Category:White wine

Mini-reviews 153: Tannat, Rioja, and two sauvignon blancs

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

wine demandReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. This month, cleaning out the wine closet to start the new year.

• Marichal Tannat Reserve Collection 2018 ($20, sample, 13%): Well made tannat from Uruguay — softer, which with tannat is a good thing; more dark fruit and less tannic. Price is problematical. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Bilbao Rioja Crianza 2017 ($20, sample, 14.5%): There’s nothing really wrong with this Spanish tempranillo, though it’s a bit less subtle than classic Rioja. There’s nothing to make it stand out, either – and $20? Imported by Zamora Company

• The Goose Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($12, purchased, 13%): This is a stunning South African sauvignon blanc that has just enough French style — almost flinty — to go with New World citrus fruit. How it aged this well is beyond me – highly recommended. So what’s the catch? It will be almost impossible to find, which seems to be how the wine world works, isn’t it? Imported by IM Premium Imports

• Castle Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($10, sample, 13%): Supermarket sauvignon blanc, made to hit the $10 price and not necessarily because it tastes like California sauvignon blanc. Almost bitter, some lemongrass, some minerality.

Wine of the week: La Fiera Pinot Grigio 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

la fiera pinot grigio
La Fiera Pnot Grigio 2020/$6-$12

Yes, there is inexpensive pinot grigio that tastes like wine and not tonic water

The Wine Curmudgeon does not like pinot grigio. I’ve judged it, tasted it, and written about it – perhaps hundreds of them over the years. And, save for the occasional $15 to $18 label, they almost all taste alike: Tonic water or club soda and almost nothing else.

Except, perhaps, for the La Fiera ($9, purchased, 12%). I’ve been tasting it and reviewing it for the blog almost since the day I started doing this, It rarely disappoints.

Is the La Fiera a brilliant, transcendent, life-changing wine? Of course not. That’s not what it’s made to be. It’s made to be pinot grigio – a simple, everyday, inexpensive wine that you drink with dinner or open after work to have a glass or two.

Sadly, these kinds of wines tend to be made so as to offend the target audience. That’s the not the case with the La Fiera, which is consistently well made and consistently delivers value. The 2020 is clean and simple, with some tonic water and some green apple fruit. In other words, just the kind of wine for what it’s supposed to be, but not so simple that you won’t remember drinking it.

Imported by Winesellers, Ltd.

 

2022 Cheap Wine of the Year: Scaia Rosato 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

scaia rose 2020
Scaia Rosato 2020/$5-$15

Italy’s Scaia Rosato 2020 is the blog’s fifth annual Cheap Wine of the Year

The Scaia Rosato is probably best known for its glass bottle stopper, which speaks volumes about how the wine business works. Yes, the stoppers are an enticing novelty, but to overlook what’s in the bottle because of that is silly.

Even for the wine business.

So know that the Scaia Rosato 2o20 ($10, purchased, 12.5%) is so much more than its glass closure. First, it’s a quintessential Italian pink wine — bright, a bit rich, and even a little savory. In this, it’s made with rondinella, a little known grape even given how many little known grapes there are in Italy.

Even better than that, it delivered quality and value that few other wines — rose or otherwise — delivered in 2021. Hence, the Scaia Rosato 2020 is the blog’s fifth annual cheap wine of the year.

The Scaia has always been a blog favorite, and the Dallas retailer that carries it almost always sells out quickly. But the 2020 is even better than usual — sort of floral and even pretty, which is a descriptor I rarely use, with raspberry fruit and a sort of tangy-ness. As such, it’s more interesting and much more than just a pink wine to drink because it’s a well made pink wine.

Best yet, there appears to be lots and lots available. This has often been a problem with the Scaia, which sometimes arrives in the U.S in mid-summer instead of spring with the rest of the roses. So buy this to drink year round — whether on its own, with something like pizza, a variety of chicken dishes, and even roasted mushrooms.

Imported by Dallas Terra

More Cheap Wine of the Year:
• 2021 Cheap Wine of the Year: MAN Chenin Blanc 2019
• 2020 Cheap Wine of the Year: Le Coeur de la Reine Gamay 2017
• 2019 Cheap Wine of the Year: Château La Gravière Blanc 2017

Wine of the week: Domaine Tariquet Classic 2019

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

domaine tariquet
Domaine Tariquet Classic 2019/$10-$12

Scores be damned – the Tariquet remains one of the world’s great cheap wines

All you need to know about this vintage of one of the great cheap wines in the history of wine is that it averaged 64 points on CellarTracker, the blog’s unofficial wine inventory app.

That kind of score means the 2019 Domaine Tariquet is undrinkable, which also means it’s worse than every Big Wine supermarket sweet red blend; every mass-produced, 7-Up-style fizzy, faux sparkling wine; and every 15.5 percent, baseball bat fermented chardonnay.

And which also means there is more for me. So maybe the 64 points is a good thing after all.

This version of the Tariquet ($12, purchased, 13%), a French white blend from Gascony, is hardly undrinkable. It’s as it always is – a blend of three grapes, only one of which is well known and two of which (ugni blanc and colombard) are usually held in wine snob contempt.

The wine is clean and fresh, and stunningly well made. I left an open bottle in the refrigerator for a week, and it was just as enjoyable seven days later as it was when I unscrewed it. This vintage has more citrus fruit, though there is still plenty of the white grape juiciness that sets the Tariquet apart from even the best of the Gascon white blends.

Highly recommended, as always, and just the wine to set us up for the next two days on the blog – the announcements of 2022’s Cheap Wine of the Year and Hall of Fame.

Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons

Mini-reviews 152: The night before Christmas Eve Edition

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

rudolph
Not even the WC is clever enough to turn wine shipping holders into Rudolph — and I certainly get enough of them.

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. This month, a day early because of Christmas.

• Cline Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($14, purchased, 14%): I’m not sure what this tastes like (Italian pinot grigio, maybe?), but it certainly doesn’t taste like California sauvignon blanc. Plus, the higher alcohol is noticeable and the bottle is way too heavy — 22 ounces, or about one-third more than it needs to be. And Cline was once a top-notch $10 wine producer.

• Ricardo Santos El Malbec 2019 ($20, sample, 13.5%): Interesting approach to Argentine malbec — some oak, some spice, much less fruity and made to age, more in the style of Bordeaux. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($30, sample, 13.3%): This, I suppose, is what passes for entry-level Napa cabernet these days. Professionally made, hitting all the notes it’s supposed to hit (rich, dark berries, some oak, some spice, leaning toward fruit over acid and tannins), and made with quality grapes. But a value? Only if you really like Napa cabernet.

• Satellite Sauvignon Blanc 2020 ($13, purchased, 13$): New Zealand white is the second label from highly-regarded Spy Valley, and it sits about halfway between that and all those supermarket “Bay” sauvignon blancs. That means less overtly grapefruit, but still citrusy, but a little softer and more tropical in the middle. Imported by Broadbent Wines

Photo: “Rudolph the Wine Holder” by edenpictures is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Christmas wine 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

christmas wine 2020
“Yes, I know he used this picture last year. But it still does the job, yes? And maybe I can finally get a royalty.”

Four recommendations for Christmas wine 2021

Once again, the blog’s Christmas wine suggestions — whether for a last minute gift, something to drink when you just want a glass, or a holiday dinner. As always, keep our wine gift giving tips in mind — and don’t overlook the blog’s 2021 holiday gift guide (blog subscriptions, hint, hint).

These wines will get you started:

• Domaine Bousquet Brut Rose NV ($13, sample, 12%): This isn’t quite the stunner that the previous version was, but it’s still a fine value sparkling wine. Look for quality bubbles, some red fruit and a bit of citrus. The finish is a bit tart. Imported by Origins Organic Imports

• Domaine du Séminaire Côtes du Rhône 2019 ($17, purchased, 14.5%): This red is a balanced, structured and almost subtle Cote du Rhone from France. That means lots of berry fruit and some spice (licorice?) and maybe even some garrigue. Plus, of course, since we’re hipsters here, it uses concrete tanks. Imported by Martine’s Wines

• Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Rosé 2020 ($10, purchased, 12.5%): This is the rose from this French producer, and is almost as impressive. Look for more fruit tan expected (strawberries), plus a touch savory, and almost stony on the back. Imported by Polaner Selections

• Château Boisson Blanc 2018 ($12, purchased, 13%): Dependable white Bordeaux — fresh, lots of citrus, some minerality on the back. It’s not subtle, but it is professionally made and won’t disappoint if you’re looking for something white that tastes French. Imported by Virtuoso Selections

More about Christmas wine:
• Christmas wine 2019
• Christmas wine 2018
• Christmas wine 2017
• Wine of the week: Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc 2021
• Expensive wine 149: Vina Maquis Viola 2014

Photo: “guardian of wine” by marcostetter is marked with CC PDM 1.0

Wine of the week: Moulin de Gassac Guilhem White 2020

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Moulin de Gassac Guilhem White 2020
Moulin de Gassac Guilhem White 2020/$9-$15

Add the Moulin de Gassac Guilhem white to the list of terrific cheap wines that I haven’t raved enough about

Call this mea culpa month on the blog, since I seem to be writing about wines I’ve always liked but never quite given the accolades they deserved. This week, it’s the $10 or so wines from a French producer, Moulin de Gassac.

I’ve written about the Gassac Guilhem red, white, and rose wines since 2014, but never really put them in any kind of perspective. Once, I even wrote they were from Gascony, when they’re from the Languedoc. So consider this review, for the Moulin de Gassac Guilhem White 2020 ($12, purchased, 12%) an acknowledgment that the wines are Hall of Fame quality and well worth buying.

The Gassac white is a blend that includes terret, which most of us have never heard of; the much unappreciated grenache blanc; and vementino, an Italian grape grown throughout southern France, where it’s sometimes known as rolle.

So no, this doesn’t taste like chardonnay.

Instead, it has some spice, some stone fruit, and a bit of tartness. I wouldn’t say it’s oily, which sometimes happens with grenache blanc wines, and it’s not crisp like sauvignon blanc. Instead, it’s full and almost rich (the winery’s tasting notes use the term fleshy, which seems accurate.)

Drink this with grilled or fried fish (catfish, maybe?). Highly recommended, and almost certain to enter the Hall of Fame next month. And don’t be surprised if it makes the short list for the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year.

Imported by Beaune Imports