Another Banging Deal!

Summertime is usually beer season - and it has been - but wine deals seem to really be popping up.  And from the most unexpected of places.

2012 Domaine Laroque Carcassonne $10
This $10 gem is a real surprise.  Made of 100% Cab Franc, which often translates to taut and lean.  Not this one.  Ripe and well fleshed-out, there's a lot of drinking enjoyment to be had in this terrific value.  Big enough to hold up to grilled meats, but crowd-friendly enough to enjoy pre-meal, too.  If the label looks stuffy or formal that isn't it at all. But if it makes your neighbors think you paid a lot for it, who are you to correct them?

Deal Alert! $8 Pinot Noir!

Just a few nights ago I paid $16 for a bottle of the 2007 vintage of this on a whim.  It had bits of that funky tar and smoke that high end Sonoma Coast Pinots sometimes have, but without the high-strung, sophisticated aromatics that make you swoon.  Still, the bottle was dispatched with great efficiency.

So, imagine my surprise when just today I walked in to Market District (I imagine Giant Eagle has the same deal) to find truck loads of the 2008 vintage marked down to $7.99.

Folks, this is NOT a mind-bender of a Pinot Noir, but it is more than gulpable, has some nice spice box stuff going on, and ample fruit, too. But at $8?  It's a no brainer.

Decant and let breathe.  And while you should consider this for a case buy, it is not one for long-term cellaring.

Cheers! 

A Word On Natural Wine

If the title of this piece has brought you looking for the definition of natural wine, I'm afraid you've been misled.  Even participants in the seemingly neverending debate on the subject can't agree as to what qualifies as "natural".  Is it organic, biodynamic, made by shoeless monks my moonlight, all of the above, or none of the above?  The answer depends on who you ask, but whatever the definition is, the intent appears to be consistent: to produce authentic wines, to make wine by the least invasive means possible, to minimize the use of external ingredients or manipulation, to honor nature in the vineyard...

Okay, so maybe even the intent isn't consistent.  But you can spot a common theme in these, no?

Thankfully, quality of experience is not absent the ongoing dialog about natural wine - after all, wine should taste good.  Here, too, there is dissent. The absence of preservatives (such as sulfur - which is organic, by the way) creates the opportunity for some volatility in the finished product.  That volatility is seen by advocates as a source of excitement - like that crazy girl in college who was passionate about everything.  Skeptics, on the other hands, decry volatility as being akin to inconsistency - and in many cases they'd be right, especially if the wine has had to travel substantial distance from the cellar where it was made to the table where it's drunk.

Where does the truth lie on this continuum?  Only the thinking drinker can decide for themselves.  This drinker?  Variety as a source of discovery and adventure is one of the many wonderful things about wine.  And I've had wines that taste alive with vigor and personality and palpable energy, and which are unmistakably "natural".  I've also had several natural wines that remind me of kombucha (which is alive) and not in a positive way.  Regardless of the outcome, more often than not, the natural wine experience is unlike conventionally made wine.

In what is a very personal (and, thus, hotly debated) final analysis, this thinking drinker values predictability of quality over the excitement of the unknown.  I've been brokenhearted too many times when uncorking some of my Garagiste purchases - in some cases no two bottles of the same wine taste the same.  In other cases the wine isn't remotely appealing.  Some may say therein lies the adventure of wine connoisseurship.  Me?  I'm just looking for something tasty to have with dinner.

Two Very Pleasant (and affordable) Discoveries

Rare is the chance encounter when purchase decision-making factors coincide in happy harmony. That might sound jaded, but the offerings of wine world are in constant flux and once you're able to zero in on a bottling that tickles all of your fancies (without simultaneously emptying the college fund) - poof! - it's either gone or, more likely priced beyond access. Still, lightning does strike and when it does, you know the tingle.

By pure happenstance I came across two bottlings from the same producer in two faraway cities within two weeks. The first, a Barbera, was more than a treat. Lithe and medium-bodied and in firm possession of abundant x-factor appeal, this $15 outperformer tickled indeed. The second, a Syrah, defies nearly every description I've attributed to Syrah. Sharing the same high-noted, vanilla-laced oak treatment and winemaker's thumbprint as the Barbera, this Syrah lures with infatuation.

I'm a huge believer in empirical evidence, most especially when it comes to wine. Want to know which wine is the winner in a crowd? Throw them all on a table at a gathering and see which one empties first. With that in mind, the empirical evidence regarding these Scott Harvey wines in overwhelming. These two are a pair of $16 winners. Good luck putting them down.

Chardonnay's Nemesis

Ladies gentlemen, start your grills. If you have had the pleasure of an overnight low of 78 this year then you know that warm weather is upon us in earnest.

Summer is here.

As the days wane towards the solstice and the mercury climbs with determination, you may find the old dependable Chard to be, well, like a turtleneck at a 4th of July party. Don't get me wrong, I'ms loves me some quality Chardonnay juice morning, noon, and night, but man cannot live on Chardonnay alone. Especially on the hottest of days.

Thankfully, we have zillions of alternatives. Case in point, Albariño. This example is but one of dozens of options to be covered here in the weeks ahead, but know that experimentation rewards the bold.

2012 Terras Gauda Abadia di San Campio Albariño Rias Baixas $15
Fresh, light, and fleet footed on the short journey from bottle to gullet. Young and tastes it, too. Bright, zesty, and made interesting by traces of flint and tart apples and citrus. Get some, people!

Better Than Expected

From the Gallo portfolio of brands come two readily-available Cabernets at reasonable prices that deliver on QPR (quality to price ratio).  I continue to be impressed by the consistency of wine coming from this outfit's various operations.  Say what you will about corporate wineries, these folks are making lemons out of lemonade in difficult vintages, as well as turning out wines of real character under smaller labels.

2011 Bridlewood Cabernet Paso Robles $13
This brand hasn't held the appeal it once did for a while. Back in the late 90's their Syrah was a real treat. Since then it's been hit and miss, so I was ready to discount this Cab as overly extracted, manipulated, and blown. Instead (and perhaps thanks to the challenges of the vintage), there are some very likeable qualities to this, primary among them is its relative balance. With favors that stride subtle maraschino and delicate evergreen, its leaner tendency is a welcome respite from California's persistent gravity towards sucrose-dominated reds in this price range. I like it and bet you will, too.

2010 Ghost Pines Cabernet Napa/Sonoma $17
In the past this wine has been solid, if a bit bombastic.  In 2010 it reels its gregariousness in a bit and offers straightforward, uncomplicated Cabernet fruit framed by a moderately oaked structure.  Considering the company it keeps in its price category, this is a dependable Cab that doesn't color outside the lines and won't break the bank.

Ridiculous.

A couple of months ago I logged into the Winethropology Blogger interface to add to my collection of largely unread/unreadable snippets when I saw something absolutely ridiculous.  I have no idea how long this feature has been staring me in the face (and I haven't checked site statistics on Google Analytics in years), but right there in front is a handy little summary of pageviews and posts:

 

Since there's no comma in that number and this font is so small, I'll tell you that's over 100k pageviews.  Really?  Here's my theory - three things are converging to create this outlier:

1. Blogger uses a random prime number multiplier for daily pageviews and on a few days they used 3571.  Internally they call this feature the EgoBoostNumber.  Thanks, guys!
2. Web-trolling bots from China and Ukraine have been misdirected and are automatically hitting the site over and over and over again.  This will prove to be the downfall of their respective societies.
3. You people have way too much time on your hands!

Whatever the reason, here's wishing you all a safe and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend.

Cheers!

$12 Italian Kicks Ass With Burgers

Looking for a grill-friendly red to ride shotgun with your Memorial Day fare?  Sure, it's tempting to revert to all American bottlings, but this is one that deserves your attention for its exceptional value and all around friendliness.  Cheers! 

2009 Millefiori Appassimento Rosso Delle Venezie $12
First things first. If you don't know what a ripasso is, check this out. While technically this is an appassimento (not a ripasso from Valpolicella), now that you know the animal, you understand how a "common" country wine from northern Italy can achieve the heft and depth burgers demand. This particular specimen has all the fruit and extraction contemporary American palates find appealing without losing its Veronese acidity. For lovers of Amarone without the platinum card budget, keep an eye out for these little gems made by similar means from neighboring appellations. Pow, people, pow!

Chacewater- Warm Weather Winner

Hailing from Kelseyville, CA (a stone's throw from Clear Lake and a crow's flight north of Calistoga), Chacewater is a small organic winery, olive/soap mill that has only recently begun making their own wines.  Run by the Manuel family, they produce an eye-popping dozen different wines and eight olive oils.  Given their limited production, this was a new name to me, though the Red Hills - where Chacewater sources some of its grapes - is home to some incredible (and underrated) wines.  Definitely a region to keep an eye on. 

Anyway, Paul Manuel sent a hodge-podge of samples for review; three reds, two whites, and a rose.  All are serviceable, respectable examples of their varieties,m particularly given how new the winemaking endeavor is to these folks.  The standout here, however, was the Sauvignon Blanc. 

2012 Chacewater Sauvignon Blanc Lake County $14
Soft, full, supple, yet with a mellow-pitched zing. Not what you expect from Sauvignon Blanc, but a lovely rendition nonetheless. Hard not to wonder if the Red Hills' calling isn't Sauvignons given this terrific example and the many lovely noble variety bottlings from this vastly under-appreciated appellation. But back to this bottle, now regrettably empty (even after being opened just a short Friday evening hour ago)... It fills a void.  Where so many SB's are pure green fruit and citrus - and consequently often quick and vapid - this is a languid stroll of a wine with round edges, lingering mid-palate, and a restful finish.  Lively, lovely, and worth seeking out.

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.