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Friday May 02, 2008

2005 Juan Gil Jumilla
I've been neglecting this area of the blog recently. I started a separate blog on the wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley and have been posting all my tasting notes and comments there. Plus I've not been drinking that much from outside the SCM/SCV AVAs, and when I have I've not felt like making notes. So I have the day off - let's fix that.

I recently discovered this wine in Costco. For $12 it seemed a good price. I don't tend to drink much Spanish wine, but a few vocal enthusiasts in my various wine circles have been banging the drum for Spain, saying it's not all Rioja and Ribera del Duero. In particular, Jumilla is often cited as an area that's producing great wines at really good prices, and this is a great example.

The varietal is Monastrell, also known as Mourvèdre or Mataro (and various other names too). You don't often see Mourvèdre bottled on its own - the only local examples I can think of offhand are Bonny Doon's Old Telegram and Cline's Small Berry - but it's often used as a blending grape in Rhone style wines.

This is a big, fruity wine. It's nice right at the start, but I opened one on Wednesday evening, drank half and left the rest overnight in the fridge - on Thursday it had opened up and was much better. So I'd definitely encourage decanting it - simply pour it into a 2 pint jug and back into the bottle, it'll make a big difference. If you like big reds but don't have a big budget this is definitely a wine to try.

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Thursday March 27, 2008

2005 Clos des Andes Malbec
Most regions have their signature varietal. It doesn't have to be the most planted or best, but there's one that stands out. For New Zealand it's Sauvignon Blanc. For California it's Zinfandel. And for Argentina it's Malbec. In most of the world Malbec is relegated to the status of a blending grape, but in Argentina it takes centre stage. Plus it's pretty good value too - there are plenty of wines available for under $15, and many of them are getting high scores from wine critics.

I spotted the 2005 Clos des Andes in Costco at the weekend for $12 - the shelf-talker said it got 90 points from Wine Spectator. I had the 2004 last year - my note on CellarTracker says Bags of fruit, held its own against a curry and only got better with air. Definitely a caseworthy red. Great QPR so I grabbed one.

Did you ever cook something and think there was something missing? Then you realise that you forgot to add salt, and suddenly it all comes together? Well this wine is like that. It's tight and tannic, and on the palate there's something missing, it's hollow, like it needs salt or something. Perhaps it would have been better with a meal rather than on its own. Maybe it just needs time; there was a glass left over so I put it in the fridge and will try it again tonight.

But even if it does improve, to be honest I think you'd be better off paying an extra $3 and getting the Catena Zapata Malbec instead. I had one of those recently and it's lovely. Big mouthful of blackberries, soft tannins, not much acidity. Great value, but not one for the cellar.

I'd also be on the lookout for the 2005 Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva. (Make sure it's the Reserva, there's also a regular one that Safeway carries for about $7, which is nowhere near as good.) I've yet to try the 2005 but Costco had the 2003 Lots of blackberry and dark cherry. Good finish. Bet this would cellar well, but it's unlikely to get the chance. and 2004 Big and fruity. Tannins are soft at first but become pronounced after a while in the glass. Has the stuffing to age, but it's so good now I see very little point and they are highly recommended.

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Tags: argentina malbec

Tuesday February 12, 2008

Local wine deals at Whole Foods
I've been doing my wine shopping at Whole Foods recently. On a recent trip I noticed a few bargains and on closer inspection was surprised to find that for many local wines, the prices at Whole Foods are actually cheaper than most other retailers, particularly if you take advantage of the 10% discount for buying six bottles (any mix). They also have a very good selection from top quality local wineries such as Burrell School, Mount Eden, Storrs, Martin Ranch and Ridge

Here are a few bargains I've picked up recently - prices are before discount and tax, so the net price will be a few cents lower.

Cooper Garrod Earlier this year I was fortunate to grab some bin-ends of the 2001 SCM Cabernet Sauvignon at $20 and 2003 Gravel Ridge Chardonnay at $15. These are now sold out, but the 2003 Lone Oak Cabernet sauvignon and 2005 Gravel Ridge Chardonnay have now arrived, along with 2004 Cabernet Franc.

Trout Gulch is a small winery owned by Bernie Turgeon, co-founder the Turgeon & Lohr winery. Never heard of it? Well, back in 1984 he sold his stake to his partner, Jerry Lohr who renamed the company J. Lohr. Trout Gulch produces Pinot Noir ($20) and Chardonnay ($17), both of which I've picked up at Whole Foods.

Kathryn Kennedy produces the single most expensive wine in the mountains - their top Estate Cabernet Sauvignon goes for a whacking $145. But at a more realistic level, Kathryn Kennedy also makes a "California" designated bordeaux blend called Lateral ($32) that would give any of the $50 to $100 Napa blends a run for their money. The 2004 is particularly fruit forward and enjoyable today, but would benefit from cellaring. There's also a Syrah ($24) that I'm looking forward to trying and a Sauvignon Blanc ($16), but to be honest I'm of the view that the best Sauvignon Blanc comes from New Zealand (and is cheaper too), with France a respectable second.

Finally a couple more wines that also carry the "California" appellation: Thomas Fogarty Skyline ($15) and Roudon Smith Claret ($14). I haven't tried the Claret yet (will probably open a bottle later this week), but the Skyline is a smooth, fruity blend with a decent amount of oak - nothing earth shaking, but reasonable value.

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Tags: cooper cruz fogarty garrod gulch kathryn kennedy mountains roudon santa smith thomas trout

Sunday February 10, 2008

There Will Be Sap
Spent an interesting day on Saturday helping to prune an old Pinot Noir vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Wooodruff Vineyard (originally called the Matteson Vineyard, then in 1997 it became Ciardella Vineyard) is on 9 acres in the agricultural community of Corralitos, about 16 miles east of Santa Cruz. Close to the bay, this is prime Pinot Noir country - the highly regarded Windy Oaks is nearby. Fruit from the vineyard has been used by several local winemakers, notably Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyards, Hallcrest and the now closed Thunder Mountain. The new owners have engaged a friend of mine, Paul Romero of Stefania Wine as their vineyard manager and since it was a beautiful day I headed over to help out.

Pruning vines is a fairly simple job. You are simply removing most of last year's growth, leaving a couple of buds that will grow into next year's canes and from which the grapes will grow. When a vine has been properly pruned for a number of years the task is simple; there will be two canes. Prune one back completely, and prune the other back to the first two buds - little knobs the size of a grape pip, covered in a fuzzy white protective layer. In several of the vines, sap dripped from the cut. I tried to get a picture, but it didn't turn out that well.

If you don't prune it back enough, several bad things will happen. For a start the vine will grow very vigorously. It will put a great deal of effort into producing canes and leaves (which means more work pruning the next year). This in turn will result in a huge crop of weakly flavoured and possibly under-ripe fruit. Also the dense leafy canopy provides a home to unwanted fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.

This was my first time pruning vines, and at first I was a bit concerned about being too aggressive, but the advice I was given was if in doubt, cut it off.

This is one of the vines that I pruned. They are at least 25 years old; not sure of the exact age.

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Tags: chardonnay ciardella corralitos matteson pinot stefania wooodruff

Tuesday November 27, 2007

Christmas Wine Bargains 2007
Yes it's that time again. I just noticed the post I wrote last year and decided to update it.

Frankly, even though it's a year old a lot of what I wrote there still applies. We are still seeing Rosemount wines at insanely good prices from time to time; the last one I saw was the Roxburgh Chardonnay for under $13 in Whole Foods. And Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc remains a firm favourite. Try it as an aperitif - it's half the price of Champagne.

One wine I forgot to mention last year is the Foxglove Chardonnay. This is a second label of Varner, a winery with a great reputation here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The grapes for Foxglove are sourced from Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo and at around $10 it's a bargain. If you want to spend a bit more, Mount Eden also makes an Edna Valley Chardonnay from Wolff Vineyard at around $17, but that may be harder to find since Wine Spectator rated it #29 in their annual Top 100 list.

For reds you really need to be looking at South America. There's some terrific stuff coming from there in the $10-$20 range. Look for Malbecs from Argentina, particularly Catena, Terrazas de los Andes Reserva and Norton. From Chile, look out for labels such as Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, Montes Alpha Syrah (and also the Chardonnay), Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot and Santa Ema.

Finally, don't forget the pudding. Sauternes is a great match for Christmas Pud and also Christmas cake with marzipan and it remains one of the wine world's greatest bargains. 2003 was another terrific year in Sauternes so there are plenty of bargains to be had. Cost Plus has been selling off 2003 Chateau d'Arche in 375s for around $10 and they've also been showing up at auction on WineCommune. Not bad for a wine that got 92 points from Wine Spectator. You can also find plenty of 2001s around - another great year. Look out for 2001 Castelnau de Suduiraut, (the second wine from Chateau Suduiraut who made my favourite of all the 2001s) - you may still find it for under $30. The 2002 and 2004 vintages weren't quite so good, but are still better than most vintages since 1990.

If you want to try something a bit different, consider Tokaji, from Hungary. This is made as a dry wine which is then sweetened by adding baskets - "puttonyos" - of grapes that have been dried out by the effects of the noble rot, botrytis. The more "puttonyos" on the label, the sweeter (and more expensive) the wine is. A 500ml bottle from the excellent 1999 or 2000 vintages will start at about $20-$25.

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Tags: aregentina catena chile christmas edna foxglove malbec rosemount suduirut valley varner

Friday November 23, 2007

Pros and Cons of wine clubs
I occasionally get asked whether there are any good wine clubs, so with Christmas coming it's a good time to write my thoughts up.

So what is a wine club? The idea is simple - you pay a regular fee (it's usually fixed, but some clubs vary within a set range) and in return the club sends you wine. How often you pay and how much wine you get varies widely. From the consumer's viewpoint it's a chance to try wines that you might not otherwise consider and it's hassle-free shopping.

There are two kinds of wine clubs - those run by wineries and those run by retailers. First let's deal with those that are run by wineries.

Wineries love wine clubs because it's an opportunity to sell wines at full retail price. Most of their sales go via wholesalers or distributors who require discounts of 30%-50%. As a result, in most cases the price of the wine at the winery is greater than that at retail.

Some wineries produce wines specifically for the wine club only, for example Bonny Doon's DEWN club, or Ridge's ATP list. Others, such as Mumm's Club Vivant, ship mostly wines that you can readily find in local wine stores and supermarkets. Find out whether you get advance notice of the wines being shipped and if you can request a substitute if you don't like the sound of anything in this shipment. Also check how much shipping costs, as this can be a significant proportion of the cost.

As far as retail clubs go, those also divide into two camps - those that are pure wine clubs, and clubs that are run by establised retailers. Be very wary of the former category as their mark-ups are usually much higher. Before you sign up, ask what the last two or three shipments were and then use a tool such as Wine-Searcher.com or WineZap to see what the typical retail price is. Don't be surprised to find those "exclusive, low production" wines readily available much cheaper.

Established retailers offer the best deals, since they are already selling those wines without any additional mark-up. There's always the thought that they are using the club to clear out wines that they are overstocked in, but the better retailers such as K&L Wines don't appear to do things like this.

My personal recommendation is that you're better off talking to your local wine retailer. Tell them what you like and ask for their recommendations. Ask them to put together a mixed case for you. They will know what is popular, which wines are highly rated, what's new in. If you build a rapport with your retailer they'll learn your tastes and will introduce you to good deals. Another option is just to buy your wines randomly at Costco. It's just like a wine club, except that the prices are way better.

Disclosure: I'm a member of Mumm's Club Vivant (and have been for several years). I'm also a subscriber to wine-searcher.com.

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Thursday December 07, 2006

Christmas Wine Bargains

Christmas is coming. Probably the most expensive time of the year, so here's a few wine tips from down under to save you some money.

1. Penfolds 2001 Winemaker's Reserve. $10 at K&L Wines. This is supposed to be rebadged Penfolds Bin 128, which usually retails for about $20. It's certainly a far better wine than its pricetag suggests. I'm not certain what happened - rumours suggest a cock-up in the warehouse, but whether that's true or not, the wine is worth having.

Update: Some branches of Trader Joes are carrying it at $8. Unfortunately the one I called at was sold out.

2. Rosemount 2003 Vintner's Reserve. $8 at Cost Plus World Market. This wine used to be known as "Traditional" - it's a Cabernet Sauvignon blend with some Merlot and Petit Verdot. I've picked up Traditional in Costco for around $20. Word is that Rosemount are planning a relaunch or rebranding, and are blowing out old stocks dirt cheap. The Rosemount GSM was available in Trader Joe's for $10 earlier this year, but good luck finding it now.

3. Rosemount 2001 Mudgee Mountain Blue. $13 at Whole Foods - if you buy six you get a 10% discount which brings the price down to $11.70 - totally insane for a wine that I've paid $35 for in the past, and most retailers are still charging up to $40 for. The wine needs some time to open up, so pour it into a decanter for a couple of hours before drinking. If you don't have a decanter try pouring it into an ordinary jug then, using a funnel, pour it back into the bottle.

4. Kim Crawford 2006 Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. $13 in Costco. Be careful; some branches are still selling the 2005, but the 2006 is a better year. This is one of my favourite white wines; it's not such a screaming bargain as the others, but it's a delicious, crisp wine at a very good price.

Finally, if you want a nice dessert wine to go with your christmas pud, try the 2002 Haut Bergeron Sauternes. It's about $25 in Costco, but not all branches carry it.

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Tuesday December 06, 2005

$10 Zinfandels
I was in Trader Joe's last Friday and took a look at their wine collection. We don't normally shop at TJ's - there isn't one close to my house and the aisles are so close together that if Zoe is with us she can reach everything, but apart from that it's a pretty good place to shop.

I was looking for a few cheap (ie under $10) wines since we keep running out of those for some strange reason, and I found a couple of nice ones.

The first was 2001 Burgess Estate Zinfandel. I've passed Burgess several times but never visited them or tried their wines - they are off Deer Park Road on the way to Angwin up in Napa Valley. This was a typical ripe Zinfandel - a touch of residual sugar giving it a real fruitiness. Easy to drink with pasta, curry or chili. As good as it will get.

The second was 2003 Castoro Cellars from Paso Robles. The Paso Robles area is justifiably proud of its Zinfandels and this is a nice one. Drier than the Burgess, it starts off a bit tight but opens up nicely over the life of the bottle. Drinking well now but with room for improvement. Permalink | | | | Comments [0]
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Friday November 04, 2005

2000 Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon
My wine of the week so far. A bargain at $30 from a little known producer in Napa. They sell most of their fruit to well known labels, but keep back enough to make about 1,000 cases. 2000 wan't a great year in Napa by a long chalk (several wineries that I know of sold off their entire production in bulk) but Dave Wight did a good job with this one. A good, solid vallery floor cab with nice soft tannins that's drinking well now and for the next few years.

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Tuesday November 01, 2005

1968 Gemello Cabernet
That's right, 1968. This wine was nearly as old as I am. The fruit probably came from the Monte Bello vineyard; back then most of their grapes got sold to Gemello.

Had I not known what this was I'd *never* have guessed. And not just because Gemello is a fairly obscure label these days - the winery relocated to Half Moon Bay, was renamed Obester and produced some fairly mediocre stuff the last time I checked. To say that I don't have much experience of wines like this is a significant understatement.

But even without the back story, this was something special. Deep colour, gorgeous nose, bags of fruit - there's no way I'd have pegged this over about 10 years old. It just goes to show what you can do when you've got some of the best grapes in the world to start from.

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Friday July 22, 2005

Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon
Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent wine for the money - typically under $15. I managed to find half a case of the 2001 vintage while on holiday in the UK at Easter and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yesterday evening I noticed that my local Costco are carrying the 2003 vintage at $13.

The 2003 vintage is a solid, fruity cab that - while drinkable now - will certainly improve if cellared properly. Chilean wine has certainly improved a lot over the past years and represents superb value compared to wine from more fashionable areas such as Napa or Bordeaux. I would expect to see this wine on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list later this year.

Alternatively if you're wanting to push the boat out, Conca Y Toro's flagship wine is called Don Melchor and the 2001 vintage is now available at about $36 if you shop around. This is a wine that I expect to see in the Top 10 on the Wine Spectator list and will certainly be selling for $50+ six months from now. Again, this should be very drinkable right now but will greatly repay proper cellaring.

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Saturday June 18, 2005

More stupid wine laws
I just read an article condemning the proposed SB 118 (Chesbro) bill. This looks like another really bad wine law. According to the write-up (which apparently originated from K&L Wines, a respected Bay Area retailer:

The bill originally would have created a permit that could be applied for by anyone licensed to sell wine to consumers (wineries and wine retailers) in any state. The permit would require registration with the California ABC, payment of California taxes, the same protections against delivery to minors that currently exist for CA wineries and retailers, limitations on shipment volume and would give the ABC the authority to regulate the shipments.
However, the mega-wholesale distributor interests in CA (Southern Wine and Spirits and Young's Market Company) have called in their political muscle in order to remove out-of-state retailers from the permit system. Under the version of the bill approved on June 14th, only a select few retailers outside of the state of California may even apply for a permit.
... Requiring these wines to go back up through the three-tier system after they have already traversed it once (if they even could, currently they would just be unavailable outside of California, or unavailable to California if they are located in another state) would give the wholesalers a double profit margin; certainly good for the wholesalers, but not very good for the retailer or for the consumer. Who pays? You bet that the consumer pays.

I've bought wine from out of state before now; even after you factor in the cost of shipping you can often find some very good deals using sites like Wine-Searcher.com so this legislation sounds bad to me.

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Thursday June 16, 2005

How to open a bottle of Champagne
It's in Portuguese, but you get the idea. Permalink | | | | Comments [2]
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Wednesday June 15, 2005

Good wine for under $5 - Lindemans Chardonnay
My local Safeway has Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay for only $4 with their club card and a 10% discount for buying six bottles. This is great stuff for the money; pretty much every vintage earns a "Best Buy" rating from Wine Spectator. Excellent summer sipper. Keep a bottle or six in the fridge. Permalink | | | | Comments [1]
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