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2007 THORN CLARKE PINOT GRIGIO EDEN VALLEY
The Thorn Clarke family of wines has been a consistent
source of value and quality Australian wines for our area for
many years now. Being a family owned producer helps to ensure
the high standard of quality, while having the main importer for
the country located here in Virginia helps keep the pricing down
as much as possible. We don’t really think of Australia
as a source for Pinot Grigio unless it’s a gimmick bottling
from one of the producers with cute fuzzy creatures on the label.
This is a Pinot Grigio made with some thought towards quality,
and the results are obvious. Grown in the high altitude cooler
climate Eden Valley, where the majority of the Barossa area’s
best whites are grown, this wine shows surprisingly bright balancing
acidity, completely unexpected at this price point. The wine is
also fermented on the grape lees, helping to add body and texture
to what would usually be a fairly light wine. Instead you get
a juicy, ripe textured wine full of pear and citrus fruit that
fills the mouth quite nicely without coming across sweet. A great
multi-purpose white wine for springtime.
Regular price $10.99, $9.74/case
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2005 BODEGAS TINTORALBA HIGUERUELA ALMANSA
The arrival of spring marks the return to backyard cooking. Whether
you’re a propane, charcoal, or wood fan, or if you dig a
pit in your back yard, outdoor cooking is about to get into full
swing. Grenache is a great varietal for grilled food no matter
where it hails from, but the new wave of bottlings from Spain
are tailor made for American cookouts. The red fruits are juicy
and spicy to go with all manner of grilled things, and both acidity
and tannin tends to be fairly low, helping the wine to marry with
the many different barbeque rubs and sauces we use. The Almansa
region is technically part of the central Spanish region of Castilla-La
Mancha, but brushes the borders of the Mediterranean regions of
Jumilla and Yecla and shows more of their style. Ripe red and
black fruit aromas align with lush soft fruit, with dark spices
and a juicy soft texture in the mouth. The finish is soft and
silky, with just a touch of tarriness at the end. Priced for popping
at any outdoor occasion, drinkable with grilled meats as well
as vegetables.
Regular price $8.99, $7.64/case
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2004 CHATEAU HAUT-MUSIEL COTES DU RHONE-VILLAGES SIGNARGUES
Even with the woes of the American dollar, the Rhone continues
to be a great source for value red wines. The string of great
vintages since the abysmal 2002s has kept plenty of good juice
in the market, and with such a large number of producers out there
the competition helps keep prices very reasonable. This tasty
little Village bottling comes from Signaurues, one of the lesser
known towns compared to Rasteau or Sablet. But this producer seems
to have some exceptional vines at their disposal, bringing a unique
blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre. Bright raspberry
and tart cherry fruit aromas, with a decent amount of earth and
mushroom in the background. In the mouth the wine has decent weight
and texture, but is not built to be juicy and sappy, and the subtle
earthy characters are enhanced with the little bit of bottle age
it has accumulated. In contrast to the New World style of Grenache,
this shows lots of earth and Old World subtlety, ideal for roasted
meats with lots of herbs and natural gamey-ness.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case |
2006 DOMAINE ALFRED CHARDONNAY GOSS CREEK
Domaine Alfred winery represents a new producer making wine from
an historic site. Their base of operations is the Chamisal Vineyard,
the first vineyard planted in the Edna Valley in 1972. The property
fell dormant after several years of neglect before the present
owners purchased the property in 1994, replanted the entire estate
to more than 80 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and other varietals.
This is their entry level Chardonnay made primarily from fruit
that did not go into their Estate bottling and supplemented with
grapes from a neighboring vineyard. The wine does see some new
oak while aging on its lees, but the brightness of the Edna Valley
fruit helps to keep it in the background, showing lots of lemon
citrus over top of the rounder tropical fruit. This does a great
job of appealing to both types of Chardonnay drinker, and will
be a great value for all your springtime occasions.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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2006 BODEGAS CARRAU SAUVIGNON BLANC 'SUR LIE'
With the American dollar declining, you are going
to see a surge of wines from South America where our currency
is still strong. Chile and Argentina are familiar sources to most
consumers, but wines from countries like Uruguay are becoming
more readily available as well. Bordering Argentina and Brazil,
Uruguay does not have the high altitude and old vines of its neighbor,
staking its claim to fairly rich robust value red wines made from
the Tannat grape. Quality whites are a bit harder to come by,
but this Sauvignon Blanc is an exceptional standout. Bright citrusy
fragrance gives the wine a very refreshing presence that warm
climate whites often lack, as well as a rich texture from extended
lees aging. The style is almost New Zealand-ish, but with a softer
more tropical character in the fruit and on the finish. Keep an
eye out for even more wines from here in the future.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case |
2005 TURCHI SYRAH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
The Santa Barbara area is at the heart of the ‘Rhone Ranger’
movement, driven by wineries and winemakers looking to take advantage
of the region’s warmer climate and feature the grapes of
the Rhone. Many of these producers exist just above the ‘hobbyist’
level, often sharing winemaking and tasting facilities, making
most of their wines in lots of 10 barrels or fewer, choosing small
vineyard sites scattered amongst the mountains, seeking wines
with unique and individual character. Core Wine Company is one
of the ‘near-deity’ wineries, earning consistent 90+
scores for the vast majority of their wines from reviewers like
Robert Parker, especially for their more intense (and more expensive)
Chateauneuf styled blends. The Turchi label was created to be
their economy level, giving their fans something more glugable
and a reasonable price, yet still showing the class and distinction
of a small production wine, and at only @1,800 cases it is. Deep,
deep purple colored, with a hint of hazy translucence from being
bottled unfiltered, this wine is just oozing with intense red
fruit aromas. Black cherry, blueberry dominates at first, with
lots of subtle cola, smoke, and chocolate emerging over time.
In the mouth it’s super sappy with lots of lip smacking
berry flavors and just a touch of unfiltered gritty texture, which
to me just adds to the weight and presence, and a sort of jam-like
tartness on the finish.
Regular price $15.99, $13.59/case
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