Tag Archives: white wine

Wine of the week: Pavette Sauvignon Blanc 2022

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.

Wine of the week: El Coto Rioja Blanco 2022

El Coto Rioja Blanco bottle
El Coto Rioja Blanco 2022/$8-$12

This long-time WC favorite is as fresh and delicious as ever

Twelve years ago, I got a sample of the 2010 vintage of this wine and tasted it for the first time. My tasting notes: “Very nicely done — a bit of lemon and very clean, very crisp.”

Which is more or less what my tasting notes say for the current vintage of the El Coto white. Is it any wonder I’ve been drinking it — availability willing, of course – since then?

Because, in Dallas at least, availability has been a problem. That’s one reason why I was so glad to get this sample, since it meant the wine should be for sale around here.

The 2022 version ($12, sample, 12%) is a little softer and more round in the mouth than I remember, but still focused on lemon fruit and that clean, crisp finish that this kind of wine does so well, thanks to the viura grape.

Highly recommended, and if it’s not quite a Hall of Fame wine this vintage, it’s damn close. Drink this chilled on its own, with salads, or with something like spaghetti and clam sauce (and use the wine to make the clam sauce).

Imported by Opici Wine & Spirits

Wine of the week: Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio 2021

Yiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio bottle
Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio 2021 /$12-$18

Italian white reminds us that pinot grigio doesn’t have to be bland and boring

The Wine Curmudgeon has long had an ambivalent relationship with pinot grigio. On the one hand, I firmly believe everyone should drink what they want. On the other, most pinot grigio tastes like bland club soda.

So what’s the WC to do? Recommend the Tiefenbrunner, of course.

The Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio 2021 ($14, purchased, 12.5%) is one of a handful of widely available and higher quality pinot grigios – and that are worth the couple of dollars more than the supermarket brands.

That means this Italian white is much more than the hint of lime fruit and the not quite fizziness that characterizes the $8 to $12 wines that make up most of what people think about of when they buy pinot grigio. Look for some pear fruit and maybe some lime, as well as a wine that is much fuller in the mouth and has a longer and more interesting finish.

In other words, pinot grigio that will please regular drinkers as well as those of us who don’t drink it often.

Chill this and drink it on its own, or pair it with salads or roast chicken breasts – or a salad that includes roast chicken breast.

Imported by Opici Wine & Spirits

 

Wine of the week: La Petite Perriere Sauvignon Blanc 2021

La Petite Perriere Sauvignon Blanc bottle
La Petite Perriere Sauvignon Blanc 2021/$10-$17

Want to fix the wine glut? Make more wines like this

The most important thing to know about this French white wine? This line from my tasting notes: “This is the kind of wine we need more of to bring people to wine drinking.”

The 2021 is is the fifth vintage of this wine to be a wine of the week, which speaks to its consistency and quality. It’s also famous – or infamous, as the case may be – as the wine my mom tried to buy at a Kroger subsidiary in Chicago because I was told it was for sale there. Which, of course, it wasn’t.

So, the details for the 2021 ($10, purchased, 12.5%): It’s a terrific weeknight sauvignon blanc – well-made, simple but not stupid, and neither too fruity nor too tart. That means a bit of mineral and stone, some citrus (more lime than anything else), and fresh and clean. In other words, what the wine business is trying to achieve by buying hard seltzer companies instead of trusting to wine.

If it’s not quite as impressive as some of the others (the 2016, the one my mom looked for, was exceptional), it’s still well worth drinking and a Hall of Fame quality wine. Chill this and drink it on its own, or pair it with something like roast pork loin or takeout chicken.

Imported by Taub Family Selections

Labor Day wine 2023

people sitting in front of table talking and eating
“I told you the WC’s wine recommendations were super good.”

Enjoy these four bottles for Labor Day wine 2023

Labor Day traditionally marks the end of the summer in the U.S., which will be most welcome this year. Even the WC, who vowed never to shovel snow again, was getting overwhelmed by 105-degree temperatures. And then some more. And then some more.

So bring on fall, cooler weather, some chilled reds, and relaxing on a shaded place on the porch. And maybe some lemon roasted chicken?

These four bottles will give you a start — and don’t forget the blog’s porch wine guidelines:

• Jolie Folle Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($13/1-liter, purchased, 11.5%): This French white is more New Zealand in style this vintage, with grapefruit instead of lime and less minerality. But it’s still a fine value. Imported by T. Elenteny Imports

• Umani Ronchi Podere 2021  ($13, purchased, 13%): A surprisingly fresh and berryish Italian red from Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, though it’s not as light as some. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be chilled slightly and served with bacon cheeseburgers.  Imported by Vineyard Brands

• Castle Rock Rose 2022 ($12, sample, 13%): A California pink that is crisp, fresh, and enjoyable — and dry, dry, dry. Look for rose petals on the nose (honest), plus barely ripe berry fruit and a very pleasant stony finish. I’m told it’s available, so its Wine-Searcher entry is probably wrong.

• Campo Viejo Cava Brut Rose NV ($11, purchased, 11.5%): This Spanish bubbly is made with trepat, which is a good thing. But it’s a little less crisp than it could be and it’s not quite up to the standards of what great cheap Cava once was. But it has nice wild berry fruit with decent bubbles, so it will do. Imported by Pernod Richard USA

Photo: Priscillia Du Preez on Unsplash

More about Labor Day wine:
• Labor Day wine 2022
• Labor Day wine 2021
• Labor Day wine 2020
• Wine of the week: Zestos Blanco 2021

Wine of the week: Tenuta Rapitala Grillo

Tenuta Rapitalà Grillo Sicilia Viviri label
Tenuta Rapitala Grillo /Pricing? Vintage? Who knows?

Wine availability is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

You’ll notice there’s no vintage for the Rapitala Grillo in the headline for this post. That’s because this Sicilian white has three vintages currently available – which is a lot, even for the wine business.

Ain’t availability a wonderful thing?

I tasted the 2020, which I bought for $12 at the end of last year. I bought another bottle at the end of winter, same vintage, but it cost $14. And that’s not the end of the fun: Wine-searcher reports that the 2021 and 2022 can cost as much as $17.

Huh?

Yes, I know about pandemic supply chain issues and the war in Ukraine and glass bottle inflation. But how did a simple – albeit delicious – white wine made by the tanker load that seems to be widely available increase in price by almost 50 percent in less than a year? And with three vintages on store shelves?

Is it any wonder I worry about the future of the wine business?

Hence, this post. Look for the Rapitala Grillo, and buy it — any of the three vintages should be fine — if you can find it for less than $13 or $14. The WC has long appreciated the grillo grape, and this is a fine effort — well-made and interesting, since it’s more subtle and rounder than others, which is complemented with some almond and stone fruit.

Jut don’t try to figure out availability and pricing. It will make your head hurt – something I know first hand.

Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons

Wine to drink when it’s 107 degrees

tire tracks in desert soil
The WC’s backyard doesn’t look like this — yet.

Because even the WC — who never wants to shovel snow again — is almost worn out

Dallas’ record heat this summer (including a brutal weekend) has been wearing, so I keep telling myself that at least I’m not in Phoenix and that I put up with this because I never want to go through a Chicago winter again. So, as long as the Texas electricity grid holds out, I’m OK.

Meanwhile, three wines to drink while I’m waiting for fall:

• Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris de Cigare 2022 ($18, sample, 13.6%): Prices for this are all over the place — as little as $12.  This year’s vintage isn’t as stony and as French-like as in the past, so more ripish strawberry fruit and richer in the mouth.

• Bodegas La Cana Albarino 2021 ($16, purchased, 13%) Professional and competent Spanish albarino that’s more savory than fruity and almost salty. Some floral aroma and light citrus and very clean on the back. Imported Fine Estates from Spain

• Apaltagua Pinot Noir Reserva 2019 ($14, sample, 13.5%): Well-made and pinot noir-like Chilean effort. Soft tannins, reserved berry fruit, and balanced. Not complex, but that’s not the goal here. Imported by Global Vineyard Importers

Photo: Dennis Kralik via Pexels

More wine to drink. …
• … when you’ve had quite enough of spam phone calls
• … when you’re waiting for an ice storm
• … when everyone (and it does seem like everyone) wants to buy your house