Significantly Improved: Fusion Revisited

Back in December we reviewed the 2007 Borra Vineyards Red Wine Lodi  "Fusion" ($19).  It's always helpful to get a second pass at a wine as the first impression doesn't necessarily allow for a full appreciation.  So, it was fortuitous that the good people at Borra Vineyards sent two bottles of the Fusion red blend.  Revisiting this wine five months later showed that a little time provided the space it needed to shed some of its baby-fat extroversion in exchange for substantial structure and a compelling complexity that hadn't been there before.  Still present is its grip and vigor, so, when served with BBQ grilled meats, it was a real head-turner at the table.  Reminiscent of Dry Creek Zins and Petites from the early 90's, but at a fraction of the cost.  You'd be hard pressed to find a package like this at a price like this.  Yum.

2011 Ventisquero Queulat Pinot Noir $15

Walking a swaggering line between taut and generous. Fleet footed but not at all lacking in flavor energy. Fruit crackles with high toned Pinot bombast, though Its soft spot is in the mid gut where, were it to pack some fortitude, this could easily be thrice the price. Overall a lighter endowed Pinot and comparable to a lot of Burgundies at a fraction of the cost. Drink on opening.

Savory, Sensational Syrah

2007 Bonny Doon Syrah Bien Nacido $25
People, smoke em if you got em. Not quite sure how or why a 5+ year old vineyard specific Santa Barbara county Syrah ends up on the shelf for $25, let alone why it's just barely coming into its own, but damn is it a gift. Savory and sinewy and complicated, this intricate drink is in all ways faith restoring that there is indeed intelligent life in them there hills.

Fantastic Chardonnay - Really

2009 Gallo Chardonnay Russian River Valley Signature Series $20
Swooning over the suppleness of this immensely enjoyable Chardonnay, I am reminded of the fact that though wine is often marketed by large corporations, it is made by people.  This well-crafted example is more proof that there are dedicated folks doing wonderful things behind the scenes at even the largest of brands.  Though normally retailing in the neighborhood of $30, I found this on a closeout shelf for $20 - and would scoop up as much as I could find at this price.  With Wianno oysters, it was sublime.

MacMurray Magic

2010 MacMurray Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Reserve $35
If a wine can be summed up in a word, CLEAR is one that rises to the top for this Pinot.  Despite the difficulties of the 2010 vintage, this example speaks in a voice possessed of surprising and undiluted clarity.  Neither full-frontal nor overly-handed, there's an appealing truth to it.  Smoke and spice come across in a tinge rather than a flourish, making for a leaner, welcome, rendition.  Adds to the track record of this label.  Memorable.

Quite Likely The Best Albariño Ever

2012 Bokisch Cineyards Albariño Terra Alta Vineyard Lodi $16
And certainly the best all around white yet this year. Forget that its not even from Spain. Crisp, taut, refreshing, and absolutely brimming with sophisticated flavors. But what's most overt about this Albariño is the enormous roundness of its fruit - soaring and arching like the domed interior of the Pantheon. All of this is backed up by a silken thread of acidity that makes it just lovely.  Outstanding, if perhaps difficult to find. And with an SRP of $16, irresistible. 411 cases made.

Ukiah!

Easily confused with Eureka, especially at $10! Single vineyard Cabernet from the excellent 2007 vintage for $10? Definitely over delivers. Grass fed burgers and a hearty salad - already delicious- were made all sorts of superlative by this well rounded complement. Find some.

Nature's Vengeance and Merlot

Much of the country is enduring late seasonal snow and sleet at present, though some fortunate climes are enjoying the earliest signs of irrepressible spring. For those on the chillier end of this stick, think of spring as nature's vengeance against winter - the birds and trees and grass and streams all share our fatigue with frost and biting cold. In this moment, nature and its inhabitants are briefly, if fleetingly, united in spirit. You might not be able to taste it just yet, but spring's riot of exploding life is coming. Just listen to the birds at dawn; cheerleaders for the cause.

In this, the tipping point of seasons, we, too, go through not-so-subtle changes. Drawer contents are swapped out, we start sucking in our guts in dreadful anticipation of pool season, and our palates salivate for the tenderness of the year's first bounty. Breathing becomes deliberate and meaningful. What to drink in this shoulder moment? Perhaps something which embodies the pent -up energy of possibility kineticizing around us.

Though lamentably unpopular in the US, Merlot embodies this ideal. Full of verve and unapologetic life, it's a grape that delivers fruit the way a Golden Retriever delivers a ball - with enthusiasm and often spastic energy. Taken at face value, it can be a light-hearted pleasure. Taken seriously - and given the right treatment - Merlot can be a faith-restoring wine. Sitting someplace between these two ends of the pendulum is the readily available...

2010 Ghost Pines Merlot Sonoma/Napa $20
Inviting, medium-bodied, and as easy going as your long time next door neighbor. With enough traction and acid to keep things food friendly, it doesn't so much as confront as sneak up on you. One of the sweethearts of grocery stores' selections. Look out for it on sales closer to $14.

Don't Knock It Til You Try It

Yup. It's Turkish. And better than you want to think it is.

A Californian in Italian Threads

NV Piccino Italy Red "Memoro" $10 (sample) 
Nothing Italian about this full bodied, dusty-tannin, $9.99 red. Though very extracted, it falls on the right (dry) side of fruity. All in it's a warming, round, glass full of flavor that, for $10, beats the crap out of many similarly priced reds from pretty much anywhere.  Fans of Cameron Hughes Lot 168 Cabernet will rejoice in the familiarity of texture and long, languid aftertaste. Italopuritans, on the other hand, will lament the obvious handling and absence of tart acids.  Nonvintage and sourced from all over Italy.

Body By Prosecco

One challenge I've found with Prosecco is that it doesn't taste like much. Maybe that's the point for some - to have a glass as light and thin as air. No thanks. My preferences ebb toward substance. So, when this bottle was popped to commemorate a friend's successful dissertation, its uncommon body was both surprising and welcome.

That the flute never touched the counter between toast and empty should tell you something. Regrettably that was my first and last glass.

LaMarca Prosecco is widely available and very reasonably priced at $15-19. Get some for your next celebration. Even if you're just celebrating Wednesday.

Artesa: Familiar Name, Unfamiliar Quality

Artesa is one of those labels that you've seen around, but you just can't recall when you last had one.  Available all over the country, this Napa-based winery churns out the standard portfolio of California wines (Cab, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot, Sauv Blanc) along with a few interesting smaller bottlings: Tempranillio, Albarino, and a Cab Franc.

It had been so long since I'd had an Artesa wine that I wasn't sure what to expect when a trio of samples from their core product line arrived: a Cab, a Chard, and a Pinot.  While the Chard was what you'd expect from a $15 Carneros Chardonnay, the Pinot was a real value.  But the Cab, whoa, the Cab was fantastic, even if on the pricey side.

Keep an eye out for these on your shopping trips...

2009 Artesa Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Artisan Series $46*

Though huge, overly extracted Cabs seem to be increasingly in vogue, this medium-bodied, classy specimen is more than capable of delivering full tilt drinking enjoyment.  This is one pleasure point-hitting beverage.  A Swiss Army knife of sorts, it has quite a few tricks in store: cedary high notes, gently gripping tannins, restrained fruit aplenty, and a lingering aftertaste that lasts longer than it takes to reach for the next sip.  And very approachable, to boot.  Fantastic. 

2009 Artesa Pinot Noir Carneros $20*
Joins the small ranks of $20 Pinots that are actually worth it.  Comforting spiciness rounded out by warming vanilla-infused oak, this characteristically Carneros, fruit-driven wine keeps it interesting without interfering oddities or imbalance.  I'll buy this wine in the future.

*A little searching should turn these up at substantial discount.