~ $45US Cabernet Blend, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

I will put it right out there - I might not be a Bordeaux kind of guy, but I’m always willing to try new things, and this seemed interesting. This wine is opaque dense and inky, with a lively nose of currant, blackberries, tobacco, black tea, and damp soil. Truly a fascinating nose - an outgowing mix of fruit and earth. On the palate, very silky and smooth - too smooth that it was hollow and flabby. The middle seemed to have fallen out or closed up - it just disappeared. I felt myself really waiting for some firmer structure - via tannins or acid to support the promise of the nose. It ended with a nice long herbal finish with a touch of menthol.

This had a lot going for it, but unfortunately there was a strange void in the middle of the wine. I am inexperienced with this wine - it could be too young yet, or perhaps it started it’s life on the riper side and now the fruit is starting to wane. It just went soft, and to some that may be elegant or intriguing, but to me it was kinda boring.

We enjoyed a good sampling of American wines with dinner and dessert - with the  Meredith Lagier coming out on top.
A premier-cru burgundy the next day disappointed in it’s simplicity.

Ridge, Santa Cruz Chardonnay 2004: Phenolic, fresh, restrained oak, green apples. Unremarkable.

Lagier Meredith, Mt. Veeder Syrah 2003: Perfumed, violets, and lavender, elegant medium-bodied, refined acidity and tannins. Lovely.

Rosenblum, Rhodes Vineyard Petit Sirah 2005: Rich and viscous. Maple syrup on ripe berry waffles, with black pepper and cinnamon. Decadent - almost dessert style.

Bouchard, Beaune du Chateau 2002: Red cherry, black olives. Strange raw “fowlish” aromas. Brisk acidity. Young and simple at this point.

Calera Mt. Harlan Chardonnay 2004, Napa ~$24US

nose: Caramel apples, alcohol
palate: round but fresh, white peach, green apple.
finish: soft, buttered popcorn, glycerine

A solid California Chardonnay - Oaked, but not over-the-top. Well made, but not outstanding. There are similar wines cheaper, and better wines at this price.

Siete 7, Vinos de Terrunos 2005, Navarra Spain ~$8US - 80% Grenache, 20% Tempranillo

nose: Red cherries, petrol, blacktop, some dirty, wet leaves
palate: Serious. Cherries; appealing acidity, juiciness and smooth tannins. Some balsamic notes = brett maybe?
finish: Spree, long.

Similar to the ‘Les Ruffes”, except this one is from Spain and has Tempranillo. Also a great value, probably more interesting in its earthiness. And sweet label.

~$18US Grenache and Carignan blend, Roussillon, France

Pop and pour. Ridiculously aromatic. Fresh thyme, rosemary, fresh berries, vetivert, cedar, tar. I’ve never been to Roussillon, but I hope this is what a jog through the hills smells like. Very round and coating on the palate, but a fresh streak of acidity and minerality brings vigor. A balance of sweet and savory, rustic but not clumsy, exotic flavors and aromas (sandalwood? lavender? glove leather?) intertwined with red fruits. Perfectly integrated - the kind of wine that is difficult to pick apart because it is just working. This would be wondrous with roasted pork with fruit or rabbit stew. Utterly compelling juice and a super value to boot. And to think that this is their ‘entry-level’ wine…

~$9US Grenache / Syrah / Carignan / Cinsault, Coteaux du Languedoc, France

I’m loving these Languedoc-Rousillon value wines…they are not the most complex wines in the world, they might not flourish and evolve after decades of cellaring, but they do have great character, uniqueness, and charm. The “Les Ruffes” was very gamey and barnyardy at first, but the funk blew off to reveal dark berries and a very clear and distinct white pepperiness. It retained a wild-meatiness with raspberries that worked well with a hard goat cheese. Medium-bodied and easy-drinking. It actually had some structure too, with some tannins, a mild brace of acidity, and a medium candied finish.

We killed the bottle in record time. Compared to the “critter” wines in this price range, this is a no-brainer for an everyday value, offering a real sense of place and a peek at what the bigger (read: expensive) Rhone-varietals can offer.

~$25US, 100% Shiraz, South Australia

When it comes to wine, expectations can really mess with you. Sometimes you pick a wine (for whatever reason) and when you drink it, it rocks you, surprises you, or falls flat on it’s face. Other times, you pick a wine drink it and it just delivers the goods. I heard that Chris Ringland had a few mid-price Shiraz projects in the pipeline, and when I saw it on the shelf, I nabbed it, knowing full well that this was probably a ridiculously-alcoholic-palate-hijacking-full-throttle-fruit-bonanza. But hey, it’s Friday.

Color: Black, with a purple rim
Nose: Skittles, plum pie filling, alcohol, vanilla ice-cream, lipstick, ganache
Palate: Big, ripe and round, port-like in its sweetness. Fair acidity and alcoholic heat keep things in order, as the tannins are well-mellowed. This is an intense palate assault - it just moshes in your mouth, hitting all the tastebuds, especially the tip of the tongue. It’s like the stuff inside the purple Gushers. Fun stuff.
Finish: Very long and oily. The alcohol bites with little bitterness. Black pepper and a peroxide note linger.

It delivered.

~$35US Grenache Blend, Priorat

This was tried on an impulse - I’m big on the region,  it seemed a decent price (for a Priorat),  and I hadn’t heard of it, so what the heck. Popped and tasted: Garnet, and nothing but wood and tannins. I came back a few hours later, and it started to shed the oak and pick up some steam. The nose opened nicely, with cigar-box, black cherries, and chocolate-covered raisins. In the mouth, it was overall leaner than the nose let on, and more that a little tannic. The firm acidity added some lift and hit some pomegranate notes. While lean and dry, it showed admirable complexity but a short cherry-Popsicle finish.

Overall, this wine hit some really nice notes from a flavor standpoint, but missed for me from a structure and balance standpoint.  In my perfect world, I wish I could have dialed down the wood, up the fruit and minerality - and kept everything else as-is. I know very little about this wine, but 5 years old, so it’s hard to say if it was over the hill, too young on in a “dumb” phase.  Again, not a bad wine by any means, but I found myself dwelling more on the flaws than the strengths.

Meadowlark Cabernet-Syrah 2005 - Napa Valley: Black currant, green peppers, wet sticks and tree bark. Some petrol notes after some air-time. Juicy and fruit forward, full-bodied and well built. This is good wine - no doubt, but this point in my wine-journey, I’m realizing that I’m just not down with green-pepper in my Cabernet…I know it shows up often, but I can’t do it. Just a personal thing (being allergic to them). Probably wont rebuy.

Baumard Clos de Ste. Catherine 2002 - Loire - Coteaux du Layon (Chenin Blanc): Complex noise of marzipan, peach nectar, baking spices, honey. SWEET! Dessert style. Biting acidity to keep things in balance - but the tongue-coating sweetness won. Viscous. Some unpleasant bitterness right before the finished tainted the overall experience for me. I would rebuy another vintage only if I had some more friends interested in trying it too.

Amisfield Pinot Noir 2004 - New Zealand - Central Otago: Wow. Dr. Pepper, ripe and black cherries, strawberry jam, wild mushrooms, and plush velvet. Expansive and deep, but not over-the-top. Silky. Simply wonderful - a serious effort from NZ showing that they have something unique to say about Pinot. Love it. Rebuy.

~ $20US 80% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, Southern Rhone, France

Deep crimson color. Giving on the nose with peppery aromas rising from the glass, with dark maduro-tobacco, allspice, cedar, and a little meatiness (bacon?). Reserved on the palate (still young), but very promising with some air - showing a good balance between the brooding animal that is grenache, and a clean acidity. Some fascinating bing cherries pop into the mid-palate, from out of nowhere. Round, but not heavy. If there is oak here, it is subtle and finessed. Tannins very much in play, but not in a detracting way - they just keep the fruit in line. The cherries continue into the finish, in a harmonious tapering ending.

I really like this - well-structured, but still juicy and round in the mouth. Some weird, wild flavors and aromas from the grenache, but quite elegant and restrained. The cherry surprise and it’s persistence through the end of the wine really make this unique. This is another wine begging to be enjoyed with food - I think smoked salmon, braised pork and herb-roasted chicken would really work out well here. One strong Cotes-du-Rhone that equals the lesser Chateauneufs.

~$12US 50% Garnacha / 50% Carinena, Priorat, Spain

Deep Purple color - a touch lighter than I expected. Nose was somewhat restrained - cranberries, black cherry, and plum. Refined on the palate, for a $12 wine…actually quite elegant, with firm tannins, balanced fruit (no oak-monster here!) and a surprising peak of acidity, giving it a touch of lift on the midpalate. Cranberry flavors up-front, with some tobacco and earthiness towards the finish. Medium bodied. After some air-time, the tannins smoothed out and it became a downright perfect partner to the local gourmet pizza (Dewey’s). Good work, Onix.

Overall, not the most complex wine in the world - but elegant in it’s simplicity. A strong effort and an excellent everyday drinker, without the flaws of so many in this price range can be pitfalled by (over-oaked, over-fruited, thin, flabby). Balanced. If this is the value wine from the Priorat, I can’t wait to try the big-dogs.