2006 Domaine de Cabasse SEGURET Côtes du Rhône Villages "Cuvée Garnacho" (Southern France)

Nice, but a bit disappointing for its pedigree. I usually expect individual village wines from the Rhône to have a bit more concentration and character than this one did.

Medium dark ruby color. Medium intensity, fruity nose of ripe raspberry and blackberry, with a little bit of sweet fruitcake and stone components way in the background. Low register, dark, almost bitter, medium intensity flavors of scorched earth and iodine, with some dry raspberry skin fruit taking a back seat. Peppery but pleasant finish with a bit of length and some barely-perceptible tannin too. 84. Was about $16 at Spec's on Richmond.

2006 Meia Encosta DÃO (Portugal)

A pretty solid $10 red.

Dark ruby garnet color.

Forthright nose of tangy mixed berries and spicy powdered rock. Medium full bodied and soft textured, with reasonably concentrated plum and pomegranate fruit and powdered stone flavors. Clean, balanced, medium length finish. While it's hard to get really excited about this wine, this is a wine that few people can dislike, making it a good choice for large, casual events. 86. Was around $10 at Spec's on Smith.

2007 Stinger ZINFANDEL (Paso Robles, Cal.)

Alliteration time: this was one zingy, zesty Zin. Talk about tangy acidity! But in a good way.

Dark black ruby with youthful violet highlights. Very good color extraction. Lively nose of spicy raspberry, pomegranate, and crushed rock. Rich in fruit, yet loaded with crisp acids to give it some true zing, this wine is tailor-made for rich meat braises. Full-bodied, smooth-textured, and featuring a long, lively finish. 87. Another purchase ($9.99) I made at a great sale that was going on at Houston Wine Merchant a couple of weeks ago.

2006 Lake Breeze "Langhorne Creek" GRENACHE (Australia)

A really nice Grenache. Loaded with ripe fruit, but with everything in balance.

Medium-bright ruby garnet. Vibrant, exuberant nose of sweet crushed raspberries, slightly smoky sandstone, and gingerbread. Mouthfilling flavors of black pepper, lusty raspberry syrup, and a bit of an iodine-y/minerally thing going on in the finish. Avoids the jamminess that one can get with a lot of Aussie reds while still displaying lots of ripeness and richness. 88. Drink over the next year before the pepperiness (from the alcohol) starts to burn through the fruit. I think I paid about $19 for this at Whole Foods on Bellaire several months ago.

2005 Georges Viorney COTE DE BROUILLY "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" (Beaujolais, France)

This 4-year old Beaujolais tasted remarkably vibrant and refreshing for its age.

Youthful, crystalline dark black ruby. Great, classic Beaujolais nose of sweet, crunchy plums and cherries, along with lots of granite-y minerality. Zest and vibrant in the mouth, with peppery, clean cherry / berry fruit and lots of clean, stony minerals. Some very fine-grained, rounded tannins still noticeable, amazingly enough. This wine has aged beautifully for a Beaujolais. Only thing it lacked was just a tad more concentration to take it to that highest level. 87. Imported by North Berkeley Imports, I got it direct from them for about $15 several months ago.

2007 Sebastiani PINOT NOIR "Sonoma Coast" (Cal.)

A very good value at the ridiculously low price I paid ($9.99, on sale) at Houston Wine Merchant (South Shepherd).

Bright, medium dark ruby. Lots of sweet, sappy cherry and plum fruit on the nose along with a hint of smoky gravel. Rich, ripe flavors attack the palate (in a soft-textured frame) with juicy mulled cherries and root beer/cola components, tapering off with baking spice-laced earth notes. Very nice. I'll take this over 90% of the $30 burgundies out there any day. 88.

(Certain "terroirist" bloggers would, I'm sure, poo-poo my obviously pedestrian tastes claiming that "this biodynamic french microproducer and that organic microproducer make much more genuine a product" -- and their wines probably are really good, but where the heck does anyone not living in New York City find such wines without taking off two weeks from work to "seek the Grail"? So I'll happily find and drink this much more easily found "people's burg.")

2006 Qupé GRENACHE "Purisima Vineyard" (Santa Ynez Valley, Cal.)

Showing the herbal side of Grenache, this was a distinctive wine.

Medium dark ruby/garnet color. Scents of rhubarb, raspberry, herbs, and intense powdered stone notes. Lean but intense in the mouth, with herby, minerally raspberry flavors and a very noticeable peppery component. Long, minerally, peppery finish. 87. Was $19.99 on sale at Houston Wine Merchant (on South Shepherd).

2005 Charles Koehly RIESLING "Saint Hippolyte" (Alsace, France)

Aaaah -- good Riesling from Alsace. Always one of my favorite types of whites. This Riesling, while dry in the typical Alsace style, is actually a bit more fruit-forward, and less austere, than many Alsace Rieslings.

Light gold color. Beautiful, yet somewhat reserved nose of crushed white grapes, slate, and a hint of yeasty-cinnamon. Soft-textured and medium-bodied, it has ripe, almost exotic flavors of grape, peach, gingerbread, and milky tea. Good balancing acidity as well. Will easily hold for another 1-2 years. 88. Imported by Neal Rosenthal.

2007 Domaine de Colette RÉGNIÉ "Séléction Vieilles Vignes" (Beaujolais, France)

This is consistently one of my favorite estates for crisp, intense, refreshing old-school Beaujolais.

The 2007 has a beautiful, crystal clear dark ruby color. Pure, piercing nose of sweet cherries and plums, along with freshly-cracked stones -- but this emerges only after it's been opened for over an hour. At first, the nose was quite closed.


Silky-smooth textured in the mouth, but with nervous, bone-dry flavors of crisp cherry, loads of stony minerals, and bit of cracked black peppercorns. A very lively mouthful of wine. 87. Imported by Charles Neal Selections, I got this for $18.99 at Central Market.

(Non-vintage) Duval-Leroy "Rosé de Saignée" CHAMPAGNE (France)

This is one of my very favorite non-vintage champagnes year in and year out. It always has a gorgeous color, an accessible Pinot Noir-fruit driven nose, and good concentration, good balance, and persistent bubbles. This latest iteration did not disappoint.

Gorgeous pale salmon color with pink glints. Fresh, pretty nose of yeasty bread, minerals, cherries and tart apples. Crisp, dry, and full-flavored, with a long, zesty finish. I love this stuff. 90. Was $45 at Spec's on Smith a few months ago, but I think the price has gone up. (Why can Champagne defy the recession?)

2005 Casanova di Neri ROSSO DI MONTALCINO (Tuscany, Italy)

A very classy Sangiovese Grosso from southern Tuscany.

Dark black ruby garnet. Deep-toned nose of dark, earthy, macerated black cherries, incense, and smoky embers. Densely-fruited, but tightly-wound, it featured rich, dark cherry fruit, with loads of crushed stone and gravel notes. Full and bone-dry, with excellent acid balance. Lots of soft tannin still resides in the long finish. Drink over the next two years. 88. Was $25 and change at Richard's on Richmond just west of Chimney Rock. Sorry, forgot to note the importer.

2006 Finca Flichman MALBEC (Mendoza, Argentina)

Call this ridiculous value "Recession Red." $4.99 for a solid, well-made red with some real character.

Dark ruby garnet. Interesting nose of plums, sweet lemon juice, and angel food cake crust. Medium full-bodied, with medium intensity flavors of blackberry, brambly earth, and minerals, with a long, dry, slightly tannic finish. Drink over the next year. 86. Got is, as I said, for $4.99 on sale at Fiesta (Old Spanish Trail and Kirby), but I think the regular price is $5.99, which still qualifies as an excellent value.

(Sorry -- 2008 pictured).

2006 Domaine des Ormousseaux COTEAUX DU GIENNOIS PINOT NOIR (Loire Valley, France)

This was a very light but flavorful Pinot Noir from a backwater region in the Loire (near Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé).

Extremely light ruby with garnet highlights. Nose of spiced, sweet/tart cherry candy, with some high-toned, smoky minerality. Light-bodied, crisp, yet flavorful, with loads of sweet/tart cherry fruit and mineral flavors. Not complex, but good, straightforward Pinot Noir flavors in a refreshing, balanced style. It paired very well with Liz's fabulous roast chicken. 87. I can't remember where I got this, and I can't find the receipt, dammit. Will update when I remember. Imported by Fruit of the Vine, NYC.

Sorry, no photo.

UPDATE -- I paid about $25 at Spec's on Smith for this. So it's not a particularly good buy, although it still was quite nice.

10/15/09 UPDATE: Whole Foods on Bellaire has this on sale for $12.99 -- making it a GREAT BUY! (Maybe that's where I got it -- I don't remember paying $25 for it . . . .)

2007 Altovinum EVODIA "Old Vines Garnacha" (Calatayud, Spain)

This was a very tight but concentrated red.

Dark black ruby. Lots of steely and stony minerals in the nose, accenting deep, spiced black raspberry fruit. Seemed both lean and weighty in the mouth, with tight-knit scorched earth, dark raspberry, and mineral flavors. Displays a much more stony and minerally side of Grenache. It paired very well with a rich, Florentine beef stew. 88. Should keep for a couple of years. Was $9 and change at Spec's Warehouse on Westheimer in Montrose, making it a great buy. Imported by Eric Solomon European Cellars.

2006 Tormaresca "NEPRICA" (40% Negroamaro, 30% Primitivo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) (Puglia, Italy)

Usually I shy away from non-DOC blends that include non-indigenous varietals like Cabernet, so I'm not sure what prompted me to get this, but it was surprisingly good after it aired out several hours. It had a gorgeously focused and unique fruitiness to it.

Fully saturated bloody-rich black ruby. The nose was closed for quite a wile, giving up only closed, dry earthy scents until a few hours later it developed a lovely, focused, freshly-crushed spiced blackberriness, with a hint of smoky gravel in the background. Full-bodied, but balanced and smooth, it featured tightly-wound blackberry fruit with a bit of a dark licorice note, along with a steely minerality. A fair amount of smooth tannins. 89 (after it blossomed). Be sure to give this lots of air time. Was a great value at $10.71 -- I'll call it "under $10, since it's close enough -- at Spec's on Richmond. Imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

2007 Cline "Ancient Vines" MOURVEDRE (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

This winery really has hit a consistent groove over the last several years with its "Ancient Vines" Zins and Mourvedres. This latest iteration of the Mourvedre is excellent and a very good value. Again.

Youthfully bright, dark black ruby. Deeply fruity nose, with loads of dark plums, blackberries, and even a hint of peach, along with a sweet, high-toned balsa smoke note. Rich, fruity, and balanced in the mouth, with concentrated plummy fruit accented with a vaguely bitter dark chocolate note. Lots of soft tannins in the long fruit-and-spice finish. 89. Widely available, I got mine for under $14 at Spec's on Westheimer near Montrose.

2007 Mas Carlot ROSÉ (VDP de Pays d'Oc, Southern France)

A flavorful but simple rosé.

Bubble gum pink color with orangey highlights. Big but simple, fruity nose -- lots of cherry juice, grapes, and fruit salad. Full-flavored and direct, with refreshing acidity for such a big, juicy wine. A nice, relatively cheap quaffer. Drink soon. 86. Was $9 at Richard's on San Felipe. Imported by Robert Kacher.

2008 Domaine des Cassagnoles VDP Cotes de Gascogne (SW France)

This was an outstanding buy in a fresh, crisp, character-filled dry white. Worth buying by the case if you like to have a fair amount of everyday white wine on hand.

Exceedingly pale, greenish straw gold. Beautifully fresh nose of herbs, pear, stones, and clover blossoms. Smells like there's a fair amount of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Crisp, lip-smacking mouthfeel, with loads of focused, green appley fruit and a lightly chalky minerality. A ridiculously refreshing, light-bodied dry white. 88. Was $8.76 at Spec's on Westheimer (outside the Loop near Fogo de Chao). Imported by Weygandt-Metzler.

(Sorry: 2005 label shown)

2006 Wine Guerilla "Forchini Vineyards - Old Vines" ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley, Cal.)

Another terrific, hedonistically-styled Zin from this relatively new Zinfandel specialist.

Sultry, dark black ruby, though not fully-saturated. Decadent, rich, incredibly ripe, fruity nose of crushed, sweet mixed berries, with peach, lemon, and spice notes. Mouthfilling flavors of blackberry/cassis liqueur, crushed sandstone, and carmelized baking spices. Lots of body, lots of soft tannin, and a bit of alcohol showing through on the finish. But I can't get all dogmatic about the high alcohol (I think it was 16.5% or something like that), despite the fact that it's all trendy these days to denigrate wines like this as "Parkerized" fruit bombs. This wine was just too much fun and too tasty. 89. I think this was around $30 at Spec's on Smith, but given that there were only 48 cases made (what's that, one barrel?), that's not too bad.

(Sorry: 2007 shown)

2007 Viu Manent CARMENERE Reserva (Colchagua Valley, Chile)

Jeez, I'm really getting to LOVE this varietal. Carmeneres mostly fall in the $10 - 15 range, and have a flavor profile that goes well with the stews, braises, and pasta dishes I love to cook.

This is yet another winner from Viu Manent, although it is a little less overtly fruity than other vintages, maybe due to the slightly cooler year Chile had in '07.

Fully saturated black black ruby color. Intensely low-toned nose that got sweeter with air time, displaying cassis, iodine notes, pencil lead, and sweetish, smoky cinnamon component. Soft, ripe, mouthcoating flavors of cassis, blackberry, and lightly scorched earth. Extremely long, rich finish, displaying lots of soft tannin. This wine could benefit from another 2-4 years of cellaring. 89+. Was $14.99 at Whole Foods. Imported by Bacchus International (Longview, TX).