but I'll pass. My score: 87-88.
   
3. 2005 Merlot Bancroft Ranch ($75): the wine of the tasting by far for me. The first half glass was very nice with rich chocolate and fruit (90), but I got a glass of this "to go" and every small sip was velvety chocolate and dark fruit in a big rich, non tannic non acidic body. Perhaps it was savoring this last small glass but it was impressive. Final pour score: 92-93.
4. 2005 Cabernet Quarry and another single vineyard Cab ($90 ish). Better in that one had some tannic and acidic backbone, but still not something I would seek out. My score: 88-90.

The bottom line was I liked one of the least touted and least expensive high-end wines by a country mile. Trust your own preferences.

White wine of 2009?

I've mentioned this wine in a few previous posts, but my likely white of the year is the Souverain 2007 Chardonnay Alexander Valley. This $17 retail wine had this 90 point review from WS:

Complex aromas of citrus, pear, apple and honeysuckle, with touches of toasty oak. Full-bodied, rich and elegant, with a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2011. 35,000 cases made.

I found it to have lots of sweet fruit with pear and apple with some spice and oak in a long lean finish. Wow, 92-93 points. As I mentioned, I inhaled the 2 bottles I got from the San Luis Obispo Costco for $10 a few months ago. I've been looking for it with little luck. I found it for $15 at the Wine Club and even more at Beltramos, but it wasn't at any local Costco or Trader Joes.

With bated breath I revisited the SLO Costco and thank goodness they still had it in stock (as well as the Jim Barry 2005 Shiraz Lodge Hill, another top 10 deal of the year). I had a few bottles with family and friends down in the SLO region, but it wasn't until I got back home that I was able to drink it in the quiet of home and put it through its paces.

Verdict: still amazingly good, with more toasty oak than I remember. I bought 20 more bottles and I'll likely buy more this coming weekend when I'm down there again at $10 a pop. A whole new style of Chardonnay to love. The first Chard to rival the landmark 2002/4/6 Columbia Crests. A few months back, I had gone to a higher end Chardonnay tasting of well regarded $30-60 wines and I'd take the Souverain over all of those (Landmark, Ridge, Neyers, Far Niente, the WS 93 Rodney Strong, and more) irrespective of price.

My vow to spend $13 on average per bottle is holding up pretty well and without compromise.

Great wines of late for less money than ever

Here's some nice wines I've found in the last 3 months in no particular order.

• Souverain 2007 Alexander (?) Chardonnay (WS 90, $10 CC, $15 elsewhere). The best chardonnay I've had in the last 4 months, and it's not especially oaky. A great, complex sweet fruit taste. Inhaled 2 bottles. My score: 92. I hope I can find more of this at my $10 price point (Costco San Luis Obispo).
• Sterling 2008 Chardonnay ($8 Costco, $6 with coupon). The 2007 was a WS 88 pointer but this was not available, so I took a chance and picked up 3 bottles of the 2008 and it is quite nice. Lemon and some oak. Flavorful, slightly rich in a medium body and medium intensity. At $6 I could drink this all day. My score: 89.
• Montes 2006 Syrah Alpha ($16 Costco, WS 91). This is/was my wine of the year 2008 and I had two bottles recently. One was very good and one was great. One of the most complex noses of any red and a complex palate of ripe sweet berry, hint of tobacco and spice. Smooth and rich but not too heavy. My score: 93-94 at its best.
• Fitou 2005 (?) South France Red ($8?, WC). I'm not sure of the region, but it is likely the Languedoc (south France coast, west of the Rhone). This tasted like a salty Rhone made with fresh dark-red fruit. Very refreshing. My score: 90-91.
• Zaca Mesa 2005 Syrah Santa Ynez Valley ($17 Costco Alhambra or SLO, WS 92). There is a new style of Syrah from Central California: big with notes of beef and/or a dusty ripe berry. It's a profile WS reviewer James Laube really likes, but I'm not that fond of it. My wife quite liked it. Here's the WS review:
  "Tight and beefy, with focused blueberry and wild berry flavors that are spicy and complex. Full-bodied, with a hint of stewed plum and wild berry peaking through on the finish"
  
• Can Blau 2007 ($15, RP 91). Needs some time, as the bottles I tried months ago weren't as nice but recently a solid red berry with acidity and some spice. Syrah and Grenache. Not minerally at all. My score: 89.
  
• Jim Barry 2005 Shiraz Lodge Hill ($13 Costco SLO, WS 90). Consistently one of the purest expressions of tart red raspberry with some sweet black berry. Some spice and oak, but it is the berry that knocks me over. Nice acidity in a medium body. My score: 91.