Category:Wine reviews

Wine of the week: Mezzacorona Delisa Rosato 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Mezzacorona Delisa Rosato bottle
Mezzacorona Delisa Rosato 2021/$9-$15

No, I don’t know why this Italian rose is so delicious — but it is

Big Wine comes in for a lot of grief on the blog, but I am always ready to give it credit when credit is due. And, boy, does Big Wine get credit for this one.

Mezzacorona is one of Italy’s biggest producers, and it makes lots and lots of cheap wine — including too much bland pinot grigio. So when I saw that this rose was made with pinot grigio, I bought it mostly for the novelty.

And I am glad I did. The Mezzacorona Delisa Rosato 2021 ($10, purchased, 12.5%) is just the kind of wine to help us celebrate the blog’s 16th annual Birthday Week. It’s well-made, it’s interesting, and it doesn’t taste like it was designed by a committee.

In other words, a stunning wine, somehow tasting like classic Italian rose (red fruit, savory, and herbal) without any of the baggage that goes with Big Wine.

Highly recommended, and a candidate for the Hall of Fame next year. Chill this and drink it on its own, with holiday guests, or at Thanksgiving.

Imported by Prestige Wine Imports

Wine of the week: Pavette Sauvignon Blanc 2022

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Pavette Sauvignon Blanc bottle
Pavette Sauvignon Blanc 2022/$10-$15

Yes, a California wine that meets the blog’s criteria for quality and value

These days, save for a couple of one-offs, about the only California brand that meets the blog’s criteria for quality and value is Hall of Fame label McManis. So you can imagine my excitement as I tasted this version of the Pavette.

That’s because this was the second vintage of the sauvignon blanc that tasted — dare I say it? — like California sauvignon blanc and not something run through a focus group.

So, yes, the Pavette Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($13, purchased, 13%) is well worth recommending. It’s not quite as one-note as the 2021 was, which was mostly white grapefruit. Yes, there is lots of that this time around, but there is also an almost tropical something or other in the middle. Which, of course, is a sign of quality sauvignon blanc made in this style. It’s also crisp and fresh, without any cloying sweet fruit.

The Pavette would be better at $10, but it’s certainly worthwhile at $13 (and I may be a bit too cranky on this point). And it might even get rounder with another year in bottle.

This is the kind of wine to keep on hand as the holidays arrive, in case someone wants a glass of white wine, or to drink with a takeout chicken, a la Jacques Pepin.

Expensive wine 174: Vina Maquis Lien 2019

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Vina Maquis Lien bottle
Vina Maquis Lien 2019/$30-$45

Chilean red blend offers interest and value

Carmenere has long been the grape that Chile wants to be known for, and there have have certainly been some successes. But it’s not like you see much of it on the shelf at the local retailer, and when I checked the blog’s unofficial high-end wine shop, there was only one (and it wasn’t one of the famous brands).

So it was with more than a little trepidation that I tasted the Vina Maquis Lien 2019 ($38, sample, 14.1%). Carmenere, for several reasons, does not lend itself easily to winemaking; it can be unripe and tannic, even in blends like this one (46% cabernet franc, 36% cabernet sauvignon, and 18% carmenere).

But the Lien offered much more than I expected — not just in the way it tasted, but in how it was put together. The fruit is quite cabernet franc, which is to say there’s just enough in the way of dark berries to be noticeable, but not so much as to be fruity. There are lots of herbs (from the franc and the carmenere) and a little graphite, while the cabernet sauvignon holds it all together.

In other words, the kind of red wine that will not only age, but change and get more interesting as it does.

Pair this with red meat or sausages; it would be an interesting choice to serve someone who is used to California’s much more fruity and softer red wines.

Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Wine of the week: Luzon Verde 2021

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Luzon Verde bottle
Luzon Verde 2021/$8-$15

The name might be confusing, but this Spanish red is more than enjoyable

Finding red wines to feature as wine of the week has become progressively more difficult over the past several years; even before the pandemic, in fact. Yes, price increases and premiumization have complicated things, but I’m also finding fewer red wines that are interesting and varietally correct.

There are still plenty of cheap red wines, but why would I want to write about yet another smoooth one?

So I tried the Luzon Verde 2021 ($12, purchased, 14%). In the old days, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. The alcohol for this Spanish red, made with the monastrell grape, is a bit higher than I like and its name confused me. Verde, in Spanish, means green, which seemed odd for a red wine – and no, I’m not going to recommend a wine just because it’s organic (which, apparently, accounts for the “verde”).

Which is why the first rule of wine criticism is to taste the wine before you judge it. The Luzon Verde is Spanish wine at its everyday best — fruity (dark berries), but not too heavy, hot, or tannic. and quite approachable. It does need food, but Thanksgiving is coming up yes?

So enjoyable, professional, and much more than competent, as well as an encouraging sign for future red wines of the week.

Imported by Aviva Vino

Mini-reviews 174: Four wines worth drinking (and mostly fairly priced)

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Man drinking wineReviews 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, four wines worth drinking, and at mostly fair prices

• Italo Cescon Pinot Grigio 2022 ($15, purchased, 12.5%): This Italian white is a top-notch pinot grigio, almost subtle and layered. A friend brought it to our BYOB dinner, where it was a big hit. Imported by Orvino Imports & Distributing

• Rough Day Rose 2022 ($12, purchased, 13%): A pleasant, berry fruit Bulgarian rose – yes, Bulgarian – that would cost about $8 if wine bore any relation to reality. But throw a cute label on it – a puppy! – and sell it at Whole Foods, and it’s worth one-third more. Imported by G&B Importers

• Apaltagua Pinot Noir Reserva 2020 ($14, sample, 13.5%): Well-made and varietally correct Chilean piont noir at a fair price. Some berry. reserved tannins, not too much oak, and surprisingly structured for an every day wine. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Orlana Vinho Verde Rose NV ($8, purchased, 11%): Competent, if unexciting, pink vinho verde that could be a Whole Foods private label. It has decent fizz, isn’t too sweet, and has some sort of berry flavor. Imported by Luneau USA

Wine of the week: La Vieille Ferme Blanc 2022

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Once again, one of the world’s great cheap whites doesn’t disappoint – no matter what others think

La Vieille Ferme Blanc bottle
La Vieille Ferme Blanc 2022/$6-$12

The French La Vieille Ferme Blanc is annually one of the world’s great cheap white wines, and the 2022 version ($9, purchased, 13%) doesn’t disappoint – some lime, some stone fruit, and clean and fresh.

Nevertheless, someone gave it 69 points – which means it’s undrinkable — on CellarTracker, the blog’s unofficial wine inventory app.

Do I need to write any more? Or remind everyone why I’m so worried about the future of the wine business?

Imported by Vineyard Brands

 

Wine of the week: Quintay Clava Coastal Reserve Pinot Noir 2022

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Quintay Clava Coastal Reserve Pinot Noir bottle
Quintay Clava Coastal Reserve Pinot Noir 2022/$12-$17

Chilean pinot noir stands on its own — and tastes like pinot noir

I once wrote a trade piece about trends in pinot noir, and quoted a supermarket-style winemaker who said quality pinot could be made pretty much anywhere in the world, and by blending pretty much any grape with the required 75 percent of pinot noir.

Which explains why pinot noir that costs less than $40 so rarely tastes like pinot noir anymore, but more like a red blend – and sometimes sweet. (That so much pinot that costs more than $40 is also lacking is a post for another day.)

Which is also why I was so pleased to taste the Quintay Clava Coastal Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 ($15, sample, 13%). It’s Chilean pinot noir that tastes like pinot noir, with the understanding that the Chilean style is not the same as the French. And that this is pinot and not a sweet red blend stripped of acidity and tannins.

As my tasting notes ask: “Who knew anyone did this sort of wine any more?”

The Clava differs from France’s red Burgundy in that it tastes fresher and isn’t funky – none of that forest floor or mushroom stuff that pinot lovers geek out about. Instead, it has berry fruit (raspberries?), soft tannins, and just enough acidity. It is simple, but it’s not stupid by any means.

All in all, and even including the price, it’s very well done and highly recommended. Pair this with fall red meats, as well as roast chicken.

Imported by Global Vineyard Importers