Blue State Carpetbagger's Red State Wine Blog

Happy 2012 and Big Changes

2012-01-05T16:10:00.000-06:00

In two days I will be moving from Houston to Northern Virginia to take an exciting new job. I'll have to change the name of the wine blog, I guess, since Virginia is more of a purple state than a red state. But having visited that area many, many times for vacations and holidays (many members of my wife's extended family are in that area), I know of several interesting wine shops and hope to discover many more. So my plan is to keep on blogging after I get settled in. There may be a brief (or slightly more than brief) hiatus, however, during the transition.

Best wishes to all of my blog visitors for the new year!

2010 Chateau L'Ermitage COSTIERES DE NIMES Rose (Rhone Valley, France)

2012-01-05T16:04:00.002-06:00

A great value in a crisp, fresh, dry, flavorful rose.

Very light bubblegum pink with coppery highlights. Beautifully fruity nose of strawberry, watermelon, and crisp grapes, with a note of brothy earthiness adding some complexity. Direct, fresh, and fairly full-bodied for a rose, yet not heavy at all. Loads of minerally crisp cherryish fruit, and a clean, buoyant finish. B+. Imported by Miller Squared. I think I got this for around $10 at Spec's on Weslayan, but I'm not 100% sure.

(Sorry: 2008 depicted)

2007 Domaine Philippe Gilbert MENETOU-SALON Rouge (Loire Valley, France

2012-01-05T15:51:00.000-06:00

I had heard of and enjoyed red Sancerre before, but I did not know until I saw this wine that the nearby town of Menetou-Salon (known for its Sauvignon Blanc-based whites) made any red at all. This was a very nice, lean, light, minerally Pinot Noir.

Light garnet color with some amber at the rim. Intensely earthy/barnyardy at first, but that blew off after a while and the wine displayed classic PN scents of minerally-infused, zippy but sappy cherry fruit and dry spice cake. Fills the mouth with flavors but feels very light on its feet, with bone-dry spiced cherry extract and a long, stony/minerally finish. Excellent acids. Long, clingy finish. Very distinctive. A-. Imported by Neal Rosenthal, I got this for about $30 at Houston Wine Merchant.

(Sorry: 2006 pictured)

2007 La Bastide Blanche BANDOL (Provence, France)

2012-01-05T15:41:00.000-06:00

This was a classic example of a Bandol red -- deep, a little rustic in texture (from the Mourvedre) but slowly opening with air time to reveal great, earthy scents and deep flavors. Would be fantastic with a French pot roast like a daube.

Nearly saturated black ruby with a brick tint. Closed and unyielding at first, but after being opened a few days under Vacu-Vin closure, it showed a very fragrant, low-toned nose of ripe berry and plum fruit, with lots of sweaty, earthy scents. Still very tannic-feeling in the mouth, but with nicely-developed, ripe flavors of fragrant earth, spicy dark berry fruit, and a hint of minerally baker's chocolate. Long, tannic finish. This will keep and improve for 4-7 years in a cool cellar. Impressive, traditionally-styled Bandol. A. Imported by Weygandt-Metzler, I can't remember where I got this or for how much. Sorry!

2007 Mounts Family Winery ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley)

2012-01-05T15:20:00.000-06:00

A large-scaled, nicely-rendered Zin. Harmonious and rich.

Dark ruby-garnet color. Closed nose at first, but opened the second day (under a Vacu-Vin closure) to reveal lovely, sweet black raspberry scents, along with sweet wisps of high-toned woodsmoke and brown sugar. Full-bodied, rich, and deep, with ripe, mouthcoating fruit and a subdued, earthy/minerally component that grows on the long, warm finish. B+. Was about $23 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2005 Chateau Caronne-Ste. Gemme HAUT-MEDOC (Bordeaux, France)

2012-01-05T15:13:00.000-06:00

A decent, but unexciting, Bordeaux. A little too thin and diluted for my taste.

Dark black ruby color with some brick at the rim. Medium intensity nose of slightly scorched gravel, old cedar shavings, and a bit of bright plummy fruit. Fades in the mouth quickly, however, ending with drying tannins and scorched mineral, brambly blackberry, and dried leave flavors. B-. About $20 at Spec's. Not worth it.

2007 Dry Creek Vineyards "Old Vine" ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley)

2012-01-05T15:06:00.000-06:00

A very nicely-done, larger framed but balanced Zin. For those who favor a lusher, richer style of Zin.

Nearly saturated black ruby color. Rich nose of spicy blackberry syrup, and crumbling, warm sandstone. Deep and mouthfilling, it features stone-infused dark berry fruit and a long, warm, intensely clingy finish. Very full-bodied, but avoids being ponderous or out of balance. A real mouthful. B+. This was a gift, but Spec's sells it for just under $25.

2009 Fausto ROSSO PICENO (Marche, Italy)

2011-12-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

Rosso Piceno is the basic everyday red of the Marche region, and this one is a very direct, typical example. It's a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Not sure of the proportions in this example. No delusions of grandeur or pretension: just straightforward and satisfying. And a decent value as well.

Very dark black ruby/violet. Strong scents of pungent gravel and tangy plums, along with a hint of parmesan cheese rind. Direct and mouthfilling. Loads of winey berry fruit and some rustic tannin are the strongest impressions. Good acidity too. Medium full body. Would work well with meat braised in tomatoes and wine, or pasta with a meat sauce. B. Was $13 and change at Spec's on Smith. Imported by Angelini Selections.

2009 Domaine Notre Dame des Pallieres RASTEAU (Cotes du Rhone Villages) (France)

2011-12-25T15:01:00.001-06:00

Needs a little time to open up, but it's a solid effort and a decent value.

Crystal clear dark ruby garnet color. Closed the first night, with earthy, brambly scents predominating; the second night it was more friendly-smelling, with sweet baking spices, plummy dark berry fruit, crushed stone and dry gravel scents. Soft, enveloping, warm flavors of dry blackberry and slightly scorched dry gravel. A fair amount of tannin in the medium length, pure finish. B. I can't find the receipt, and can't remember where I got this, but I seem to recall it was under $15. I'll come back and update if my memory suddenly sparks. A Douglas Skopp Selection imported by Dionysus Imports.

(Sorry, 2004 shown)

2009 Remo Farina RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE (Veneto, Italy)

2011-12-17T13:07:00.001-06:00

I previously reviewed the 2006 iteration of this wine -- which I liked a lot -- and I like this one equally. Very favorable smell-and-flavor-to-price ratio. Lots of bang for the buck.

Dark ruby garnet color. Exuberant nose of almost pungent cherry and plum extract, baking spices, and crushed stone. Intensely flavorful -- but not heavy or jammy at all -- with penetrating fruit attacking the palate. Some fine-grained tannins give texture, with dark cherry extract fruit then turning just a tad bitter (in a good way) and earthy as the finish wore on. Full-bodied, but with respectable acidity. No heat at all in the long finish. A textbook ripasso-style Valpo with loads of character. A. Was $18.99 at Central Market, making it a very good value. Imported by Banville & Jones Wines.

2010 Dauvergne Ranvier LUBERON "Vin Gourmand" (Rhone Valley, France)

2011-12-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

This was a great value. Very old-fashioned southern Rhone flavor profile in a smooth-textured package. A must buy for holiday parties, to have on hand when guests unexpected pop by, and for weeknight dinners.

Dark black ruby with magenta highlights. Closed nose at first, but with air it displayed a rich, iodiney nose of dark sweet berries, baking spices, warm sandstone, and sweet cream. Mouthfilling, with loads of texture from smooth nano-tannin, it had inky, iodine-laced dark berry syrup flavors. Good acids for balance. Performing way above its pay grade. Imported by The Sorting Table, this was $10 and change at Spec's on Smith. B+

2007 James Petit "Cuvee Ronsard" BOURGUEIL (Loire Valley, France)

2011-12-15T22:13:00.000-06:00

A nice lighter style Loire red, its nose and flavors could not have been more cognitively dissonant.

A medium black ruby color, this wine's floral and sweet berry fruit nose suggested that this wouldn't be a typical, earthy, machine oil-tinged, bitter herbal Cab France . . . but not so! The flavors screamed Cab Franc and had all the clingy, slightly bitter, earthy/herbal components you'd ever want, but in a lighter style, with very nice acids as well. It went very well with a simply roasted chicken. B. Imported by Neal Rosenthal, this was about $22 at Spec's on Smith.

(Sorry, 2005 depicted).

2008 Chateau St. Jean de la Gineste CORBIÈRES "Vieilles Vignes" (Southern France)

2011-12-15T22:06:00.002-06:00

A wine a geologist could love. Wicked gravelly and stony.

Dark blackish ruby/garnet. Intensely gravelly dark stony nose, with some dark berry fruit underneath. Peppery, intensely stony flavors as well, with lots of cling and bite. Good acidity and some tannic structure. Shows loads of terroir but not a whole lot of friendly fruit. Needs rustic food; not to be sipped by itself. B-. Was $11.99 at Houston Wine Merchant. A Becky Wasserman Selection.

(Sorry, 2009 depicted)

2006 Ridge SYRAH "Lytton Estate" (Dry Creek Valley, Cal.)

2011-12-09T18:00:00.000-06:00

Our friends the Murphys bought this at Ridge when they were out there visiting a coupla months ago, and were nice enough to share it with us recently. It's available only at the winery or if you're a member of the Ridge "Advanced Tasting Program" (which is well-worth being on if you have the wherewithal.)

It was outstanding. Very much a "Ridge style" wine, with great depth, length, and linear flow, without being too heavy, too jammy, too alcoholic, or too tannic. In other words, everything in perfect balance. Great nose of dark, ripe berries, bacon drippings, and dry gravel. Loved it. Perfectly mature, though seemed like it could hold for several more years.

Mom & Dad's Visit -- last coupla rounds

2011-12-03T15:35:00.003-06:00

Mom and Dad have gone back to Massachusetts, but we went through quite a few goods wines during the last week of their visit:

2007 "Rosso del Vulcano" AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE -- This was an excellent, balanced, flavorful, traditional styled Aglianico. Great, minerally, gravelly nose with deep winey, berry fruit. Excellent balance and persistence. Not too tannic and, best of all, no smell or flavors of new French oak. ($17.99 from Houston Wine Merchant).

2009 Chateau Thivin CÔTE DE BROUILLY -- Outstanding old school Beaujolais. Gobs of minerally, rich, crunchy cherry fruit. Vivacious and deep-flavored. Smooth, clingy, and refreshing.

2009 Domaine Diochon MOULIN-À-VENT "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" -- This wine pointedly displayed the typical difference between the neighboring Beaujolais applelations of Moulin-á-Vent and Cote de Brouilly (or the Moulins and ANY of the other Beaujolais appellations): The Moulins are typically earthier, larger-framed, more structured and austere, and less overtly fruity. (This one fit the profile to a "t".) In a word, they are -- at least to me -- more challenging to drink. Some would argue that makes it the best Beaujolais appellation. I just think it's different, and I usually go for the non-Moulin style when I'm considering drinking a Beaujolais.

2009 Leitz Rudesheimer Magdalenenkreuz RIESLING Spatlese (Rheingau, Germany) -- A fantastic, more than slightly sweet Riesling, with piercing peachy, apricot fruit, coupled with intensely minerally (almost petrolly) notes, and a dark tea leaf aspect. Fantastically balanced, with outstanding acidity and a great, pure finish. Loved it.

2010 King Estate "Vin Glacé" RIESLING (Oregon) -- This "fake" Eiswein (the grapes were harvested late and then frozen by the winemaker and crushed, as opposed to being harvested late while frozen, then crushed) was a fantastic buy in a dessert Riesling. Intensely fruity, with loads of pure peach/apricot fruit, a tad bit of minerality, and intense acidity adding lift to the finish. Was about $14 for the half bottle at Spec's on Smith, making it a steal for a delicious, lighter-styled dessert wine.

2007 Selection Laurence Féraud GIGONDAS (Rhone Valley, France) -- A classically-styled Gigondas. Loads of herbal, austere, iodiney-minerally fruit on the nose. Fairly full, with that classic Gigondas austere feel, but with an excellent, clingy finish. Great with winter stews and wine-braised pot roasts.

2008 Francine et Olivier Savary CHABLIS "Selection Vieilles Vignes" (No. Burgundy, France) -- A traditionally styled, austere, earthy, straw and broth-scented Chardonnay. Lean, penetrating, and with loads of crisp, earth-tinged, apply fruit. Very nice.

Mom & Dad's Visit -- Round three

2011-11-27T14:01:00.003-06:00

2009 Domaine Perraud MACON-VILLAGES "Vieilles Vignes" -- This unoaked Chardonnay was large-framed, earthy, with lots of wet straw and gravel scents, along with intense pear/apple fruit. Very nice.

2010 Chateau Soucherie ROSE DE LOIRE "Cuvee L'Astree" -- This rose, which I believe is Cabernet Franc-based, was ridiculously crisp, fresh, floral and zesty, with excellent minerality and sweet/tart strawberry fruit. Excellent.

2009 Three Vineyards "Old Vines Field Blend" (Contra Costa County, Cal.) -- Much bigger, riper, and in-your-face than the 2008 (which I've previously reviewed here), this wine would be an excellent choice on a cold fall or winter evening with a beef stew.

2008 Umani Ronchi LACRIMA DI MORRO D'ALBA "Fonte del Re" (Marche, Italy) -- This wine is grown in the hills where my grandfather was born, and is quite unique in its aromas and flavors. It's got an intense, bitter dark plum/grape and licorice aroma, with a bit of dry gravelly earth, and is both mouth-filling and palate-cleansing at the same time. Very nice accompaniment to rich, meat and tomato sauces and braises.

2002 Selbach RIESLING EISWEIN (Mosel, Germany) -- Wow. Light tawny-copper color. Intense, complex nose leaps out, with honey, apricot, bright citrusy acids, and sweet earth. Utterly ridiculous in the mouth, with mouthfilling richness and honeyed, intensely sweet fruit, but juxtaposed with such vibrant intense acids that it literally makes your mouth water. Fantastic, long finish. In 500 ml bottle, so a little more to enjoy than the typical dessert 375. This wine will last another several years.

Mom & Dad's visit -- next few rounds

2011-11-25T11:56:00.003-06:00

Louis Roederer CHAMPAGNE Brut Premier -- Very nice, toasty, yeasty, apply scented, on the lighter side but with a very long, crisp finish and great persistence of bubbles.

2010 Pascal Granger "La Jacarde" BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES BLANC (!) -- A rare white Beaujolais, from Chardonnay grapes and completely unoaked. It has a ridiculously fresh, fruity fragrance with crisp peach and ripe apple fruit, and was nicely balanced, medium-light bodied, and as fresh as cotton sheets lined-dried on a crisp, sunny fall day. ($21 at Houston Wine Merchant). Get this.

2008 Core GRENACHE Santa Barbara County -- Tasted like freshly crushed plum and raspberry juice. Very unusual, but good. After a couple of days an herbal side came out.

2008 Chono SYRAH (Elqui Valley, Chile) -- Previously reviewed here, this wine remains a fantastic value. (Available at Houston Wine Merchant and at Central Market).

2009 August Kesseler SPATBURGUNDER (Pinot Noir) ROSE (Rheingau, Germany) -- Fragrant, with crisp, light cherry and floral fruit, and surprisingly large -framed for a German wine. Unique and good.

2006 Ottimino ZINFANDEL "Von Weidlich Vineyard" (Russian River Valley, Cal.) -- Very elegant Zin, showing the classic profile of a Zin with some bottle age, which tends to mute the up-front fruit and bring out a brambly quality. More depth than the previously reviewed "Ottimino Vineyard" bottling from this producer.

Mom & Dad's visit -- first few wines

2011-11-20T14:09:00.001-06:00

Mom and Dad are down from New England for a visit, and that means breaking out some of the "non-value-oriented-stuff." After all, they deserve it, and at their age, making the trip is pretty grueling.

2010 Cantina Terlan PINOT BIANCO (Alto Adige, Italy) -- I expected a leaner, more minerally expression of Pinot Bianco, given the climate and the vintage, but this was a bit fatter than I'm used to seeing in Italian whites, with very good, straightforward apple and slightly underripe peach fruit.

2008 Three Wine Company "OLD VINES FIELD BLEND" (Contra Costa County, Cal.) -- I previously reviewed and liked this very much, and it's still drinking really well. Deep, soft, a little earthy, and with good weight and balance.

2009 Jakob Schneider NIEDERHAUSER HERMANNSHOHLE RIESLING SPATLESE (Nahe, Germany) -- A ridiculously pure, sweet, and crisp Riesling. Unbelievable purity and intensity of fruit. Sweeter and riper (seemed more like an Auslese) and would have served beautifully as a refreshing dessert wine. As it an aperitif, which was how we drank it, it was maybe a tad too sweet for most tastes, but we all thought it was killer.

2008 Poggio Antico ROSSO DI MONTALCINO (Tuscany, Italy) -- Very low-toned in the nose and flavors, with deep bass berry fruit buried under loads of minerally, schist-rich gravelly scents. Drinking very well now.

2009 Chateau La Tour Beraud COSTIERES DE NIMES (Southern Rhone, France)

2011-11-12T17:03:00.001-06:00

Go to Spec's on Smith and get some of the value-priced, loaded-with-character gem! This blend of Syrah, Grenache, Marselan (a grape that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache), and Mourvedre was intensely-flavored, balanced, and very old school in style, with lots of earthy, iodiney notes augmenting the spicy fruit.

Dark black ruby with a bit of magenta-tinting. Intense nose of tangy blackberry and boysenberry fruit, accented with quite a snootful of iodine-infused dark stony gravel scents. Intensely clingy, dark flavors of deeply-roasted herbs, slightly bitter blackberry extract, and scorched, iodiney earth. Full-bodied, but with good overall balance. This is a muscular, old-fashioned style Southern Rhone with lots of oomph but in a slightly more civilized frame than you'd expect. A-. Was $13 and change at Spec's on Smith. Imported by Rhone specialist J&R Selections.

2006 Ottimino ZINFANDEL "Ottimino Vineyard" (Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Cal.)

2011-11-12T16:52:00.000-06:00

Ottimino is a relatively small production Zinfandel specialist known for making structured, age-worthy, balanced Zins that have lower alcohol and less jamminess than many of Zin producers that get more press. The Russian River Valley is a little cooler than most of the other regions where Zin is grown in Sonoma and Napa, so I imagine that makes it a bit easier to achieve this style there. This wine, from one of the younger vineyards Ottimino bottles, was very good. As the vines get older, I expect wines from this vineyard to add a little more depth to the mid-palate.

Surprisingly youthful (for a 5 year old Zin) dark ruby color. Deep nose of ripe blackberry, smoky peat, and baker's chocolate (the latter probably from new oak). In the mouth, an immediate rich presence of inky, chocolatey, plummy fruit coats the mouth, and there quite a bit of tannin too. A little hollowness in the mid-palate then leads to a dark, smoky, chocolatey finish where the tannin coating the sides of your mouth is the last thing to leave. Drink over the next 2 years. B+. I got this as part of a 6-bottle Ottimino sampler from Wineaccess.com, at a price that worked out to about $22 per bottle.

2007 "El Castro de Valtuille" MENCIA Joven (Bierzo, Spain)

2011-11-06T12:07:00.000-06:00

This intensely-extracted wine, made from the indigenous Mencia varietal, needs 3-5 more years of cellaring, but is enjoyable now if you're not averse to a bit of a tannic blast.

Almost completely saturated black ruby. Rich nose of dark, blackberry extract, scorched earth, and pungent crushed stones. Tannic, rich, dry, and slightly astringent in the mouth. A highly-extracted bruiser of a wine. Good length, bone dry. B(+). Was $16.99 at Houston Wine Merchant. Imported by Boutique Wine Collection, Phila., PA.

2007 Louis Jadot SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE PREMIER CRU "LA DOMINODE" (Red Burgundy, France)

2011-11-06T11:58:00.001-06:00

Not worth the $30 price or up to the premier cru pedigree. Too thin and angular.

Medium light ruby garnet. Medium intensity nose of tart, wild cherry fruit and pungent crushed stones, with a hint of freshly-baked bread. Loose, somewhat diluted flavors of sharp, bone dry, winey cherry fruit and dry, stony minerals, with a squeeze of lemon rind. Good acidity, a little bit of tannin. A bit of bitterness in the disappointingly short finish. This wouldn't be worth complaining about if it were a $15 generic Bourgogne Rouge, but at double that price and from a premier cru vineyard, disappointing. B-. Was $30 and change at Spec's on Smith.

2006 Terra del Re AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE "Vultui" (Campagnia, Southern Italy)

2011-11-06T11:49:00.001-06:00

A highly-extracted, tannic red that may not have the fruit to outlive the tannin. Fairly nice now if you don't mind a bit of rusticity.

Completely saturated black ruby with a brickish tint. Reasonably deep, low-toned nose of dark plummy fruit, menthol, and pungently minerally earth. Intensely tannic in the mouth, with somewhat rough, mouthcoating flavors of dry blackberry and scorched, stony minerals. Good acidity for such a big boy. The tannin suggests more age is required to smooth it out, but the modest fruit concentration might not be up to the task. I'm on the fence as to whether to drink this now or risk it and wait another 2-3 years. B. Was $22.99 at Houston Wine Merchant. Imported by Empson Selections.

2010 Domaine Balandras MÂCON-SERRIÈRES "Les Gravières" (Red!) (Southern Burgundy, France)

2011-11-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

A very fun 100% Gamay red from the Mâcon region, which is almost exclusively known for its inexpensive whites from the Chardonnay grape. Consider it a nice, but obscure, alternative to Beaujolais (which is the adjoining region known for its reds).

Dark ruby garnet color. Direct, crushed rock-infused crisp dark cherry and grape aromas. Lively, medium-bodied and flavorful, this wine isn't very concentrated or complex, but balanced, crisp, and untiring to drink. Lots of crisp, dark cherry flavors. Clean, medium long finish. When you are in the mood for a refreshing wine to have with dinner, this is a great choice. Will go well with a wide range of dishes. B. Imported by Fruit of the Vines. I can't find the receipt for this one. I think I may have gotten it for about $15 at Central Market, but don't quote me on that.

(Sorry - 2005 depicted).

2009 Domaine la Soleiade VACQUEYRAS (Southern Rhône, France)

2011-11-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

A solid value, flavorful Côtes du Rhône. 55% Grenache, 45% Syrah.

Very dark dark mulberry ruby. Medium intensity nose of cassis, sweet blackberry extract, crushed dark stones, and a bit of scorched earth. Rich, deep, and tannic, with extracted dark berry fruit and stony earth/iodiney flavors. Good weight, good balance, and good length. Could use, and should improve with, 2-3 years of cellaring. B+. $14.99 on sale at Whole Foods on Bellaire. Imported by Fruit of the Vines.

2009 Palama "Arcangelo" PRIMITIVO (Puglia, Italy)

2011-11-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

Simple, flavorful, and interesting, with a tad of residual sugar, but definitely worth the on-sale price of $5.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.

Medium soft ruby garnet color. Sweet tangy, plummy/grapy fruit, with a tiny bit of high-toned rock dust. Soft and ripe, with jiggly plum and very slightly prunish fruit. Unstructured and fleshy, in a loose sort of way. A tad bit of residual sugar, but otherwise a clean, pure, fruity finish. Medium full body. B-. Imported by Small Vineyards Selections.

2007 Lolonis ZINFANDEL (Redwood Valley, Mendocino County)

2011-11-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

A lively, full-flavored good value, and organic to boot!

Very bright crystalline dark ruby/garnet. Bright, spicy black raspberry and black cherry fruit, accented with some noticeable but unobtrusive American oak. Vigorous spicy black raspberry fruit in the mouth. Some tannin clings the walls of your mouth, but it's soft. Good acids. Finish is fairly long and has some nice zing to it. Not a complex or super-deep Zin, but a total pleasure to drink either alone or with a meal. B+. Was $16.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2007 Hans Wirsching SILVANER Dry (Franken, Germany)

2011-10-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

This was a fragrant, fun white that would be a great wine to bring to a friend's house for dinner in a brown bag to stump all the guests.

Light, brassy gold with greenish glints. Exuberant, and, surprisingly for a 4 year old white, youthful scents of green apples, gooseberries, and dark, sweet stony minerals. After that nose, one would expect the wine to have some significant weight in the mouth, but unbelievably, it has virtually no weight at all. Despite its weightlessness, it's got some nice, dry flavors of green apple juice and stones. Good acidity keeps it lively, and it has a clean, herb-tinged finish. Very unique! B+ on an absolute quality scale, but maybe an A- if you factor in uniqueness. A Rudi Wiest Selection (great German importer), this wine was $13 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett.

"Little James Basket Press" (St. Cosme) (non-vintage, but says "Bottled in year 2010) (Rhone Valley, France)

2011-10-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

This non-vintage Rhone blend is always a good value.

Sultry, nearly saturated black ruby. Earthy, gravelly nose with ripe, low-toned raspberryish fruit. Soft, mouthfilling flavors feature lots of minerally stoniness and bone dry dark berry fruit, along with a bit of scorched earth. Little bit of tannin in the finish. Good balance and relatively full body. Excellent choice for a very good weekday dinner wine. Solid B. Imported by The Stacole Company. Was about $10 at Spec's on Smith.

2009 Christophe Cordier "Les Grandes Plantes" BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES (France)

2011-10-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

A simple, modern-style Beaujolais in the Georges Deboeuf style. I'm not a fan of this style, but if you like Deboeuf wines you will certainly like this better than I did.

Vibrant, purple-tinged dark ruby. Straightforward black cherry and berry fruit on the nose. Lacks that piercing cracked-stone minerality of the old-school Beaujolais I like. Direct, mouthfilling ripe fruit coats the mouth, but at least it's completely dry, so cloyingness is minimized. Good acidity, and a short, direct finish, with a surprising amount of tannin. C+/B-. Imported by Robert Kacher, this wine was $18 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett.

2009 Cartlidge & Brown ZINFANDEL (Sonoma County, Cal.)

2011-10-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

Cheap and flavorful but not in the style I prefer -- it was very oaky.

Dark ruby color with a slight brickish tinge. Ripe, low-toned sweet berry and vanilla-oak scents, with some loamy soil notes underneath. Ripe, mouthfilling, soft, and full. A tad of residual sugar. Simple red berry and oak flavors, with a clean, decent finish. B-. About $12 at Spec's.

2008 Cuvée de Peña VDP Pyrénées Orientales (Southwest France)

2011-10-14T23:36:00.001-05:00

Grown not too far from ~~Basque country~~ the Catalonia region of Spain, I haven't seen this value red in several years. It's still a great value, and still very good. Ugly label, however. One of the ugliest I've seen in a while. A blend of 40% Grenache, 38% Carignan, 12% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre.

Dark blackish ruby. After significant airing, a medium intensity nose of mixed berry fruit and smoky, slightly scorched earth emerges. Very nice in the mouth -- soft, but with some nice tannic structure; ripe and mouthfilling, but not too heavy or too low in acidity. Long, minerally finish. B+. Fantastic buy at around $8 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett. Imported by Hand Picked Selections.

2008 Domaine de Fontsainte CORBIÈRES (Southern France)

2011-10-14T23:25:00.002-05:00

Good, solid red, but not a repeat purchase. It's a blend of 60% Carignan; 30% Grenache Noir; 10% Syrah.

Very dark, blackish ruby. Soft, somewhat shy nose of gently-smoky gravel and crushed blackberries. Soft-textured in the mouth, with medium intensity dark berry fruit and a slight unsweetened cocoa-tinged gravelly earthiness. Finishes a bit short, but the medium-bodied wine has nice balance and is easy to drink. B. Drink over the next 18 months. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I got this for $14.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2009 VIÑA BORGIA (Campo de Borja, Spain)

2011-10-14T18:03:00.002-05:00

This dirt cheap 100% Garnacha is usually an excellent and reliable value, but the 2009 was not quite as good as in previous vintages.

Very dark ruby with a slight violet tinge. Angular nose of dried wicker and dusty black cherry. Chalky, slightly bitter dry cherry syrup flavors, leaving a flat-ish bitter note coating the mouth. Not bad, but I'd skip this vintage wait until the 2010s appear. C+. About $7 at Spec's.

2009 Chono Chardonnay "San Lorenzo Estate" (Maipo Valley, Chile)

2011-10-14T17:56:00.001-05:00

Great value in a bright, flavorful, unoaked Chardonnay.

Very light, bright gold color. Bright, intense nose of crushed limestone powder and crisp apply fruit. So bright and tingly on the nose it almost makes you want to sneeze. Smells like a good Macon on steroids and caffeine. Intensely minerally, stony flavors with puckery lemon juice and green apple fruit. No traces of oak whatsoever, and all the better for it. Not complex, but loaded with true character. B+. Was $12.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2005 Tabarrini MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO "Grimaldesco" (Umbria, Italy)

2011-10-11T23:34:00.001-05:00

Another wine Angy & I opened during his visit, from the unique Sagrantino varietal that is, I believe, grown only in Umbria. This one shared the unique intensely spiced nose (cinnamon was closest I could come to describing it) and huge weight I've seen in the few other Sagrantinos I've drunk, but it was more minerally than others I've had. It was also extremely tannic. A large framed, chiseled wine for the long haul. Pretty good acids. It was a little rough to sip on its own, but once we started in on the rich braised lamb shanks we had, it went very well, cutting through the richness of the dish. I think I got this from B-21 Wines in Florida several months ago for $39.

Short notes on wines from my brother's visit

2011-10-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

My brother Angy (Angelo) was visiting over the weekend. Drank some good stuff and cooked some good Italian food. Here are the quick notes from memory (I didn't have time in all the activity to take contemporaneous, detailed notes).

2006 Nino Negri VALTELLINA SUPERIORE "Quadrio" (Lombardy, Italy) -- Nebbiolos from the Valtellina are an inconsistent lot. At their best, they are fragrant, lean, lighter versions of the more familiar Nebs from Piemonte. At their worst, they are just plain thin. Not sure if it's a tendency to overcrop in this region or just the difficulty of growing Nebbiolo in the Alpine foothills. This was a good one. Classic Nebbiolo nose of piercing dried cherry, laced with the stoney minerals this region can display. ($20 from Houston Wine Merchant.)

2005 Nicolas Joly SAVENNIERES "Les Clos Sacres" (Loire Valley) -- Try as I might I just haven't been able to get into dry Chenin Blancs. I don't get the allure. Even this biodynamically grown version from one of the region's most respected winemakers wasn't all that pleasurable. Pungent nose showing some intensely-petrolly (verging on nail polish) scents overpowering some ripe guava fruit. Some oxidation showed though in the back half of the palate, which is disappointing given this wine's reputation to age for a few years.

2000 Giuseppi Quintarelli VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy) -- From one of Italy's most revered and iconoclastic old-school winemakers, this cult Valpo absolutely ROCKED. Every sniff and sip was different as this wine went through an amazing metamorphosis. Plums, berries, smoke, earth, humus, baking spices, peat, this list of flavors and smells went on until we killed it. Was $70 from Houston Wine Merchant. Outrageously pricey for a Valpo, I know, but I hadn't had a Quintarelli wine since I was living in NYC in the 80s, and when I saw it just before Angy's trip, I had to get it. (Sorry, 1999 shown.)

2007 Storybook Mountain Vineyards ZINFANDEL "Mayacamas Range" (Napa Valley, Cal.) -- I vacillate between Storybook and Ridge as my favorite Zin producer, but I guess I have to give a slight edge to Storybook. The purity, elegance, and understatedly firm structure is unique among California Zins. This one was a real treat, showing ridiculously pure cherry/black raspberry fruit, excellent stony minerality, and no noticeable oak intruding on any of its inherent virtues. Fantastic balance, texture, and length. Was around $30 at Spec's on Smith a couple of months ago . . . not sure if they have any left.

2007 Scilio ETNA ROSSO (Sicily, Italy)

2011-10-01T11:19:00.000-05:00

I'm seeing many more Sicilian wines on the market these days, and to my taste Etna Rosso is usually one of the most elegant ones. Even though Sicily bakes under an intense sun, Etnas tend to retain good acidity and balance.

This one was a little older than I usually look for in an Etna, but it was still drinking very well, and was one of the most minerally wines I've ever drunk. Like drinking the liquid essence of barren volcanic soil. Very good, and very unique. Terroir freaks (I guess I'm kind of one) may enjoy it more than those who like lots of fruit or lots of oak or both.

Dark ruby garnet in color. Loads of minerals and smoky, gun flinty gravel beat out the winey cherry and plummy fruit. Full-bodied (14.5% alc.), but had a soft texture and good acidity. Not much tannin. Nothing but smoky minerals on the finish. B+/A-. Drink over the next year so the fruit doesn't totally pack up and leave. Was about $20 at Houston Wine Merchant. Imported by North Berkeley Imports.

2009 "Picos del Montgo" Old Vines GARNACHA (Carinena, Spain)

2011-09-28T21:36:00.002-05:00

Raspberries, raspberries, raspberries. This wine has a one-track mind, but I'm not arguing. It's delicious and cheap.

Deep and vibrant ruby with violet highlights. The nose of this wine is buckets of super pure, ripe, tangy oozing raspberries. Unbelievable purity. Lively and full-bodied, this wine features perfectly ripe, balanced raspberry fruit along with juts a wee bit of dry, minerally, stony gravel. Finish is decently long but very pure, with some soft tannin on display. Not complex, and lacking just a bit of concentration in the second half of the palate, but otherwise a real kick to sniff and drink. Drink over the next 12-18 months. B+. Imported by Regency Wine Group (a California outfit I've never heard of), I got this from World Marketplace on Richmond near the West Loop for about $9 and change.

2008 Durigutti BONARDA (Mendoza, Argentina)

2011-09-25T21:08:00.002-05:00

Bonarda is a grape native to northwest Italy, in the Novara region, where it typically is blended with Nebbiolo (Spanna) in several of the DOC wines of the area (like Ghemme, Boca, Fara, etc.). On its own there, it's no great shakes, but in the Mendoza region of Argentina it seems to have more character. This one is a very good, flavor-filled everynight dinner wine, and an excellent value.

Very vivid, dark ruby/violet. Vivacious nose of tangy plum and mixed berry fruit, along with loads of chalky rock dust and a high-toned smoky component. Richly-fruited in the mouth, yet with a vibrancy that buoys up its full-bodied frame. Loads of rich, earthy, dry dark berry fruit fills the mouth, and leads to a long, clean, clingy finish with some noticeable but soft tannin. Not super complex, but very satisfying. B+. Will go with lots of pastas and Italian meat dishes, stews, and braises. Was $11 and change at Spec's on Smith.

UPDATE (11/28/11): I just read somewhere that Argentine Bonarda is NOT the same thing as the Bonarda grown in the Novara region of Italy, but, in fact, is the Charbono grape native to the Savoie region of France. Well, I guess that would explain why Argentine Bonarda tastes and feels very different from its Italian namesake.

2007 Domaine de la Terre Rouge TÊTE-À-TÊTE (Sierra Foothills, California)

2011-09-21T19:42:00.000-05:00

This was a very nice surprise! I'd seen this blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache (according to the winery website) in Spec's several times and almost picked it up, and finally my curiosity got the best of me. And I was glad it did. It reminded me of a very well done, drinkable style Vacqueyras from the Rhone.

Blackish dark ruby. Loads of stony minerals and spicy blackberry fruit in the nose. Mouthfilling and medium full-bodied, it was filled with sandstoney, stony, iodine-laced dark berry fruit. Loads of soft tannin are present, and the flavors are very clingy in the long, pleasurable finish. A-. Was $14 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett. Get some of this!

2009 Atteca "Old Vines" GARNACHA (Grenache) (Calatayud, Spain)

2011-09-21T19:32:00.001-05:00

An excellent buy in a pure-tasting, very full-bodied but balanced red.

Rich, almost completely saturated black ruby/violet color. Inviting, forceful aromas of tangy, ripe, oozing blackberries and raspberries over fragrant, dry, stony gravel notes. Weighty and mouthfilling, this had very pure-tasting dark raspberry syrup fruit accented with smoky stoniness. Not very complex but very satisfying. Very full, but with good enough acids to carry it off. A bit of tannin and a tad bit of heat on the finish, but I wouldn't age a wine this high in alcohol that long; drink within the next 18 months. B+/A-. Imported by Jorge Ordonez, this was about $12 at Spec's.

2009 Foxglove ZINFANDEL (Paso Robles, Cal.)

2011-09-21T19:23:00.000-05:00

AVOID. This was flat, heavy, and lifeless. D- It was moderately-priced ($14 and change at Spec's), but it sucked.

2009 Domaine de le Chapelle MÂCON SOLUTRÉ POUILLY (White Burgundy, France)

2011-09-17T12:43:00.001-05:00

A superb, crisp, minerally, flavorful, unoaked Chardonnay. If you like Chablis Premier Crus but don't want to spend $30+ for a good one, this is your poor man's version.

Very unusual gold color that was inflected with almost a very light tan tint. Gorgeously fragrant nose of bright, chalky earth and crisp pear/green apple/not-quite-ripe-peach fruit. Bright, mouthwatering, pure flavors of slightly bitter citrus and pear over crushed limestone. Long, pure, clean finish. Very nicely done. A-. Was about $18 at Spec's on Smith. Imported by Weygandt-Metzler.

(Sorry, 2007 shown)

2009 Frey ZINFANDEL (Mendocino County, Cal.)

2011-09-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

This completely organic, sulfite-free wine was a decent value in a simple, balanced, everynight meal wine, but it didn't taste like a typical Zin.

Fairly-deep plummy ruby-garnet color. Direct and pure-smelling with spiced plum and cherry syrup fruit. Decently mouthfilling, with soft ripe red fruit that morphs in the finish into a toasted nut quality. Went really well with Chicken Parm with over spaghetti. Some tannin, but it's soft. B-. Was about $15 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett.

2007 Domaine de le Rossignole SANCERRE "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" (Loire Valley, France)

2011-09-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

Liquid extract of the chalky, prehistoric seashell-laden soil of this region. Old school. I love the Sauvignon Blancs from this "tri-town" area (encompassing Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, and Menetou-Salon).

Light, bright pure gold color. Very chalky, earthy (not in a barnyardy way, however) nose, with notes of tart citrus and chicken broth. Intensely limestone-y minerally flavors, with some lightly herbal, bone dry, crisp gooseberry fruit. Minerally finish goes on and on. Good acids and balance. Those who like fruitier or more overtly herbal styled Sancerres may not go for this one, but I did. A-. I got this for around $18 at Spec's on Richmond near the West Loop a few months ago, so they may be on to a more recent vintage by now.

2009 Chateau Robin (Lussac-St.-Emilion, Bordeaux, France)

2011-09-17T12:15:00.001-05:00

Solid, decent value, old-fashioned everyday Bordeaux. Mostly Merlot, with some Cab Franc and a little Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. Typical proportions for the St. Emilion side of the Gironde River.

Vivid blackish ruby. Nice, youthful nose of dried underbrush and plummy fruit, along with a bit of fragrant crushed stone. Bone dry and surprisingly tannic for a lower-end St. Emilion (which are usually made for short-term drinking), this wine grips the palate with dry cassis extract and brambly gravel flavors. Pretty good concentration, medium-full body, but a somewhat short finish. Not bad for the price. B-. Needs a year or two to settle down a bit more. Was $13.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2008 Firriato ETNA ROSSO (Sicily, Italy)

2011-09-05T21:54:00.001-05:00

This is a blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese 20% Nerello Cappuccio grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, and it is a WINNER. Just electric in its nose and mouthfeel, with complexity and great balance.

Vibrant dark ruby color. Fantastic nose of electric, stony/mineral-infused dark cherries with subtle wisps of fragrant woodsmoke. (Those words don't do it justice -- it smells captivating.) Intensely minerally and bright flavors. Like sucking on a mouthful of freshly chipped rocks and ripe/tart cherries mixed with cherry jam. Excellent acids make this thing dance, and the finish is long, clingy, and pure. It went awesomely (can awesome be an adverb?) with a spinach pasta in a rich, cured meats, basil and parsley laced tomato sauce with squares of melting fresh mozzarella. It will be a great accompaniment to any Italian tomatoey/winey braise or pasta dish. A. Imported by Margaux and Associates, I got this for about $20 at Spec's on Smith.

2009 Domaine La Manarine CÔTES DU RHÔNE (France)

2011-09-04T12:19:00.001-05:00

This is an extraordinarily elegant and balanced wine, particularly from such a "lowly" appellation. Excellent! A bit more expensive than most Côtes du Rhônes, but worth every penny.

Clear dark ruby with garnet highlights. Very pure nose of spicy blackberry, lightly roasted dried herbs, stony minerals, and a wisp of fragrant smoke. Very soft, mouthfilling flavors, yet with a light mouthfeel. Lots of herb/iodine-inflected dark berry fruit, followed by a clingy finish gradually revealing quite a bit of very soft tannin as the minerally notes fade away to show the structure underneath. Couldn't stop sniffing and sipping this one. A. Was $18.99 at Houston Wine Merchant on South Shepherd. Imported by Neal Rosenthal.

(Sorry: 2004 label depicted)

PS: Some Internet research reveals that ubiquitous Rhône consultant Phillipe Cambie lists this estate as one of the estates he consults on. I have criticized the growing use of Cambie before as a homogenizing force in the region (as other celebrity consultants are in other regions), but I have to admit, this is a really nice wine. I will have to put aside my predispositions/prejudices and give the guy's wines a fresh assessment.

2009 "Beso de Vino" (85% Syrah, 15% Garnacha) (Carinena, Spain)

2011-09-03T12:39:00.000-05:00

This was a pure tasting, simple but satisfying value-priced red. Great for weeknight meals.

Nearly saturated black ruby. Nose very fruity with loads of tangy raspberry and boysenberry scents over a little bit of smoky gravel. Soft and fleshy in the mouth, medium-full bodied, with nicely concentrated, direct berry fruit. Some very soft tannin lends a little structure. Decently long, pure-tasting finish. Everything nicely in balance. Drink over the next year. B+ Was $9 at Whole Foods on Bellaire. Imported by Steve Miles Selections.

2009 MontGras "QUATRO" (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, and 15% Syrah) (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

2011-08-30T22:11:00.001-05:00

I have had several vintages of this dark Chilean red and they have all been very good or better. This is another winner, and it remains a very good value.

Completely saturated plasma color. Wonderful nose of blackberry and ripe cassis, along with smoky balsa wood and lemony minerals. Rich, mouthfilling flavors of blackberry syrup, graphite, and iodine-laced minerals. Very full-bodied and tannic, but soft enough to drink now. This wine will easily compete with California Cabernets costing three times as much, but this wine has less obtrusive oak and will go better with food. Acidity is a bit low, but it doesn't feel flabby or out of balance. B+. I got this for around $13 at Kroger's on Westpark/Buffalo Speedway.

2007 Mas Champart SAINT-CHINIAN "Causse du Bousquet" (Languedoc, Southern France)

2011-08-30T22:00:00.001-05:00

A really good and distinctive wine at its peak.* 65% Syrah, 15% Grenache; 20% Mourvedre.

Completely saturated black color with ruby highlights. Deep, complex nose of blackberry compote, toasty, saline-tinged sandstone, and roast pork. Mouthfilling, yet not as heavy as the color would lead you to expect. It has intensely minerally/stony flavbors enveloping a core of very ripe cassis fruit. Loads of tannin but it is so fine-grained that the textural impression is soft. Very stone/minerally finish. Surprisingly good acidity for a wine from this region (that's not to say the acidity is high, but that it's not too low). Nicely balanced. A-. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I got this from Zachys.com several months ago for $16/bottle.

* I say "at its peak" because while it was still good the second night, it started to noticeably deteriorate the third night, even though I had it vacuum sealed. That generally indicates to me that a wine is at or near peaking.

Cheap Bourgogne Rouge Death Match (Bout 2)

2011-08-25T22:37:00.000-05:00

On the next card we have Domaine Pierre Labet (one of Spec's featured producers) versus the ubiquitous house of Louis Latour.

First Place: 2008 Domaine Pierre Labet Bourgogne Pinot Noir "Vieilles Vignes" -- Medium light ruby. Medium intensity nose of sappy, sour cherries and sweet, moist, smoky earth. Bone dry, but with decent concentration of fruit in the mid-palate, along with a pronounced stony minerality. Thins out a bit on the finish, but is clean and quite pleasant. Still a bit of tannin showing. Drink with the next 18 months. B. Imported by Horizon Wines, Houston. Was $19 and change at most Spec's stores.

Second Place: 2009 Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir -- Medium light ruby color. Shy but fresh nose of sour cherry and minerals, with some lemon coated rock dust. Crisp, very light flavors of vague cherry fruit and brambly twigs quickly spread through the mouth but thin out quickly. Some tannin but not much weight of flavor concentration. This wine has a bitterness that grows as the finish wears on. C. $16 and change at most Spec's stores (and lots of other places).

Moral of the Two Deathmatches: This Burgundian throwdown nicely displayed the difficult reality of searching for bargain Burgundian Pinot Noirs: the ones that are worth it (like the '09 Bertrand Ambroise) are few and far between. Many are OK, but I'm usually left wishing I had spent my $15-20 on a Chianti Classico, a Cotes du Rhone, a Zinfandel, a Spanish Grenache, or a small grower Beaujolais-Villages.

Cheap Bourgogne Rouge Death Match

2011-08-23T19:26:00.003-05:00

Since I wasn't able to do my Cotes du Rhone battle royale, when recent guests gifted me with a Joseph Drouhin "LaForet" Bourgone Pinot Noir -- a widely-available, reasonably-priced red burgundy -- I decided to pick two more at around the same price and open all three entry-level French PNs all at once.

The result: CHEAP BURGUNDY DEATH MATCH. I picked up the equally-widely-available and reasonably priced Louis Jadot Bourgogne, and, to throw in a David with these commercial Goliaths, a Bourgogne Rouge from the relatively smaller producer, Bertrand Ambroise. Here are the results.

1st Place: 2009 Bertrand Ambroise Bourgogne -- The nose was very youthful, like it had just been bottled, but it had more body and flavor than the other two. Bright ruby with magenta highlights. Big, youthful nose of concentrated, crushed cherry and pomegranate, along with rock dust and grated lemon zest. Youthful and mouthfilling (for a Bourgogne) with tightly wound black cherry and brambly earth flavors. Fine-grained tannin coats the mouth as the clingy finish wears on. This will keep and improve over the next three years. B(+) (which means it's a B right now, but with age should get better). Imported by Robert Kacher. $19 and change at Spec's on Smith.

2nd Place: 2008 Joseph Drouhin "Laforet" Bourgone Pinot Noir -- This was more developed in the nose, and had nice, correct Pinot flavors, but was a little light. Medium-light ruby showing a little amber hue. Bright nose of pure, sappy, crisp cherries and a hint of stoniness. Bright cherry fruit at first impression in the mouth, followed by some light but kind of coarse tannin. Clean, but short and thin finish. This is a pleasant wine but needs drinking up over the next 6 months. B-. Imported by Dreyfus-Ashby, it sells for $16 and change at Spec's.

3rd Place: 2008 Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir -- This was light on the nose, light and somewhat lacking in life in the mouth, but had a clean finish. Bright, medium ruby. Relatively closed nose reluctantly gives up scents of tart cherry candy and chalk. Correct but somewhat flat cherry flavors, but diluted-tasting. Clean, medium length finish. Drink over the next 12-18 months. C+. Imported by Kobrand, it was $17 and change at Spec's.

2009 Thibault Liger-Belair MOULIN-A-VENT "Vieilles Vignes" (Beaujolais, France)

2011-08-21T11:24:00.002-05:00

This was a very good, very large-boned, soulful wine. But I wasn't thrilled with it at first because it really tastes like it has little in common with Beaujolais from other towns in the region. I think I am coming to the realization that, even though Moulin-a-Vent is considered by many the pinnacle of Beaujolais, it's just not a style I like as Beaujolais as much as the other communes (like Cote de Brouilly, Julienas, Regnie, etc.) Moulin-a-Vents tend to be bigger, more structured, earthier, and do not have the crunchy, vibrant, granite-laced cherry fruit I love when I think of Beaujolais.

And perhaps that's my problem: I'm measuring Moulin-a-Vents against a Beaujolais background, when, really, to me, it tastes like something other than Beaujolais. Maybe I'd enjoy them more if I could purge my mind of "Beaujolais-think" when I'm drinking these.

Anyway . . . This had an almost completely saturated, very black-hued ruby color. It was extremely earthy at first in a dry, barnyardy kind of way, but after airing, intensely stony scents began to dominate, along with some crisp, dark cherry and plum skin fruit. It was mouthfilling and bone dry, with intense acidity as well. Exceedingly stony, minerally flavors dominate, but with blackberry fruit underneath all that terroir. Long, dry, intense, and fairly tannic (for Beaujolais) finish. This wine clearly needs some bottle ageing to settle down and let the flavors fill out to fit the physical structure of the wine. Still, it's very enjoyable with food right now. Just don';t think of it as a Beaujolais. Think of it more as a Gigondas, but made with Gamay instead of Rhone varietals. B+(+)*. Was $25 from B-21 Wines in Florida.

* The "(+)" means that the wine may well improve with 1-3 years in a cool cellar or wine fridge.

NV Segura Viudas BRUT ROSÉ (Spain)

2011-08-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

Our guests the Murphys brought this over, and it got polished off before I could take notes, so these impressions are from memory.

Very nice pink color and lots of fine, persistent bubbles. Great, fresh aromas of crisp, cool strawberries and bread. Very lively, fruity, and clean in the mouth, with really good balance. Very refreshing.

I was surprised how good this was, probably because of my own prejudices. When I was a wholesale wine rep in NYC in the early 80s, the most popular wine in my line was Freixenet (in the jet black bottle), and at that point Freixenet and the competing brands of Spanish sparklers were pretty characterless.

Spec's website lists this for $8 and change, making it a FANTASTIC VALUE.

2009 Rabbit Ridge ZINFANDEL "Estate Grown" (Paso Robles, Cal.)

2011-08-20T13:46:00.001-05:00

A bit too oaky and overripe for my taste. Those who like massive, thickly-fruity Zins with lots of new oak will like this better than I did.

Dark ruby with a hint of brick. Rich, very ripe nose: Sweet blackberry syrup and loads of smoky wood. Low-toned in the mouth, with inky flavors of dark, dry blackberry syrup, sweet oak, and graphite. Very low acidity and loads of body. Concentrated, but a bit overripe and out of balance (the label says 14.9% alc., which isn't that far over the top for Zin, but it tasted far riper than that). Very fine-grained tannin coats the mouth in the finish. B-. Was $15.57 at Spec's on Weslayan and Bissonnet.

2006 Tenuta Cocci Grifoni ROSSO PICENO "Le Torri" (Marche, Italy)

2011-08-20T13:36:00.002-05:00

This was a good, fairly classicly-styled Rosso Piceno, but it was a year or two past its prime.

General background to this lesser known Italian red: Rosso Piceno is the less distinguished, more common cousin of Rosso Conero. Both wines feature the intensely-flavored Montepulciano grape, but Rosso Conero is pure (or nearly so) Montepulciano, grown in the volcanic soil surrounding Monte Conero. Rosso Piceno is blended with substantial amounts of Sangiovese, and is grown is a more varied bunch of vineyard sites with more fertile, less volcanic soil. The result, generally speaking is that Conero is more intense and complex, and Piceno a bit lighter, with less depth and mineral complexity (and less ageing potential). Alas, however, producers in both regions are currently taken with the "international" style of winemaking (meaning stainless steel fermenters and ageing in brand new small French oak barrels), which tends to result in wines that have generic-tasting red fruit and scents of toasty oak. In other words, it tastes decent but you have a hard time distinguishing it from decent reds made anywhere else in the world. To my taste, the old school methods (fermenting in large wooden or concrete vessels and ageing in very large oak vats) tended to let the inherent qualities of the grapes and soil shine through much more. But it's getting harder and harder to find any of the traditionally made Marche reds in the U.S.

Back to the wine: Dark brickish ruby color. Mature, reasonably complex nose of smoked sandstone and dry twigs overshadows some dark, brandy-macerated cherry fruit. Inky but not heavy flavors of graphite and dark, low-toned plummy/blackberry fruit, along with gravelly notes. Soft texture and full-bodied, but with a relatively light mouthfeel. Those who like mature, rather than youthful, wines will like this more than I did. I would drink this up before next spring. B. Imported by Empson USA, I got this for $19.95 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2010 Chateau Routas "Rouviere" ROSÉ (Coteaux Varois en Provence, France)

2011-08-14T14:53:00.000-05:00

Fantastic rosé and a great value! But it tasted like a much more expensive Sancerre Pinot Noir rosé than a rosé from Provence -- which is strange given that this wine is a blend of Provencal varietals (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet) and has no Pinot Noir in it. But that's fine by me, since Sancerre rosés are my favorites.

Gorgeous, delicate light coppery color. Fresh, high-toned nose of flowers, strawberry, and chalky minerals. Beautiful, light-textured dry strawberry/cherry juice fruit in the mouth. Medium-light body and excellent, crisp acids. A little minerality in the clean finish completes it. If I were served this blind, there is no way I would have placed it as a Provencal rosé. This screams Sancerre. A. Was $11 and change at Spec's on Weslayan and Bissonnet.

Light summer pasta with vegetables

2011-08-13T12:22:00.002-05:00

I improvised this because when I was at Spec's (on Smith) last week, they had these great looking little baby zucchinis. I hope I'm remembering correctly what the heck I did. It was very nice.

1 lb box of pasta

Eight 2” baby zucchinis, cut into thin matchsticks

One good size carrot, peeled, cut into 2” pieces, then cut into matchsticks

One stalk crisp celery, cut into 2” pieces, then cut into matchsticks

¼ cup chopped onions

Three green onions (scallions), white part cut into thin rounds and green part into 1” long pieces

1/3 cup dry white wine

Two cloves garlic, lightly crushed

10 basil leaves, torn into small pieces

A few sprigs parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup good olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Red pepper flakes

Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Get pot of water boiling for pasta. While it’s heating, you’re going to slightly soften the veggies to “crisp tender”. You don’t want to brown them or make them mushy. Start with the ones that take the longest to soften and progress to the ones that cook quickest:

In 12” sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add carrot, garlic, and onions, and soften for a few minutes.

Add celery and soften a few minutes more.

Add zucchini and green onions and soften.

Watch the heat and time to avoid browning or making veggies too soggy.

Add white wine, salt and red and black pepper, bring quickly to a boil then simmer for a minute or two to reduce the wine a little. That’s it, veggies/sauce is done. Turn off heat. Drain pasta when done and toss with veggies/sauce and herbs.

Top with grated cheese if you like.

Serve with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc-based wine or a dry rosé.

2009 Chateau Magence GRAVES Blanc (White Bordeaux)

2011-08-13T10:34:00.001-05:00

This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (the typical white varietals that are blended together for most whites in this region) has LOTS of character--maybe too much for some--but is kind of a clumsy bruiser of a white.

Light gold color. Big, open, chameleon-like nose that changes on every sniff. First intensely grassy and burnt herbal (from the Sauvignon Blanc), then showing lots of waxy, lanolin scents (from the Semillon), then golden delicious apple and gooseberry scents. Big and mouthfilling, with loads of grassy/herbal fruit, but an intense bitterness hits the palate quickly and stays throughout the finish. It's dry and low in acidity, giving it a fleshier texture than many other whites from this region. If Alex Karras's Mongo character in Blazing Saddles was a white wine, this would be him. This wine will definitely polarize people. B-. Got it at Whole Foods on Bellaire for $13.99.

2007 Castello d'Albola CHIANTI CLASSICO (Tuscany, Italy)

2011-08-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

This was a solid, correct, if unexciting, Chianti.

Clear dark ruby color. Medium intensity nose of winey cherries and licorice, along with notes of scorched gravel. Lots of straightforward dark cherry fruit and scorched earth flavors. Soft texture and medium bodied, with just barely enough acidity to prevent it from being dull-feeling. A bit of gritty tannin in the mouth. Not complex, but identifiably Chianti and possessing decent character. B-. Was $16.99 on sale at Randall's on Buffalo Speedway and Holcombe. Imported by Zonin Imports.

Why I typically don’t drink certain stuff

2011-08-10T22:42:00.001-05:00

I’m prejudiced. I admit it. Against certain kinds of wines. I have stereotypical notions of them, and as a result, I just don’t buy and drink many of them. I don’t give them a chance to break the stereotype. I have a limited wine budget, and there are so many other kinds of wine I like better.

So in an exercise of reverse wine-blogging, I’m going to list the kinds of wines I typically don’t even consider buying and why. I’m not saying I’m right. It’s just my preferences and my opinions. But I thought it would be useful information for my 15 loyal readers.

California Cabernets

They tend to be expensive. And got tired of them. They all seem to be shooting for the same style. Big mouthcoating cassis/graphite and new oak flavors. No acidity, virtually no sense of where it came from. Plus, I don’t cook a hell of a lot that oaky, ripe, large-scaled Cabernet-based wines would complement.

California Merlots

I don’t buy these for a lot of the same reasons I don’t buy Cal Cabs. Plus, during the 1990s Merlot explosion, Merlot was planted all over the damn place, willy-nilly, to meet uncritical demand. So there’s just a lot of crappy Merlot, grown in places unsuited to it, floating around.

Classified Growth Bordeaux

They’re expensive. Many are over-oaked and picked too ripe, in an effort to please affluent wine drinkers who think in terms of the magnitude of fruit and easily discernable new oak. And like Cal Cabs, this style of Bordeaux doesn’t go with much that I cook (and as to those that might complement things like steaks and chops, I like other stuff better). That said, I do like a less expensive, non-oaky, non-overripe Cru Bourgeois every now and again.

Italian Whites

Now here I’m being very unfair. Since the 1980s Pinot Grigio craze (when every soiree or party featured PGs that were so diluted they tasted like barely acidified slightly bitter alcohol water, leading everyone and their dog to produce wines of this ilk), the general quality level of Italian whites has increased. But I don’t drink a ton of white, and when I do, I want something I know I’ll like better, like a German or Alsace Riesling, a Loire white, or an unoaked minerally Macon or Chablis.

Aussie Shirazes

I generally find them tiring and uninteresting, with jammy, thick fruit and oak hiding whatever earth-driven virtues they may have—particularly the more expensive ones. Still, I’ll occasionally buy a cheaper one from a good producer, figuring that they wouldn’t waste new oak on them or try for maximum extract on a cheaper offering.

Brunellos

What, you say? How can an Italian, Italo-vinophile, amateur Italian cook not buy Brunello? Well, the rent is too damn high, for one thing. Beyond expense, I find that the clone of Sangiovese used for most Brunellos (which is different from the clone used for Chianti Classico) results in a very low-toned, dark fruit character, usually augmented by liberal use of oak, which together results in wines that don’t go particularly well with food. At least the food I cook.

Rioja and other Tempranillo-based Spanish reds

I find Tempranillo to be a bland grape. It typically doesn’t do a lot for me. Plus, the better Riojas tend to be too oaky for my taste. The old school uses too much American oak; the new school uses too much French oak. I don’t like too much of any oak. Except when I smoke a brisket.

“Super Tuscans” and Bolgheris

I don’t drink these almost on principle. Grow Sangiovese and other indigenous varietals in Tuscany. Leave Cabernet and Merlot to the Bordeaux and California guys.

Barberas

I usually find them to be too acidy, too rough, too simple, and too short-finished. There are much better options in the $10-20 range for wines to complement rustic foods.

Grand Cru Burgundies (red and white)

Can’t afford them. That’s the only reason. I actually love them. But the growing gap between the rich and the rest of us has put them out of my reach. I blame George Bush.

Hermitage and Cote Rotie

Same deal. Love ’em. Can’t afford ’em. Thanks, Tea Party, er, I mean Wine Spectator. Actually, this is probably the result of my career not following the stratospheric arc I had hoped for. Thanks, George Bush. (I can’t help myself, apparently.)

Anything a renown “oenological consultant” made or consulted on

I like wines that reflect the idiosyncrasies of the soil and the individual grower/winemaker. I have no use for cookie cutter recipes. I try to avoid wines which celebrity consultants like Phillipe Cambie, Michel Rolland, Riccardo Cotarella had a hand in. I’m sure some of their wines are quite good. But I’d rather support individuals making individualistic wines.

********************************

I know, I know, I’ve grossly overgeneralized here. But as I said, these are my prejudices. I can’t afford on a limited budget to seek exceptions to prove my rules wrong. But please let me know if you know of exceptions!

That’s it for now. I may augment or change this list in the future. I hope that revealing my prejudices might provide additional context for my wine choices and my tasting notes.

2009 Hesketh GRENACHE "Wild at Heart" (South Australia)

2011-08-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

Not the deepest or most complex Aussie Grenache I've had, but flavorful, balanced, and satisfying. I think Grenache goes with many of the Italian dishes I tend to cook, which is odd, given that it's a grape that is grown only in one small area in Italy (a clone of Grenache called Cannonau is grown on the island of Sardinia).

Medium dark ruby. Direct, big nose of kirsch, crushed stones, and lemon juice. Full-bodied, with straight-on ripe, spicy raspberry fruit and a dry, saline, gravelly minerality that comes on in the finish. Pretty big, but with good acidity for a Grenache from down-under, and a long, juicy finish. B+. Was $13 and change at Spec's on Smith.

2008 Domaine d'Ardhuy LADOIX "Chagnots" (Burgundy, France)

2011-08-09T22:57:00.001-05:00

One of my two "Holy Grails" of wine is a good, inexpensive (which these days means under $20) red burgundy (Pinot Noir). This is one. On the leaner side but with real character, particularly the second night. The village of Ladoix is one of those less well-known "sleeper" appellations in Burgundy (along with Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, and Pernand-Vergelesses) where values, as rare as they are there, tend to be more frequent.

Light ruby color with a touch of amber beginning to show at the rim. Fragrant, high-toned nose of peat and ripe but crisp crushed cherry, along with stony gravel. Crisp, penetrating flavors of tart cherry, with powdered limestone and granite. Not a lot of concentration or weight, but clingy flavors and very nice purity, energy, and minerality. Good length. B+. Was $19 and change at Spec's (cash price). A Becky Wasserman Selection (she represents several excellent French estates, as an exporter I think, and her selections are imported by various importers in different regions of the U.S.)

2009 Bonnet MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE Sur Lie "Les Dabinieres" (Loire, France)

2011-08-06T11:26:00.001-05:00

I drink a fair amount of Muscadets in the hot weather. Good ones are crisp, refreshing, bone dry, with loads of mouthwatering crisp fruit and razor-sharp, clean stony minerality. This one was excellent -- slightly riper and fuller than typical, but still very much identifiably Muscadet.

Light, bright silvery-gold color. Intensely chalky, lime and green apple nose. Crisp, tart apply fruit attacks the palate. Extraordinarily pure stony minerality. Excellent fruit and acids too. Very lively. The texture actually displays some very light tannin -- very unusual for whites from this region, or any whites, actually. Clean, zesty, relatively long finish. B+/A-. Imported by Weygandt-Metzler. Can't remember where I got it or how much it costs. I'll look for a receipt and update if I can find it, but I know it wasn't more than $15 because I simply don't spend more than that for Muscadets.

2009 Frei Brothers ZINFANDEL Dry Creek Valley (Cal.)

2011-08-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

Dry Creek Valley is arguably the best area in the world for Zin, and this one has a nice nose but in the mouth is overripe, overblown, ponderous, and sweet. It's not expensive, but don't bother unless you like that style.

Soft, dark black ruby. Rich nose of earthy, ripe, slightly pruney blackberry syrup, roasted sweet baking spices, and smoky coals. Rich and fleshy in the mouth, but heavy and one-dimensional. Impressive amount of extract, but there's no acidity and a substantial amount of residual sugar, making it a cloying mouthful. C. Was $14 at Spec's on Weslayan.

2007 Domaine Pommier CHABLIS 1er CRU COTES DE LECHET (Northern Burgundy, France)

2011-08-06T10:59:00.001-05:00

This was one of the most uncompromisingly, desicatingly bone dry Chabliseses I've ever had. But I liked it.

Stunning color: luminous and crystal clear medium dark gold, with a nice greenish glint. The nose changed substantially over three nights (closed each night with a Vacu-Vin closure), which indicates to me that it can age and improve a few more years at least. Closed and showing a sharply talc-y/minerally initially, by the third night it offered up really nice toasty, talc/chalk scents over intense pear and ripe apple fruit. Bracingly bone dry, with medium light body and great, mouthwatering acids. Intense sea shell/minerally-tinged green apple and lime fruit, along with light clear chicken broth, in the mouth. Razor sharp, pure, stony/lemony finish. A challenging wine to drink, but fascinating if you like the more austere versions of the Chablis style of Chardonnay. B+. Imported by Robert Kacher, I got this for around $26 at Spec's on Smith several months ago.

2009 Chapoutier "Bila-Haut" COTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES (Southern France)

2011-07-31T15:08:00.007-05:00

Many wines from this hot, arid region have historically been chunky, low acid, earthy and dull-fruited. Recently, however, there has been an up-tick in quality as lots of youthful growers has begun tending their vineyards more carefully and organically, and bottling their own wines, rather than selling fruit to a co-op or larger negociant. And some of the more respected Rhone negociant/growers (like Chapoutier) have ventured west as well.

This Grenache, Syrah, and old vine Carignan blend is one of the most elegant, balanced Cotes du Roussillon Villages I've ever had.

Nearly saturated, luxurious black ruby/plasma color. Rich, smoky, plummy, gravelly nose. Mouthfilling flavors of blackberry, smoky cocoa, and stones. Full-bodied, and with substantial but refined tannins, this wine has a balanced, long finish. Very nice indeed. A-. I got this for $16.99 at Houston Wine Merchant on South Shepherd.

2009 Cedric Vincent BEAUJOLAIS "Pouilly Le Monial" "Vieilles Vignes" (Burgundy, France)

2011-07-31T14:40:00.001-05:00

A very unusual but very good Beaujolais.

Surprisingly dark color, black/violet ruby. Pure nose of cold-pressed grapes and cherry candy. Tight and slightly tannic in the mouth. Crisp, light, penetrating, bone dry fruit up front (grapey/cherry), molting into a clean, stony, but short finish. All the flavor is up-front in this wine. Very refreshing, and a nice picnic/cookout wine for the next few months. B+. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I got this for $17 from B-21 Wines in Florida.

2010 Perrin VENTOUX Rosé (Rhone Valley, Southern France)

2011-07-31T14:34:00.003-05:00

Wow -- this is a great value in a refreshing, flavorful, dry rosé.

Vibrant light watermelon pink. Beautiful pure strawberry cherry juice fruit in the nose, along with some stony minerality. Bone dry, vibrant crisp fruit in the mouth. Medium-bodied, with loads of flavor and a long, pure finish. Get a bunch of this to chill over the next few dog day months in H-Town. A-. Imported by Vineyard Brands, this is available at Spec's for $9 and change.

2007 Paul Jaboulet-Aine COTES DU RHONE "Parallele 45" (Southern France)

2011-07-22T22:03:00.002-05:00

Another CDR I had tucked away for the "Big Three" 2007 tasting (along with Chapoutier and Guigal) that wasn't, this is also a fine example -- quality way above its entry level station. 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah.

Dark blackish ruby with a little brickishness at the rim. Great nose of deep, dark berry fruit, roasted herbs, iodine-infused minerals, and smoky peat. Low-toned, minerally blackberry fruit in the mouth with some soft tannin for structure. Bone dry, but with mouthfilling flavor presence. Long finish with no heat at all. B+ Was $9 and change at Spec's over a year ago, so this vintage may not still be available, but if it is, get some.

2009 "EVODIA" "Old Vines Garnacha (Calatayud, Spain)

2011-07-21T19:50:00.001-05:00

A ridiculous value in a ripe, structured, unoaked, minerally Grenache.

Dark ruby color. Intense, vigorous nose of sharp-edged, chalky stones and bright, spicy dark raspberries. Intense, powerful flavors coat the palate with ripe but dry raspberry syrup fruit and pure, clean stoniness. Long, rich finish with just a bit of warm, alcoholic heat (what did you expect? It's grenache, dammit). Decent acidity for such a large-boned wine. Will pair with grilled meats, meat-sauced pastas, and stews. A-. Imported by Eric Solomon, this was $9.88 at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett (and probably at other Spec's locations too).

2008 Chateau de la Bonneliere CHINON (Loire Valley, France)

2011-07-21T19:42:00.000-05:00

An excellent and relatively value-priced Cab Franc. Intensely flavored, yet balanced and medium weight.

Intensely vibrant dark ruby. Tight, dry earthy nose at first, but after substantial air gobs of ripe cherry and blackberry fruit emerge along with a sweet, high-toned smokiness and some chalky minerality. Medium-bodied, but with great fruit presence and texture. Loads of ripe but dry black cherry fruit and a hint of brambly earthiness. Fantastic balance. A-. Will age nicely for another 2-4 years. Imported by Weygandt-Metzler, this wine was around $16-18 I think, but I can't remember exactly where I got it.

2005 Chateau Fonreaud (Cru Bourgeois, Listrac-Medoc) (Bordeaux, France)

2011-07-21T19:34:00.003-05:00

Nice, old-fashioned style Bordeaux. Balanced, complex, medium weight, no new oak flavors, no fruit-bombiness. Mostly Cabernet, but with a lot of Merlot in the blend.

Dark brickish ruby. Medium intense nose of cassis, graphite, and fragrant, lightly-scorched earth. Mouthcoating, drying flavors of low-toned dry blackberry extract, with sandstoney, brambly-woody accents. Long, tannic finish with pretty decent acids. B+. Drink over the next 2-3 years. Was $19 and change at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett. Imported by Horizon Wines, Houston.

2009 Laurel Glen !ZA ZIN (Zinfandel) "Old Vines" (Lodi, Cal.)

2011-07-08T20:22:00.001-05:00

Finally! A Lodi Zin I can really get behind! This was very, very good. Did not have the muddled, undefined, flabby fruit I get out of lots of Lodi Zins. This is purportedly from 100+ year-old vines grown in the Mokelumne River sector of Lodi (which is said to have the best -- which for wines means "worst" --soil for wines). This wine had seamlessly intense, mouthcoating fruit, but was not heavy or ponderous at all.

Deep purple ruby. Intensely fruity nose of tangy blackberry and plum (hint of rhubarb too) along with sweet, dry gravel scents. Intense flavors attack the palate with dense cherry cough syrup fruit accented with a chalky earthiness. Good acidity for a wine this ripe, and a long, pure finish with copious but soft tannin. Not as elegant and seamless as Dry Creek, or as pure and razor-sharp as the best Paso Robles Zins, but very good in a unique style. B+. Was just under $17 at Spec's on Smith.

(Sorry, 2007 shown).

2008 Vigna Nuove di Musella VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE (Veneto, Italy)

2011-07-08T20:12:00.001-05:00

A crisp, lively red for summertime meals.

Dark ruby with the barest touch of garnet. Intense, high-toned nose of crisp, winey cherries, rock dust minerals, and fragrant underbrush. Crisp, intense, dry cherry fruit, with lots of chalky minerals. Medium body, with fairly crisp acids and a bit of very fine-grained tannin adds a nice tactile feel. A little short on the finish. B. Imported by Vintners Estates Direct, I got this for $17 at Spec's on Smith.

4th of July wines

2011-07-08T20:07:00.000-05:00

Bare-bones impressions from memory:

2008 Donnhoff KREUZNACHER KROTENPFUHL RIESLING KABINETT (Nahe, Germany) -- This was a killer wine: Unbelievable fragrance of ripe, lively fruit, flowers, and stony minerals. Great verve in the mouth. Ripeness, lightness, great buoyant acids. Fantastic. A.

2007 Saintsbury "Toyon Ranch" PINOT NOIR (Carneros, California) -- A soft, full, earthy and savory Pinot Noir. Very much a Nuits-St. George style, but a bit riper and more approachable. B+.

2009 Charles Joguet CHINON ROSÉ (Loire Valley, France)

2011-07-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

This was a very good, earthy, muscular, yet balanced rose. I think it was made of Cabernet Franc grapes, like most Chinon roses.

Beautiful light coppery-watermelon color. Inviting, earthy, strawberry/cherry nose with a steely mineral spine. Big, dry, earthy flavors with lots of ripe, dry cherry fruit. Good acidity for an '09 to balance out the fairly full body. Long, powerful, clean finish. Very good. B+. Imported by Kermit Lynch. Got this on sale from B-21 Wines in Florida for $12, making it a great value.

2010 Alfred Pery "Vallee Loire" MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE "Sur Lie" (Loire, France)

2011-07-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

A good value in a bone dry, crisp, zesty white. Good alternative to Portuguese Vinho Verde if you like that style.

Light, bright gold with a slight greenish glint. Fresh, lemon-lime nose with lots of chalky accents. Tart, bone dry flavors of minerally, chalk-infused green apples. Crisp, clean, zesty finish. Very good, cheap, refreshing summer white. B-. Imported by Fruit of the Vine, I got this for $8.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

(Sorry, can't find a photo)

2007 Chapoutier COTES DU RHONE "Belleruche" (France)

2011-07-02T21:27:00.002-05:00

I bought this two years ago (along with a 2007 Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone "Parallele 45") because I was going to have a "Big 3" Cotes du Rhone tasting when Guigal released his 2007. I figured it would be good intel for readers faced with all three on store shelves. Well I waited and waited but it wasn't until just a month or two ago that Guigal's '07s actually hit store shelves here in Houston, so since Guigal's tardiness nixed the commercial relevance of my planned tasting, I figured I'd just start drinking these one at a time.

This one is a beauty. If you see any left (unlikely), snap them up.

Dark black ruby. Inviting nose of sweet, dark spices, rich plummy fruit, and fragrant dry gravel. Soft, mouthfilling flavors of inky, ripe blackberries, along with lots of gravelly minerals. Great balance, and still a bit of soft tannin remaining. Clingy but dry finish. Everything seemed in perfect balance with this wine. Very elegant for a basic entry level Cotes du Rhone. B+. I think I got this for about $15 at Whole Foods on Bellaire well over a year ago.

2009 Xavier Vignon GIGONDAS (Southern Rhone, France)

2011-07-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

I know I drank this way too young, but I have four of them and wanted to see where it was in its development curve. Very young, but beautifully made: balanced, fragrant, long in the mouth.

Very deep black ruby with violet highlights. Needs substantial airing to open up, but then displays stunningly pure nose of black fruit and cassis, along with a pure garrigue scents (that fragrant smell that permeates the landscape of the southern Rhone and Provence consisting of herbal scents being blown over dry, rocky soil) and flowers. Intensely flavored yet seemingly lithe in the mouth, with bone dry, smoked mineral-infused blackberry extract. Tight and lean, it has good acidity, lots of micro-tannin, and a long, pure finish. This will age nicely for another 5 years of so. A-(+). Got this from Wineaccess.com several months ago.

2007 Fritz ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley, Cal.)

2011-06-26T13:09:00.000-05:00

A good value in a medium-weight, intensely minerally Zin.

Dark ruby garnet. Medium intensity, inviting nose of warm vanilla, spicy blackberries, and salty, stony minerals. Soft and fruity, lots of up-front blackberry fruit, along with a striking saline minerality. Good acidity and a fair amount of tannin in the finish. Good, not great concentration, and a medium-long, dry finish. Solid B. I got this for $14 and change at Spec's on Weslayan.

2009 Domaine Seguinot-Bordet CHABLIS "Vieilles Vignes" (Northern Burgundy, France)

2011-06-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

A young, intense, tight, mineral-infused Chardonnay. I would lay this down for at least another year or two, maybe more.

Medium light, very bright gold color. Intensely saline/chalky/minerally nose whose fruit profile features intense green apples and crisp, slightly underripe peach scents. Lean, intense, chalk and stone-laced flavors attack the palate, with some slightly bitter green apple skin and straw flavors. Needs time to settle down, but should get even better. The intense acidity and good length bode well for ageing. B++. Imported by J&R Selections. Was $21 at Spec's on Weslayan.

2007 Casa Emma CHIANTI CLASSICO (Tuscany, Italy)

2011-06-26T12:50:00.002-05:00

This wine was in a very soft, easy-going style. A bit less structured and simpler than is usual, in my opinion, from this very good producer.

Dark ruby garnet. Scents of warm gravel and cherries. Soft, easygoing flavors of sandstone, bright cherry fruit, and steely minerals. Very soft texture and decent acidity. Ideal for red-sauced pasta dishes over the next year. B-. Imported by Margaux and Associates, I got this for about $18 at Spec's.

2007 Domaine Vendemio "AMADEUS" (Cotes de Ventoux, Southern France)

2011-06-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

This 80% Grenache, 20 % Syrah was a bruiser.

Completely saturated black ruby. Dark, low-toned and highly-extracted nose of mineral-laced blackberries, pound cake, and scorched earth. Inky, mouthcoating, peppery flavors of blackberry skins and graphite. Boatloads of tannins in the long, dark, highly-extracted, peppery finish. B. A winter-weight wine. Imported by Eric Solomon, I got this on sale from Zachys.com during one of their periodic "$20 Sales."

2009 Domaine de la Voute des Crozes COTES de BROUILLY (Beaujolais, France)

2011-06-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

A tightly-wound, classic cru Beaujolais at value price.

Jet black ruby with dark purple highlights. Intense nose of crunchy cherry candy, cracked stones, and a hint of Juicy Fruit gum. Intensely minerally cherry and plum skin flavors. Tight and bone dry, with a surprisingly (for a Beaujolais) amount of tannin in the finish. Good acids too. This wine will be better in a year or so, but it is very enjoyable now as well. Very food-friendly. B+. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I got this for $18 from B-21 Wines in Florida.

2008 Wine Guerrilla ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley, Cal.)

2011-06-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

A very good value, flavorful Zin.

Dark ruby garnet. Pleasantly rustic nose of dark blackberries, roasted green herbs, and brambly sandstone. In a leaner more rustic style than most Zins, this wine has drying flavors of blackberry, brambly underbrush, and scorched earth. Good acidity and a bit of tannin in the medium length finish give some structure. Would pair well with rustic, assertive dishes. B+. $14.73 at Spec's on Weslayan.

(Sorry, 2009 shown)

2009 Cline "Ancient Vines" MOURVEDRE (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

2011-06-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

Cline has cranked out yet another excellent iteration of this wine. Let's hope that the vineyard owners in the region don't sell out anytime soon to the real estate developers, which apparently is a real issue with the old vines in Contra Costa County.

Dark, violet-tinged ruby. Rich, low-toned fruity nose of sappy blackberry juice, toasted baking spices, toffee, and sandstone. Soft (especially for a Mourvedre, which can sometimes be a bit coarse), ripe, mouthfilling flavors of blackberry, smoky gravel, and a hint of peach juice. Long finish with well-integrated tannins and the barest trace of heat. A winner. A-. $13.99 at Spec's.

(BTW -- I had the 2009 Cline Ancient Vines Zin while on vacation, and while I have no notes for it, it too was a great value in a fleshy, balanced Zin).

2008 Jean & Gilles Lafouge AUXEY-DURESSES 1er CRU "LES DURESSES" (Burgundy, France)

2011-06-15T18:57:00.001-05:00

One of the best under $30 Burgundian Pinot Noirs I've had in many years. A high energy wine.

Light ruby garnet color. Gorgeous, high-toned nose of sweet/tart cherries, cool plums*, powdered stones and lemon dust. Piercing, almost electric flavors of high-toned cherry and tingly, stony minerals. Crisp acidity and a fine dusting of tannin dominate the texture of the finish. Amazing purity of flavors and liveliness. Leaves the palate tingling and invigorated. A-. Was $29.99 from B-21 Wines in Florida (an excellent retailer who ships).

* Remember that William Carlos William poem, "This is Just to Say"?

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

2010 Crios ROSÉ OF MALBEC (Mendoza, Argentina)

2011-06-15T18:44:00.001-05:00

A bruiser of a rosé, but in a good way.

Very dark (for a rosé) cherry/watermelon color. Deep nose of cherry and watermelon juice (I'm not just getting lazy here, it really did look and smell like cherry and watermelon) along with powdered rock dust. Intensely flavored (almost overwhelmingly so for a rosé) with cherry/mineral flavors. Lots of body too. It's a rosé that drinks like a red, is what it is. Clean. long, minerally finish with some (barely) perceptible residual sugar. Not a lot of finesse, but a lot of oomph. Put a good chill on it or it will be cloying, but with that good chill it's a B+. Got this as a gift, so I don't know the price, but an Internet search reveals that most places sell this for around $10, making it a good value.

2008 Trimbach RIESLING Reserve (Alsace, France)

2011-05-29T12:22:00.000-05:00

I LOVE this style of Riesling -- fragrant, lean, so crisp as to be zingy, bone dry yet with wonderfully ripe Riesling fruit. Very much in the classic Trimbach style.

Very pale bright gold. Classic Alsace Riesling nose of piercing green apple, tea, and powdered granite, it features crisp, bracing, intense flavors of fresh-crushed green apple juice poured over lemon drenched stones. Very tight now, this wine will age effortlessly for another 4 years or so. Not as full and ripe a style as a lot of Alsace producers are now trending toward, this really is a classic wine. A. I got this on sale from Zachys.com for $20.

2007 Eric Texier COTES DU RHONE "Brezeme" (Southern France)

2011-05-29T12:13:00.000-05:00

A good, rustic, old-fashioned style of Cotes du Rhone. Lean, earthy, spicy, and nowhere near the more direct, fruity style that is much more prevalent today.

Dark ruby garnet. Intensely earthy with a pleasantly barnyardy component on the first day, on day 2 the barnyard was gone, replaced with a tart, spiced cherry and raspberry fruitiness, pungent rock dust, and a hint of sweat. Tight and lean in the mouth, with bone-dry cherry liqueur/mineral flavors, morphing into a darkly-minerally finish with a slight bitter edge. Good acidity. A wine that requires rustic rich food as an accompaniment. Not a cocktail party red. B. Was $23 at Houston Wine Merchant, it's imported by Louis/Dressner Selections.

2008 Chono CARMENERE Reserva (Maipo Valley, Chile)

2011-05-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

A very classically Bordeaux-styled wine from the New World -- pretty rare. It was very good: elegant, some complexity, not a fruit bomb.

Saturated dark ruby/mulberry color. Gorgeous nose of cedar, ripe, dark berries, smoky stones, and chocolate powder. Concentrated, focused, and balanced, with medium-full body. Mouthcoating (but not heavy) flavors of low-toned berries, accented with minerally sandstone and bitter milk chocolate. Reminds me of a high-quality, old-school Margaux but at a fraction of the price. If the finish were a bit longer I would have given it an A, but as is it's an A-. Imported by North Berkeley Imports, I think I got this for around $13 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2007 Trinitas OLD VINE CUVEE (Mendocino County, Cal.)

2011-05-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

This is very good and a good value, but neither the label nor the Internet discloses what varietals make up this wine. There's obviously a lot of Zinfandel, but beyond that I'd only be guessing.

Nearly saturated blackish ruby with some violet. Gorgeous nose of sandstone, baking spices, sweet cream, and ripe black raspberries. Dense, ripe fruit coats the palate in a soft-textured blast. Fills the mouth quickly with fruit, then displays loads of sweet, spiced gravel notes, and ends texturally with a fair amount of soft tannin. My only quibble is that there's some (barely) perceptible residual sugar in the finish. Very nice. B+/A- (depending whether you can deal with the bit of residual sugar). Was $14 at Spec's on Smith.

2007 Ridge "Dusi Ranch" ZINFANDEL (Paso Robles, Cal.)

2011-05-21T17:36:00.001-05:00

Notes from memory here, as I had this at a dinner with friends at Harris' Steakhouse in San Francisco last week.

Short version: one of the best Zins I've ever had. Longer impressions: Ripe and fragrant, with great minerality. Perfect balance, ripe and full but with nice balancing acidity. No jamminess. No heat in the finish. Absolutely stunning texture. Plush but firm. A+.

2008 Planeta CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA (Sicily)

2011-05-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

This blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappatto was pretty decent on its own, but would probably be even better accompanying pasta with meat sauce.

Medium-light ruby garnet. Intensely metallic-minerally, sour cherry nose, with spiced lemon notes. Cherry, pine resin, and charcoal flavors on entry, quickly molting into very clingy, cherry/mineral flavors. Good acidity, and a good finish. Medium-full bodied. B. Was $22 at Spec's on Smith.

2009 Hippolyte-Reverdy SANCERRE ROSÉ and a Recipe

2011-05-14T15:46:00.002-05:00

I drank my last bottle of this outstanding Pinot Noir rose, which I reviewed previously, and it was still remarkably fresh and flavorful. I had to improvise a quick, light meal based on what we had in the house, and came up with the following, which not only was really good, but paired wonderfully with the Sancerre rose.

Pasta with artichoke hearts and Italian tuna belly

1 lb. pasta (like penne or rotini)

1 can artichoke hearts in water

1 jar Italian tuna belly (ventresca*) packed in olive oil, drained

¼ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped carrot

¼ cup good olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup dry white wine (maybe a splash more. . . I didn't measure)

Salt

Pepper

A bit of chopped parsley

Get a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta.

In 12” sauté pan, heat 1/8 cup olive oil and then soften onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes over medium low heat.

While they’re softening, drain artichoke hearts. Cut into quarters, and squeeze out excess water with paper towels.

When onions, carrots, and celery are softened (not browned), add artichokes. Toss for a few minutes. Add the white wine, and turn up the heat to get the wine boiling and reduce it a bit. Add the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, stir around, then turn the heat off until the pasta is almost done.

Just before draining the cooked pasta, turn up the heat on the sauce and add the tuna, trying not to shred the tuna as you stir it in. Turn off the heat as soon as the tuna is stirred in (cooking it makes it taste bitter and crappy).

Add sauce to the drained pasta, mix, then throw the chopped parsley on top. I think this is better without Parmesan cheese, but Liz likes Parmesan cheese on every type of pasta

known to man.

* Ventresca is like basic tuna packed in olive oil, except it's from the best part of the tuna, and has a really refined taste.

2007 Mazzocco "West Dry Creek" ZINFANDEL Reserve (Cal.)

2011-05-14T14:47:00.001-05:00

A luxurious wine. No other way to say it.

Dark, sedate black ruby color. Rich, voluptuous, sexy nose of sweet, smoky balsa wood and oodles of ripe, oozing blackberries, along with warm, baking spice-inflected sandstone. Richly-fruited, dense, full, and velvety soft in the mouth, with mouth-filling, deep-toned berry fruit and a deep-toned minerality in the back half of the palate. Loads of very soft tannin buried underneath. Very hedonistic. A. Drink this over the next one to two years. My brother and sister-in-law got this direct from the winery and gave it to me, so I didn't have to pay the high-price tag this commands. Thanks, guys.

2009 Falletto (Bruno Giacosa) DOLCETTO D'ALBA (Piemonte, Italy)

2011-05-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

A solid wine, I was expecting more from this producer. This had too much bitterness and a scorchey component going on to really shine. Come to think of it, I haven't had a Dolcetto that has floated my boat in a long, long time.

Vibrant dark ruby color. Nose of scorched earth, dried leaves and piney underbrush, along with some bone dry blackberry extract. Intensely dry, but fruity extract in the mouth, juxtaposing fruit and bitterness -- scorched, inky fruit but in a soft-textured package. Finishes with a clean, low-toned bitter edge. Just a teeny bit of tannin. Interesting. B. Can't remember where I got it. I think it was around $20.