Thirty Recession Busting Wines:

My list of thirty wines, each costing around $15 or less, that consistently offer great value from year to year.

In these tough economic times, everyone is looking to get the most for their consumer dollar. Hence, most wine lovers, and particularly folks who like to drink wine regularly with their meals, are looking for wines that offer the most ‘bang for the buck’.

With this in mind, here is my list of thirty wines that have, in my experience, consistently offered excellent value, year in, and year out.

A few notes regarding the list:
* The list includes whites (12), reds (12), sparklers (3), and fortified wines (3).
* I’ve intentionally included a wide range of wines with respect to growing region, grape variety, and style.
* A primary criterion for selection to the list was a wine’s track record for offering consistent value over multiple vintages.
* All wines selected to the list retail for around $15 or less in Ohio.
* All wines selected to the list are readily available at retail outlets in Ohio.
* Although ALL of these wines are excellent values, I have listed the wines within each category in order of my personal preference.

GREAT WHITE WINE VALUES:

Snoqualmie - Columbia Valley - ‘Naked’ - Riesling: From Washington state. An organically farmed and produced Riesling that offers wonderful varietal character in an off-dry style. Great wine to match with a wide range of foods.

Gallo of Sonoma - Sonoma Reserve - Chardonnay: From year to year this wine is always a classic example of what it means to be a ‘California Chardonnay’.

Loosen Bros. - ‘Dr. L’ - Mosel - Riesling: Always succulent, and with a fine sugar/acid balance, this wine is an affordable example of a true German Riesling.

Nobilo - Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc: Remarkably consistent, well made, and very true to its region of origin. One of the great summer wine values.

Louis Latour - Montagny - 1er Cru “La Grande Roche”: A consistently performing Premier Cru white Burgundy for under $20! Need we say more?

Yalumba - ‘Y Series’ - South Australia - Viognier: A full-bodied, rich and remarkably complex white wine. Seems to get better with each vintage.

Buehler Vineyards - Russian River - Chardonnay: From Sonoma County comes this smoky, spicy, full-bodied, and rich Chardonnay. Always a crowd pleaser.

Chateau St. Jean - Sonoma County - Fumé Blanc: A great example of the ‘Fumé’ or ‘barrel fermented’ oaked style of Sauvignon Blanc. Remarkably consistent.

Montes - ‘Classic Series’ - Chile - Sauvignon Blanc: From my favorite Chilean producer. The entire range of Montes wines are exceptional, and are also great values. This wine is one of his stars. Made from grapes from two different Chilean regions (Casablanca Valley & Curico).

Willamette Valley Vineyards - Willamette Valley - Pinot Gris: From Oregon comes this beautifully made Alsatian-style Pinot Gris. Remarkably complex, creamy, and round. Easily out-performs wines of this style costing twice as much.

Columbia Winery - Columbia Valley - Gewürztraminer: From one of Washington State’s premier producers comes this medium-dry, Alsatian-style Gewürztraminer. A perennial ‘Best Buy’, this wine if one of the flagship wines for Columbia Winery.

Covey Run - Columbia Valley - Riesling: Another great white from Washington State. Made in a German ‘Spätlese’ style, this wine is finished with around 3% residual sugar, and features explosive orchard fruit character. At around $10, this wine is always a remarkable value.

GREAT RED WINE VALUES:

E. Guigal - Côtes du Rhône - Rouge (red): Probably my favorite wine from the entire list of thirty. Widely available, and always around $15, yet consistently displays complexity, character, class, and refinement - A stunning achievement. Incredible!

Louis Latour - Domaine de Valmoissine - Pinot Noir: Using grapes grown at high altitude from a little-known appellation, one of France’s most respected producers delivers a consistent and affordable Pinot Noir with classic Old-World character.

Montes - ‘Classic Series’ - Colchagua Valley (Chile) - Cabernet Sauvignon: Always very intense and muscular, with excellent varietal character and definition. Aurelio Montes continues to strengthen his position as Chile’s most respected wine maker. The entire range of the Montes portfolio offers exceptional value.

Falesco - ‘Vitiano’ Rosso - Umbria (Italy): A blend of roughly equal parts Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wonderful Italian table wine offers distinct ‘Old World’ character along with a rich and forward fruit profile. At around $12, this wine is a stunning value.

Peter Lehmann - Barossa Valley - Cabernet Sauvignon: Magnificent winemaking by Andrew Wigan, coupled with a series of excellent vintages in Australia’s Barossa Valley, have combined to create a string or wonderful releases of this wine. Complex, rich, full-bodied and displaying outstanding varietal character.

Finca Luzón - Luzón - Jumilla (Spain): Made in the style of a southern Rhône blend (65% Mourvedre and 35% Syrah), this full-bodied, rich and opulent Spanish red is a terrific value at around $12.

Sebastiani - Sonoma Coast - Pinot Noir: A string of seven years of excellent bottlings of this wine has won it a place on the list. Sebastiani winemaker Mark Lyon is a rising star on the California scene. This wine has a proven track record of being complex, multi-dimensional, and beautifully integrated. Bravo! (Note: The Sebastiani Sonoma County Chardonnay almost made my list as well).

Annie’s Lane - Clare Valley - Shiraz: With an impressive pedigree of ‘Best Buys’, this Shiraz from Australia’s Clare Valley consistently offers rich, dark berry and plum fruit, elegance, complexity and exceptional depth for the price-point.

Rosenblum - ‘Vintner's Cuvée’ - California - Zinfandel: With its remarkable track record, this trusty workhorse of the Rosenblum line is always an exceptional value with its copious dark berry fruit, notes of black pepper and spice, and fine oak character. EVERY fine restaurant in the United States should offer this wine by the glass. Note: ALL of the Rosenblum Zinfandels are delightful and worth a try.

Hogue Cellars - Columbia Valley - Merlot: Washington State has developed an excellent reputation for its Merlots, and this workhorse value bottling from Hogue is a big part of the reason. Unlike many Merlots, this wine offers fine richness, complexity and depth. More like a fine Right Bank Bordeaux than a California Merlot (rhyme unintentional!).

Mouton Cadet - Mouton Cadet Rouge - Bordeaux: One of the world’s largest selling wines. Produced by Baron Philippe de Rothschild from a classic Bordeaux-style blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc, this ubiquitous wine is a good introduction to the red wines of Bordeaux.

Jacob’s Creek - Barossa Valley - Reserve Shiraz: Made in a very forward, intense, and concentrated style, this wine has a long string of ‘Best Buys’ to its credit. Despite the huge production volume of this wine, quality has remained quite high. Another ‘must have’ for any restaurant’s wine list.

GREAT SPARKLING WINE VALUES:

Freixenet - Cordon Negro - Brut - Cava: Look for the distinct black bottle. From Spain, this is a clean, dry and consistent méthode champenoise sparkling wine made from native grape varieties. At around $12, it’s a definite ‘Best Buy’ pick.

Gruet - Blanc de Noirs - Brut - New Mexico: Produced from grapes grown at high altitude in New Mexico (yes, New Mexico), this delicious méthode champenoise sparkler is made from a blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. Exceptional class, purity and character for the price range. Outstanding!

Korbel - Brut - California: A widely available and good value California méthode champenoise sparkling wine made from a blend of white wine grapes. A restaurant wine list favorite.

GREAT FORTIFIED WINE VALUES:

Hardy’s - ‘Whiskers Blake’ - Tawny Port - Australia: An extraordinary value - Maybe the best value on the entire list! Offers tremendous complexity, elegance, and character for the price. Priced at around $14 - This wine would still be a good value at twice that price. Note: due to a relatively small production level of around 5,000 cases, this Port can be hard to find.

Benjamin - Tawny Port - Australia: Look for the distinct brown, inkwell-shaped bottle. This great value fortified wine really hits on all cylinders with its rich, opulent, sweet, and nutty character. Wonderful with mixed nuts and chocolate.

Lustau - ‘Los Arcos’ - Dry Amontillado - Sherry (Jerez, Spain): A perennial ‘Best Buy’ which consistently displays balance, depth and complexity. Just a hint of sweetness is finely balanced by firm acidity and a nutty, dry finish. Excellent.

Well, that’s the list of my thirty ‘top value wine picks for $15 or less’...Why not try them all? Enjoy!

Santé!

Louis Latour 1997 Marsannay Rouge: Wine is a Remarkable Thing!

Wine is a remarkable thing. A bottle of wine can age, change dispositions, evolve, and grow intellectually, just like a person. I was recently reminded of this noteworthy characteristic of wine by a bottle of 1997 Maison Louis Latour Marsannay Rouge, originally purchased in 2001.

Maison Louis Latour has long been one of my favorite French wine producers. Most know for his fine, Chardonnay-based, white wines from Burgundy, Latour also produces one of my favorite red Burgundies, his "Vignes Franches" Premier Cru from Beaune.

It was because of my adoration for the Latour "Vignes Franches" that I decided to take the gamble and purchase a case of the ’97 Marsannay Rouge. Much less expensive than the Premier Cru (I think I paid $15 per bottle with the case discount), the Marsannay was also a relatively new wine for Maison Latour in 1997.

Marsannay is the small village located at the very northern end of Burgundy’s legendary Côte d’Or wine region. As is true throughout Burgundy, two grape varieties rule here: Chardonnay for whites, and the elusive, mystical Pinot Noir for reds. As one of Burgundy’s ‘outpost’ appellations (or regions), Marsannay (like its neighbor Fixin) is a good place to look for good value wines made in a traditional, rustic, European style.

Unfortunately, since I first opened my case of ’97 Latour Marsannay in 2001, each bottle of this wine had consistently disappointed me. Every year or so, usually on Thanksgiving, I would open a bottle to check the wine’s evolution. Each time, without fail, I would find the wine disappointing. My memories of those periodic tastings include descriptors like ‘sharply acidic’, ‘thin’, ‘hollow’, ‘overly metallic’, etc. Needless to say, the wine was not among my favorites.

Fast forward to August 17th, 2009 – I’m in my cellar, looking for a red wine to accompany dinner, when I notice the remaining three bottles of the Marsannay. As soon as I see them I think, ‘Oh, as bad as that wine was, and as beyond it’s prime as it is likely to be now, it will almost certainly be undrinkable…Well, I’ll need to do something with those bottles…let’s check’.

Imagine my surprise and amazement when I opened a bottle, and found that this wine had magically fallen into place after eight years in the cellar! Here are my tasting notes:

Maison Louis Latour 1997 Marsannay Rouge (well cellared since 2001):
Appearance: Magnificent clarity. A perfect, deep black/red burgundy color. The rim is still mostly clear, with a slight orange hue hinting at the age of the wine.
Nose: A very complex and distinctly Old-World, Pinot Noir aroma profile features notes of cherry kirsch, leather, minerals, black pepper, rose water, and humus. Although still present and well-defined, the fruit is clearly receding in this wine, indicating that it’s time for consumption is right now.
Palate: The palate shows excellent dryness, fine acidity (it’s finally fallen into place!), ample but soft tannins, and notes of cherry, strawberry, wildflowers, leather, and minerals.
Finish: The wine finishes long, very dry, and clean, with a distinct Burgundian earthiness.
Overall: The acidity of the wine has fallen into place, and the other components have gelled in harmony to create a classic example of a red Burgundy!
Score: 17.5/20 Grade: A-

Moral of the story? If you’re sitting on a wine from a good producer that seems to be underachieving - Give it time to blossom. You might be surprised. I sure was!

Santé!

The Heart of Darkness: A Critical Tasting of Stouts.

I recently sat down to critically taste and evaluate fifteen different stouts. I included stouts from three of the most popular Stout categories: Dry Stouts, American Stouts, & Oatmeal Stouts.

Unlike huge, high gravity, high alcohol ‘Imperial Stouts’; Dry, American and Oatmeal Stout styles are similar enough to be considered as ‘sibling’ sub-styles of the larger Stout/Porter category. This means that it is quite appropriate to judge beers from these three slightly different styles side by side.

All beers were tasted blindly, in flights of two, with tasting notes taken immediately.

Without further ado, here are the beers which scored in my ‘top ten best of the tasting’, listed in ranked order:

Bell's - Kalamazoo Stout: Best of tasting. Near black with fine head retention and carbonation. Nose displays smokiness, huge anise overtones, and freshly used coffee grounds. The palate follows the nose, but adds a slight Port fruit character, along with a beautifully balanced malt and hop presence. Massive, robust, and memorable. Bravo! Rating A+

North Coast Brewing Co. - Old # 38: A beautiful, textbook example of a Dry Irish Stout! Very dark, with a rocky, tan head. Nice carbonation. Displays a very complex nose, with aromas of cappuccino, bitter chocolate and a hint of peat. The palate features a crisp attack, noticeable hop bitterness, roasted malt character, a very pleasant and distinct oiliness, and a long-lasting roasted finish. Outstanding! Rating: A

Sierra Nevada - Stout: Very dark with a fine, rocky, tan head. Very complex nose features: roasted grain, raisins, smoke, and American hop resin. The palate follows the nose, adding espresso, and also displaying a fine balance between hop bitterness and maltiness. Nice, full body with a long, roasted finish. A beautifully crafted, complex brew! Rating: A

Guinness - Extra Stout: The REAL Guinness. Near black in appearance, with a fine tan head. Excellent head retention. Aromas of bitter chocolate, British floral hops, roasted malt, and a very distinct earthiness which manifests itself as hay and humus. The palate displays roasted malt, brown sugar, distinct dryness, and that undeniable Guinness ‘tang’. A true classic. Rating: A

Snake River - Zonker Stout: Nearly black, with a brown head. Fine carbonation and retention. Aromas erupt out of the glass: roasted coffee bean, bitter chocolate, pine and burning charcoal. The palate follows the nose, and displays huge richness, followed by a distinct ‘tang’ and a dry finish. Wow. This is a GREAT beer! Rating: A

New Holland - The Poet: An Oatmeal Stout. Brownish-black with a fine tan head. The nose erupts with notes of fresh brewed coffee, roasted grain, smokiness, and oats. The palate follows the nose, and displays a strong current of raisin and molasses sweetness on the midpalate, followed by a long-lasting, astringent, smoky finish. A rugged beer, and very complex. Rating: A

O'Hara's - Celtic Stout: A fine example of a Dry Stout from Ireland. Brown/black in appearance, with fine lace and excellent carbonation. The nose displays coffee, burnt toast, and a nice earthy straw-like character. The palate features notes of roasted malt, bitter chocolate and a fine oiliness which is followed by a nice, hop-driven dryness. A very drinkable, complex, dry stout. Keep 'em coming! Rating A-

Young's - Oatmeal Stout: The classic British example of the Oatmeal Stout style. Tan/black in colour (note British spelling), with minimal but retentive tan head. The nose is characterized by notes of fresh brewed coffee, vanilla, roasted oats, grain, and smoke. The palate follows the nose, and also displays a wonderful smoothness with soft carbonation. Opulently rich, warm, smooth and inviting. A wonderful Stout! Rating A-

Mendocino Brewing Co. - Black Hawk Stout: Very dark, with a tan head - Minimal retention. The nose displays notes of brown sugar, cold coffee, and roasted malt. The palate follows the nose, and displays a distinct graininess which is followed by an astringent, dry finish. Well made and very memorable. A very good example of the style. Rating A-

Goose Island - Oatmeal Stout: A very good value Oatmeal Stout from one of America’s premiere value breweries. Brown/black with a whitish/tan head. Moderate carbonation. The nose displays aromas of ground coffee, milk chocolate, steel-cut oats, and burnt grains. The palate follows suite, with a fine richness and an underlying mocha character. Nice balance and richness. A real quaffer! Rating A-

In closing, be sure to try all ten of these remarkable Stouts. Every beer on this list is well above average quality. Enjoy!

Prost!