Tag Archives: inexpensive wine

Mini-reviews 160: Elena Walch, Spanish monastrell, Jaboulet 45, Titus

woman holding wine bottles
“Quick — grab these wines. The WC didn’t hate everything.”

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, four reds – three of which the WC liked

• Elena Walch Ludwig Pinot Nero 2018 ($40, sample, 13.5%): Earthy, savory Italian pinot noir that bears more than a passing resemblance to red Burgundy – go figure. The fruit is sort of raspberry and the tannins are very reserved. Intriguing wine, but not easy to find (in addition to parsing the cost). Imported by Walch USA

• Castillo del Barón Monastrell 2019 ($9, purchased, 14.2%): This Spanish red, made with monstrell, is reliable from vintage to vintage – not too big or too rough, the tannins aren’t too noticeable, and the black fruit fits in nicely. Just the thing for a hearty weeknight dinner. Imported by Europvin

• Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallèle “45” 2018 ($15, sample, 14.5%): French Rhone red is legendary for its reliability. So spicy and full with very syrah-driven dark rich fruit. But it’s not too heavy or too ripe, and the alcohol doesn’t show. Needs food. Imported by Fruit of the Vines

• Titus Cabernet Franc 2019 ($52, sample, 14.5%): Gorgeous Napa fruit in this California wine that has been turned into a dark, sweetish, very fruity red that isn’t particularly cabernet franc in style and, as two reviewers noted on Cellar Tracjer (the blogs unofficial wine inventory app), is “smooth.” I want more for $52 than smooth.

Wine of the week: Two Birds One Stone 2019

Two Birds One Stone bottle
Two Birds One Stone 2019/$10-$12

Cheap French red wine that’s worth drinking – who knew it still existed?

I tasted the 2018 version of this wine last summer, and was impressed. It wasn’t quite wine of the week material, but it reminded me of the kind of everyday red wine that was common not all that long ago.

And, of course, no longer is.

So get out the debit cards, Bitcoin, and even cash — because the Two Birds One Stone 2019 ($10, purchased, 12.5%) is wine of the week material. It’s a fruitier and more polished effort than the 2018, and a noticeable step up in quality.

The wine is made with carignan, usually used for blending. That’s because the grape can be difficult to work with as a varietal since it has lots of tannins and acidity. These were noticeable in the 2018 (the wine geek term for the result is “rustic”), but are well under control in the 2019. In fact, it’s dark and deep in flavor, with lots of almost syrah-style black fruit and a finish that reminds me of the legendary Mont Gravet Carignan.

Drink this – and you can even chill it – with almost any summer roast, beef or chicken. There is apparently a 2020, but I haven’t seen it or tasted it.

Imported by Wine Circle Imports

 

Wine of the week: Ant Moore Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Ant Moore sauvingon blanc bottle
Ant Moore Sauvignon Blanc 2021/$10-$17

So far, New Zealand’s sauvignon blanc Armageddon seems to be less Armageddon-y than thought

There are certain things you can count on hearing all the time in the wine business – each harvest, despite challenges, is going to produce an excellent vintage, for example, or that bad weather will cause devastating shortages and higher prices in a region’s wine production.

And no, I have never been able to figure out why they aren’t mutually exclusive conditions. But that’s wine for you.

I mention this to note that the Ant Moore is the third New Zealand sauvignon blanc to appear as a wine of the week since forecasts of the New Zealand sauvignon blanc Armageddon last fall. So maybe, just maybe, the devastating shortages weren’t quite so devastating?

The Ant Moore 2021 ($10, purchased, 12.5%) is the kind of wine that represents the strength of the country’s production: Professional, varietally correct, and a step up from supermarket quality. There isn’t too much grapefruit, the finish is almost minerally, and something that sort of resembles tropical fruit in the middle – always a sign of a well-crafted Kiwi sauvignon blanc.

And all for $10. No wonder this is exactly the kind of kind of wine that if you like, you buy a case.

Imported by USA Wine West

Wine of the week: Protocolo Blanco 2020

Protocolo Blanco bottle
Protocolo Blanco 2020/$6-$10

Have $8? Want white wine for dinner? Then it’s time for the Protocolo Blanco

Once again, Spain is the answer to the question for those of us who want quality wine – and even to be able to buy it in the supermarket — but don’t want something smoooth or priced to hit some marketer’s sweet spot (which is much more than $10).

The Protocolo wines have made regular appearances on the blog for the past couple of years; the rose has been an especial value. So it’s no surprise to find the 2020 version of the Blanco ($8, purchased, 12%) here: It’s intelligent cheap wine, made to fill a market niche that too many others refuse to acknowledge.

This vintage of the Blanco isn’t as full and rounded as the 2019 was, and it’s a a little short in the back – the finish just sort of drops off. But it’s certainly worth $8 (and maybe a couple of bucks more, depending on how sad the rest of the wine section looks). It’s a blend of two especially Spanish grapes with some lemon fruit (though the wine is not especially tart). There’s also a dose of stone fruit in the middle.

In other words, just the white wine for a blazing hot Dallas summer — or summer anywhere else, for that matter.

Imported by Fine Wines from Spain

Fourth of July wine 2022

super hero miniatures
“Quick — to the retailer before premiumization destroys all the quality cheap wine.”

Fourth of July wine 2022: Four bottles offering value and quality for Independence Day

This year, the U.S. is 246 years old — so here are wines worthy of that birthday. As always, keep our summer and porch wine guidelines in mind for this time of year.

Here are four wines to start with:

• Tormaresca Calafuria 2020 ($10, purchased, 12%): Once, the Italian Tormaresca Neprica was the blog’s favorite cheap red wine. Then, it went the way of the rest. So imagine my surprise to taste this Tormaresca pink —  a little fizzy, dark berry fruit, and a touch not light. Nicely done. Imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estate

• Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($15, sample, 13.9%): Classic California sauvignon blanc — grassy, a bit of citrus, not too tart, and almost flinty. A three-generation family producer shows how it’s done.

• Trivento Malbec Reserve 2020 ($11, sample, 13.8%): Solid, professional Argentine red, made in the supermarket style — lots of sweet black fruit, but not a sweet wine and one that is mostly balanced. Previous vintages have been a little darker and earthier, but this is fine for what if tries to do. Barbecue? Indeed. Imported by Eagle Peak Estates

• Charles LaFitte Brut Prestige NV ($12, purchased, 12%): Entry-level French Methode Champenoise sparkling from a prestigious producer, but made far from Champagne. Yes, there is a bit of the 7-Up feel to it, but otherwise well-made cheap bubbly — some green apples, tight bubbles, and almost zesty. Imported by Vranken Pommery America

Photo: TFNY18_074c” by BAS Photog is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

More Fourth of July wine:
• Fourth of July wine 2021
• Fourth of July wine 2020
• Fourth of July wine 2019
• Wine of the week: Bonny Doon Picpoul 2021

Wine of the week: Our Daily Cab 2020

Our Daily cab bottle
Our Daily Cab 2020/$7.50-$13

How about a $10 California cabernet sauvignon that tastes like cabernet sauvignon?

A blog reader told me about the Our Daily Wines several years ago, and its red blend has appeared as the wine of the week a couple of times. Somehow, the winery does something that the experts say is impossible in California — it makes quality cheap wine that tastes like wine.

No, these are not high-end Napa or Bordeaux reds, and no one will wax poetic about them in the Winestream Media. But those of us who want an honest, professionally made red wine for dinner will be more than happy.

The 2020 version of Our Daily Cab ($10, purchased, 12.5%) does exactly that – and is much more interesting that I thought it would be, given how difficult it is to make drinkable caberent sauvignon at this price.

It’s a little softer than the red blend, which was surprising, but that’s an advantage. And, save for the fake oak, which it doesn’t need quite so much of, it’s a fine wine (even organic and sulfite-free). There’s some cabernet fruit (plum? cassis?), plus soft tannins and acidity. In this, it’s mostly balanced, something else that’s not easy to do with cabernet at this price.

In this, the wine is much better than it has a right to be. This is summer grilling wine, and just the thing for burgers and brats.

A couple of notes: the 2021 has been released, with a different label, and this is also available in a 1.5 liter box.

Wine to drink while you’re waiting for the avocado pits to sprout

avocado pits in glasses
Will Dallas water lend terroir to my guacamole?

Because the WC isn’t going to be caught short of guacamole

Yes, an avocado shortage.

But the Wine Curmudgeon is undeterred. I got a couple of shot glasses, a handful of toothpicks, and my last two avocado pits. So, in six months or so, I should have a couple of avocado plants. Now, the shortage may be over by then, but one shouldn’t take any chances with guacamole.

Which leads us to the next step in my urban farming experiment: What wines to drink while I’m waiting for the pits to sprout? Roses and light whites, of course:

• Albamar Chardonnay 2021 ($12, sample, 13.5%): This Chilean white is stunning — clean, crisp, and refreshing, with green apple and pear fruit. The bad news? Only 1,000 cases were imported. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

• Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Rose 2021 ($11, purchased, 12.5%) One more reason why there’s no need to spend $20 on rose. This French pink has berry fruit, a bit of stoniness, and a clean finish. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons

• Amalaya Esperanza por un Milagro Rose 2021 ($10, purchased, 13%): Well-done Argentine-style rose, so more fruit (ripe red berries), less acidity (but not sweet), and more full in the mouth. The little bit of torrontes in the blend is a nice touch to round out the wine. Imported by The Hess Collection