WineWise: BE's Best Buys

in their category or price range

Bacchic Reflections

"Perhaps the nearest I come to gluttony is with wine. As often as possible, when
a really beautiful bottle is before me, I drink all of it that I can, even when I
know that I have had more that I want physically. That is gluttonous. But I think 
to myself, when again will I have this taste upon my tongue? Where else in the 
world is there just such a wine as this, with just this bouquet, at just this heat,
in just this crystal cup? And when again will I be alive to it as I am this very minute....?"
							M.F.K. Fisher
												 

 
"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also
a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a
snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and
to me as necessary." 
                                                 A Moveable Feast
						   by Ernest Hemingway

"The trouble with really fine wine is that it tastes so good that it spoils you for anything cheap, all the ordinary stuff you drank before because it was affordable."
                                                                  Shelby Foote to B.E.
                                                                  September 1997, Oxford, MS
                                                                  Centennial celebration of William
                                                                  Faulkner's birth.

>>> B.E.'s Fall Wine Class at Duke   <<<
                     begins October 21st
Go to: B.E.'s Bio

   FOUND! getting out wine stain--really!
                Go to:   B.E.'s Wine Tips

B.E.'s Dinner with Julia
                           Go to B.E.'s Bio

          Wines of Montefalco: scroll down

Great new restaurant in Chapel Hill:   One
            see B.E.'s Wine Tips

Headed to Healdsburg??? see B.E.'s Wine Tips

Metro Magazine: Vinous Delights for Summer
                     on newstands now
                         metronc.com

   B.E. on organic and biodynamic wines
                see article

Articles by B.E.   see B.E. in print
     Starting a Wine Cellar:   B.E.'s Wine Tips

      Wines for aging: see B.E. Cellar Notes

NC Wine Discoveries? see B.E.'s Discoveries

Wine Buy(s) of the Week
Zaca Mesa 2009 Viognier, $16-20**+ Santa Barbara County. Delightfully fresh and fragrant; floral aromas with a hint of peach suggest sweetness on the palate, but the wine is dry; excellent acidity, good balance. Try with filet of sole meunière, sautéed flounder or other white fish.

Bubbles! I'm never without a sparkling wine on ice. I always keep something in the frig--you never know when the mood will strike to pop a bottle. So, when friends arrived the other evening, knowing they're partial to sparklers, I was able to pull out a bottle of Mirabelle Brut, a label produced by Schramsberg of Napa Valley. Smartly dry, brisk and lively, it was perfect with hors d'oeuvres and set up just the right mood for dinner. $19 to $24 a bottle, depending where you buy.

Chile: Casa Silva Carmenère Reserva 2008, $11**+ From Colchagua Valley, this is a smooth and very quaffable Carmenère, made from the red grape of that name once grown in Bordeaux. Often rather wiry and tannic, but this version agreeably soft and balanced. Great value.
Root 1: Sauvignon Blanc 2009, $9-11*** Casablanca Valley. Fresh and invigorating, grown on its own roots (hence the name) like many Chilean wines since the root-eating bug phylloxera never made it over the Andes, this Sauvgnon brims with lime and gooseberry aromas that follow through on the palate with a zest of minerality. Very tasty indeed.
Leyda 2009 Pinot Noir, $11-13, Chile** Not easy to find inexpensive Pinot Noir, but I'm always keeping an eye out. This very drinkable red isn't exactly classic Pinot Noir, but its sturrdy red-fruit flavors are bold enough to handle grilled meats, sausages, burgers, barbecued chicken. A good and versatile summer red.

Kim Crawford 2009 Sauvignon Blanc 2009, New Zealand, $13-17** A little less forward than some NZ Sauvignons, but plenty of citrus, new grass and mineral accents in Crawford's latest. Great for shellfish--though I had it recently with ostrich sausage at One restaurant in Chapel Hill--$5.50 a glass made it even more appealing!

Scroll down to see more selections under Value Whites and Reds below.

IT'S SUMMER -- DRINK PINK!!!
It's that time again. I'm stocking up on dry Pinks. They are versatile with all sorts of summer foods, from fish to cold meat salads to grilled sausages, hot dogs, barbecue that's not too vinegary. They're wonderful on their own--fresh and piquant, delightfully quaffable.
There are plenty of good ones around--as well some that are way overpriced. Domaine Ott, for instance, has a rather exaggerated notion of its worth (over $30 a bottle). Before you spend more, check these:
Jean Luc Colombo Cape Bleue 2009, $13*** Lovely pale rose color, briskly dry, and aromatic--from the hills of southern Provence. $20 a bottle at Iris, the restaurant at the NC Museum of Art's new galleries. Great value!
Domaine Pinchinat 2009, Côtes de Provence**+ $13.99, Albero Rosado, Spain*+ $7 (organic), Domaine Houchart 2009** Provence, $11.99, Ferraton Côtes du Rhône 2009 Rosé 'Samorens' ** $11.99 (at Wine Authorities, Durham), Château La Canorgue 2008*** $13.99 (at 3 Cups, Chapel Hill)

Dry Pink Sparkler? Try Segura Viudas Brut Rosé, $9-10. A cava from Spain, this dry pink sparkler is delightful--lively, with appealing fruit dancing on the tongue. Keep one chilled for spur-of-the-moment celebration or festivities.

Focus on: Montefalco, from Umbria in central Italy
Montefalco is an ancient little village tucked among the hills of Umbria--doesn't look so little when you come upon it, with several imposing churches facing the town hall square. I had never heard of it when I first visited many years ago and its wines were virtually unknown in the U.S. Montefalco wines have recently made somethng of a splash on the wine scene, especially the reds, Montefalco Rosso and Sagrantino. I remember having a medium-bodied tasty little Montefalco red from Scacciadiavolo (it was hard to pronounce then, but I can do it now: scotch-eeya-dee-AHV-alo).
          I recently had a chance to taste samples from one of the current leading producers of the region, Arnaldo Caprai. The sagrantino grape, grown thereabout, is a curious little animal--highly praised currently--but it reminds me somewhat of tannat--the wiry, tannic grape from southwest France used to make Madiran. Sagrantino also has a certain "wild" or sauvage character, too--wiry, stemmy, quite tannic in youth. Personally, I prefer Caprai's Anima Umbra red, $17, a blend of 80% sangiovese, 20% merlot--this wine has punchy fruit, supple and round and quite drinkable, but with enough structure to age a few years if you tuck away a few bottles.
           I really liked the Caprai white--Anima Umbra Bianco 2008, $13**+, brisk, dry, minerally, zesty--if you like good Sauvignon Blanc you'll like this wine. Made from Italy's grecchetto grape--might be fun to see more of this Italian variety. Excellent choice for shellfish; very good value.


Good Values in Whites Prelius Vermentino 2008, Tuscany, $16* An excellent dry white, with appetizingly brisk mineral accents that give an appealing zing to the green-apple fruit. Made from organically-grown vermentino in the Maremma district of Tuscany. A fine choice for shellfish, but also a lovely aperitif. [wbow] Vina Robles White 4 2009 Huerhuero, Paso Robles* $14. This unusual blend of Vermentino, Verdelho, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc is sensational--dry, tangy, zesty, highly aromatic--just won BEST OF SHOW at the Central Coast Wine Competition, beating out all whites and reds. This young winery is making some very impressive wines, red and white. Expect to hear more about it in the future. The White 4 (surely they can come up with a better name!) may be hard to find in North Carolina, but it can be had for the asking from your wine merchant. Lovely summer white, especially for shellfish (while we can still get it). Eberle 2009 Viognier, Mill Road Vyd, Paso Robles+ $21.99. Winner Best of Class and Gold medal in the recent Central Coast Wine Competition, from which I just returned. Eberle Viognier, with its floral fragrance and crisp flavors accented with peach and apricot, is Gary Eberle's top gold medal winner year after year. The 2009 is fresh and bright, a delight for summer. Viognier fans should seek it out. Lockwood 2008 Chardonnay, Monterey * $12.99. Excellent value in Chardonnay! Also a Gold at the recent West Coast Wine Competition. Bold flavors, ample acidity for crispness (typical of Monterey fruit) and appealing spicy accents of vanilla and clove from oak not overdone. A great summer Chardonnay. Domaine du Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc 2009, $8-10.99+** From a unique estate in southwestern France--not a region from which we expect great Sauvignon Blanc--but this brightly aromatic, dry and tangy white is a great hot-weather pour. Tariquet also produces another surprising white from local varieties Ugni Blanc and Colombard, more commonly used to distill into Armagnac. The 2009 is a charmer, dry but with explosive aromatics; also 10.99 but can be found for less.

Values in Reds...
Avignonesi Rosso 2006, Tuscany, $15.99***   What a juicy red--a blend of Tuscan grapes dominated by sangiovese but with none of the taut wiriness typical of many sangios. This one has structure but round plushy texture that makes it highly quaffable. The 2007 is in the market now, a little more intense. But rest assured they will just get better if you lay away a few bottles for a year or so. Excellent for summer grilling, as well as just on its own. Excellent value.   [wbow]
Le Campuget Syrah-Viognier 2008 Vin du Gard , $10.99** 90% Syrah, 10% Viognier. Shall we call this a Cote Rotie petit, since the blend is fairly similar? Definitely lighter and utterly drinkable now, with black raspberry and ripe blackberry fruit, and just enough mineral character to give it a pleasing edge, softed by the addition of viognier. Can't beat it for the proverbial glass of red--on its own, with burgers, sausages, and suchlike, hot off the grill.         [wbow]
Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec 2008** Argentina, $10-12   Nicely dark but not overly dense, with good black plum flavors; lively balance but weighty enough to suit grilled meats, and even barbecue (if it's not too vinegary)--if you live in the mid-South, try this combination.    [wbow]
Robert Oatley 2007 Shiraz, Australia, $17**+ There is good, moderate-priced Shiraz around, but I'm finding some of it harsh and not very tasty. This new label is perhaps a bit pricier, but it's smooth, elegant, nicely structured but with plenty of flavor and an appealing note of black pepper--a handsome pairing for roast or grilled lamb.   [wbow]
Michel Torino 'CUMA' Malbec 2008, Argentina** $10-11   Deeply colored, with flavors of Plums and ripe dark berries. Made from organically grown grapes, concentrated and rich--great for grilled meats and savory cheeses.    [wbow]
Maipe 2008 Malbec, $10-13*** Mendoza, Argentina
If you spot this gnarly, juicy little red, snap it up--one of the best values in Malbec around right now.

Values in Reds... Avignonesi Rosso 2006, Tuscany, $15.99* What a juicy red--a blend of Tuscan grapes dominated by sangiovese but with none of the taut wiriness typical of many sangios. This one has structure but round plushy texture that makes it highly quaffable. The 2007 is in the market now, a little more intense. But rest assured they will just get better if you lay away a few bottles for a year or so. Excellent for summer grilling, as well as just on its own. Excellent value. [wbow] Le Campuget Syrah-Viognier 2008 Vin du Gard , $10.99 90% Syrah, 10% Viognier. Shall we call this a Cote Rotie petit, since the blend is fairly similar? Definitely lighter and utterly drinkable now, with black raspberry and ripe blackberry fruit, and just enough mineral character to give it a pleasing edge, softed by the addition of viognier. Can't beat it for the proverbial glass of red--on its own, with burgers, sausages, and suchlike, hot off the grill. [wbow] Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec 2008 Argentina, $10-12 Nicely dark but not overly dense, with good black plum flavors; lively balance but weighty enough to suit grilled meats, and even barbecue (if it's not too vinegary)--if you live in the mid-South, try this combination. [wbow] Robert Oatley 2007 Shiraz, Australia, $17+ There is good, moderate-priced Shiraz around, but I'm finding some of it harsh and not very tasty. This new label is perhaps a bit pricier, but it's smooth, elegant, nicely structured but with plenty of flavor and an appealing note of black pepper--a handsome pairing for roast or grilled lamb. [wbow] Michel Torino 'CUMA' Malbec 2008, Argentina $10-11 Deeply colored, with flavors of Plums and ripe dark berries. Made from organically grown grapes, concentrated and rich--great for grilled meats and savory cheeses. [wbow] Maipe 2008 Malbec, $10-13* Mendoza, Argentina If you spot this gnarly, juicy little red, snap it up--one of the best values in Malbec around right now.