Fleur de California Pinot Noir "Carneros" 2009

When I'm moonlighting in my local store around the end of the year holidays, I notice a fair amount of people asking me for tasty, lighter styled red wines. Good Pinot Noir can certainly fit into that category and when you think about, at the price points I'm writing about, it definitely should. In fact, if your entry level Pinot Noir tastes "jammy", then the grapes that went into it were probably a bit too ripe at harvest time. This is a cool climate grape that ripens late and needs hang time. But when left too long on the vine in the warmth of California, the sugar rises and the acidity goes down. Then you have a flabby, sweet example that for my money, doesn't pair well with food.

That brings me to tonight's entry. Fleur de California is a winery that has been making delicate, balanced Pinot Noir for a long time, and the 2009 is a fine rendition. This is Carneros fruit, a cool micro-climate that straddles both Napa and Sonoma. Coming in at a very balanced 13.8% alcohol, this wine has all the bright cherry aromas you expect along with spicy cinnamon notes. It's got wonderful light bodied, light berry flavors, good balancing acidity, and a very smooth finish that has almost no drying tannins. At a cost of $14.99, it's a good value for a grape that is very hard to work with. It pairs well with the more meaty fishes, like salmon, tuna and the roasted monkfish in a saffron flavored tomato sauce that we enjoyed tonight. It's a nice package too. Cheers to one and all.

Vibrant Rioja NY Tasting - Thursday April 19

Thursday night found us in NY at a Spanish wine and tapas tasting put on by Vibrant Rioja, an arm of the DOC devoted to promoting the wines of the region. And although the food was good if not plentiful enough, the wines were outstanding. We started with a couple of roses. one from Cune which is a 100% Tempranillo cuvee, and one from Bodegas Carlos Serres called "Serres", a 50-50 blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha. The Cune was my favorite of the two, with bright, light red berry aromas of strawberry and raspberry along with complicating floral notes. I'm a huge rose fan, especially as we move into the warmer months and this is one bottling I'll be looking for. The Serres had a beautiful ruby color and was also tasty though not nearly as aromatic as the Cune. Both were from the 2011 vintage. The Cune should cost around $12.99 and the Serres around $9.99.

We also tasted a fantastic Rioja Crianza from a producer I was not familiar with. The 2008 from Dinastia Vivanco featured beautiful smoky cherry aromas with distinct earth notes, great medium bodied dark berry and plum flavors and excellent balance and length. This Crianza is fermented in French oak and aged for 16 months in French and American oak followed by another 6 months in bottle before being released. You should be able to find this bottling for around $12.99.

We also got to taste two of Mugas top bottlings, the Torre Muga and the Prado Enea. Muga is one of the oldest and best Rioja producers. I got the end of the last bottle of Prado Enea which sells for around $45 and didn't really get enough of it. The 2005 Torre Muga though was other wordly. This is a $65 dollar bottling comprised of 75% Tempranillo, with the rest of the blend made up of Mazuela and Graciano. Aged for 18 months in new French oak followed by a year in bottle prior to release, this wine has all you expect from a top bottling. Really complex aromas of plum and cassis, coffee, smoke, earth and brown spices. It's got very large scaled, full bodied flavors and a really long finish.

As I mentioned, the food was really lacking in quantity. There were supposed to be tapas like "Cappuccino of scallops, cauliflower and squid ash" and "Pears and red wine foam" but we didn't see any of these. We basically snacked on Spanish salamis, olives and almonds. We did spy a sever with a tray of the beef sliders toward the end of the tasting and we practically attacked her for her wares. Still, at $25 each for the cost of the tasting, this was a good value. At tastings like these, you have to taste the expensive wines first because everybody wants them and they run out early. Cheers.

Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone 2009

 Kermit Lynch is an importer who in no small way has helped bring about the world wide quality revolution in wine. He was one of the first importers to travel the back roads of France seeking small quantity, high quality producers doing things the natural way. Although now in his 60's, Mr. Lynch is still traveling those back roads. His 1988 book, "Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer's Tour of France", was extremely influential. Nowadays, many of the small importers that I've written up have the same philosophy as Mr. Lynch - that small production wineries making wine in the most natural way possible will produce wines that express the soil that the grapes are grown in. Eric Asimov of the NY Times wrote a brief profile of Mr. Lynch in 2007.

The private label Cotes du Rhone that bears Mr. Lynch's name is a perfect example of everything that he stands for in an inexpensive everyday format. 2009 was a wonderful vintage in southern France and here beautiful aromas of black cherry and pepper are complicated by floral notes. It's got great concentration and balance with bold berry flavors and a distinct earthiness that keeps you coming back for more. This beauty finishes long and lightly tannic with good acidity and firm structure. At $12..99, this is a bottle I could easily pick to be my house wine. Cheers.

Ermita de Nieve Rueda 2010

    The Rueda DO of Spain is one of those out of the way places that not many folks know about but which produces wonderful white wines that won't blow your budget. It's a rocky region in northwestern Spain dominated by plateaus and adjacent to Ribera del Duero, where very hot summers are followed by cold winters. The winemakers here began experimenting with Verdejo in the 70's. It's a grape that makes very aromatic, crisp, clean whites that have a lot of similarities with Sauvignon Blanc, especially the New Zealand versions. This version, produced by Vinedos de Nieve and imported by C & P Wines, went perfectly with some stewed calamari with tomatoes, escarole and chili flakes that my lovely wife cooked up. Like Sauvignon Blanc, the aromas are dominated by grapefruit and lime zest along with a dusty minerality. In the mouth you get medium-bodied citrus and melon flavors and distinct grassy notes, another quality usually associated with Sauvignon Blanc. As we move toward warmer weather, it's also a great wine for sniffing and sipping on the deck while waiting for the grill to heat up....and it cost me a miserly $8.99. Cheers to one and all.

Olivares "Altos de la Hoya" 2009

   This really tasty everyday red is almost always a good bet, regardless of vintage. Yes, it's a hot climate red that's always very ripe, but there's always a bit more than fruit going on here. This wine is from the Jumilla DO in Southeastern Spain and it's produced mainly from very old vines Monastrell, which in France is called Mourvedre. These vines predate the late 19th century Phylloxera epidemic that devastated vines throughout Europe and led to grafting and replanting on American root stock, which proved resistant to the vine louse. In addition, these vines live at an altitude of 2700 ft., an altitude that helps offset the extreme summer heat in this part of Spain.

 You still get large-scaled aromas of chocolatey cherry and blueberry, with notes of roasted coffee and iron. With 2009 being such a good vintage, the mouth filling plum and dark berry flavors are balanced by good acidity. It finishes lightly tannic and long with spice and floral notes. Imported by The Rare Wine Company, this beauty sells for a mere $9.99. Drink it up!

Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence 2007

   The french word "terroir", when used in wine speak, refers to flavors that come from the soil. This elusive notion at times is a very clear reality, and when you find it, it makes your wine experience special. These flavors that are more than mere fruit are what give wine "a sense of place". In this case, the red blend from Mas de Gourgonnier is one of those wines that as soon as you smell it, your are transported to the rocky soils of Provence in the AOC known as Les Baux de Provence. Wine has been made here for at least 2,600 years and this interesting wine is comprised of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. Lovers of the more new world fruity styles may not care for this wine, but for me, this is what great wine is all about, at any price point. Wild aromas of black pepper, licorice, leather and plummy fruit give you all the sensations of the French countryside...and I could sniff this wine all day. It's got wonderful, medium-bodied plum and black cherry flavors with a heavy dose of Provencal spiciness, all supported by good acidity and a mineral spine. It finishes long with perhaps a bit more tannin than you expect at this price point. Still, this is an excellent value that gives you plenty to talk about while you sip, and I'm sure the '09 and the'10 will be just as good when they hit the market. Imported by Michael Skurnick, this beauty cost me $12.99. Cheers.

Colosi Rosso 2009

   One of the first good, inexpensive wines I encountered on my wine journey was the Colosi Rosso. It delivered the goods at a very affordable price and it was a staple in my kitchen. Time and experience have taken me down many side roads on this journey but when I sampled the Colosi again recently, I was glad to see that things had not changed much. This bottling, which is made entirely from Nero d'Avola, the most important grape of Sicily, is almost a sure bet year in and year out. It's fermented entirely in stainless steel and sees a short 6 months in Slavonian oak. It's got attractive aromatics of plum, baked cherry and coffee, excellent medium-bodied dark cherry and over-ripe raspberry flavors and wonderful acidity which gives it lift. It finishes lightly tannic and long with some herbal notes. You can absolutely not do much better for $8.99 a bottle. Imported by one of my favorites, Vias, this is one bottle you should not hesitate to try with a tomato based pasta sauce or your favorite pizza. Cheers!

Domaine Labbe Vin de Savoie "Abymes" 2010

   The Savoy wine region of France is one of those out of the way regions that barely gets a mention anywhere, which I guess is understandable since there are few of these wines to be found on retailer's shelves. It's a pity because if you like clean, crisp, light whites with good fruit and balance then you should seek these wines out. Nestled in the foothills of the alps on the border with Switzerland, the Savoy region is a popular summer vacation destination. The main grapes for the whites are Jacquere, Roussanne, and Altesse and this wine from Domaine Labbe is 100% Jacquere fermented entirely in stainless steel with wild yeasts only. Yields are kept low by de-budding in the spring. This beauty features green apple and pear aromas with a subtle stony element. In the mouth it's got light-bodied, crisp, orchard fruit flavors with excellent acidity giving it lift. These wines are great with shellfish or as an aperitif and they are kind of low in alcohol - usually around 11%. Imported by one of my favorites, Michael Skurnick, this great little wine cost me $10.99. Cheers.

Finca Nueva Rioja Blanco 2009

   I've become a fan of white Riojas, whose purity of fruit and low cost fit perfectly at my dinner table. Viura is the main grape here along with 30% Malvasia and this version was partially barrel fermented and aged for 3 months in French oak. That makes this wine a bit different from the usual entry level white Riojas. The barrel treatment gives this wine wonderful toast and spice notes to go along with the pear and floral aromas. In the mouth, it's ripe and round with excellent concentration and good acidity. Here the wood and the fruit are in perfect balance with apple and spiced pear flavors. It finishes long with toast notes and an attractive mineral spine. Imported by perhaps the top importer of Spanish wine, Tempranillo and the broker Jorge Ordonez, this beauty cost me $13.99 at my local shop. Cheers.

Montebuena Rioja 2009

  Here's a lovely entry level Rioja produced by a very large co-op called the Unión de Cosecheros of Labastida. Rioja can be a somewhat confusing area in that several varietals can be blended with the most important grape of the region, Tempranillo. Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuela and international varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot can all be used in the blend. As such, there are many different styles of Rioja, so at times consumers don't really know what they are getting. This bottling is a step down from the "Crianza" designation which demands 2 years of aging, six months  of which has to be in oak. There is probably no wood on this wine, at least none that I could detect. That's fine with me. This wonderful wine features bright, black cherry and plummy aromas with a hint of earth. It's boldly fruity in the mouth with excellent balance and acidity. It finishes very smooth and long with notes of coffee and spice and is an excellent value at the $9.99 it cost me at my local store. It's imported by another high quality small importer Kysela Pere et Fils. Cheers!

Cantele Primitivo 2009

   Experts used to think that the Italian varietal Primitivo was the genetic ancestor of our American Zinfandel. Although DNA testing has since proven that false (they are both related to a Croatian varietal named Crljenak Kaštelanski - don't ask me how to pronounce that), the taste similarities between the 2 grapes remains. They both produce wines that are quite dark in color and feature large scaled flavors of baked cherry and plum with notes of black pepper. There's a definite roasted quality to the fruit here as full ripeness is easily attained in a hot climate such as this. Primitivo is grown primarily in Puglia and this version by Cantele is from Salento, the southeastern most tip of Puglia. When it's all in balance and the alcohol isn't too prominent in the form of heat, these wines can be a perfect partner for your weeknight pasta or pizza. This quaffer delivers all the aforementioned aromas and flavors, and while there is a touch of that alcoholic heat on the back end, the fruit is sweet and the flavors are bold enough to balance it all out. An import of Vias, this brawny wine cost me $9.99. Cheers.

Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna "Costamolino" 2010

   As a fan of indigenous grapes, there's always adventure lurking when it comes to quaffing. According to Wikipedia, Vermentino, here from the island of Sardinia, is the same grape as Pigato, which is usually found in Liguria. I know, it would be nice if one name could be used but Italians are territorial when it comes to their grapes. Either way, this beautiful white gives you all the flavors of the warm, sunny island from which it comes. Aromas of poached pear, honey and spice lead to round, creamy somewhat tropical flavors. This wine has a much more full-bodied texture than you expect, which reminds a lot of Chardonnay. But despite that, it still retains a vibrant acidity that keeps it fresh tasting and lively. It finishes beautifully long with notes of roasted almonds and stood up very well to a Thai-style chicken soup that my wife made. This Vermentino would certainly pair well with many richer styled fish dishes as well. Argiolas is a very solid producer whose wines are a sure bet year in and year out. Imported by one of my favorites, Winebow, this beauty cost me a mere $9.99. Cheers.