Category:Spanish wine

Mini-reviews 149: Naia, Milagro, Luberri, Sunshine Bay

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

geeky wine
Let’s see — which geeky wine do I want to taste?

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, three interesting wines and something from Aldi.

• Naia S-naia 2018 ($12, purchased, 12.5%): Spanish sauvignon blanc, which I bought my mistake. Thought it was the Naia verdejo, one of my favorites. Having said that, it’s more subtle than New Zealand or French sauvignon blanc. Look for some stoniness, not much fruit (tropical?), and Naia’s trademark finish. A wine geek wine. Imported by Aviva Vino

• Milagro Corrales Red NV ($18, sample, 12.5%): Pleasant New Mexico red blend (black fruit, soft tannins, decent acidity, and more oak than I expected) and a little of that regional wine funkiness. Which is a good thing.

• Luberri Seis de Luberri 2018 ($18, purchased, 13.5%): Interesting and not very traditional red from Spain’s Rioja, made with a form of carbonic maceration and lots of oak for a wine at this price. Hence, less acid, more round and full, and almost tastes like it has merlot in it. Even geekier than the Naia. Imported by De Maison Selections

• Sunshine Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($7, purchased, 12.5%): This New Zealand white, only available at Aldi, isn’t nearly as one note as past vintages. That means less citrus and an almost grassy thing. Certainly $7 worth of sauvignon blanc. Imported by GK Skaggs

Photo: Ana Itonishvili on Unsplash

Mini-reviews 148: Abacela, Raeburn, Chronic Cellars, Rose All Day

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

wine closet
When the WC cleans out his wine closet, he really cleans out his wine closet.

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, cleaning out the wine closet.

• Abacela Malbec 2017 ($33, sample, 13.6%): Top-notch Oregon malbec, as odd as that may sound. It’s missing the sweet fruit of Argentine malbec, though the fruit is there (blackberries), along with some spice, and an almost velvety mouthfeel. There is a longish finish, with balance between the oak and the tannins.

• Raeburn Chardonnay 2019 ($20, sample, 14.5%): Good example of the hugely popular post-modern California style: A noticeably sweet finish, high alcohol, some oak, some butter, and more tropical fruit than green apple. 92 points!

• Chronic Cellars Spritz and Giggles NV ($17, sample, 11.5%): Unimpressive sparkling wine that tastes too sweet, is too flat, and has too much of an almost iodine flavor.

• Rose All Day NV ($30/3 liter box, sample, 12.5%): It has a famous cute name, it’s pink, it’s dry, it’s a touch fruity, and it’s mostly French. The finish is quite thin, and if you pay more than $7.50 a bottle (which is the suggested retail price, given four bottles to a box), you’ll be annoyed. Imported by Biagio Cru

Photo: “empty closet” by Studio Sarah Lou is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Wine of the week: El Coto Rioja Crianza 2016

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

el coto rioja crianza
El Coto Rioja Crianza 2016/$10-$17

The El Coto Rioja Crianza is one of the world’s great cheap wine buys

There’s a reason why the subhed on this post is so similar to the one on this post. Both are Spanish red wines from the Rioja region, and the El Coto, in its own way, may offer even more value than the CVNE Cune.

Sometimes, despite all going on around us, cheap wine truly is grand.

The main difference between the El Coto Rioja Crianza ($10, purchased, 14.5%) and the CVNE Cune is price. For some reason, and even before the Trump wine tariff, El Coto had raised its prices into the premiumization tier, $15-$18 (destroying the value of its otherwise excellent rose in the process). So when I found this for $10 at Total Wine, I bought it. Should have bought a case.

The wine offers spice, earth, cherry and raspberry fruit, a touch of oak, and muted acidity. The high alcohol is not noticeable, and may be well a tariff accounting trick. And, that it tastes like this at this age, is beyond me. A value at $15, and a steal at this price.

Some wine geek stuff for anyone who missed the CVNE Cune post: Crianza is the most basic of the three kinds of Rioja, which means it gets less aging, sees less oak (if any), and costs the least compared to reserva and gran reserva. There are also requirements for which grapes can be used, so most of the wines are mostly (if not all) tempranillo.

Drink this with almost any simple red meat, roast chicken, or the blog’s couscous jambalaya. Certain to return to the Hall of Fame in 2022 and will likely be on the short list for the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year.

Imported by Opici Wines

Wine of the week: CVNE Cune Rioja Crianza 2016

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

CVNE cune Rioja
CVNE Cune Rioja Crianza 2016/$10-$14

CVNE’s Rioja Crianza remains one of the most dependable cheap wines in the world

The Wine Curmudgeon was concerned when I checked the alcohol on this Spanish red from the Rioja region, since it was about a point higher than usual. That’s hardly elegant and classic, which is what this wine – even at this price – is supposed to be.

But there was no reason to worry.

That’s because CVNE’s Cune Rioja Crianza ($10, purchased, 14.5%) is as dependable as the moronic management of my once-beloved Cubs. You can always count on the Cubs’ bosses to ruin the team, just like you can always buy this wine and know exactly what you’ll get.

That means a fair price for tempranillo from Rioja that tastes like tempranillo from Rioja: A bit of cherry fruit, maybe some orange peel or spice, a touch of tannins, and balanced acidity. And I didn’t detect the higher alcohol. In this, the Cune could be the definition of a simple, but not stupid, wine. Which, around here, is high praise.

Some wine geek stuff: Crianza is the most basic of the three kinds of Rioja, which means it gets less aging, sees less oak (if any), and costs the least compared to reserva and gran reserva. There are also requirements for the grapes that can be used, so most of the wines are mostly (if not all) tempranillo.

Chill this a touch and drink it with almost any simple red meat, roast chicken, or the blog’s pork shoulder. Certain to return to the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Imported by Arano LLC

Update: Porch wine for the long, hot summer

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

porch wine
“I found the porch — you bring the wine. What does the WC suggest?”

With record temperatures in much of the country this summer, it’s time to update the blog’s porch wine post

Over the years, I’ve gotten less than favorable comments about the idea of porch wine — because, of course, wine is entirely too serious for porch sipping. Sigh. Is it any wonder I worry about the future of the wine business?

Which is just more wine snobbery. Why should the pleasure of a shaded porch and the hint of a cool breeze be reserved for iced tea, beer, and whatever else is currently popular? I find the idea of porch wine especially relevant this summer, what with the record-breaking heat in much of the country, the pandemic, and all of the other foolishness we have had to endure. So, this porch wine update.

So know this about porch wine: It’s about lighter wines, red and white (and of course, rose), that are lower in alcohol and that offer relief from the heat. The idea with a porch wine is to drink something that won’t make the sweat bead on your forehead. The blog’s original porch post is here, and there is even a porch wine terms post.

And it’s OK to add an ice cube. Honest.

• The Beachhouse Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($10, purchased, 13%): This white is a simple, not too grapefruit-y South African sauvignon blanc, which has an almost pleasant bitterness in the back. The minute I tasted it, I knew it was perfect for this post. Imported by Pacific Highway Wines & Spirits

• Moillard Chablis Coquillage 2018 ($25, purchased, 13%): Yes, this is expensive (though without the Trump tariff, the price may come down). But it’s also a perfect porch wine — well-made chardonnay from the Chablis region of France that is flinty, lemony, crisp. Imported by Advantage International

• Stemmari Sicilia Rose 2019 ($8, purchased, 12%): There’s nothing especially Italian about this pink; it’s just well-made rose in the international style — think Washington state. That means fresh, fruity (strawberry), and clean, but not much esle. Still, it is more than enjoyable. Imported by Prestige Wine Imports

• Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet 2019 ($16, purchased, 12%): Well-executed French white (made with the underrated melon de bourgogne grape) that is round in the mouth, but not soft. There’s a bit of structure and apple and pear fruit. Imported by LDM Wines

Photo: “Porch” by sonjalovas is licensed under CC BY 2.0

More about porch wine:
• Memorial Day and rose 2021
• Wine when the air conditioning is replaced
• Wine of the week: Vinho verde 2021
• Wine of the week: Vision Gruner Veltliner 2019

Mini-reviews 147: Lost Eden, Balletto, Rodney Strong, The Crossings

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

pourimg wine
“Which of the WC’s recommendations would you like to taste?”

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month, three wines that cost more than the blog’s usual, and one that doesn’t.

• Lost Eden Red Blend 2018 ($17, sample, 13%): Georgian wine — from the country and not the U.S. state — is all the rage among wine geeks. This is a fruity red made with the native saperavi grape. It tastes more like an $18 merlot-based red Bordeaux than anything else, minus the earthiness. Lots of red fruit, very soft tannins, a touch of acidity. Imported by Lost Eden Wines

• Balletto Teresa’s Unoaked Chardonnay 2019 ($18, sample, 13.3%): Spot-on unoaked California chardonnay that tastes like chardonnay and not sauvignon blanc. So some apple fruit, a fresh but not too crisp finish, and a bit of stoniness. Highly recommended, even if I wasn’t a sucker for well-made unoaked chardonnay.

• Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rose 2020 ($25, sample, 12%): Pricey California sweetish rose (not white zinfandel sweet, but sweet enough) from what used to be one of the state’s most dependable producers. To its credit, the wine doesn’t claim to be dry — just to have lots of strawberry fruit. Still, a hint that it was sweet would be nice.

• The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($12, purchased, 13.5%): Typical New Zealand supermarket sauvignon blanc — professional, lots and lots of grapefruit but not much else, and very clean. You just have to decide if it’s worth $12. Imported by Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits

Photo: Douglas Lopez via Unsplash

Fourth of July wine 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Let’s help the WC find quality cheap wine for Fourth of July

Fourth of July wine 2021: Four bottles to enjoy for Independence Day

The Wine Curmudgeon, several readers have noted, usually doesn’t choose U.S. wines for the annual Fourth of July post. Mostly, that’s because of price and availability. This year, though, I found one — as well as quality cheap wines from elsewhere in the world.

And, as always, keep our summer and porch wine guidelines in mind for this time of year. Consider these Fourth of July wine 2021 suggestions:

• Parducci Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot 2018 ($13, purchased, 14.5%): Competent, professionally-made California cabernet sauvignon with all the requisite traits — lots of ripe, red fruit (sweet cherries?), soft-ish tannins, a hint of some kind of oak, not too hot, and just enough structure. This is firmly in the New World style, but also tastes like wine.

• Lubanzi Chenin Blanc 2019 ($15, purchased, 12.5%): This South African white isn’t quite as crisp as I like my chenin blanc, but still well done — apple and pear fruit, maybe a little lemon. It’s not soft — just not as crisp as something like the Ken Forester. Imported by Cape Venture

• Spinelli Terre Di Chieti Rosato 2019 ($8, purchased, 12.5%): This Italian pink costs as little as €3 in Italy. Berry fruit, almost savory in what seems to be an Italian style much preferred by Italians, as well as bone dry and a stony finish. Highly recommended. Imported by Enotec Imports

• Poema Cava Brut NV ($12, purchased, 11.5%): A touch softer than traditional cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. That means red apple instead of green and not as much lemon. But well done, and the bubbles belie the price. Imported by Kobrand

Photo: “Happy Fourth of July 2013!” by JD Hancock is licensed under CC BY 2.0

More Fourth of July wine:
• Fourth of July wine 2020
• Fourth of July wine 2019
• Fourth of July wine 2018
• Wine of the week: Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rose Brut NV