Category:Red wine

Wine of the week: Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2019

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley label
Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2019/$8-$12

Yes, a U.S. cheap wine that tastes like it’s supposed to taste

Castle Rock makes lots and lots of $10 wine, of which the Washington state reds are usually among the best. They taste like Washington state reds, they aren’t sweet, and if they’re simple, they aren’t stupid.

Which is all we ask.

Castle Rock’s Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($10, sample, 13.5%) is an excellent example of just that kind of wine. It’s widely available (more than two dozen listings on Wine Searcher), it’s not soft just because someone, somewhere, decided soft was the way to go, and it offers cabernet character.

Which, again, is all we ask. Who knew that was so much?

Look for black fruit (maybe even some plum?) that isn’t too ripe, too over the top, or piled on to cover up other deficiencies. Even more worthwhile: There isn’t too much oak, and what there is mostly tastes like oak and not flavored wood chips. And the tannins are noticeable – not too astringent, but professionally pushed to the back, as they should be in cabernet.

Just the kind of wine for takeout pizza or burgers, or to keep around when someone who likes red wine drops by the house.

Wine of the week: Frico Rosso 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Frico Rosso bottle shot
Frico Rosso 2020/$11-$16

Italian red offers Chianti-style value

The WC did an interview the other day, and the question came up yet again: “Where can I find value for those of us want to drink wine instead of an overpriced soft drink cocktail?”

And the answer, once again, is Italy.

The Frico Rosso 2020 ($11, purchased, 13%) is another in a long line of Italian reds made with sangivoese and whatever else is lying around that reminds us that wine is made to drink with dinner. It’s there to complement the food, and not to be the star on its own.

The Frico, with the distinctive pig on the label, is a straightforward, simple – but not stupid — Italian wine of the kind I have been drinking for about as long as I have been drinking wine. Which is not a bad thing, and especially when the producer blends the sangiovese with a bit of canialolo, ciliegiolo, and colorino (typically used in these kinds of wines) to add a touch more interest.

Look for a traditional flavor profile (as the wine geeks would say): Some herbs and some cherry fruit in a more rustic style. The Frico Rosso won’t change your life, but will do the trick for spaghetti and meatballs on Tuesday night.

Also worth noting: Scarpetta, the producer, spends a lot of time on its website wooing retail and restaurant customers, something I don’t see too often. In fact, this wine comes in a 20-liter keg for restaurants, which would seem to be a way to sell decent wine for about $8 a glass.

Though, these days, it would probably cost $15 a glass.

Imported by USA Wine West

Wine of the week: Protocolo Tinto 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

protocolo tinto label
Protocolo Tinto 2019/$6-$8

Spend $7, get quality wine for dinner — what a revolutionary concept

An Italian wine that I paid $10 for in September cost $14 when I bought it a couple of weeks ago – same wine, same vintage, same retailer, and likely sitting in the same warehouse since the middle of last year.

So raise its price 40 percent!

Which is a roundabout way to sing – once again – the praises of the Spanish Protocolo wines, which come in red, white, and pink, as well as organic. Consistent, fair price, fair value, and enjoyable – without any mysterious 40 percent price increases.

The Protocolo Tinto 2020 ($7, purchased, 14%) is one more example of how this works. It tastes much like the 2019, though a bit more rustic. That means it’s far from smoooth and certainly not sweet; rather, it tastes like tempranillo from Spain — maybe some dark berry fruit, and enough acidity but not so much in the way of tannins so that it doesn’t taste like a focus group wine.

Yes, simple, but what’s wrong with simple for dinner on Monday night with the leftover pot roast from the weekend? Or one of those Jacques Pepin tortilla pizzas? And, believe it or not, two of the wine magazines like this wine, too, naming it a best value.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy is the only person who doesn’t know what a great deal the Protocolo is.

Imported by Fine Wines of Spain

Wine of the week: Goats do Roam Red Blend 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Goats do Roam red blend bottle
Goats do Roam red blend 2020/$8-$16

The South African red blend does all a wine at this price should do

Anyone who knows the Wine Curmudgeon won’t be surprised to see this South African red blend as a wine of the week. If nothing else, one of the nine grapes in the blend is white and another is petite sirah, but called by its “other” name, durif.

And how often do we see either of those?

The other reason it’s here? Because the Goats do Roam Red Blend 2020 ($12, purchased, 13.8%) is about more than its nine-grape blend. Rather, it’s here because it does something that used to be common, but has fallen by the wayside in this age of overpriced $17 California field blends.

In other words, a well-made, professional wine that delivers what it should for this price. That means a sturdy blend with a bit of heft, but with tannins that don’t get in the way. There’s lots and lots of black fruit and even a little spice, something I didn’t expect. Some tasting notes call this a Red Rhone blend, but it seems more South African, with less Rhone-style fruit.

Highly recommended; a Hall of Fame quality wine. Pair this with winter braises and stews, and even something like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Imported by Indigo Wine Group

The third annual wine to drink when you’re waiting for an ice storm post

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Christmas Ice Storm 2013 in Michigan
Yes, that’s what we’re told Dallas could look like.

Because that truly is what we do in Dallas every year around this time

Feb. 3 update: I wasn’t one of the 10,000 or so homes in Dallas County that lost power on Thursday. So chalk up a small victory.

We’ll skip the whining about Gov. Greg “Power outages, what power outages?”Abbott, the state agency that pretends to regulate electricity, and the pretend agency that oversees most of the state’s power grid. It hasn’t done any good, has it?

Just know that I am writing this on Wednesday morning, and fully expect to lose power later today. That’s what we do in Dallas every year about this time, don’t we, when the annual ice storm hits? Both the blog’s unofficial weather forecaster and the woman in my neighborhood who keeps the email list have said so. There are already 140,000 homes in Austin without power, and that’s the storm headed our way.

As such, three wines to drink while you’re waiting for the power to go out (and if anyone has any pointers about how to convince Churro, the blog’s associate editor, that going outside in in the cold and ice is OK, please let me know).

• Casal Garcia Vinho Verde Branco NV ($7, purchased, 9.5%): Don’t know why, but this version of a very traditional Portuguese vinho is two or three steps up from the last time I tasted it. It has more structure and balance, the sweetness is more in the back, there is better quality fizz, and the lemon-lime fruit is top-notch. Highly recommended. Imported by Avelada

• Lenz Moser Grüner Veltliner 2020 ($8/1 liter, purchased, 11.5%): Is this a classic, sommelier-driven gruner? Nope. It’s simple and almost vinho verde-like, with a hint of fizz and sweetness, as well as some citrus fruit. Or, as the label says, “pleasant and uncomplicated.” And did I mention that it’s $8 for a liter? Imported by Marussia Beverages

• La Vieille Ferme Rouge 2021 ($7, purchased, 13%): The new vintage of the red from one my favorite cheap wine brands isn’t as welcoming as it has been. It’s much more rustic and uneven, with just a hint of dark fruit. Having said that, it may need more time in the bottle — and it will still be what I want tonight if I have to eat dinner in the dark. Imported by Vineyard Brands

Photo: Christmas Ice Storm 2013 in Michigan” by LadyDragonflyCC – >;< is licensed under CC BY 2.0“.

More wine for bad weather:
• Wine to drink when you’re waiting for an ice storm
• Wine to drink during rolling power blackouts
• Wine to drink when the power goes out, 2014 edition

Wine of the week: Herdade do Esporão Vinho Monte Velho 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Herdade do Esporão Vinho Monte Velho bottle
Herdade do Esporão Vinho Monte Velho 2021/$7-$14

Once again, Portuguese wine shows off its value and quality

My tasting note for this wine is simple: “Very Portuguese — fruity (dark berries) and heavy-ish, but not heavy.”

Which, as brief as it is, says everything anyone who wants quality at a fair price needs to know. The Herdade do Esporão Vinho Monte Velho 2021 ($10, purchased, 13.5%) once again demonstrates that Portugal may offer the best value in the world for red wine (and the whites aren’t bad, either).

More specifically, this vintage of the Monte Velho is a blend of four grapes. This includes touriga nacional, Portugal’s national grape, and a smattering of syrah (that doesn’t get in the way). The combination offers something that isn’t particularly simple or as straightforward as a $15 California red. There’s some spice, and it tastes surprisingly fresh for its weight. Meanwhile, the tannins are there for anyone paying attention.

This is a winter dinner red wine, and especially for the middle of the week when there’s leftover pot roast in the refrigerator or you want to roast some mushrooms with assorted vegetables.

Imported by NOW Imports

Wine of the week: Azul y Garanza Tempranillo 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

azul y garanza tempranillo
Azul y Garanza Tempranillo 2020/$12-$18

Neither the pandemic nor the supply chain can stop this Spanish red from offering quality and value

There are many things to like about the Azul y Garanza tempranillo. For one, it comes in a 1-liter bottle, so you get an extra glass for more or less the same price as a 750 ml. It’s made with organic grapes, for those who follow those things. And its importer, Valkyrie Selections, has a portfolio of terrific, inexpensive wines.

But the most important thing to like? This vintage of the wine ($15, purchased, 14.1%) continues the producer’s commitment to everyday wine that we can afford to drink and that won’t insult our sensibilities. The 2020 is a little more rustic and less fruity than previous vintages, while the alcohol is a touch higher than usual (no doubt an attempt to get around the Trump tariff’s 14 percent cutoff).

But the rest is as it should be. The wine opened up after about 20 minutes, showing dark cherry fruit and an almost peppery spiciness. The tannins are more upfront than usual, but they don’t get in the way. Serve it with anything meaty or Spanish, even a chickpea stew or lentils and sausages.

I’m not sure it will return to the Hall of Fame in 2024. Pricing has been all over the place, while availability has been spotty. But it’s still well worth drinking.

Imported by Valkyrie Selections