In May I attended Wine&Spirits Magazine’s “Top of the List” tasting, and while I was there I got to taste a good cross-section of pinots from Burgundy, California and Oregon – and one winery’s pinot noirs really opened my eyes:  Soter Vineyards.  I had heard for years that Soter made great wines, but had never had a chance to try any.  Their 2007 North Valley pinot noir and 2006 Mineral Springs Ranch pinot noir both had lovely fine-grained tannins and an elegant, nuanced style.  I don’t normally gush to winery/distributor reps at these tastings, but I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm about these wines.  I told the person pouring the wines that they were the best Oregon pinot noirs I had ever had – and it turned out I was talking to Tony Soter, the owner.  Click to see a video about meeting Tony, and video reviews of two vintages each of the North Valley and Mineral Springs Ranch pinot noirs from Soter.  Also, you can see my head-to-head comparison of Riedel’s Flow and Tyrol pinot noir glasses, which you can get deals on right now at affordable prices – see which one you should choose!  And, below are my written notes for those who are less video-inclined… cheers!  -Alan

• 2007 Soter Pinot Noir North Valley – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (5/11/2010)
  A real gem of a value, this wine is an appellation blend that can compete with a lot of single vineyard pinot noirs. It shows charming red fruit, a little bit of spice, a restrained use of oak that makes it an excellent early drinker – and the kicker was a certain fineness to the tannin that was also very present in the Soter Mineral Springs bottling, and puts this among the top pinots from Oregon that I have tasted, on par with many single vineyard pinots from other producers. At under $30, this is one of my most recommended pinot noirs from anywhere.Retasted on 8/22/10, same great results. Now that it’s hitting its drinking window, I think that Wine Advocate underrated this at 90 points – I see it at 92+. (92 pts.)
• 2008 Soter Pinot Noir North Valley – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (7/6/2010)
  Has the same characteristics that I loved about the 2007 – pretty, elegant fruit framed in a restrained style and fine-grained tannins. This one is still young however, and the oak shows up as caramel notes on this wine; otherwise, the nose is quite tight for the first few hours. Given some solid air time, however, this wine starts to show its form – revealing floral notes and a very juicy fruit/acid combination on the palate. Not as ready to drink as the ’07 at this point, so give this time, or at least a long decant if you are drinking this in the near term. 90-92(?) pts in the future. (90 pts.)
• 2007 Soter Pinot Noir Mineral Springs – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (7/30/2010)
  Really pretty pinot noir- this shows a bit more oak at this point than the North Valley bottling, as this one’s built to last. The nose shows some oak, pretty reddish-to-purple fruits, and a hint of alcohol and tangy acidity that tickles the nose. On the palate, this wine is surprisingly approachable now if you can take some tannin. There’s a lot of structure here, so hold on to this one for a number of years to catch it at its best. Shows the hallmarks of Soter pinots I’ve had – deep full flavors that always maintain a balance marked by nuance and subtlety, and fine-grained tannins that make this feel like the refined, premium pinot noir that it is. 92 now, up to 94ish in the future? 92-94 pts (92 pts.)
• 2006 Soter Pinot Noir Mineral Springs – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (5/11/2010)
  This wine had great fruit and polished, fine tannins that made this the best Oregon pinot noir I’ve had – and probably the first that I would put up with my favorites from Burgundy and California. Absolutely delicious, slightly more savory than the North Valley bottling but with deeper intensity while maintaining the same refined, elegant balance. Piques my interest to try more of the Soter wines. 93-94 (94 pts.)

The 2007 North Valley pinot noir was most recently tasted from a bottle purchased at retail; the 2008 North Valley and 2007 Mineral Springs Ranch pinot noirs were tasted from review sample bottles provided by the winery; the 2006 Mineral Springs Ranch and 2007 North Valley pinot were tasted at a tasting open to members of wine trade and media, free of charge.

On this night, I am dining with a group that, excluding me, could be described as Young Turks and Turkettes of the wine trade – a gang of bright young folks spanning the wine retail, distribution and wine bar channels of NYC.  Future captains of the industry to be sure, but in this crowd, we are among the less laden with disposable income – but we have enthusiasm and some smartly chosen bottles on our side.

As we settle into our table, the first winds of the stormy wine adventure start blowing.  For lo and behold, sitting at the next table is my friend Suzanne from the wine bulletin board community Wine Berserkers and a blind tasting group I’m in. We greet each other, exchange pleasantries, I ask what they’re drinking.  Next thing I know, I’m being asked for my glass, and it comes back filled with burgundy.  Not just any burgundy – Grand Cru burgundy.  My oh my, my favorite region, and suffice it to say, drinking at the grand cru level is a rare treat for me.

Our generous neighbors have poured me a beautiful wine, a 1995 Dujac Charmes Chambertin.  I smell, I swoon, I pass the glass around the table.  We

are off to a fantastic start.

We hand our bottles over to our server to have the corks pulled.  It’s a nice lineup: Movia Lunar and ’99 Chateau Musar for the whites, and the reds include a Chamonard Morgon, ’07 Vincent Girardin Clos Renardes (more Burgundy!), a Cotes de Provence wine I’m not familiar with called Nowat, and my bottle, which I have covered for everyone’s blind tasting pleasure.

As we’re perusing our menus trying to make decisions, our neighbors have a wonderful surprise for us – they’re leaving us the wines they haven’t finished.  One of the best things about having wine as a passion is the terrific generosity of wine enthusiasts – and tonight, my friends from the next table are flooring me:  we get tastes of the Dujac, a 1990 Fougeray Bonnes Mares, and a healthy amount of 1991 Camille Giroud Echezeaux.  Our impromptu wine dinner has gained some serious heavyweight firepower.  The wines are wonderful.

As we our appetizers arrive, I’m enjoying the Movia Lunar – a true wine geek wine.  It’s from a producer in Slovenia (just across the Italian border), made with noninterventionist techniques, it’s unfiltered and cloudy, and it’s made from a grape I can’t pronounce or spell without help. (It’s not that bad really – ribolla gialla) It’s somewhat reminiscent of the Gravner I had from my March 10 Tasting for the Ages- a little bit golden-orange colored, in an artisanal and unusual style, and it’s genius when paired with the yummy grilled octopus turned out from Chef Scott Bryan’s (formerly of Veritas) kitchen.

Next is the Chamonard Morgon, which shows as young, dense and somewhat tannic compared to the burgundies from before (unfair to put a humble cru beaujolais right after some Cotes de Nuits grands crus, I admit, but sometimes adjustments must be made!), but is a very nice drink in its own right. I move on to the V. Girardin Clos Renardes, and it’s just lovely. The nose shows vibrant sweet fruit and some present oak, and the sum total is a wine that I could just smell all night and be happy.  It’s a perfect match for the superlative Peking Duck breast with turnips and escarole.  (The sweetbreads that I had a bite of are also out of this world).  At some point we remember that we have the ’99 Musar blanc on ice, and it’s time to try it. Like the Movia, this is a trendy wine revered in circles of wine nerdery – from a region unfamiliar to most (Lebanon) with an oxidative style that is a unique beacon calling to those seeking refuge from oceans of nondescript “internationally-styled” wines.

We move on to the blind bottle, which I expect everyone to nail fairly easily given that it’s easily the most straight-laced choice among the wines brought by our group tonight (I was meeting most of the group for the first time, so I was playing it safe). Many of the guesses involve bits that are right on, but to my amazement, nobody ever mentions the correct region even though it’s one of the biggies. I turn everyone’s thinking upside down when I tell them it’s Bordeaux. To be fair, it’s from an atypically ripe vintage, 2003, that could well lead one to think it’s New World. And there were definitely some who guessed other Old World regions, and the 2003 vintage. To my relief, everyone seems to agree that it was a tasty wine, before the reveal that it is 2003 Domaine de Chevalier rouge, from Pessac-Leognan. But considering that a group as knowledgeable as this one didn’t guess it, maybe there *is* something to Eric Asimov’s contention that the young don’t drink Bordeaux?

More perfect storm clouds on the horizon: I see Josh, another blind tasting club buddy, getting up from a table across the room and go over to say hi.  I swear, Apiary is like the wine fraternity frat house.  After we catch up for a few minutes, Josh and his gang generously offer their leftover wines too.  I thank them for their generosity, not quite realizing that the first bottle I turn around is going to have the familiar Shafer label on it, with tiny print that says”1993″ and “HILLSIDE SELECT”.  Geez. And the next bottle: 1997 Pahlmeyer. Seriously?  How great are my friends on this evening?

My first taste of Shafer HSS ever does not disappoint – it’s got a slight alcoholic high-toned thing going on on the nose, but the palate holds forth mature notes of black olive, tobacco leaf and a bit of spice.  There’s nice elegance, nuance and dimension there.  The Pahlmeyer is younger and shows that way, with more power that I find a bit more monolithic.

We wrap up with cheeses, blackberry financiers, a lovely dessert wine, a Kracher #7 TBA (trockenbeerenauslese) from Austria (which shows beautiful dimension, with flavors of caramel and honey but never going over the top in sweetness) and a round of an excellent beer  (didn’t catch the name) courtesy of Brett, the sommelier, who we’ve been tasting with and blind guessing with (be sure to offer the restaurant staff some tastes of your wine if they’re offering you free corkage!) throughout the evening.

Of course, the only way to wrap up this post is to thank all those who contributed to the wine version of the perfect storm.  First, to Suzanne, Paul, David, Bill, Josh and your other tablemates: thanks so much for sharing your wines with us.  You guys have already left the restaurant by the time we taste them, but you don’t know how much it means to us.  Our group is as passionate about wine as they come, but I think I can speak for the whole group in saying we don’t get to drink the kind of wines you shared with us very often, and the experience you’ve helped us gain will pay many dividends going forward.  I can’t express how grateful I am, and I hope you’ll let me return the favor when we raise glasses together next.  To Brett, thanks for taking care of us and the nightcap round; and to my tablemates, thanks for the great company – the start of a new tasting group? (And P.S. Morgan, did you buy the Kracher for the table?  I realized after that our bill could not have included that. Dude, you are owed.) Can’t wait for the next one!  Cheers! -Alan

• 2008 Guy Saget Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Les Clissages d’Or – France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (7/16/2010)
  On the nose, slight funk and notions of seashell. On the palate, this has the citrusy foundation and slight briny taste common to many muscadets, but it has a nice sweetness to it that combines with the juicy acid here to present a long, inviting finish. Quite well done and a good accessible example for those new to muscadet. 89-90+ (90 pts.)

• 2009 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords – France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (7/16/2010)
  Leaner and more mineral-laden, with slight vegetal green, compared to the Domaine de la Pinardiere muscadet. Likable, consistent with prior vintages of this wine, for those who are into salinity more than fruitiness in their wine. 89-90. (90 pts.)
  

Look also for the excellent Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie bottling from this producer, which runs a few dollars cheaper than the Clos des Briords but is often just as good.

• 2008 Pinardière, Domaine de la Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie – France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (7/16/2010)
  The nose has fresh fruits – green apple, stone fruits. Palate is a bit briny, citrus-like acidity. Full-flavored for a muscadet, with a bit of richness to it that’s quite pleasing. 88-90 points. (89 pts.)

The Clissages d’Or was tasted from a complimentary review bottle; the Clos des Briords and Pinardiere were tasted free of a charge at a public retailer tasting.

One of my favorite picks for top-flight Bordeaux at a comparatively reasonable price is Chateau Haut-Bailly.  This chateau has been getting crazy high scores in recent vintages from critics like Robert Parker – scores that rate them with the very best wines in Bordeaux.  Thankfully, the prices are still relatively affordable for those who may want top-tier Bordeaux but don’t have First-Growth budgets – many vintages are available in the $50-60 range while getting scores from pro critics as high as 95 points. Grab some bottles now before the masses catch on and start driving prices upward, as seems to be the case with Chateau Pontet-Canet (which seems to have become a popular favorite if you trust CellarTracker community holdings as a barometer) – it seems like the secret about the quality and value of Haut-Bailly has not fully hit the Bordeaux-buying masses yet.

Chateau Haut-Bailly is located in the Pessac-Leognan appellation (formerly known as Graves), and I find the house style to be very elegant, refined and structured.  To me, it has a classic Left Bank Bordeaux flavor profile (technically, Graves is not Left Bank, but the blend at Haut-Bailly is generally about 70% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot – so it has very Left Bank-like proportions), welcome news especially for people who are not into the ultra-modern, fruit-forward style that a lot of Bordeaux chateaux seem to be modulating toward.

Considering the price levels of the 2009 futures, my recommendation right now is actually to look for the 2006 vintage of Haut-Bailly.  The 2006 Haut-Bailly was wonderful when I tasted it last winter (I bought a bottle for myself the next day), and it’s available now at a price that’s about half of the futures price for the 2009 Haut-Bailly.  I find that there is a lot of consistency year-to-year in the quality of Haut-Bailly, and I like the 2006 vintage in Bordeaux a lot – it reminds me a bit of 2001 in that it’s a vintage with classic Bordeaux flavors (and by classic I do not mean “austere” ) and ample, appealing fruit at the same time.  Even the 2007 Haut-Bailly impressed me a lot, in that it was very close in quality to the 2006 despite 2007′s reputation as a weak vintage.  However, since prices are about equal right now in the U.S. for the two vintages, 2006 is the better buy.  Look for sales on both 2006s and 2007s, as a glut of these wines on the shelves as the 2008s start to come in may well result in some retailer discounting later this year or early next year.

Below are my tasting notes on the 2006 and 2007 vintages of Haut-Bailly, as well as a brief video interview with Mr. Gabriel Vialard, the Technical Director (head winemaker) of Chateau Haut-Bailly, recorded at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in New York in January.  Click on the video to hear about the terroir of Haut-Bailly and the winemaker’s take on the 2006 and 2007 vintages.  Enjoy!  -Alan

• 2007 Château Haut-Bailly – France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (1/23/2010)
  This is well done for the vintage – very much in the same tight, structured style that the 2006 showed, with classic Haut-Bailly touchstones of lead pencil and dark cabernet fruit showing. 90-92+. (92 pts.)
• 2006 Château Haut-Bailly – France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (10/24/2009)
  2006 Bordeaux Tastings; 10/24/2009-11/1/2009: Lighter nose than SHL – slightly estery nose at first, but that blows off. Palate is tannic and deep- refined red fruits and gravel. Tightly wound but pretty, needs time. When retasted later – a little more funk/earth on the nose. Very structured, perhaps moreso even than La Mission Haut Brion and Haut Brion; darker fruits here too. Hits alongside the big boys (but a bit less approachable now), at a fantastic QPR price. Perhaps the toughest to identify blind as a Graves, but this compares very well to top Pauillacs and St. Juliens, in my opinion. 93-95. (94 pts.)

I tasted 2006 and 2007 Ch. Haut-Bailly at a retailer tasting at Sherry-Lehmann and the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in New York, respectively, in each case free of charge.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a tasting event put on by New Wines of Greece, and while I was there, I discovered a red grape variety that I’ve never had before that I’m getting pretty excited about:  it’s called xinomavro (I’m told it’s pronounced “Zee-NO-mah-vrow”).  Why am I excited about it?  Well, if your budget is anything like mine, barolo (one of the great wine varieties from Italy) is a treat that you can engage in only rarely because of its high price.  At this Greek wine tasting, I was told that xinomavro is sometimes called “the barolo of Greece”.  After tasting some of the wines, I can say I do think there’s something to the comparison, and most importantly, xinomavro is much cheaper!  They mostly seem to sell for $25 or less, and at that price level, some of them approximate barolo about as well as some of the other Italian wines I turn to for a “baby barolo” experience, like aglianico or budget nebbiolo.

One note: you may need to search around to find some of these wines – I was able to find a few of these only in stores in parts of New York city that have concentrated Greek-American communities, like Astoria.  While not all xinomavros resemble nebbiolo/barolo (some are a lot more modern and structured) below are some of my favorite xinomavro wines from the tasting for the barolo-like experience. I encourage you to perhaps taste them blind or side by side with a nebbiolo/barolo; see if you agree with the comparison, and I think you’ll also discover that these wines also have a uniquely Greek character of their own in the process. Check them out if you get a chance!  -Alan

• 2004 Boutari Grande Réserve Naoussa – Greece, Macedonia, Naoussa (5/20/2010)
  Four years in oak. Definitely lighter and prettier than the Tsantali, with some olive here. More balanced, less power, less structured, less oak. More towards the barolo-like spectrum. Quite nice on the palate, balanced. A bit fuller and more rounded than the Karydas. 90-91ish. (90 pts.)
  
• 2006 Domaine Karydas Xinomavro – Greece, Macedonia, Naoussa (5/20/2010)
  Shows barolo-like qualities, as advertised: Old World leather and spice. Quite impressive on the palate – indeed reminds me of good nebbiolo: medium body, spice, with the medium-ruby color edging ever so slightly toward browning, that would make me feel like this wine is older than it is. No new oak on this, and large casks used I am told, so perhaps an oxidative style explains the age that I sense here. 89-91. A lot of character for the price, and has something pretty about it. (90 pts.)
  
• 2003 Tsantali Xinomavro Epilegmemos (Reserve) – Greece, Macedonia, Naoussa (5/20/2010)
  Three years in oak. Has a bit of a Bordeaux-like sense on the nose. Red licorice fruits and kind of a stony thing going on too. Reminds me just a bit of a Left Banker, with darker fruits and more modern in feel than some of the other xinomavro I’ve tasted. Palate shows the darker fruits profile, some sweet oak, modern, structured; pleasing in a different way that the other xinomavro. 88-89 (88 pts.)
  
• 2000 Vaeni Naoussa Coop. Xinomavro Grand Reserve – Greece, Macedonia, Naoussa (5/20/2010)
  Shows quite a bit of oxidation on the nose, and plum color, with some movement toward browning at the edges. On the palate, quite tasty – a good blend of of oak, exotic spice, red fruit, leather, tobacco. Shows some age but still plenty lively and showing some tannin, and with these elements in an Old World oxidative style, this reminds of a traditional Rioja or a nebbiolo with some age. Perhaps my favorite red from this Greek tasting, and a terrific value at under $20. Impressions confirmed in a second taste from a bottle I purchased subsequently. (90-91+ points)

Posted from CellarTracker on GrapeStories.com

The wines in this report were tasted free of charge at a tasting open to members of the wine trade/media.

Hi everyone,

Today is a quick post without any reviews.  To make a long story short, authorities in Germany have plans to build a highway (elevated on stilts, it sounds like) that will run over some of the top riesling vineyards in the world, in the famed Mosel region.  For those of you who are not familiar with the vineyards of Germany, this is something like building a highway over Pauillac in Bordeaux, Vosne Romanee in Burgundy, or Oakville in Napa Valley.  The actual effects are debated and well covered in this article in Slate by Mike Steinberger, but it doesn’t take much to imagine that the traffic, pollution, construction, etc. could all irreparably damage some unique and hallowed wine terroirs in the Mosel region.   To oenophiles everywhere, the question has got to be, “why would you take the chance with world-famous vineyard land?!?”

Fortunately, there is one thing we can do to help – here is an online petition to the German government to protest the highway plan.  Please fill it out even if you’re not a riesling fan – you never know when you might be (I wasn’t until the last year or two, and now it’s one of my two most indispensable varieties), and even if you never are, your support will benefit wine lovers everywhere.  The petition is in German, but there are English translations on the left side of the page to guide you through the process of signing the petition.  Please help if you can, this riesling lover thanks you!

Like many budget-minded consumers, my experience with Argentinean wines was pretty much limited to affordable malbecs.  And of course, this tasting gave me a chance to try many malbec-based wines (over 30 of them) in one sitting to suss out the best of them- but it also exposed me to a white wine varietal widely grown in Argentina called torrontés, as well as a chance to taste other varietals being grown in Argentina including bonarda, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and petit verdot.

Malbecs

While Argentina is perhaps best known for its affordable malbecs, my top wine from the tasting was a premium-priced malbec, called “Lindaflor” from Bodegas Monteviejo, which is owned by Mme. Catherine Pere Verge, who also owns the notable Bordeaux estates Chateau Le Gay and Chateau La Violette in Pomerol.  Here is my tasting note on the 2006 Lindaflor:

• 2006 Bodegas Monteviejo Malbec Lindaflor – Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Vista Flores (10/8/2009)
  Delicious. Supple, has some noticeable oak treatment but is very balanced. On the nose, dusty tannin and pretty, plummy fruit. Best wine of the Wines of Argentina trade tasting NYC 2009. Tannic but approachable even now. 92-94 (93 pts.)

I’m not turning up any listings for the 2006 Lindaflor yet on Wine-Searcher, so this wine may not have reached
stores generally in the U.S.  While its original retail price is something like $65, the 2004 and 2005 vintages appear to be available on sale for about $30 at several retailers around the country.  At $30, I believe the 2006 Lindaflor would be an excellent buy; the 2005 was rated by critics at the same 93-94 point range, it appears; the 2004 was somewhat less highly rated so for current purchases, the 2005 may be the one to go with.

Other malbec-based wines that showed well for me in the over $20 price range included the O. Fournier B Crux and Alfa Crux blends, as well as solid lineups from Alta Vista and Finca Decero.  It’s worth noting that my favorite winery from Argentina for premium reds, Achaval-Ferrer, was not present at this tasting.

Value pick

In the value category,  I found some wines that were highly touted by wine magazines (some of which may be influenced by advertising revenue to their magazine) to be somewhat overrated - Bodegas Septima, Pascual Toso, and Bodega Norton left me a bit underwhelmed compared to what I had heard.  But now, back to wines I *did* like:

• 2006 Bodega Sur de los Andes Malbec Reserva – Argentina, Mendoza (10/8/2009)
  smoky nose, nice on the palate. smooth. tasty fruit, good acidity, with a bit of plum and fig. better than the gran reserva right now, excellent QPR. 91+ (91 pts.)

I actually liked the Sur de los Andes Reserva more than the Gran Reserva, so keep a look out for this one at only around $15.  In general, the Sur de los Andes lineup was quite strong for the price in the value range.

Torrontes

Torrontés is a white wine variety which according to Wines of Argentina’s website, is only produced in Argentina. I recommend it for people who are looking for a cheap and friendly white wine for spring and summer.  On the nose, I got lots of floral notes and noticeable lychee and tropical fruit aromas – fans of dry muscat/moscato or gewurtztraminers may want to check these out for something a bit different. On the palate, torrontés is generally dry and lightly fruity; the best examples had some pleasing sweetness – many of them also had a slightly green vegetal or herbal edge and a hint of pepper/spice. Here were some of my favorites, which can generally be found for around $10 a bottle:

• 2008 Bodega O. Fournier Torrontés Urban Uco – Argentina, Salta, Cafayate (10/8/2009)
  lichee, white flowers on nose; nice, balanced (90 pts.) Look for the 2008 version if you can; I’m slightly less enthusiastic about the 2009 bottling.
• 2009 Bodegas Monteviejo Torrontés Festivo – Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco (10/8/2009)
  fresh, with sweetness on the nose; palate is sweet with nice acidity, 89-91 (90 pts.)
• 2009 Finca Sophenia Torrontés Altosur – Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Tupungato (10/8/2009)
  fresh, smooth – thin but nice (88 pts.)
• 2008 Alta Vista Torrontés – Argentina, Salta, Cafayate (10/8/2009)
  fresh, slightly green (in a good way), bit of lychee on the nose. (87 pts.)

Other wines worth a mention:

• 2007 Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon Remolinos Vineyard – Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Agrelo (10/8/2009)
  clone 169. nose: herbal (nice) with some mint/eucalyptus. palate: concentrated, slightly bitter but I like this. good QPR. (91 pts.)

In general Finca Decero, a relatively new winery, impressed me with their reds, which are made in a structured, modern , but in my opinion, varietally correct style.  In addition to their cabernet sauvignon, check out their petit verdot, which is a variety that can struggle to ripen in France (where it originates from as a blending grape often used in Bordeaux) but apparently ripens well in the hot Argentina climate.

• 2006 Finca Decero Petit Verdot Remolinos Vineyard – Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Agrelo (10/8/2009)
  Listed in my guide as “Mini-Edicion”. Dark purple – good tart acidity there too. Well made, ripe petite verdot. (90 pts.)

• 2007 Clos de los Siete (Michel Rolland) Clos de Los Siete – Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco (10/8/2009)
  Earthy, bit of funk on nose – rich, concentrated fruit. Good QPR. Previous vintages of this did nothing for me, but this was nice. (90 pts.)

I’ve included this wine in this report because it is very widely available in the U.S.; also, it draws a lot of interest because it is made by Michel Rolland, the world-renowned wine consultant who has been widely written about in the wine press and featured controversially in Jonathan Nossiter’s film Mondovino. At $15-17 you can afford to taste for yourself and form your own opinion!

• 2008 Bodega O. Fournier Sauvignon Blanc B Crux – Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco (10/8/2009)
  slightly riper fruit than the regular sauv blanc; the acidity brings you back for more of this, where you’ll find a hint of sweetness. nice, and excellent QPR. (90 pts.)

Thanks for reading!  Cheers!  -Alan

Wines were tasted free of charge at a Wines of Argentina tasting open to trade and media in October 2009.  There is a paid consumer version of the tasting too – details can be found at the Wines of Argentina website listed above.

I like big wines as much as the next guy, but the wines that really scramble my brain are the ones that don’t have to knock you backwards with power to impress you – they’re the ones with a sense of dynamics, subtlety, complexity – wines with more than one gear. The ones where you judge it with your palate and not a stopwatch – based on the quality and beauty of the flavors, not on how many seconds that the overextracted fruit flavors register for in your mouth.  Let’s take wine appreciation away from the realm of competitive sport, shall we?

I recently came across a wine that could be the poster child for my argument. I hesitated to write about this wine, because I recently did an episode on this blog about a wine from the same producer. But some wines just demand attention, and at a recent Polaner tasting in New York, this wine stood head and shoulders above not only the many fine wines poured that day, but also above almost every other wine I’ve ever tasted.

The wine I’m talking about: the 1991 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva, a classic rioja rendered as flawlessly as I’ve ever had the pleasure to taste. Right out of the gate, the nose has so much going on – an airy openness, an oxidative note, a hint of a savory element, spice, leather, tobacco – all anchored by a pleasing sweetness to the fruit that is not powerful, but incredibly impactful.   The nose is just thrilling and sets up so much anticipation for tasting the wine, which is just what the nose of a wine should do in my book.

The palate, thankfully, lives up to the pleasure given off by the bouquet of the wine. The drinker is treated to the very picture of balance and harmony – beautiful acidity, pleasing sweet fruit, exotic spice for complexity, notions of dried herbs and flowers. All of these elements meld seamlessly like a well-conducted orchestra – this is just a thrilling, thrilling wine, performing at its peak. The wine doesn’t knock you over with its power, but instead insinuates itself throughout your mouth, charming you with its beauty, then continues to tell its evolving story right through to the finish.  I haven’t found many critics’ ratings for this actual wine (the Tondonia gran reserva is only released periodically, in exceptional years), but reaching for the same era, Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave the 1987 Tondonia Gran Reserva 90 points (all other vintages listed on the WA site ranged from 90 to 92 points), describing it as “light, feeble-looking” in color, “medium-bodied and gentle” and “an acquired taste.” Of course Mr. Parker is one of the preeminent wine critics out there, but in my opinion this completely misses the point about Lopez de Heredia’s style – the light touch, the gentleness, the uniqueness of the flavors expressing the wine’s one-of-a-kind terroir through subtle beauty and harmony are exactly the kinds of elements that should define a truly exceptional wine – unless the critic believes that only intensity and power are the traits deserving of a stratospheric score? Kind of makes you wonder. To be fair to the critics though, Eric Asimov (who I took to task for his take on some blaufrankisches in this post from Feb 9) has written indispensable pieces about the virtues of Lopez de Heredia wines here and here, for which I will give him credit.

The Wine Advocate’s lukewarm reception of Tondonia Gran Reservas aside (90-92 points are good scores, but they also hand out 90-92 points to completely nondistinctive oak bombs from Spain with regularity), trust me on this one – the 1991 Tondonia GR is one of the most truly memorable wines I have ever had, out of a few thousand that I’ve had the pleasure to taste. If the critics won’t give this a super-high score, then I will. 96-100 points for this wine (I don’t believe in giving a straight 100 points, because it implies that the score is a precise and immutable characteristic of the wine- which it is not. In my experience, once you get above a certain level, whether a wine feels like it deserves 94 points or 97 or 100 is purely a personal thing.) Fans of Lopez de Heredia will recognize all of the elements here, but as much of a fan as I’ve been over the years, this rendition of the house style surpasses all others I’ve had, which includes the 1976 Bosconia Gran Reserva, and various bottlings from the 1950′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s. At $80+, it’s an expensive wine for sure, but whether you’re a Lopez de Heredia fan, or someone who wants to know what their wines are all about, this one is not to be missed.

1991 R. Lopez de Heredia Gran Reserva  Find this wine

Corrections/errata: when this post was first posted, I mistakenly identified the critic of the review from the Wine Advocate as Antonio Galloni (who had written a different review of the wine that was also listed on the Wine Advocate website), which I later corrected to Robert Parker when I became aware of the mistake. My apologies to Antonio Galloni, and my thanks to him for making me aware of the mistake.

It’s been a while since I did a post about wines that are truly bargains, so today I am focusing on some white wines I tasted recently during Taste Walla Walla, a tasting event in New York featuring producers from the Walla Walla Valley in Washington. While I was there, I found some bargain whites, and now that spring is upon us, it seems like the perfect time to share some of my notes with you all.

Today, I am focusing on highlighting a few wines from two producers: Waterbrook and L’Ecole No. 41. I liked the Waterbrook line of whites for their fresh, light style and low price (the wines here can be found for $10-13 generally). If you want clean and focused, the sauvignon blanc is a good choice; the Waterbrook chardonnay will please those who favor a light, less buttery style of chardonnay, and my highest rated white from the Waterbrook line; and the Melange blanc is good for those who want something a little fruitier and floral on the nose.

The L’Ecole No. 41 Luminesce was a nice choice for fans of white bordeaux, as it’s a blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc, which are the core components of most Bordeaux whites. It’s got a bit of clay and slate on the nose, for those who like that added earthy complexity in their whites; the Luminesce is also very affordable, and can generally be found for under $20.  I’m also a big fan of the L’Ecole No. 41 reds, which were wonderfully balanced without feeling over-the-top in power, but I will save those for another post, on another day, soon.

If you find that you like these wines from Walla Walla, you are in luck – you will probably be hearing a lot more about these wines soon, as the Wine Bloggers Conference 2010 is being held in Walla Walla this June. I’m sure there will be an onslaught of coverage from wine bloggers from all over.

My fuller tasting notes on the Waterbrook and L’Ecole no. 41 whites that I tasted are below.  Enjoy!  -Alan

A FEW BARGAIN WHITES FOR SPRING, FROM WASHINGTON – (2/2/2010)

• 2007 Waterbrook Chardonnay – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  7% barrel fermented in Hungarian oak, which the winemaker believes resolves more quickly than French oak, which carries bitterness for a while in his opinion. Light-styled balanced chard, with likable acidity. 90-91 (90 pts.)
• 2007 Waterbrook Sauvignon Blanc – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Color is very light and transparent, almost like water. Tangy acidity, but not as bright as the current vintage (2009). Quite good, juicy acid, almost reminds me of a muscadet. The nose shows a hint of funk. This is recognizably sauv blanc in a light style.
• 2007 Waterbrook Mélange Blanc – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  A blend containing gewurztraminer, muscat, and viognier. Light in style, bit of tropical fruits on the palate. Refreshing, mild, a crowd pleaser. 87-89.
• 2007 L’Ecole No. 41 “Luminesce” Seven Hills Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Semillon-SB blend. Little bit of clay and slate on the nose; the palate shows as much more obviously New World, a little more honeyed than a Graves blanc would be, but nicely done. 86-88+ pts.

• 2008 L’Ecole No. 41 “Luminesce” Seven Hills Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Has a bit more balanced nose than the 07, with a bit less earth. More tart acidity, less honeyed, a bit fresher, with more sauvignon blanc character than the 07. 86-88+ points

All of the wines included in this report were tasted free of charge at a Taste Walla Walla event open to wine trade and media.

Evaluating barrel samples is tough- the wines are so young at this point, they can feel like something between juice and wine – they haven’t had time to settle and develop complexity yet, or else the complexity that is there is hidden behind the sometimes dominating fruit flavors.

The good news is, the fruit flavors in the 2009 vintage are very, very good. Most of the chateau owners present told me that the weather was perfect in 2009 – enough warmth to get excellent ripeness, without fear of rain that might dilute the grapes, enabling producers to pick exactly when their grapes reached optimum ripeness.

The scores below are just preliminary due to the early nature of barrel samples. The chateau included in the tasting are not quite the very highest tier of Bordeaux chateau in terms of price and prestige, but there are some heavy hitters in the lineup that can compete with just about anyone. Here are my most notable wines, followed by complete notes in the order the samples were tasted.

Top-scoring wines

2009 Ch. La Fleur de Gay – my top wine of the tasting, this showed roasted nut/earth, fine slate, and some herbal character on the nose; a bit more perfumey than the other samples, the style is not hugely powerful, but refined and classy, with varietal character. Not as much complexity shows on palate as it does on the nose at this point, but I believe the material is there – tasty fruit, good ripeness, with a hint of spice on nose that I think will develop into good complexity. 93-95 pts. Reminds me a bit of La Conseillante.

2009 Ch. Rol Valentin – my big-time sleeper of the tasting, this chateau may surprise many people with its quality in the 2009 vintage. It’s initially a little minty on the nose with sweet fruits; the palate has irresistible sweet fruit, as well as some spice. This is sweet without manufacturing it from heavy oak use, which can lead to artificial-feeling flavors; the allure comes from juicy, high quality fruit. Among the best samples today, it feels a little more evolved and less primary than most. This is not hugely complex yet, but makes an excellent showing based on the fruit, very sweet and pleasant across the palate. A real sleeper, no mistake – tasted three times to make sure. 92-94+ points.

2009 Ch. Clos L’Eglise (Pomerol) – a bit of spice and complexity; has power, quite tannic; retasted later in the tasting, this showed a little coffee on the nose, with very round fruits – refined, quite perfumey, very good, 92-94.

2009 Ch. Fleur Cardinale - a little spicy character, generous fruit, quality-wise this looks to be in line with other recent vintages of Fleur Cardinale, which have been very strong; slight bit of perfume, certainly good concentration, round in style but not getting complexity yet at this point.  92-94

Other notables

A pair of wines from winemakers Thibaut and Magali Decoster, 2009 Ch. La Commanderie and 2009 Clos des Jacobins, showed full, rich flavors in a modern style, with some herbal character showing through to give the wines more complexity.  Mr. Thibaut (nephew of the owners of Ch. Fleur Cardinale) gave me an interesting explanation about the difference between these two wines: he told me the clay-limestone in the soil of Clos des Jacobins allows the fruit to stay “fresher” than the gravel and sand at La Commanderie, enabling slower development leading to higher quality fruit at Clos des Jacobins. This, he tells me, allows Jacobins to age for 20-25 years, whereas he considers La Commanderie a 15 year wine.  I rated both of these wines 91-93 points.

Also, a pair of wines from Fronsac, owned by the Herve family, caught my attention as well.  2009 Chateau La Vieille Cure is a wine of considerable power, but also some nuance and definition.  The 2009 Ch. Moulin Haut Laroque, their longtime family estate, is deep and concentrated, showing less finesse than La Vieille Cure, but its power cuts a broad swath across the palate.  Both are impressive sleeper picks in the $25-$40 range and the top wines I tasted from the Fronsac appellation. Haut-Carles from Fronsac also made a strong showing.

Also, another surprise was a new discovery: 2009 Ch. de Pressac, owned by Mr. Jean-Francois Quenin, showed sweet fruits with a slight talcum powder feel, and a taste of his second wine, Ch. Tour de Pressac (I did not catch the vintage, but it was not a barrel sample) was surprisingly close in quality to his top wine.

Full tasting notes (with clickable links to CellarTracker info for each wine):

BORDEAUX BARREL TO BOTTLE TASTING, LE CERCLE RIVE DROITE – New York (3/11/2010-3/15/2010)

• 2009 Château de la Dauphine – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/13/2010)
  Primary, strong, bit of bitterness on finish; not too much oak showing on the nose, but it shows on the palate. Has potential. 86-87 (barrel sample)
• 2009 Haut-Carles – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/13/2010)
  Showing a bit more complexity than the Dauphine, a bit of spice with sweet fruit; palate is tannic, deep, spicy. Pretty impressive 89-91 very well done for Fronsac (barrel sample) (90 pts.)
• 2009 Château Fonplégade – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  Tannic, deep and concentrated, fairly smooth, not a lot of spice; bit more power than the 06 tasted just before 89-92 (barrel sample) (91 pts.)
• 2009 Château Barde-Haut – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  Licorice showing on the nose; grapey. Has a slightly chemical/ estery sense to the nose at this point; sweet but simple fruit. 84-87, but could improve if the chemical thing resolves. (barrel sample) (85 pts.)
• 2009 Clos l’Église (Pomerol) – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/13/2010)
  A bit of spice and complexity; has power, quite tannic; retasted later in the tasting, this showed a little coffee on the nose, with very round fruits – refined, quite perfumey, very good, 92-94 (barrel sample) (93 pts.)

• 2009 Château La Fleur de Gay – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/13/2010)
  my top wine of the tasting, this showed roasted nut/earth, fine slate, and some herbal character on the nose; a bit more perfumey than the other samples, the style is not hugely powerful, but refined and classy, with varietal character. Not as much complexity shows on palate as it does on the nose at this point, but I believe the material is there – tasty fruit, good ripeness, with a hint of spice on nose that I think will develop into good complexity. 93-95 pts. Reminds me a bit of La Conseillante. (barrel sample) (94 pts.)
• 2009 Château Le Moulin – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/13/2010)
  Simpler than fleur de gay, not as concentrated 87-88 (barrel sample) (87 pts.)
• 2009 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  A little spice and character on the palate 87-89 (barrel sample) (88 pts.)
• 2009 Château Fleur Cardinale – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  a little spicy character, generous fruit, quality-wise this looks to be in line with other recent vintages of Fleur Cardinale, which have been very strong; slight bit of perfume, certainly good concentration, round in style but not getting complexity yet at this point. 92-94 (barrel sample) (93 pts.)
• 2009 Château La Fleur de Boüard – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol (3/13/2010)
  Feels more evolved and less primary than the other samples; good, not huge, bit of herbal character, perfume, lead pencil. Really quite good, excellent for the appellation, and more complexity shown here than in the 2003 and 2006 vintages of this wine (I have not tasted their 2005). 91-92+ (barrel sample) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Château La Commanderie St. Émilion Grand Cru – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  Fuller rounder sample than the Fleur de Bouard tasted just before this, showing much more power; tannic but smooth and round, with sweet fruits and some herbal varietal character that is welcome. Oak showing; this is quite nice, in a modern style. Nice bit of perfume as well. 91-93 (barrel sample) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Château Clos des Jacobins – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  More spice than the La Commanderie; similarly tannic and concentrated. 91-93+ On retaste, same, showing a bit more green herbal varietal character. Very good. (barrel sample) (92 pts.)

• 2009 Château Boutisse – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/15/2010)
  Located in the commune St. Christophe des Bardes; good and round, nice acidity. This is totally decent, with not quite the power of the samples tasted just before it, and maybe a bit simple too. 88-91. (barrel sample) (89 pts.)
• 2009 Château Jean-Faure St. Émilion Grand Cru – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  A chateau whose wine I liked very much in the 05 vintage, this shows a bit greener and herbal than most of the samples today, almost floral – owing to the high percentage of cabernet franc in the blend. Also some olive, savory character; bit of spice, medium-strong power. I expect this to be in line with the 2005, some dark notes on the finish, good concentration 91-93. (barrel sample) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Château La Vieille Cure – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/15/2010)
  A little olive, fairly concentrated and deep – there’s power here. Not a huge wine, but has definition, quite nice; bit of bitterness, perhaps a bit extracted, but not as powerful as some of the others. 91-93 pts. (barrel sample) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Château Moulin Haut-Laroque – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/15/2010)
  Deep and concentrated, with some sweet fruit; very impressive for what it is, cuts a broad swath across the palate, a bit rough and tumble; not as finessed as Vieille Cure but more power here 91-93. A sleeper (barrel sample) (92 pts.)
• 2009 Château Siaurac – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol (3/15/2010)
  little bit of floral, but nothing special here 83-84 (barrel sample) (83 pts.)

• 2009 Château Rol Valentin – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/13/2010)
  my big-time sleeper of the tasting, this chateau may surprise many people with its quality in the 2009 vintage. It’s initially a little minty on the nose with sweet fruits; the palate has irresistible sweet fruit, as well as some spice. This is sweet without manufacturing it from heavy oak use, which can lead to artificial-feeling flavors; the allure comes from juicy, high quality fruit. Among the best samples today, it feels a little more evolved and less primary than most. This is not hugely complex yet, but makes an excellent showing based on the fruit, very sweet and pleasant across the palate. A real sleeper, no mistake – tasted three times to make sure. 92-94+ points. (barrel sample) (94 pts.)
• 2009 Château de Laussac – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Côtes de Castillon (3/15/2010)
  Bottle says Cotes de Castillon/Cotes de Bordeaux. Has a very dark fruits feel, perhaps a bit extracted, but it’s got some sweet fruit to it, not hugely distinguished, but totally decent. Very grapey, very primary. 87-88 (87 pts.)
• 2009 Château La Sergue – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol (3/15/2010)
  Has broad, round fruit but not finessed, maybe slightly cheap feeling fruit with oak that imparts a bit of a plastic feel. Powerful, grapey, but nothing special here. (84 pts.)
• 2009 Château du Gaby – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Canon-Fronsac (3/15/2010)
  Nose very full, verging on dark fruits, with a hint of a plastic aroma. Palate is smooth, but nondescript. 84-85. (barrel sample) (84 pts.)
• 2009 Château Haut Ballet – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Canon-Fronsac (3/15/2010)
  Somewhat lighter nose; a bit floral; kind of dark, extracted, spicy – but not that pleasing 85-86 (barrel sample)
• 2009 Château La Rose Perrière – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lussac-St. Émilion (3/15/2010)
  Nose: little bit of red fruits, a bit of talcum powder; palate is interesting, a little spice, fairly primary, decent. A little bit of olive on the finish 85-87 (barrel sample) (86 pts.)
• 2009 Château de Pressac – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/15/2010)
  Fairly sweet fruits on the nose, a bit of talcum powder; palate is pleasing, very nicely done. 90-92 (barrel sample) (91 pts.)
• 2006 Château Tour de Pressac – France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/15/2010)
  Alcohol on the nose, good decent concentration, sweet fruits happening 89-90. Very decent, quite enjoyable. Well done for a 2nd wine from an unheralded estate. (89 pts.)

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