grapesmart

Winery: Dalla Vina
Region: Columbia Valley, WA
Varietal: Syrah
Vintage: 2005

Notes: Twice the tasters at Dalla booth at the Bite of Oregon mentioned to pair this wine with a garlicky meal. I can see why based on the hint of garlic-like sulfur this wine has as it winds to the finish. That finish lasted about forever and was hot. I'm not sure if that was just the manifestation of the alcohol or if the sulfur had something to do with it.

Winery: Chateau Coupe Roses
Region: Minervois, France
Varietal: Carigan, Grenache
Vintage: 2005

Notes: Whiffs of cinnamon on the nose. As the wine opened, vanilla, blueberry, and caramel on the the tongue. Transitioning to licorice in the finish. This wine had few tannins but those they were fine and coated the roof of the mouth. The finish was short and pleasant.

Winery: Gieisen
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2006

Notes: Green pepper and kiwi on the nose and those same, great flavors on the tongue with what I consider the quintessential crisp NZ mouthfeel. Finish is sharp and short, but it makes this one fantastic wine. Food note: served with coriander halibut with ginger broth.

Winery: Penley Estate
Region: Coonawarra, Australia
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2002

Notes: I find a lot of Cab Franc to leave a plastic-like flavor on the tongue, and this wine did the same, so I wonder how much Cab Franc it contained. Beyond that, it was oak, a tinge of sweetness I associate with iron, woody, and reedy. The finish was pretty short and simple with a decent tannin structure.

Winery: Dalla Vina Wines
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2006

Notes: The thing I hate most about Cab Franc, is it tends to be a really steely/plastic-y flavor. I don't know what it is, but pure Cab Franc drives me nuts. But this one from Dalla Villa was 100% Cab Franc without any plastic aftertaste. Instead, the wine is big, fruit-forward and had lots of tannins which dried out my tongue on the finish. Steak? You bet. Lamb? Uh huh. Alone? Sure, but why not pair it with a great meal, too?

Winery: Foreplay Uncorked
Region: Columbia Valley, Oregon, USA
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: nv

Notes: This was a stainless steel Chard. Pear on the nose and tongue and certainly your typical Chardonnay flavors, too. Very crisp but sill maintained a good balance of citrus and grape. Long, lasting finish for a very drinkable wine.

Winery: Vitus Ridge
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Varietal: Syrah
Vintage: 2004

Notes: As mentioned in the previous posting, I liked the Vitus Ridge Syrah, and this was a Syrah on steroids. While the nose was merely an intensified version of regular wine, the flavors on the tongue popped like I couldn't imagine possible. The finish was still subtle and without any harsh tannins or too much alcohol.

I had the chance to spend several minutes talking to the winemaker, and this winery--like all my favorites--seems to care more about quality wines, great flavors, decent prices, and a focus on the local wine attitude than most of your run-of-the-mill wineries.

Winery: Vitus Ridge
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Varietal: Syrah
Vintage: 2004

Notes: Jeweled red in color. Subtle fruit and vegetable/tree on the tongue. Nice finish but not over the top. I drink a lot of Syrah, and this placed well among Syrahs of late.

Winery: Vitus Ridge
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Varietal: Marchal Foch
Vintage: 2004

Notes: A new varietal for me. Dark brown in color and a chocolate-y nose. This wine was smooth and had the most velvet mouth feel ever. The finish was not harsh nor exceptionally long, but fantastic.

Winery: Vitus Ridge
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Varietal: Pinot Gris
Vintage: 2005

Notes: Tropical fruit on the nose--banana and such. Tongue is citrus and tangy with a crispness like a Sauvignon Blanc. Refreshing for a Pinot Gris.

A co-worker asked me for a recommendation the other day. It's the first I've ever really been asked for. And I failed miserably.

You see, this co-worker and friend was thinking about a Father's Day present. He was imagining I could suggest a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for his pop. But his price range was $100. Which is about $80 more than I ever spend on wine. I did once spend $70 on a Priorat, but here's a secret: it tasted no better than the $20 wine I'm used to.

Now I'm sure some of that's because the more expensive wines are more refined, and my untrained palate couldn't discern the nuance. But if I've learned anything about wine it's this: price often has little to do with quality. It could be the wine is from far, far away. It could be that only 6 cases were made. It might have had a celebrity vintner put it in a bottle or a celebrity talkshow host use it as a prop. (Or it could have been featured in a popular movie--alas, my days of reasonably-priced, high-quality Pinot Noir have passed). But most likely, it's fills a price-point for a company.

You see, most wineries that you and I are likely to buy from are Big Wine. Or subsidiaries of Big Wine. Or private vineyards that sell exclusively to Big Wine. And that means their product, more often than not, is just that: product. And that means some wines taste like a hundred bucks and some only cost it.

So be careful, my friend. Unless you think long and hard about the wine your father likes, be careful not to buy a bottle by price alone. Consider its quantity, its heritage, and even its hawkers. Because like much of world, the quality of the goods only plays a little part in the gold you'll pay.

PS: sometimes I forget about price (either high or low) if I know the wine, its region, or its winery hold special sway in the heart of the recipient.

Winery: Cliff Creek
Region: Southern Oregon, USA
Varietal: Syrah
Vintage: 2004

Notes: Fresh nose with the most chocolate chip cookie dough aroma. Certainly chocolate and vanilla with a brown sugar nuttiness. Subtle pepper on the tongue but overall a great, quaffable wine. Finish is fruit without too much alcohol or harsh tannins.

Winery: Clos de l'Anhel
Region: Corbieres, France
Varietal:
Vintage: 2003

Notes: Pomegranate- and plum-colored organic and biodynamic wine. There was a fine balance of cherry and oak on the nose of this wine. The taste included a heavy alcohol overtone, while also possessing a well defined and lasting tannic structure. Oak tones are strong on the tongue, but the flavors tend toward a good balance of fruit and earth.

I'd had a Corbieres in Paris just a week before this, and I was really hoping all wines from that region were as good as the Parisian. Alas, vacation always makes the wine taste better. This wine was good, and I'd have it again, though I much prefer if it came with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

Winery: Giant Steps
Region: Yarra Valley, Australia
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2001

Notes: I drink a lot of wine. I counted up last year's totals and came in somewhere around 225 different wines. As you can tell, I like to try new wines all the time. New varietals, new wineries, new wine-producing regions. So it's not often that I buy multiple bottles; it's one less new wine I get to try.

That said, let me introduce you to Giant Steps. I live in North America's PinotCentral. I hate to say it, but Pinot is starting to bore me. Their either too light and watery or too musty and woody or earthy. This one however A) was really, really tasty; and B) was from Australia. I couldn't pass it up.

The bottle probably cost me $20, but for it I got dried cherry and pine on the nose in smooth aromas. The body was a little heavier than most Pinots, and the flavors were a fine balance between the fruity Pinots and earthy, hummic Pinots. The tannins were soft and the finish was about as long as this entry. Overall, I was really impressed with this wine, and yes, even now I'd buy it again.

Winery: Leeuwin Estate Siblings
Region: Margaret River, Australia
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Vintage: 2000

Notes: Fresh honeydew, green pepper and generic fruit on the nose and tongue with a steely taste on the tip of my tongue. Stony flavors with oaky finish.