Like most winos I know, we are all suckers for a fairly priced Napa wine, and get especially excited when it is from the famed 2007 vintage.  So, I plunked a couple of them in my 10% discount 6 pack carrier and headed for self checkout.

It isn’t often I use the word “lovely” when describing cabernet sauvignon, but in this case it absolutely fits.  It offered a sound structure for mid-term cellaring, but was soft enough around the edges to please right now.

Over the 2 hours I tasted it, the wine  provided twists and turns as to what it predominantly offered…all I can ask from a bottle priced under $20!

I guess my palate still has it, as I see Wine Enthusiast gave it 93 points.  Certainly one of the best deals around.

Quality, complexity, and varietally correct.  Pick some up and confidently enjoy!

It has been a while since I have had time to post about some of my favorite wines of the year, and I’m glad to have a little now before Monday Night Football to post about what may qualify as my go-to cabernet for 2011.

The folks at Folsom and Associates, the marketing arm for Robert Mondavi Winery, sent me this one a few months ago to give it a test run.  Coming off the staggeringly good 2007 vintage, it has been a while since I tasted something that gave me pause.  This one did.

Retail $28, buy widely available for far less, the 2009 RMW Cab is all it should be:  voluptuous,  with a hearty combination of full ripe tannins, balancing acidity, and complex barrel flavors of cinnamon toast, dark berry fruit, and a whisper of cabernet “sauvage”.

Perhaps one of the reasons I liked it so much is that it barely qualifies to be labeled as a cabernet sauvignon at all, with only 75% of the blend being CS.  Merlot, cabernet franc, and a few percentage points of common blending varietals all come together adding to a wine I just might like a hint better than it’s 2007 counterpart.

High praise indeed.

Honestly, I’ve just been incredibly busy with my job that pays the bills, being a La Jolla real estate agent. Actually, most of my business recently has been in UTC, North Park, and Pacific Beach. Anyway…

I’ve been dying to write about the 2009 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc since I received the sample early this year.

Clearly it is not the grass bomb of New Zealand, nor does it have the piercing minerality of a Sancerre. What it does offer are aspects of both of these sauvignon blanc stalwarts while offering the distinctly Californian touch of ripe fruit and the most pure streak of lime since you licked the saltless rim of a margarita.

This will be one of the top 5 California whites I taste all year.

Though I won’t be offering a point score for this wine, ( it clearly doesn’t need it) I know I will buy it, drink it, and give it as a gift with confidence!

Well, I’m here to tell you that no 3 words could be more accurate than when applied to the 2008 La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir.  A wine that is nothing short of magnificent. 

Managed by third-generation farmers, the Sangiacomo Vineyard benefits from a daily stream of cool air pulled inland from the San Pablo Bay in the Sonoma Coast.  The resulting wine is freshly fruity, yet impeccibly balanced with tea, a sweet earthiness, and french oak to coax out additional length and harmony.

Mostly what struck me about this wine was it’s elegance.  It absolutely slipps off  your tongue in a way only pinot noir can, yet exceeded any preconcieved ideas I may have had.  This is one of those wines that I receive in the mail from a winery or distributor that made me stop in my tracks, take a step back, and realize why I dedicate so much time to teaching and writing about wine. 

Honestly, I went directly to the grocery store and purchased a beautiful piece of fresh salmon, roasted it in the oven, and served with a few spoonfulls of pesto cream over the top.  It was absolutely perfect.

One more note on concentration.  When my wife and I don’t finish a bottle over dinner together, we know it is a wine with depth and concentration, and this was no exception.  I corked the remaining wine and had it the next evening prior to dinner, but this time with some lofty expectations. 

I was not disappointed. 

Find it.  Get it.  Enjoy it now or age for up to 10 years.

Basically it is a question and answer game.  If you get the question correct, you move on to another random corner of the wine world.  If you are incorrect, it spells out why.  Multiple players may participate or one can study on their own.

I use this CD-Rom all the time to make sure I’m sharp with my global wine knowledge. It has three difficulty levels to grow along with you. Super easy to use, and made for everyone from the beginning wine lover to advanced wine professionals.

Install and running is about as basic as it gets.  Just pop it in your computer, add player(s) names and go.

FIND IT HERE

2007 Bonterra Viognier Mendocino County

When I think of Thanksgiving dishes, I think quantity, variety, and aromatics.  Choosing a wine that matches these traits while offering up a little contrast to make things interesting is often the best choice for such a complex meal.  But how does one find a wine that works with turkey, creamed corn, and green bean casserole all at the same time?

Quantity:  Lots of food, lots of guests, and a long time at the table.  The wine should be lower than average in alcohol…I mean yeah…we’ll be watching football and having fun all day, right?  But, lower alcohol shouldn’t mean it doesn’t have the body style necessary to stand up to all the cream and gravy.  For contrast, the wine should have a little zing of acidity to cut through our close friend’s delectable sausage stuffing.

Variety:   This wine should be complex.  With a dozen different dishes, and some strong ones at that, the wine should bring lots of different aromas and flavorsto the table.

Aromatics:  Thanksgiving is the most aromatic of traditional American meals so it stands to reason we’ll need something with a high degree of aromatics so the food does not diminish its partner.

The winner? 2007 Bonterra Viognier, Mendocino County.

This cool climate wine has under 14% alcohol, offers both floral and fruit aromatics, and has a medium-full and creamy mouth feel.  Without question it is consistently year in and year out one of the great values in viognier, and it is widely available around the country for around $15.  Did I mention it is also Certified Organic?

Remember, its not what is in your glass, but who you share it with.

And, if you use this coupon, you’ll get a discount of $5 of any $75 purchase too!

2009 Solis Winery Fiano Estate

So I can’t say I was angry, but I will say I was disappointed. The wine was nothing short of superb, but my fellow panelists simply didn’t get it.

To set the stage, the “other” whites category at large wine competitions are, shall we say, is The Land of the Misfit Toys. If you’ve never tasted these sorts of wines, well, generally you aren’t missing much. Often times they are comprised of the end-lots of what didn’t make the cut of better quality wines, all mixed up, given a fancy name and sold over the counter at tasting rooms. A winery marketing director will pay a small fee to enter the obscure blend into the competition hoping it will get some recognition to help sell the inventory which would otherwise be flushed.

Fiano is a relatively obscure grape (unless you are from the Campania region of Italy). As a single varietal it absolutely stands on its own. However, because it is not chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, or another widely cultivated grape, in competitions it stands alone. But it must have a caterogy, so among the “other” category it falls.

Hum drumming through many of these drinkable-yet-uninspired wines I was stopped dead in my tracks. I tasted, sniffed, and re-tasted again. I set it aside, completed my flight, and went back to it again. In judging approximately 500 wines this summer, I awarded Gold just over a dozen.

The 2009 Solis Winery Fiano Estate was absolutely without question worthy of the highest award. Unfortunately, my fellow panelists couldn’t figure the wine out. Was it aromatic, was it fruit forward, was it a food wine, or was it just an “other”? Silver was all it was awarded this time.

When any subject is spoken on at length, it is a tribute to its own powerful nature. Unquestionably, this wine was spoken about more than any other at any wine competition I participated in over the last number of years.  In fact, it was the only wine from this major competition I sought out to discover its true identity after the event was completed. 

NOTE:  We taste all the wines blind at these events to avoid any predisposed bias.

It sings of floral aromatics, expresses distinctly new-world fruitiness, and offers a luxurious combination of a mildly creamy texture and perfectly balanced acidity. If you could blend the absolute best characteristics of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and gewürztraminer you can start to paint a picture of what this special wine has to offer.

Due to the rainbow of flavors in concert with the backbone of acidity one could enjoy this wine a huge variety of aromatic dishes. From grilled chicken Caesar salad to Thai food and anything in-between.

Or, as I have been, just sip it on the patio under the setting sun and enjoy the most exciting wine find of the summer. No categories. Just pure pleasure.

Oh yeah, the 2009 Solis Winery Fiano Estate did receive its much deserved Gold at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Ahhh…redemption.

www.soliswinery.com

Typically this strategy finds me scouring competition results for under priced stars and other moderately priced choices.  However that doesn’t mean I won’t recommend bottles from the upper end of the market when warranted.  

The 2006 Staglin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is warranted indeed.  

Napa Valley Vintners, the trade association dedicated to protecting and promoting the region’s wares, passed through San Diego’s recently transformed Liberty Station as it completed a  road show featuring many of the best wineries Napa Valley has to offer. 

Internationally recognized pillars of the industry such as Shafer, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Paradigm uncorked their current releases, among the over 100 wineries in attendance.  With such a stellar field of participants, the fact that Staglin stood so tall among it’s peers says even more about how thrilling this wine truly  is.

Owners Garen and Shari Staglin brought in their first vintage in 1986.  These were not exactly the swashbuckling Napa days circa 1960 but certainly before it became the Disneyland of wine.  Their vision and courage to move their life from the corporate world to become farmers and vintners resulted in some of the most sought after wines in the United States.

OK, now to the price.  It retails for upwards of $175 a bottle.  Yep, it ain’t cheap, but there is nothing but goodness behind the label, and I’m not just talking about the wine.  More on the wine itself in a jiff.

To the Staglin’s credit, the family has as strong of a focus on charitable activities which may, as hard as it is to believe, outperform the quality of their wines.  Since 1995, Staglin Family Vineyard has sponsored and hosted The Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health.  100% of the festival costs are underwritten by sales of Staglin’s second label, Salus (named after the Greek Goddess of Health).  Since inception, the festival has raised a jaw dropping 53 million dollars to support research of brain disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and bi-polar disorder.  The 2010 version of the festival features Dwight Yoakam and takes place September 11th at the estate. 

Oh yeah…about the wine.  Wow.  When Shari poured me my first taste of her 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, I looked at her and exclaimed while the wine was still in my mouth, “I just don’t think I can spit this out!”  And I didn’t. 

Rare indeed does a wine pass a professional palate at an academic tasting without winding up in a frothing cup of expectorated juice.  Personally it has only happened to me once before where a 2000 Margaux found its way to my lips.  I digress…

This wine expresses everything a Napa Valley cabernet is supposed to be about.   Power, complexity, and a finish so long I literally am still tasting it nearly a week later.

So, indulge me for a brief moment.  Slow down your reading, take a deep breath, and play along with this little experiment. 

Ready?  

Paint a detailed picture of yourself getting behind the wheel of a brand new 7 series BMW.  Feel the firmness of the seat.  Smell the aromatics of the interior.  Imagine the color.  Close the door and fire up the engine.  Feel the gentle vibration as you put it in gear and gently pull out of the drive before punching the accelerator, feeling your body being forced back into the seat while racing down a back street.  Notice how quiet the ride is, allowing you to acutely focus on the handling of the car and the peaceful soft music playing in the background. 

Firm.  Aromatic.  Moving.  Emotional.

The 2006 Staglin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon can have the exact same affect on your mind, body and soul.  Such a passionate experience will mark a place in time for years to come.  Now that’s a long finish if I’ve ever heard of one!

Great quality wine at a fair price–no matter the price. If there is a single bottle you purchase for a special occasion this year, make it this one.  

When considering everything tucked away behind the Staglin label, even at $175, it is a bargain in my book.

Find the 2006 Staglin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon in your market with Snooth.

I really wasn’t in the mood to blog tonight, but when I opened and tasted the 2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay I just had to sit down and pound out  a few paragraphs!

I must admit that I’m a RRV chardonnay honk, as I much prefer the characteristics that come out of this AVA’s best vineyards over her sometimes more heralded Napa and Carneros bretheren.  However, I’ve had more than my fair share of really bad RRV chards before too.

Anyway, I was immediately taken aback by the balance on the nose.  Fruit, oak, and minerality were readily apparant and in a beautiful balance.  The fruit is more on the apple-pear side of the ledger but is certainly not devoid of subtlety.  RRV fruit can often show a minerality not often found in New World chardonnay–always a pleasant surprise.  The oak is again in balance…not overpowering or showing tannic astringency. 

COMPLEXITY!!!

Oh yeah…did I say L-E-N-G-T-H on the finish?  The best wines finish last.

Wonderfully round, no more than mid-weight, and integrated acidity keep this wine lively and a worthy food partner to grilled salmon, bacon-wrapped shrimp, or other foods of that nature.

Hmm…I thought I was just in for another long night of Olympic figure skating, but now I have something to look forward to–the next glass!

I guarantee this will be one of the best chardonnays I taste all year.

Mark the Cork Head

FIND IT HERE

Their grapes are grown without the use of any artificial fertilizers or synthetic chemicals to build a living soil that encourages natural pest/predator balance. By fostering the health of the soil, Bonterra believes the plant will in turn be healthier and therefore produce better fruit for winemaking.

Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a USDA accredited certifier inspects the vineyard make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.  Assisting the USDA is the California Certified Organic Farmers.  CCOF promotes and supports organic food and agriculture through their certification program, trade support, and other traditional trade association activities.

Organic grape production is much more than simply replacing chemical fertilizers with natural ones.  CCOF producers implement a wide range of strategies to develop and maintain biological diversity and replenish soil fertility naturally.  Bonterra controls insects and other vineyard pests in their vineyards by erecting birdhouses around their property and even releases their free-range chickens throughout the vineyards each morning to fertilize the land.

Clearly the organic efforts of Bonterra are paying off as accolades have been pouring in from critics and competitions.  The 2006 Bonterra Chardonnay received 89 points from the Wine Enthusiast and a silver medal at the 2008 California State Fair Wine Competition.  The winery’s other varietals have fared well too, such as their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Gold, Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition), the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Gold, Best of Class, Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition), and the 2006 Viognier (Best of Class, 2008 California State Fair Wine Competition).  Additionally, Bonterra was named “Value Brand of the Year” in 2007 by Wine and Spirits Magazine.

Though the Bonterra winery is not open for public tastings, their wines are widely available to greater San Diego residents.  Look for them at local Beverages and More stores as well as at Vons.  Though each varietal has a different price point, they all can usually be found at $15 or less.

Find the best prices on Bonterra wines here