You know how it is. You spend a couple weeks in Argentina including a week just in Mendoza staring at the Andes [ed. the view from Vistalba] and tasting wines and you find stuff you really like. You have to decide "do I haul some back or have some shipped?" If you want to ship a case from Argentina via DHL it will set you back $240/case. So add $20/bottle to your U20 winners. Or you can join The Vines of Medoza wine club Acequia. The Vines has much of what you like on their impressive list and they ship for a lot less ( I mean a LOT LESS) than DHL.

[ed. alert: The Wall Street Journal published an article March 29 2008 on The Vines vineyard business.]

Why not join the club? I have no problem accepting wines selected by people in which I have complete confidence, especially if they are Vines staff Mariana Onofri or Pedro Cubillos. Wait a minute. I live in LA. I can find most of these wines, especially my favorites, in Los Angeles. LA baby. Bigger than New Yawk. Anything you want.

WRONG. I returned with must-buy wines from Colomé, La Azul and Walter Bressia. Of these three I have found only the Colomé at Hi Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa! Fortunately, my tBoW tasting team supervisor who lives in Orange County had knee surgery recently so I was able to stop by and pick up more of what was certainly the most fascinating wine tBoW tasted in Argentina; that would be Colomé. I know every serious wine store in SoCal and most in the Bay Area but, except for Hi Time, when it comes to a premium selection of Argentine wines you can fuggedaboudid. [ed. this opinion since softened by actually locating desirable Argentina wines in a few accessible stores...as reported below].

By the way, I had not been to the legendary OC wine store - Hi Time Wine Cellars - in at least 15 years. The selection is outstanding, comprehensive and DEEP. The buyers are doing a super job.

So I do the best I can and buy what I can find in LA. Here is my story.

2007 Zolo Torrontes $8.50: So here is the good news. In the few weeks I have been working the 5/405 corridor for evidence of decent Argentine wine I found this delightful Torrontes; first at $11 in Long Beach (Wine Country in Long Beach, nice store) then the Missus found it in Gelsons for even less. This is everything I want in Argentine wine. Floral nose, pears and peaches on the palate with firm acids to give it more than just a sappy flabby flavor. From grapes grown at 3,000 feet in La Rioja. Torrontes is the all-purpose all-star grape. Purr-fect. At 13.5 % it is a bit stout. Spectator gave it an 86. Every time I see a Spectator rating I actually snicker. Oh, not quite up to an 87 you say? How about 8.5 as in dollars and cents.

2007 Elsa Bianchi Torrontes $8: Purchased at K&L Hollywood. From San Rafael which is in the southern part of Mendoza province, about 1,000 ft above sea level. Lively fruit, floral nose. Summer wine. Very nice. Has some Riesling character. Held up well over next 3 days. A great buy for an outdoor June wedding. 12.5%

2006 Orfila Torrontes $10: It means something when a 30 million case winery can produce a wine this nice. Here is what it means. Torrontes from Salta's Cafayate valley is the mark of excellence. This wine has the mineral and acid backbone we love in summer wines along with the Torrontes Rielsing-like character. Fab. Of course, good luck finding it. I found it in the Hollywood Carniceria Argentina. Next to the soap. 13.3%

2006 Don David Reserve Torrontes $16: Michel Torino Estate from Cafayate vineyards above Salta at 5600 ft. Right away the alcohol (13.9%) is evident. Gives it spine. More intense fruit on the nose and in the mouth. Showing stronger character and impresses us over the Elsa. Overnight it turns into Limoncello with the alcohol overtaking the fruit. I prefer the Elsa!

2003 / 2004 Vistalba Corte B $25: I tasted the 2004 in Mendoza. I found the 2003 at my local vendor, Woodland Hills Wine Co. We tasted it in Mendoza at the Carlos Pulenta bodega. There is also a Corte A and Corte C. Corte is the term commonly used to signifiy a blended wine. In the 2003 vintage (14.2%) the blend is Malbec (42%), Cabernet (32%), Bonnarda and Merlot. The 2004 blend (14.5%) tasted in Mendoza blended Malbec (57%), Cabernet (30%) and there is no Merlot. The 2004 was $31 on the La Bourgogne wine list. The wine shows luscious blueberries. Judged it excellent and resolved to buy it in LA. The 2003 has one quarter less Malbec. The Cabernet is more prominent and there is no Merlot. The Cabernet dominates the flavors...for the worse. A fruity keeper, dense, if you like Cab. If you like what Merlot does with Malbec...and I definitely do...look for the 2004.

2005 Vistalba Corte C $11: Found it at Hi Time in Costa Mesa. Not bad, not great. 85% Malbec and the rest Merlot. The blend I prefer but this is ripe, high acid fruit. Not balanced. Open over three days. Should have opened. The Merlot proportion could and should contribute more if it were closer to 30%. Alcohol at 14%.

2004 Salentein Malbec $19: Estate bottling from one of the premier Valle de Uco wineries. Bought this in the Argentinan Carniceria in North Hollywood. I was on the hunt! I did not taste many Salentein wines in Argentina but those I did taste I liked. None were Malbec. Finding the 2004 vintage is cool as the current release is 2006. Vineyards are just below 4,000 ft. Tannins have softened. Dotoré says lay it down and I think I will. High valley mineral fruit. Hint of citrus.

2005 Benvenuto de la Serna $15: This Uco Valley winery produces single grape wines from Malbec, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauv and Merlot. Thank goodness they also produce this 60/40 Malbec/Merlot wine. Fruity and forward to be sure. Also tasty and balanced. Ended up the popular bottle on this evening. Purchased at K&L. 13.5%

2006 Bundini Malbec $7: A screwtop cap (good!). A fruity blend that goes down easy. This is your go-to-BBQ blend. Purchased at K&L. I would guess Lujan fruit. Ripe, soft. So much comes out of there it is only a matter of time before there are custom crushes galore.

2003 Salentein Pinot Noir $19: Another wine reminiscent of something we tasted in Mendoza. We had the 2005 at the Bodegas Salentein. It was 15.5% alcohol and fruity. This is not. Flavors at coffee and caramel. Could be storage as I bought this at a carniceria in Hollywood. Another example of what is on the shelves in the darnedest places. Because, there is an Argentine community who will buy these wines and nobody knows any different. Until now.

2005 Mendel Malbec $24: Old vines (70 years plus). Rich, coffee and caramel flavors. Another bottle readily available throughout SoCal. Does not make my tongue twitch.

2005 La Posta Cocina $16: 60% Malbec, 20% Bonnarda and 20% Syrah. Nice to see Syrah is grown in Mendoza. Rich flavors, bright fruit. Italian style. The Bonnarda changes everything. A better blend than with Cab but not my fave.

2005 Kaiken Malbec Reserva $12: This is one of the Argentine wines that made my hot list in Mendoza. Bought at Wine Country in Signal Hill (ask for Nancy).This wine is nicely structured which means it holds together, presenting a consistent palate of ripe dark fruit backed by moderate tannins and balanced overall. Long finish that is wholly pleasing. Has 7% Cabernet Sauvignon which works well in this amount giving the wine some added character. Blows away the Corte C. 14.6%

To summarize, the good news is that Torrontes can be found. I think I would buy any Torrontes just to see what it was like. It is that steady. The bad news is not one of the Argentine wines purchased in and around LA that are reviewed here were tasted in Argentina. I did find earlier vintages of the same label and varietal which was better than nada. And I did discover wines from regions I recognized and favored which was good. However, I remain on the hunt for the wines that stuck a hook in my brain as I stared at the Andes.

Availability Update: I contacted the importer for Andeluna wines and was provided a list of 13 SoCal shops that carry Andeluna wines. I did a web search for half and found one Andeluna wine in stock; Andeluna's lowest end product. The importer, San Francisco Wine Exchange, says they just received their container with the reserves so I should look for these in fine wine shops served by California distributor Henry Wine Group. I did find their 2005 Malbec Winemakers Selection at The Wine House in West LA for $11. Not exactly what I was looking for but certainly worth a try. Hey - I bought those plastic tasting glasses for under $2 apiece. Nice value. Hope they are neutral.

Bottom line, last word, final say...while there are many nice Argentina wines to be found in LA, we are not getting the really great wines. And these wines we are not getting do not cost more than $20 (well maybe the Bressia). Conclusion? An industry still in development. Looks like I gotta go back!

[ed. This is the third post on Argentina wines. While we are trying to mix things up with other reviews and stories tBoW is not close to being finished with Argentina wines. There are two posts in the queue and a summer of asados on the horizon].

For the busy readers of this blog who just want the purity of essence, here are the highlights in brief: (1) when touring Mendoza bodegas you need a driver and reservations; (2) the bodegas we visited in Lujan de Cuyo and Maipu made excellent wine, and (3) Valle de Uco is the must-see region. The photo is one view from Achaval Ferrer in Lujan de Cuyo.

One of the highlights of any trip to Mendoza is touring the bodegas (wineries, schmendrick). This is not Napa, or Sonoma or Paso, or Bordeaux, or Piemonte, or Languedoc. It is most like Languedoc in that the bodegas are spread out few and far between. And everywhere there are vineyards. It is Argentina and has quite possibly the world's finest growing conditions for producing great wines.

We visited the following bodegas: Tempus Alba, Achaval Ferrer, Carlos Pulenta (Vistalba), Salentein, and Andeluna. We were set to taste at La Azul but we dawdled so long at Andeluna (meal o' trip) that we blew that one. I crawled through an opening hole in the entry wall and went on the grounds to take a couple photos of the very humble bodega.

Although I am working with a small sample of only five bodegas I believe they are somewhat representative of the region and the wine scene. Because there are 1,200 bodegas in Mendoza I am willing to bet no more than 100 produce more than 100,000 cases annually. The smallest of the five bodegas we visited produces about 12,000 cases (Achaval Ferrer) which leaves a lot of boutique wineries waiting to be discovered...in Mendoza province and elsewhere.

The purportedly 1,200 bodegas in Mendoza produce 70% to 80% (depending on your source) of Argentina's wine production. I purchased incomplete regional maps showing the locations of bodegas that paid to be included. Unfortunately, there is not a comprehensive bodega map available online or on the street. If there was one it would be well worth a reasonable price to the turista. [ed. I paid $10 online for a map of Recoleta Cemetery which made all the difference.] If bodegas were listed at no charge then turistas could be confident most if not all bodegas were represented. The map for Valle de Uco, for example, does not include the legendary (at least in my mind) bodega La Azul. Perhaps their meager (precious?) 500 case production does not support the cost for inclusion.

While Mendoza is the nation's dominant wine growing region there are other areas. Most notable are Cafayate north of Salta and the Rio Negro region in Patagonia. The map below gives a quick idea of Argentina's wine regions. posada in the Andean valley of Calchaqui. Nothing but high-altitude vines and wines, and peaceful (blissful?) days. Add a mountain bike and I am in heaven (and probably passed out from the elevation). Take a look at this March 2007 video shot at Colomé. I will not be happy until I am there!

OK. I am officially obsessed with Bodega Colomé. Here is the same guy tasting the award winning Torrontes and Malbec on the grounds of Colomé as he puts it as high as Europe's famous ski resorts.

[ed. Colomé alert. Hi Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa (ask for Patty Quick) carries the Colomé Malbec and Torrontes. As my high school English teacher used to remind us "a word to the wise is sufficient". The Malbec is wonderful. You want the Torrontes.]

That is a lot of writing about a winery we did not visit. How about two we did?

Tempus Alba is located in the Maipu region of Mendoza about 10 kilometers outside the city. There are a couple things to make clear about bodega touring in Mendoza. Word is you need a reservation. I can verify this as every one of the wineries we pulled up to had a gate and a guard who checked his reservation list. You need a driver. It is not that the driving is so difficult. It is a matter of reading the signs, or lack thereof. We had the same guy for two days and he and his late model Chrysler van were much appreciated.

Tempus has three vineyards; one each in Valle de Uco, Lujan de Cuyo and Maipu. Their Maipu vineyard is at the lowest elevation (2,600 feet). Malbec from Maipu shows a distinct hint of citrus, i.e., orange peel, in the nose and mouth. We noticed it first in Buenos Aires at Tomo 1. Our Tempus Alba hostess confirmed it for us as we sampled a flight of seven wines on the outdoor patio [ed. prices in US$$].

2005 Tempus Alba Tempranillo $15: Notable acid backbone. Good fruit. Not my grape. 13.9% We did note that Tempranillo is a popular varietal.

2007 Tempus Alba Malbec Rosé $10: Nothing wrong with this wine except that IMHO Malbec does not an attractive rosé make. Now Syrah...that does an attractive rosé make. Channeling Yoda. 14%

2005 Tempus Alba Syrah: White pepper nose. Sweet flavor. Not like the Syrahs I know from France or California. Not bad either. 13.9%. THis was one of a few Argentine Syrahs I liked.

2005 Tempus Alba Malbec $13: Ripe, moderately tannic. Citric nose and flavor. Naranja. Bacon, cured ham. Like this one. 14.1%.

2003 Tempus Alba Pleno $22: The big finish big ticket wine. Also a medal winner. 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe figs on the nose. Fig Newtons in the flavor. Too sweet for me. Overripe. I concluded the Malbec/Cab blend is my least favorite. 14.1%

2004 Tempus Alba Cabernet Sauvignon: Rich flavors. Heavyweight cab. Not a cab guy. 14%

Next stop Achaval Ferrer, the bodega most frequently associated with excellence and achievement in Argentine winemaking, is only 10 years old. It is a partnership of six men, four Argentine investors from business and two Italians from winemaking backgrounds. While Tempus Alba refers to themselves as a big boutique (350,000 cases) Achaval Ferrer is truly a boutique bodega in spirit, intention and production.

We barrel and bottle tasted at this very impressive bodega where the commitment to excellence is authentic. Like Tempus Alba the bodega is set up for gravity flow, equipment is modern and the facility appears spanking clean. I did snap the photo below of a worker stomping down what looks like stems. Like Tempus Alba grapes originate from vineyards throughout Mendoza's finest regions, ranging in altitude from 2,000 to 3,500 feet. Achaval Ferrer is imported to Southern California by TGIC Importers and is available at local vendor Woodland Hills Wine Company.

Achaval Ferrer produces five wines; three vineyard designated (fincas), a premium blend and the normal Malbec. Interestingly, Achaval Ferrer has ceased posting tasting notes on its website! So you better get them here! Here is what we tasted from barrel...

2007 Achaval Ferrer Cabernet Sauvignon: Spicy nose. PeeWee detects tapioca (vanilla from oak?). 12 months in barrel.

2007 Achaval Ferrer Merlot: Camphor in the nose, herbal aromas. Promising.

2007 Achaval Ferrer Cabernet Franc: Balsamic nose, minty. Interesting. Good thing they blend these.

And from bottle...

2007 Quimera $40: This their premium blend of 40% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Now we know where the grapes go. Yeasty, doughy on the nose.Tannic. Dry finish. Will take years. I will buy the blend that reverses the Cab Sauv and Cab France proportions.

The flagship wines are the single vineyard Malbecs; Finca Altamira, Finca Mirador and Finca Bella Vista. These are all outstanding wines, but one stands head and shoulders over the others. We tasted samples from the most recently released vintages.

2005 Achaval Ferrer Finca Mirador Malbec $75: From a 2400 foot vineyard in the Medrano region of Mendoza. 12 months in barrel. Pronounced citrus flavors. 577 cases produced. 13%.

2005 Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira Malbec $75: The Valle de Uco vineyard at 3,600 feet. Tea on the nose. Acidic. Warm finish. Chewy, caramel. You would think it was higher alcohol but only 13%. 670 cases.

2004 Achaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista $100: Ladies and gentlemen we have a champion. And it will cost you. Could even be worth it although there are at least a couple competitors from Argentina in this price range. Candy flavors, Life savers. Refined. Elegant. Powdery vanilla scents and flavors. Exotic. 3,200 foot vineyard. 13.9% The 2005 and 2006 vintages of Bella Vista were lost to hail. The 2007 will be the next release. Look for it.

2006 Achaval Ferrer Malbec Mendoza $18: Fruity, soft tannins. Not a keeper nor is it intended to be. Achaval Ferrer produces 8,000 cases of Malbec Mendoza from vineyards at 2,500 feet in Lujan du Cuyo and Maipu. In this price range I think there are better Malbecs. 13.5%

An example of a better wine in the U20 group is the 2005 Filus Reserve Malbec. This $12 wine from Hi Time Wine Cellars has everything I learned to enjoy in Argentine Malbec wines; Maipu fruit (Lulunta Valley, must be near Medrona [ed. in fact it is]), no Cabernet in the blend (in fact it is 100% Malbec), and low alcohol. Has the mocha and citrus like an exotic dark chocolate bar from Venezuela and the tannins to go a few years. Turns out Filus produces the La Boca label that can be found in TJs. [ed. Tell them you met the guy in Mendoza who designed the label]. Congrats to Patty Q for picking this one out of the pack. Heads up: Filus bottles single vineyards. Checkumout Patty! Something tells me there are plenty more bodegas like this one in Mendoza's pool of 1,200.

That was one half day touring. Next up Salentein and Andeluna in the spectacular Valle de Uco.

Once I began reading about the Uco valley (Internet trip planning) I knew I had to visit. [ed. one of many spectacular views in the valley, this from Bodega Salentien] It just sounded too incredible: the region where the big money was taking up roost; bodegas spread even more few and far between than Maipu or Lujan du Cuyo, highest altitude vineyards in Mendoza province, and proximity to the second largest peak, Tupungato at over19,000 feet, in the Andes. Knowing there would be a major peak that I could actually see with the naked eye while touring vineyards was important because it meant I could easily torpedo any move to take a day-long bus ride (10 hours) to Aconcagua, the tallest Andean peak that can only be seen after a long bus ride up the mountain and which is a popular tourist activity when at a loss for what to do next in Mendoza. When my team was at a loss for what to do next in Mendoza we asked Posada de Rosas hostess Ellen and she suggested we have lunch in the Parque San Martin where tourists seldom ventured. As usual she was perfectly correct.

Before we review the day in Valle de Uco, I want to finish the second half of the previous day in Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo. After touring Bodegas Tempus Alba and Achaval Ferrer we were driven to the Carlos Pulenta compound in Lujan de Cuyo where we were set to have lunch at the Mendoza's finest restaurant La Bourgogne followed by a bodega tour. One can be easily fooled by a first look at the Pulenta facility. It presents as a familiar Latino rectangular compound centered around an open courtyard. There is a posada with a few rooms above the entrance and the restaurant is at the other end of the central pathway. the bodega? All underground. And it is huge.

The bodega tour was efficient. We saw the fermentation tanks and long open storage rooms. Unlike any other winery I have seen, the bottles are stored for aging individually in piles along the walls. This requires multiple opportunities to break them form the excessive handling, from the bottling line, to the storage area, back to the bottling line for labeling, and then into the shipping cases. The most interesting part of the tour was the tasting room (pictured here). I was not interested in tasting any Pulenta wines but I was very interested in examining the wall of Lujan dirt that comprised the room's longest wall.

The lunch is worth mentioning. The food was very good but the service, as noted by tasting team member PeeWee, was "indifferent". We ordered the 2004 Vistalba Corte B from the wine list ($31 US) which was anything but indifferent. Vistalba is one of many Pulenta's lines. Corte is the Argentine word for a blend. There is also a Corte A and C. Corte B blends 57% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 13% Bonnarda. Blueberry flavors. Feel was luscious. Liked it mucho [ed. even with all the cab?] Made a note to buy it in LA. Price is $25. Corte A blends Malbec and Cab in more equal amounts, but the Corte C is the one I have to try. It is 85% Malbec and 15% Merlot which, in my view, is the better blend.

and now...at long last...the Valle de Uco...

Riding to the valley is kind of like driving from LA up the backside of the California Sierras to Mammoth Mountain, except the ride is much shorter. We head south form Mendoza on Highway 42 which is like Route 66 in that it traverses the country at its longest points, north to south. Rustic, low scrub chapparal, two lane blacktop. You know you are in the boonies when the Difunte Correa and Gauchito Gil shrines start showing up alongside the road. Here is another website about Difunte Correa, the "unofficial" national saint who, along with Gil, is not recognized as divine by the Catholic Church. We crested a long hill and there was the valley with its spectacular mountains that command your eyes to continually stare...until we hit the first bodega

Salentein is the Pulenta compound in spades. It is a posada, an art gallery and a bodega in three separate buildings each occupying its own acre in a triangle arrangement. The photo above shows the walk form the gallery to the winery. I wanted to stay here but could not arrange it. The bodega, like Pulenta, is underground, however, you could fit about six Pulenta facilities into this one. If you have ever visited the Medici Tombs you have an idea of the scale and spectacle. I had to ask the guide who was buried here. The place is stupefyingly stupendous.

The place is almost overwhelming with its multiple underground levels. Art is not just in the gallery but everywhere...inside and outside This piece is adjacent to the elevator door between hose storage and the "temple" storage room. Eventually - and we were in no rush - we arrived at the tasting room. Here is what they poured us.

2006 Salentein Chardonnay $17: High acid on the nose. Tastes like chardonnay with higher acid than I expect. No tropical flavors. 6 months oak. 14%

2003 Salentein Merlot$15: Black olive on the nose. Smoky. Not impressive. 14.5%

2004 Salentein Pinot Noir $17: Smoke on the nose. Meaty fruit like a thick fleshy plum. Some barnyard, lightweight. Too much alcohol. Surprising the fruit is so nice. 15.5%

Salentein's premium line is Primus, not tasted. I have found that Salentein wines are not easy to locate, at least in LA. This is a shame because they are very good value and decent wines. They offer a wide range of varietals, as well.

Bodega Andeluna is the creation of Ward Lay, of Frito-Lay. That is correct. The same man who brought the world cheet-ohs owns a world class winery in Valle de Uco. We had a fabulous experience here. This was our lunch stop and, unlike the other "premium" dining spot, this was the top stop for the entire trip.

We never did the bodega tour because lunching with Chef Pablo cooking and serving us was too much to hurry through. Because we took the premium tasting meal we did taste some really nice wines...and ate some truly special food...and had some excellent chatting with Chef Pablo. Here are the wines...Michel Rolland gets consulting credit. San Francisco Wine Exchange imports.

2005 Andeluna Chardonnay: Baking soda, and oak on the nose. Good acid. Taste the wood. Generic. 13.4%

2005 Andeluna Chardonnay Reserve: Faint hint of sulfur and minerals on the nose, green olives. Nice mineral flavors. Oak is way in the back. Lemon cream. Meringue. This is a chard I can drink! Grown at 4,000 feet with 12 months in French oak. 13.1%. Bravo!

2005 Andeluna Merlot: Rosy nose, floral. Asparagus emerges. Olives after several minutes. Fruit forward with tannic reserve. Flabby, too sweet (ripe) and fruity. Michel Rolland all over this wine. 14%

2006 Andeluna Malbec $8: Buttered popcorn. White pepper. Younger, spicy. Lean middleweight. Excellent. Rich. Chef Pablo loves this wine. At this U10 price it is a total bargain. 14.2%.

2004 Andeluna Malbec Limited Reserve: Spicy and light citric nose. Lighter weight than expected. Balanced nicely. Tannic. 18 months in new oak. Complex and structured in a purposeful way. Cognac flavors which means high alcohol. Some caramel on finish. 14.7%

2003 Andeluna Pasianado: Blend of 20% Malbec, 35% Merlot, 35% Cab Sauv and 10% Cab Franc. Smells great. Caramel on the nose. But it is jammy, some red currants, bologna, prosciutto. Has some weight, smooth going down. 14.7%

The Missus says it tastes a lot like a wine Jim Moore, or Bob Mueller, a couple of those under-the-radar Napa winemakers covered by tBoW, who have just been making great wines for a slew of folks over numerous decades. Jim's label is l'Uvaggio di Giacomoand he used to make a wine named Parador. Bob is the winemaker at McKenzie-Mueller, profiled on this blog several times.

Now if we can just figure out where to buy some!!

My pal with the hollow wooden leg Ronnie the Worker Bee says "Stevie...can you get me a case of mixed red all under $15?" Hmm. Let me think...

I love a challenge and I have such confidence in my local vendor Woodland Hills Wine Co (new website with super search engine!) - even though my favorite sales guy has gone and left us (good news - he is opening his own "shop and dine" joint) - that I gladly agree to put it together. [ed. Credit winedoctor for posting simple instructive maps of Burgundy including this one]

You know what happens, of course. I end up buying my own mixed case because Paul & Kyle Smith's deals are so damn good! I am working my way through the selection, presented for your own consideration.

2006 Trenel Beaujolais-Villages $11: This wine is so good it is ridiculous. I served it to the missus and she said so. Robert Chadderton Selection. We have tasted and reported on other Trenel wines, especially the Cru vineyards from 2005 . Good news...the 2006 vintage is equally spectacular. But, igottatellya, this is hard to beat this for the $$. Soft not quite ripe cherry fruit (I like that), velvety smooth (no tannins to speak of), and just down the hatch she goes. I did read a recent review complaining the finish was short. Hey...have another glass mister. At 12.5% you can have a few!!! Hell yeh!! Here is to low alcohol, balanced, tasty fruit-driven wine!!

2005 Cotes du Rhone Domaine de Cristia $11: This may seem unusual to say BUT thank goodness I have come across a wine that is just OK. It is the domaine's entry level so it should be at least OK. This Rhone blend is just OK. I have tasted so many fruit-driven, mostly balanced U20 wines of late it seems there is little else out there except the even BIGGER and definitely not balanced fruit-driven trophies. But this wine has that once familiar high acid presence, light tannins, slightly overwhelming the fruit, not over-ripe but still ripe enough to recognize the grenache flavors. Mild smoke, dustiness. Was a time before Parker [ed. BP, like BC or AD] most wines tasted like this one. 13%

2004 Fratelli Revello Dolcetto d'Alba $12: This label from Barolo (Piemonte) tends to turn out younger styled wines. My 1996 and 1997 Baroli aged early. I like the wines but decided awhile ago that buying Barolo wines at lofty prices was just not worth it. The go-to importer for Barolo wines, ala' Becky Wasserman for Burgundies, is Marc De Grazia. However, I think he just does not have enough variety in styles to present as broad a range as does Ms. W. This is a Marc De Grazia wine. Right out of the bottle it is quite tasty. Cookie dough and cinnamon spice flavors. However, Dolcetto's are not meant for the long term. After about 45 minutes the fruit faded and we were left with a somewhat narrower and woody drink. 13.5%

2003 Clautiere Mon Rouge ~$18 thru wine club: Syrah/cabernet blend split almost down the middle. The blend is pretty nice. The dense cab flavors set off the syrah ripeness. I automatically wrinkle my nose at "non-traditional" blends. However, in this case, the blend worked. This food-friendly wine (i.e., not overly "extracted") would complement many meals. It is remarkably fresh for a wine with 4 years plus.

...the Grenache Blanc mini taste-off...domestically speaking...

2006 Curran Grenache Blanc $24 at Curran website: A wine I have learned to love. I wish I could compare to French styles but....this is all peaches and spring flowers...nose is somewhat muted but flavors are all there. Medium weight for white wine. I have found this wine will age nicely for at least several years. Can be served at room temp. 14.1%.

2004 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc $25: Estate grown (of course). This is more serous wine with strong overlay of oak and alcohol (15.3%!!!). For a 4 year old wine this is still brawny and muscular. If the Curran wine is delicate and femmy likeHolly Golightly then the TC is all Hulk Hogan (maybe less drama). The fruit is there but, right now, the wood dominates. Almost intimidates.

I cannot help but think of the Williams Selyem and Rochioli pinot noir taste-offs we have had in the past. Again and again W/S would prove to be the fruitier and lighter wine, endlessly charming and supremely quaff-able. The Rochioli was almost always for long term aging. Totally serious with tons of complexity and to be enjoyed on its own, when Rochioli is ready (Rochioli as alpha wine?).

Now you might wonder how one can fairly compare wines from two different vintages. No explanation is offered. I do not think the Tablas Creek GB wine has lost any fruit. I just think it is a tougher wine. Both will age just fine...at least a few years.

Two excellent examples of how GB can be made in California.

We visited the Gaudalupe Valley in Northern Baja Mexico. Drive south from Tijuana til you get about10 km north of Ensenada and make a hard left. When you get to San Antonia de las MInas (another 15 km) you are there.

We survived the tourist warnings about getting caught in the crossfire of narco gun battles or being kidnapped by marauding gangsters. We did not even see Chupacabra.

There are much better sites that present this region than I can, such as this one at cliff.com. The Guadalupe Valley is Mexico's wine region. It is rustic. One paved highway traverses the east-west valley. Make a left or right and you are driving on dirt. The valley is not at any significant elevation although it is bordered north and south with peaks that look like 1,000 feet.

The valley width is probably 10 miles. Length is 20 miles. It is R-U-S-T-I-C. No Ferrari Carrano or Coppola gift shops. That said, there are two monster wine facilities: Casa Pedro Domecq (Presidente Brandy) and LA Cetto. Each produces more than 1 million cases of mostly plonk annually. LA Cetto is a popular family destination. We bought the olive oil.

If you like isolation and quiet you will love the Villa del Valle; a handsome estate with 6 guest bedrooms. Call it a B&B but it really is more elegant. You get there riding a road ruddier than Russel Crowe's face. This is mountain bike country for the cruisin' set. Fire roads, hills, aerobic workout. Followed by the late afternoon wine hour.

No phones. No newspapers. No TV. Wireless so one is not completely out of touch. Bring books, an MP3 player and a camera. Or just hang out an enjoy the hilltop views across the valley. An island of cultured civility in a rural rustic valley. And Phil is building a very nice and representative selection of local wines of which his are among the best.

But is it a true wine destination? Maybe not quite yet. Do not let that put you off. There are ~40 wineries. New planting from one year ago says something is growing. We tasted wines from four vignerons trying to make something happen. You decide.

Liceaga: New roadside facility. Conventional aspirations. Known for their Merlot. Met Steve Dryden in the tasting room. He was dropping off the Baja Times with a couple of his columns. He moved here five years ago from Paso. Sees it coming. Wines are unremarkable. Of the majority group trying to grow Bordeaux varietals in a Rhoneisima region. They did have a grappa!

Vinisterra Winery: Nice couple runs this facility off the main road. A bit hard to find but what else we gonna do? We found them. New brick facility. Plans for a tasting room. Producing 4,000 cases with a goal of 6,000. Good plan. They have three lines that include a Grenache Rose, a Cab-Merlot blend and a Tempranillo. And they have a Syrah-Mourvdre blend. They are the Rhone Rangers al Sur. All young vines so they source alot from the two valleys to the older-planted south (San Vicente and San Tomas). Patti and Abelardo are going in a more interesting direction in terms of valley wines. We buy the high-priced bottle ($45!!) just to see what it tastes like. tBoW thinks the price point is all wrong but we liked the place and the idea of making their high-end line Rhone-style mucho. Good luck and think about the pricing.

Vena Cava: Our hosts at Villa del Valle have planted a couple acres on a southwest facing hillside. In the meantime he bought grapes from a local vigneron cherry picking exactly what he wants. We tasted three Vena Cava wines and liked them all. He sells them from the wine list. His second vintage from mature vines. All priced around $20 at the villa. Now doesn't that make sense?!? Terroir-driven.

2007 Chardonnay: Tastes more like a Chenin Blanc. No obvious oak and plenty of ripe fruit. Very nice. Mineral flavors enhance the wine.

2007 Sauvignon Blanc: Lemon lime nose and flavors. No grassiness or grapefruit. How refreshing. Unctuous. VIscous. Unfiltered so it has some dust in the bowl. Delightful. Think juicy Loire wine.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Citrus quality (like Argentina). Mid weight. Slightly sweet. Soft tannins. No tobacco or leather flavors thank you. No big oak thank you. Akin to the Tres Mujeres Cabernet. These three wines seem terroir-driven. Not trying to be something else from some other place.

Tres Mujeres: "Go up this road" says the missus. She has spied a hilltop winery (Rancho Mogrocito) that looks promising but when we get to the entrance the chain link fence is locked and the sign says (in English) by appointment only. So we continue a few hundred more yards until we arrive at a house with a ceramic hand pointing to an "artisan winery". The dozing hounds do not budge. It is wineries like this one that make Guadalupe Valley special.

Three women make wine at the home site of Ivette Vaillard. She is a pot thrower (the ceramicist who made the directional hand) and an accomplished artist. Not sure what the other two ladies do but they all love wine and so, like their neighbors, they make wine. She slips out of her apron and guides us to the entry to the wine cellar. In the tiny cave we tasted the ladies' three wines.

2006 Grenache $20: A blend of Zinfandel, Carignane and mostly Grenache. I was surprised to learn zinfandel was growing in the valley. "Our neighbors gave us our first cuttings. We did not what they were until a few years ago". Middle weight body. Fruity, not over-ripe. The Carignane gives sweetness. Zin is also there with a familiar prune flavor. A modern day "field blend" that she makes work. Gentle, warm, restrained like our hostess. Charming, unassuming, sweet. A woman's strength. This is her seventh vintage.

2006 Merlot $20: Caramel flavors found in the Vinisterra Merlot not showing here. Once again, not a knockout wine but a wine that seems to reflect the salt and mineral qualities of the soil. A wine I love? No. An effort I love? Absolutely.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $20: Expecting the worst from a Cabernet grown in salty soil in a hot and dry region. BUT...we are surprised. Here is a cab that seems to represent Guadalupe Valley terroir. It does not taste like every other cab trying to taste like Napa or Bordeaux. In fact, I will bet if I put this in front of a snob pod they will be unable to not only peg it as Cabernet but to identify the grape at all.

These wines are only available at the winery which makes only 800 cases. Tres Mujeres is about making wine under tough circumstances. This is marathon winemaking. The soil and the heat are not even the greatest challenges. Check this out.

Ivette and her two fellow vignerons make wine about 100 steps uphill from the home on a make-shift cement pad with a trellis that they will cover during harvest and fermentation. She used to make the wines on the back porch. Their wines are only available at the winery. "Is there a white wine" I ask recovering my senses from trying to fathom the effort and love required to get it all done. "Oh yes. We make a Sauvignon Blanc but only enough to drink at home". Why? "You know it is too much work making white wine with temperature control. Always bringing more ice up the hill". I hear you sister.

We loved visiting with Ivette. She could not have been more accommodating and humble. We will return and we will visit once more.

We bought a bottle of each wine. Wish I had bought more. The Merlot and the Cab have labels. Ivette used a silver sharpie to inscribe her bottle with the "label". I am still grinning.

One of LA's most impressive wine cellars is behind this door.

Dinner with Carlitos and Alice means plowing through the finest classic Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced in Napa. You should know by now that tBoW is not a cab fan. As a good friend and winemaker once put it...Cabernet - a terrific blending grape.

On its own I find Cabernet Sauvignon to be too damn big. I recognize Napa makes what are probably the world's best Cabernet wines (so sorry Bordeaux) BUT...I said BUT these are wines for either trophy hunters at worst and/or people with steel plated palates at best. There are few blended Cabernet wines that I find appealing. tBoW found the Argentina blends of Malbec and Cabernet were the least interesting from that region, preferring Malbec and Merlot or even Syrah. In California styles, the most appealing Napa red wines are less than half Cabernet and preferably that quantity is closer to 30%.

No matter. When Carlitos opens his wine cellar, people of the Cabernet persuasion sit up and take notice. Even I am impressed with the depth of his stash.

He selected four wines for dinner at local Italian dining room Giorgios in Rolling Hills Estates. We could choose from a 1996 Beringer Private Reserve, 1998 MacKenzie Mueller, 2000 Phelps Insignia and 2004 Opus. The choice was not easy. The Insignia is closest to the blend I would have preferred but the millennium vintage is notoriously "off". The MacKenzie Mueller is a tBoW house favorite but 1998 is another vintage less than stellar. I will say I would bet the Phelps and the MM would be fine wines despite the weak reputation vintages.

We settled on the Beringer and the Opus. Like Indiana Jones ...we ...chose ...wisely.

1996 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon~$150: Big berry fruit right off the first pour. In the nose, on the tongue. Berry berry berry. Blackberries. Delicious. Pour some on your pancakes. Still tannic. Thought we might not need to decant but we did. A monster albeit a 12 year old one. Rich, straightforward. Half and half estate mountain fruit and valley floor. By the end of the meal - after a couple hours - it was kind of simple. I did appreciate the somewhat lighter alcohol. 13.4%

People do make a fuss over Napa wines. Here are some worthwhile tasting notes from a 20 year vertical of Beringer Private that took place in 2001.

2004 Opus One $175: The 2004 is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. Supposedly this 25th vintage is the best Opus ever (like they don't say that every other vintage). This is perhaps the most widely held "collector's" wine. It has everything needed to be such. Pedigree of Bordeaux First Growth (yes, Baron Philipe had to wheedle his way inside the top 5) and Napa marketing genius. Oakville floor Cabernet blended with Mouton juice in Napa. With 20,000 cases produced there is just enough to sell out 6-packs at approximately $1,000 each to an audience waiting to show one off. font color="olive">[ed. snot nosed ingrate snob how was the wine dammit?]. The wine was outstanding. An absolutely stunning "robe", i.e., it was really pretty to look at. Balanced. Muted nose but intense flavors; also creamy. High toned say the notes. We did decant. Merlot shows off up front. Then the cab moves in and takes over. Cherries, red berries, some coffee. Much more elegant than the Beringer. Bruce Lee versus Chuck Norris. Kung Fu vs. Karate. A balled fist, or what was once referred to as an iron fist in a velvet glove. Iron fist in a velvet glove....medieval isn't it? 14.1%

Carlos has cases, not bottles, of these wines. His selection is focused on classic Napa Cabernets...Beaulieu Georges de la Tour, Sterling Reserves, Grgich, Montelena. Selection goes back to the 90s for all and into the 80s for some. Cases, not bottles. Now, about that Phelps Insignia....

Later that same week...

2006 Domaine Fouassier Quincy $14: This is Sauvignon Blanc from France's Loire Valley. Tastes nothing like California SB. No way no how. None of the grassy aromas and flavors. Clean super clean. Fresh. Kind of stoney but really not. Hey! I covered this wine in October 2007. Liked it then and like it now. How can you go wrong? Very fair price for a very straightforward wine that is very easy to enjoy. This was the second Quincy this week. Ordered the other off the list at Geoffreys in Malibu. Lovely setting but I know better beach views on the coast. A restaurant resting on its laurels for d-e-c-a-d-e-s. The online wine list (yes I tried to look up the Quincy) was from Autumn 2007. IGTY even the idea of an Autumn wine list irks me which makes me a hypocrite since I endorse the notion that wines are seasonal and being able to bring a wine matched to the season signals wine smarts. For tourists and the brain-dead only. 12.5%

2003 D Cubed Napa Valley Zinfandel $25: Overripe Napa juice AND it is a zin. Prunes meet figs. Rich, unctuous. Overripe. Tastes like zin. Not a fan with Franus Brandlin Zin the lone exception [ed. and you haven't tasted one of his wines in a decade]. Where does one begin with commenting on this wine? The words Napa Valley on the label are worth a 100% price bump. Doesn't make the wine any better. Just more expensive. The good news is the vintner kept the price below $30. Zin is not a terribly versatile grape. It seems winemakers have only two choices: rich and jammy or rich and overbearing. Franus manages a claret style that was nimble, light to medium weight and down-weighted the jammy prunes. And the final comment? 15.2%

2007 Root:1 $9: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon purchased at Costco. Deep red robe. Pretty. Sweet black cherry flavors. Reminiscent of some Argentine Malbecs in the richness and simple approach of a satisfying drink. Has a story. Ungrafted Cab vines not grafted to phyloxera resistant root stock; "original European stock". Parker 90 points. Of course with flavors this forward and robust. Slight volatile acidity that is not quite a spritz but is tingly on the tongue. Nicely balanced, pepper mocha. Everyone liked it especially at the price. Alcohol level not outrageous at 14%.

September and October are transition months in the wine calendar. We leave behind the summer wines - the Rosés, Moscati and lean and frothy acidic white wines from Austria to the Basque country. It is football time and that means red wine. The Trojans have begun their march to another championship [ed. cue Conquest please] with the obligatory loss to a bottom dweller. The tBoW team has opened some interesting reds with greater success. Here are some bottles that recently popped their corks celebrating the change of season.

Tillie Claret $20: Purchased at Aramenta Cellars in the northern Willamette Valley (north of Dundee Hills and west of Portland). The winery is first and foremost devoted to Pinot Noir. They also produce Chardonnay. Total case production is 1,000 of which 250 cases were Tillie in 2005. The 2006 vintage is the first wine labeled as vintage. The bottle I had was probably 2005 juice blended with 2004. The wine is very interesting tasting like mocha coffee in the most milkshake way. Creamy, frothy, rich. A gift and quite rare, this wine is a real treat. Turns out Brick House is also in the Ribbon Ridge AVA.14.1%

2000 Phelps Insignia $120: Big ticket Napa Meritage with all the collectible pedigree anyone could desire in a premium Napa winery. Even the squat Sedrick Ellis shaped bottle demands immediate comment and admiration. The Insignia label has a long history of producing outstanding if sometimes idiosyncratic wines. The 1985, for example, was remarkable for its minty flavors [tBoW puts on his wine snob cone cap]. This 2000 edition is still young. Lots of berry, black cherry, some cinnamon and milk chocolate. The earthy Cabernet at 77% is balanced with 18% Mertlot. The wine is delicious. 20,000 cases! 14.1%

2004 Saxum Bone Rock $60: The blend is 85% Syrah, 12% Grenache, and 3% Mourvédre. The winemaker is Justin Smith. The vineyard is Bone Rock which is owned by James Berry Smith (yes they are related, Pop and Son). I am linking to an excellent review from Gang of Pour of the vineyard and wines that feature Bone Rock and James Berry fruit, and regional wineries that produce wines from these vineyards. The nose was veggie like arugula. Bitter and sharp. Made tBoW a bit nervous as Paso has always been notorious for its vegetable qualities. This blew off in 5 minutes. The flavors showed none of that. Ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit. Soft tannins. This is a vintage to drink early. Love that. Quite the delicious wine that blows away the recent big ticket cabs and cab blends (which are nice and impressive but I will take the Saxum even at the U20-busting price). Amazingly, the alcohol was not detectable even at 15.8%!!!

I have begun to think of my cellar as a bunker. Members of the tBoW tasting team seem to share this view. The Act of Purging is as essential as other necessary functions that keep a storage center clean. We don't want "impacted" cellars. Here is what the Venice tBoW tasting team came up with recently at a hosted dinner on a balmy winter Saturday night in LA.

NV Moet & Chandon White Star $30: Who buys this wine? I am guessing I had my last bottle of White Star more than 20 years ago. Probably longer but who's counting? I might have been counting if I remembered the marque wine of Moet as having distinct lemon and pear flavors backed with a clear and firm spine. Rich and a bit sweet. Is it worth $30? Probably because I am hard pressed to think of another $30 champagne that would produce something supposed to be consistent this consistently (that is what a marque wine is supposed to do). Check out the smarmy corporate marketing video here. Who made this? Hammer Studios? tBoW liked the wine and encourages you to lower your snob quotient and accept any pours you may be offered this holiday season. Widely available at Kirkland Nation (aka Costco).

2005 Tablas Creek Roussanne $24: They make this wine in two styles. This is the "traditional, i.e., French" one. A bit smoky, aged in oak. Firm with pear and melon fruit flavors. Actually restrained and needing time to open a bit. Only 600 cases. 14.3 %

2006 Arnaud Gaujal Picpoul de Pinet $13: Value wine from the value region of Southwest France. We do not need a recession to recognize there are wines from the Languedoc that are and have been great finds for years. Delightful bright and fresh. You cannot go wrong with this wine. Serve it with salad and it holds up to any dressing I can think of [ed. the white wine acid test]. I know this will read wrong BUT the nose and flavor reminded me of shaving cream. A bit soapy but that is the dryness. Well balanced. Nothing out of sort. A tBoW bargain and I would buy it if I saw it. 13%

2000 Ch Petit-Figeac St-Emilion Grand Cru $40: Here is (one of) the problem(s) with Bordeaux. You can't tell the all-stars from the journeymen. Case in point. Chateau Figeac is a big hitter. Highly collectible (if you collect Bordeaux). And a St Emilion which is at southern end of the Girond and mostly if not all Merlot. But there are only about another dozen OTHER wines with the name Figeac. There is Franc Figeac, Yon Figeac...enough to confuse the Figeac family not to mention the unsuspecting consumer. This particular Figeac wine is from the 2000 vintage that actually delivered on the century wine hyperbole. Everybody buy now! The wine was tasty. Needed time to open up but then that is pretty standard with Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cab Franc blends from Bordeaux. Drink enough of them and you will pine for the good old easy going big and blowsy Napa versions. You have to like Cabernet a lot to buy these wines. And you have to like the French style which means sit and wait 10 years or an hour. 13%

1998 Ch Blanzac Cotes de Castillon $20: Another uncelebrated (at least outside France and England) region near Bordeaux. This is another problem with Bordeaux wines. Wine collectors who wish to impress ASAP with their wine knowledge can easily "master" the First Growth wines of Bordeaux. There are only five. Too bad the 1st growths are so pricey because what good is newfound knowledge without opening the stuff you are touting? Of course, as in most of France (as well as Spain and Italy not to mention Austria and Germany), there is plenty of very good wine in the less heralded corners of the region. Mastery in the petit regions of Bordeaux, however, is another matter. Like studying for the LSAT. tBoW and Dotoré long ago realized if one is going to study wine then one may as well study the OTHER region of France with equally difficult lessons and infinitely greater rewards. That would be Burgundy. This nice Merlot was tight upon opening even at 10 years and even though from the unglamorous Cotes de Castillon. So chances are it was well made. It never had a chance to open because our host sucked it down like a sandworm hunting spice. He said he liked it. Urp. 13%

The dinner was Cassoulet which is a typical dish in the Languedoc. The red wines typical of Languedoc are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. tBoW taster Tootsie usually does it up pretty good.

Election night and Mr. & Mrs. tBoW are at Casa Dotoré watching the inevitable results roll in. Teary eyes brimming with joy as compulsive critics made assessments of TV bombast; each network attempting to capture more viewing eyes with "spectacular" sets and grander gimmicks.Kind of like trophy wines!!

The most "spectacular" TV piece was Wolf Blitzer's hologram interview of Will.I.Am. Sorry. I could only find Jessica Yellin. Not sure what this accomplished other than "cool". Remember when Wolfie broadcast from the roof of his Baghdad Hotel in 1990 as Desert Storm kicked off? Low-of-the-low tech videos with a night vision camera looking out his hotel room window...and it was riveting. Hmm.

Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video

In 2008 Wolf worked the CNN and CNBC shared set. The photo at top does not do justice to the red white and blue color scheme that was probably best appreciated in the company of Hunter Thompson. But he's dead.

The "big winnah" was CBS who tricked out the Rockefeller Center ice rink as an election map. Now that was a cool idea. It is good to know some creative folks find a way to do something fabulously goofy on a national stage.

It was a night to remember for the outcome...and the wines...but it was all over before we popped the champagne. We went ahead with our plan anyway. Y'know we had a feeling.

2003 Clape Cornas $80 to $100: Been holding onto this one awhile. Dotoré said bring something that would celebrate and commemorate the Obama Rama Lama Ding Dong. This was tBoW's selection. And it did not disappoint. Syrah from one of the top three Southern Rhone winemakers, and possibly the least known in the USA but well known inside the neighborhood. Read about Clape here. Extracted says Dotoré. A soft wine at peak level. Very well developed. Slightly tannic and even somewhat rustic. Not much of a nose. Unpolished but with depth and appeal. Top of the crest. Will open and can still go further. I would like to find it again. Worthy of the evening. 14%

2000 Ridge Montebello $120 today: The classic Bordeaux blend - 75% Cab Sauv, 23% Merlot - from Santa Cruz and their flagship [ed. premium] label. The 2000 vintage disappointed those who wanted "commemorative" century wines, but not at Ridge. His top brand was one of the best among the notable Cabernet blends in 2000. The wine is showing mentholatum with lean and intense flavors. The wine is high toned as usual. Perfectly balanced. A California wine all the way and the best our state has to offer. When wine writers wax nostalgic about Napa reds they always include Ridge Montebello as a "first growth". tBoW and Dotoré have been blessed to taste Montebello in many vintages and it never disappoints. Even works with the BBQ. 13.4%

Michel Turgy NV Blanc de Blancs Réserve Selection Brut $45: Yeasty nose, citric flavors. Has vanilla cream. Toasty quality which is always nice. Creme brulee and lemon rind. Perfect for dessert. Liked this bottle alot. 100% Chardonnay.

So that was election night. Now all we have to do is get through the next 24 months.

Turn tough times to good times. Purge the cellar. Hold onto cash. As with everything there is risk. Cellar purging has the risk of finding forgotten wines. The last thing we need today is another letdown.

Feces occurs so often that when it does we think in familiar ways, like why we thought the wine would be GOOD. Good pedigree (Alejandro Fernandez), good score (Parker 91), good story (bottled only in the BEST vintages). How did we lose sight? How did we let a good wine go bad? Here is my story.

1996 Alenza ~$60: Once upon a time this was a great tempranillo. Highly touted. Soft and smooth like a...like a...complete that on your own. Blame it on tBoW. He sat on it too long. As I pull the cork I pray this one will tell me the other 2 bottles were corked. Painful truth. The wine is just over the hill. Like a Republican candidate. Dies faster than a vampire born with a stake in its heart or a November World Series. Within minutes it tastes tired, gnarled. Like it just wants to fall into the abyss without notice. [ed. getting a little dark here] The real bad news is I still have 3 bottles. Family holiday gifts!?! 13%

Another equally maudlin story is a one-hit-wonder wine always on the fringe, in the periphery. A notorious loner. Like the Shangrilas (who had a string of hits) said "he's good bad but he's not evil". Tell me mo' tell me mo'....


2003 Melville Verna's Syrah $56: Bought this bad boy at the winery just as tBoW was beginning to fall out of love with Santa Rita Hills wines. Sterno alcohol levels were not yet the baccio dela morte that killed the romance. This is the second bottle tasted in 24 months. Tastes a lot like the first one which is pretty good! Jammy to be sure. Dark dark fruit. Coffee flavor. Distinctive like Melville says. The 100 acre vineyard is not located in Santa Rita Hills proper but rather outside the tine town of Los Alamos (click here for clarifying map), on the way to Santa Maria north and east of Santa Rita Hills. There is plenty of good growing turf outside SRH. We wish other local winemakers would adopt Paul Lato's point of view that the regional fruit is big enough and should actually be toned down! This wine, however, reflects the prevailing POV where bigger is better. Not quite bombastic, the Melville wine would not look out of place under the wing of an Apache Longbow. As we threw down the mother-of-all-over-the-top-wines we wondered what would the Kenneth-Crawford team (aka Kings of Extraction) do with Verna's fruit? You can find out yourself. Their current release includes a $34 Verna's Syrah which is actually good value for the region. The ankle bracelet is extra.

Every motley crew has one decent player. In this group it is a wonderful Italian white wine that Costco carried all summer. [ed. imagine an entire generation only knows Motley Crüe the Hollywood band. Click here if you MUST see the Dr. Feelgood vid]

2007 Falanghina dei Feudi di San Gregorio $10: Coco-nutty and floral nose with key lime flavors. After lying open a few days it tasted nuttier and just as good. Great value. The story: only the "free run" juice goes into the bottle. The varietal is Falanghina. The vineyard has 20 y.o. vines. Viva Italia and viva Kirkland once again. 12.9%

2002 Marques de la Concordia Signa Reserva $16: We will be seeing more of these kinds of wines. Gelsons Market special. A Mrs. tBoW impulse buy. How bad can it be? Well, tBoW is not fond of Tempranillo. I find it to be fairly undistinguished among red wines. Fruity, moderate flavors. Middle to heavy weight. This wine is 100% Tempranillo, aged in the high profile oak program. A bit overripe for my taste. Nice enough but I know there are better wines to be had out there. Like the next one. Aged in new French and American oak. Six years later the oak has given up the fight and the raisiny fruit has won. Worth $8 so at this price it is overripe and overpriced. 13.5%

2001 Marshall Cellars Juliet Peery $10: Now this is the kind of deal we are actually looking for...and expect to see more of. A good wine that went bad because nobody would buy it at the posted price. Don't blame the wine. 1500 cases of this vanity project with a bottle you can heft to the oldies. And so handsome! Wide at the shoulder, tapering down to the punt. Clean label design quietly announces its presence. Recommended release price $55. What do you think Whole Foods had to pay to put this out at $10? Marshall had several hundred cases still in warehouse from a phenomenal vintage and said "get rid of it". Lucky for Whole Foods and lucky for us. To quote
Dotoré the Discoverer "it's the kind of wine you can take to a holiday party and nobody will know you paid $10". Sometimes he is so shallow...but always correct. Because the wine is good. Eight years later the Bordeaux blend still has legs after several days with just a cork in the bottle of steel. Napa floor and Carneros hills fruit with serious tannins that have mellowed but remain present, if less feisty. Great Napa premium flavors with enough Merlot and Cab Franc (24% combined) to keep the Cab in its place. 14.3%

The Holidays are over. Everyone breathe a big sigh. Eleven months before the intense commercialization begins again. Dotoré already senses the approach of a long summer. The best thing about the Holidays for a wine aficionado is the chance to taste stuff that would otherwise go unnoticed, even avoided. There are always surprises. Here were a few of the last we encountered.

2002 Elevage Stags Leap District Napa Valley Red Wine $70: Why why why? Another Meritage with rich Napa fruit that is not quite in balance and is priced way beyond its relative quality. There used to be a modest if unnecessary 9-hole golf course on this property now planted to modest if unnecessary vinifera. This is the winery's Bordeaux blend, something once known as a Meritage - is that term still in use? tBoW opened this alongside three 2005/2006 Beaujolais wines, a 2006 Gigondas and a 2005 Argentine Malbec; each around $20, light to medium weight, internally harmonious and at peace with the food. These other bottles were drained by red-wine-crazed VINpires [ed. VINpires - © that] and the Chimney Rock was shoulder-full four hours later. 14%

1983 Sigalas Rabaud Sauternes $16 in 1985 and about $80 online today: This is why you should come to this wine blog; to read about a rare and extra special late harvest French wine like this one. Note the original price tag on the bottle. Very few wine drinkers consumed sweet wines in the mid-80s and the same holds true today. This wine is stupendous. Incredibly rich, definitely liqueur-like in its intensity. Rich ripe peaches drenched in honey. Pooh Bear would flip out. Golden brassy color. Thick. Spectacular. The wine is absolutely perfect right now. You can be sure there are not many wines that can go 25 years and hold it together like this. Naturally we must compare it to the 1983 Y'Quem opened over Labor Day. The Y'Quem was still young. This wine is ready. Otherwise, these wines are equally wonderful in what they present. Testimony to a truly special vintage. 13.5%

Thoughtful recess: Why is it more wine drinkers do not enjoy dessert wines? This is perennial question ignores the principles of price/quality relationship. The two wines above illustrate the good fortune for those who know better. The Sauternes is from one of the top vintages in the past quarter century. The Napa blend is from an ordinary vintage. There must be about 100 times as many Napa cabs available like the one reviewed as there are quality Sauternes, Barsacs or Cadillacs. Read this enlightening piece from a fellow blogger that articulates the differences. In the matter of Chimney Rock vs. almost any old Sauternes, the Napa blend wine is difficult to distinguish according to most criteria while the other is distinguished simply in terms of limited availability. The same is true for Port. The exception within dessert wines as a class is Auslese level Rieslings considered by some to be the choice when you-can-only-take-one bottle-with-you. You do need a crowd to finish a 750ml bottle of French sweet wine but tBoW can only think of a very few with whom he might share his 1983 Maximin Grünhaus Riesling Auslese. 14.5%

2006 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir $29: Richard Sanford rises like the phoenix with his new Santa Rita Hills winery. This is a modest effort, fruity and straightforward, cherry flavors. As notable as the wine are the screw cap and the low alcohol. 13.9%

2006 Nagy 2 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir $30: Winemaker form Byron Vineyards. Husband and wife tram from Byron and Bonacorsi, respectively. Low production, interesting wine worth a plunge. Masculine style, dark color, dense liquid. Somewhat feral, slightly rugged and sinewy. High toned fruit, plums, dark fruit. Quick finish. Finally a good pick from the new local store! Nice. 14.5%

2004 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir ~$40: This is the first Cargasacchi 2004 Pinot Noir tasted and his first release. Peter C is a grower whose grapes are highly coveted by California's foremost Pinot Noir winemakers. He does not appear to release the wine to critics for scores. Good. Peter's wines under the Point Concepcion label are fairly forward while remaining distinctive. Mrs. tBoW once described the nose on a young PC Syrah as reminiscent of her hair salon. Hold that yech. It was not bad. Just funky. The eponymous label is more serious. tBoW tasted and reviewed the 2005 version in a former post. The 2004 is stylish, almost elegant. Formal. Structured. Moderate smokiness, strong dark fruit. Bacon fat and tannic. Seductive and masculine. If Point Concepcion expresses Peter's playful and quirky side then the Cargasacchi label is all about his very serious and intensely focused persona. He will probably be upset I did not use the label image from his website. Glad I am holding several more bottles. If you would like to sample Peter's wit click here. 13.7%

Allimant-Laugner Cremant D'Alsace Rosé $16: Steal of the holidays. Fresh, sweet. Pink and brass color. Cherry fruit, pomegranate too (acidity). Tart. Loving this. tBoW made the commitment to half a case. Found it at Palate Wine shop although K&L also has it (for a couple bucks more!!). 12.5%

2001 Cap de Faugeres Cotes-de-Castillon $20: Picked this one up at the new Wine Cask "outlet" in our neighborhood [ed. parent is in Santa Barbara]. The Wine Cask was never about its international selection. However, there seems to be a move afoot to enter the U20 market. The buyer has yet to impress with the U20 selections. Internet notes for this wine describe a dense, dark wine when released in 2002. Tanzer reviewed it and liked it kind of. Scored it 85-ish which is kind of OK. Six years later it remains a serviceable drink. Nothing great. Here is what tBoW thinks of as he sips this wine. How many richer, fruitier Napa wines are there (it is a cab blend) that are no more memorable and pricier. Two for two for the locals. 13.5%

I am still trying to get used to the new awareness of U20 wines. Of course, I am referring to the robust lists of wines in the Wine Speculator under $20 in red, white, and pink. Looks like a couple hundred. If I wasn't so damn cheap I would buy the magazine and see for myself. However, the gap between tBoW and the Wine Spectator is wider than Julia Roberts' smile especially when her mouth is open. My god.

I also am not keen on using WS for attention. Honestly. I just find it odd that these lists appear in the same issue - or at least in the same cognitive world - as Tasting Six Years of Screaming Eagle and the demise of the Wine Cask store and restaurant in Santa Barbara due to the economic collapse. [ed. does this mean the futures tasting is finally finished?] Makes one wonder how the subscription curve for the flagship of "lifestyle wine" has trended in the past 12 months.

Robert Mondavi made the Wine Spectator possible. Mondavi created the wine lifestyle genre just like Francis Ford Coppola created cascading scene crescendos to close a film. Marvin Shanken saw the opportunity to create a Rolling Stone for wine as glamorous lifestyle. Just like Jann Wenner did for rock and roll in the psychedelic era. The RS morphed from one of the first home grown local music zines into a lifestlye bible for generations of would-be rockers and so many more social strata. Is this the path WS must follow? Will WS become a communication hub for the new frugality and value-driven wine consumption? Or is WS more like AIG trying to find any way to survive in the hope somebody, anybody, will offer a buyout that saves face and clears "obligations".

Get real. Predictable 2010 headline in WS: "Wine World Expo Hosts Will Wait a Year!!"

Here are some wines worth checking out or forgetting about.

2003 McKenzie Mueller Cabernet Franc Napa Valley Estate $30 (wine club): Sweet, fruity. Cherry and spice. Earth tones common with Cab Franc are subtle now. Even through the alcohol is a bit up there it does not show through in the nose or mouth. At five years the wine has melded nicely. It is also unfiltered which is typical Bob Mueller style. You have to like this style of unfiltered somewhat rustic wines. They are still elegant like a country gentleman. Hello Beauregard. Or maybe Andrew Jackson who was reluctant to move to the White House. I can assure you Bob Mueller would resist moving into celebrity winemaker status. He does not submit his wines for review by WS. I think of his wines as slightly feral. If you are looking for refined, polished, glossy fruit try Justin Winery. 14.8%

From the CarlitosWay Collection...

2003 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon $60: Cherry vanilla, solid middle weight, tannic, yummy with the steak and spud at Taylors on Vermont and 8th. If LA has a complement to Sams or Tadich in SF this is probably it with the red and black leather booths. Good long finish. Some black olive in the mid-palate. 79% Cab Sauv; the rest is Merlot, Malbec Cab Franc, Petit Verdot. In other words, a Bordeaux blend. A 94 pointer and sold out at the winery. 14.8%

2003 Grgich Hills Napa Cabernet Sauvignon $75: Aromatic and powerful nose. Medicinal. Distinctly different to the Chalk Hill. This is older style Napa Cabernet. Classic 70s era. Dark black berry in the mouth. Honestly, tBoW prefers the Chalk Hill but I admit I just do not have a palate for wines this big any longer. Of course, you don't see me pouring out my glass either. 14.7%

2001 Chalk HIll Estate Merlot $50: Veggie on the nose giving way to creamy vanilla flavors. Includes 16% Malbec and Petit Verdot which with 77% Merlot begs the question...what else is in here? Not especially impressive. Cabernet is superior (of course the Cab is from a different vintage but 2001 was also highly regarded). 89 points from Parker for the digital palate people. 14.5%

Just when we thought we were completo...Carlitos pulls out a surprise...

2002 Grgich Hills Violetta $50: A delicious dessert wine from Mike Grgich. This is beautiful. Properly chlled it is like a nectar, an ice cream topping without the ice cream. Figs, dates, tangerine, marzipan. Full bodied and rich. I imagined I was in a Bedouin tent being treated like an honored guest. Multi-layered flavors...first the grape, then the fruit flavors, then candy sweetness like cotton candy. I have only detected the cotton candy in a 1983 Mosel Riesling from . This is a blend of botrytis-affected Riesling and Chardonnay. Wine of the evening. 14.2%

Oscar update: I told ya so. Slumdog sweeps. The Academy that chose True Grit over Midnight Cowboy lavished awards on the conventionally "edgy" movie of the season (omigod they show warterboarding!!!). The wine comparison is more obvious than ever. Slumdog is the Chilean wine of films for 2009. While I am not one of those who would say the entire year was less memorable than others have asserted, tBoW did contend that Slumdog was the least interesting of the choices and that Button was the next best thing (Titanic meets Forest Gump; I'm ready for my pitch meeting). The best movie was The Wrestler [ed. think Camille Giroud Savigny?]. I would post a link to the earlier post but it is all so ordinary, isn't it?

If you would like to read an hauteur's intelligent discussion of this year's Oscar films visit the lovely Marianne's blog Unstuck at 40 and read her Feb 20 entry. Can you tell she's a film writer? She can be so RAW it hurts!!!

In the meantime as the Obama economic plan plays to hoots and howls [ed. even the Nation is Barack-unfriendly still I don't think anyone is missing our last Prez] we also await the retooling of retail pricing schemes. There are two strong candidates for the end-of-year U20 best of class list.

And one more thing...check out the Jan-Feb 2009 Wine Speculator cover. Shanken & Co. have finally caught on that VALUE is the story. They even identify 1,000 wines scoring 88 points or more that are U20s!! How pissed are you if your wine was rated 87?!?!

You should not be concerned because you have been onto this VALUE thing for a year or longer. Because you follow thebestofiwnes.com!! Where wine is not some fancy freaking collectible. We drink the shit. And we expect to only drink...uh...the best of wines...at any price but we really like the U20s. Read on my freng and you will find below two winners, one pretender and a very good wine that just costs too much for what you get. Especially compared to the 2005 Mas Belles Eaux Les Coteaux at half the price.

2007 Sinister Hand Columbia Valley $24: Forward, soft, warm fruit. Blend of 62% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 17% Mourvedre. The Columbia Valley wine region is mostly in Washington with a small section in Oregon. Highly variable weather makes growing vinifera extra tricky. The grapes are from vineyards in the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, and Horse Heaven Hills which are in SE Washington near or on the Columbia River. Here is a useful link to a map of Washington's wine regions. This is a friendly wine that is ready to drink. Not quite a U20 but wait a couple months. And what's with the severed hand? It's historical. "The Sinister Hand label is a family crest - a depiction of a severed left hand that tells the story of a rowing competition among O'Neills and O'Reillys (Owen Roe was an O'Neill). Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabs his sword and cleaves his hand and pitches it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and eventually ruled over it as king." Okay. 14.1%

2006 BV Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon California $7: Too bad for this wine. Did not like it when first opened and failed to impress several days later. First impression was of a dry mark eraser board. Imagine licking one. Not sure what that flavor/aroma is but it's probably hard to get out of a carpet. When you consider that BV probably made as many cases as an Argentine winery (half million?) and that there are so many very nice Malbec wines from Mendoza available at the same or close enough price point... 13.5%

2007 Domaine Tariquet Ugni-Blanc Colombard $11: Finally a WINNAH from the local WIne Cask!! Tart and sharp when first opened. Not unpleasant, just kind of short in the finish. After nearly a week with the screw cap on tight the melon and peach qualities emerged. 70% Ugni Blanc and 30% Colombard from Gascony. A bit longer in the finish though not much. Judging from the Internet prices tBoW overpaid! Still a huge U20 deal! Imported by Robert Kacher. 10.5%

2005 Coteaux du Languedoc, Mas Belles Eaux Les Coteaux $18: There are a few wine shops around town that should check out the wine selection & sales team at K&L. These guys rarely miss. This classic Languedoc (Corbieres) blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre is another winner. Absolutely delicious right now. I read one online review when it was released comparing it to paint thinner. OK. I respect that. Maybe it was a bit raw on release. Perhaps feral. That's old news today becuz it is just perfect right now which means drink it up all summer long. The only thing that would make it slightly better is if it was slightly cheaper. Best online price is $15 but when you add shipping... Roasted meats, smoky fruit. Purple red. Interesting facts from another website talk a bissel pedigree: This wine from the owners of Quinta do Noval and Chateau Pichon-Baron has taken the wine world by storm and with good reason--even the venerable Robert Parker gives it 91/100. We have never tasted a wine this good from the Languedoc, it is in a word delicious and very good value for a very fine wine. 14%

Next up...March Madness and the inevitable comparison of wines to college teams (like the Bruins and most California Chardonnays).

Some might say the wines reviewed below are wonderfully diverse covering the world of wine tasting. Let's get real. These wines are from unusual places, even off the beaten path. tBoW hopes that is one of the reasons you visit this blahg.

2006 Bruna Le Russeghine Pigato $25: As strange as wine gets. This Ligurian white wine from Pigato is Vermentino AND it is aRobert Chadderdon Selection. Can't get pedigree much better than that. Nevertheless, the wine is downright challenging and tBoW does not use that much-abused term in the [fill-in-the-industry] sense. I had to return for several tastes just to be certain I was not fond of it. Like Terrel Owens. He needs a couple of seasons to convince the faithful he is unlikeable. Not even the sickest Cowboy fan wishes TO had stayed. Such is it with this wine. Bright and acidic almost spritzy. Furniture stripper flavors covers the saltiness and the impression of feline discharge. This fellow wrote about the 2005 version of the wine on his own wine blog. He liked it alot more than the tBoW team. He did a very nice job of describing the Ligurian coast which IS quite lovely and majestic. We usually like Ligurian wines but this is an exception and an unusual miss for Chadderdon. 13%

2003 Clautiere Estate Grand Rouge $26 (club price): Clautiere had the good fortune of buying up a 57 acre ranch with vineyard from an old-time Paso-Templeton Italian farmer. While the place is known for wigs and art they also make nice wines at fair prices. This is their flagship effort, a field blend of 49% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 3% Mourvedre, and 2% Viognier. That is a lot of Cab even with a non-traditional blend. All estate grown. Sophisticated, soft. The blend works very nicely especially nudging aside the vegetal qualities often found in Paso Cabs. The Syrah is rich and dark berried. Gives the wine its best flavors. Aging well. Still Paso, still tasty. 14.8%

2004 Vinisterra Syrah Mourvedre $40: Bought this wine in theBaja's Guadalupe Valley before the narco battles killed that trip. Cannot wait for that to end as we really like visiting there and staying at La Villa del Valle. This is the first Languedoc/Rhone style blend we saw. It is pricey but tBoW needs to know so we popped for the very low production bottle. Ripe fruit, bright fruit. Without the tell-tale saltiness. We like it. Goes very nicely with the food. I guess the point is that certain wines from the region are showing better and better. Now if the government - any government!! - can guarantee tourism safety...13.8%

2007 Estancia Pinot Noir Monterey County Pinnacles Ranches $12: This is classic supermarket wine. Probably a couple hundred thousand cases made. The wine is so incidental and without any style that it is impossible to find a decent sized label image online! The label image is everywhere just never more than 6 kb. That says something about the wine. We can discuss label politics at another time. The wine is immediately recognizable as Pinot Noir...which is good and not so good. This is bland wine without any character. The winemaker might described it as any community school superintendent might characterize her student body, above average. PAirs with anything including ice cream. 13.5%

If you like Pinot Noir and you are going to be in Portland Oregon May 1st and 2nd you will want to check out the Portland Indie Wine Festival. The event features 40 Oregon winemakers selected by panel (Pinot Noir of course) who produce less than 2500 cases annually. Everybody dreams of finding that unknown under-the-radar winery. At least the dreams of tBoW and Dotore' are haunted by the elusive discoveries. We found Paul Lato didn't we (stuck in the corner in the back room next to the storage closet of the now defunct Wine Cask Futures Tasting)? If you cannot make it not to worry tBoW will be covering the 5th annual event. Stay frosty.

Jim Morrison sang "Strange days have found us. Strange days have tracked us down. They're going to destroy our casual joys<. Can we use his gravesite as metaphor for the 2008/9 economic collapse? His fevered fans have trashed his grave like our fevered wall streeters trashed...you get the point. I hope we all listen to his moody lyrics and act with the anger he showed singing. Troubled rock stars are a cliché today. We can only hope boom-to-bust traders, AIG executives and hedge fund managers will become tired clichés tomorrow. I can foresee a new era of celebreality shows that replace the Bad Girls Club; maybe Broke Brokers and Bad Bankers, or TARP Traders; re-enact the hey-day of unbounded greed and self-interest. Thursdays at 9:00 on the WB. Strange days have come!!
Yeh!!

tBoW reports on wines from yesterday and today, encountering mysterious memories along the way.

2005 Domaine Labet Cote de Jura Flor de Savinin $27: Purchased at Palate wine shop. Let's not mince any words. This is a strange wine. tBoW has actually reviewed it before. [ed. recently too] It is so unusual it can only be likened to a Patti Smith song you have to hear at least once more to make sure you did not get it. It is plenty acidic but not volatile. The flavors are dry lemon. Oh? You have never enjoyed dried lemon in your Omega Trek mix? Flavors are bright, woody. Izit oxidized? We thought so before. We are not sure how we feel about it this time except that it is not offensive and it is interesting. I would not say it is an Amy Winehouse of a wine because its picture isn't everywhere you turn...but it is STRANGE.

2007 Barrel 27 "High on the Hog" French Camp Vineyard, Paso Robles White Wine $20: Barrel 27 is a small production, sourced-wine project from the Central Coast. This Rhone-style white is a blend of 54% Viognier with the balance Roussanne and Marsanne. All the fruit is from Paso Robles' French Camp Vineyard. An oily texture, full bodied, balances the foxy Viognier and more sour Marsanne/Rousanne fruit. Good to know interesting wines are still coming out of Paso. tBoW would buy it. 15.1%

2000 Wellington Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard "that time forgot" $n/a: When tBoW was still buying bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1980s he "discovered" Wellington VIneyards in Sonoma. All they do is make a small amount of superior quality Sonoma wines which they sell at bargain rates - for Sonoma and Napa, anyway. The story helped hook tBoW on the wine club. A doctor purchased an old Italian farmer's small acreage vineyards blessed with old varietals scattered throughout the flat acreage. The farmer always sold off the fruit holding back a small batch for his own "red" commonly referred to as a field blend. This was a nice way of saying he had no idea what vines where planted where on the site. The MD, being a scientist, DNA-identified each and every plant on the property. His son became the winemaker and they began to blend the most interesting bottles using the now known locations of old old vines on the property and properly labeled the contents. They also planted new vines and bottled the same old Chardonnay and Cabernet. The most intriguing bottling from Welly-Welly was the Noir de Noirs Old Vines which blended four varieties from the estate and their neighbor, the more famous Pagani Ranch, including Alicante Bouschet, Lenoir, Grand Noir and Petite Bouschet. The stuff was big and hearty without being overwhelmingly acidic or ripe. It was just thick and warm, like a Pendleton blanket. This estate Cabernet Sauvignon is soft and tasty at 9 years old. It is fruity more like a Mendoza Malbec than a Sonoma Cab.

If you love Cabernet Sauvignon from California's premium winegrowing regions for this varietal (Napa and Sonoma) you really should look at Wellington Vineyards. Great wines at great value. Please note the label posted is from a current release and not the 2000 bottle reviewed.

Kings Ridge Pinot Noir $18: Nice light ruby red color more like Burgundy than an Oregon Pinot Noir. Willamette Valley floor juice sourced form multiple vineyards. Has Oregon smoke, some acid, on the beety side of the flavor spectrum for Pinot Noir. Kings Ridge is a somewhat new project worth checking into once again. tBoW has a wine trip set for Portland in May so maybe we will encounter the Kings Ridge crew? 13.11%

Bravissimo to Paul and Kyle Smith and the WHWCo crew for putting on one of the best breadth tastings we have attended in many years. The tasting featured the wine selections from Louis/Dressner. Mr. Dressner was there and he confidently assured us the new catalogue has expanded considerably since tBoW included him in our Best of Wine Importers group last year, mostly on the strength of the 2005 Clos de la Roillette which was our favorite Beaujolais in 2007 and a Dressner selection. tBoW faked the rest by cruising the very helpful Dressner website. This guy loves what he is doing which is very good for us. The only issue with Dressner selections is they can be hard to find. Enter Farm Wine Imports, the new distribution company for Louis/Dressner tasked with making sure the days of hunting down Dressner Selections wines are a faint memory. You do want to keep a lookout for these very well priced and made wines. Dressner is as opinionated as anyone in his field [ed. tBoW is being sarcastic having conversed with Neal Rosenthal among others] unusual and thank god for that. His opinions are lively and uncompromising about what represents a wine he would like to share with his customers.

Dressner has assembled a traveling road show of winemakers who were all in attendance at tBoW's local wine hang, WHWCo. Think about it. Wines from twelve estates were poured by winemakers whose first language is French or Italian. They are stopping in San Francisco and New York so stay alert for when they come to your premium wine shop. Tour info is posted at the Louis/Dressner website.

All the wines were very good to excellent. Not a dog in this show. We did find wines we had to have. Without taking anything away from any of the wineries presented, here are the tasting notes for those we found to be the most compelling. Many are described on the Louis/Dressner website.

2007 Luneau-Papin Pierre de la Grange Muscadet $14-$18: Muscadet grown in the Loire is known as "melon du bourgogne". Almost clear of color, like light itself. Very nicely balanced, delicate, pleasing wine. Perfect oyster wine that is "light on its feet". The Wine Doctor provides a complete profile of this house. 12%

NV Terres Dorées FRV100 $15-$19: Worst label you ever saw. Buy a case. Dotoré predicts this wine will be the hit of the summer! Pink and sparkling Gamay. What a great idea. With the low alcohol it will compete wonderfully with Moscato d'Asti. Strawberry supreme. And cree-mee. 7.5%

2006 Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes Morgon Cote-de-Py $21-$26: Big and beefy Gamay from Beaujolais. The 2006 vintage is known for its superb fruit and added stuffing. This one has the muscle too. The brother and sister winemaking team, Louis and Claude, poured. 6,000 cases total including the next wine. A very civilized 13%

2006 Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernieres $22-$27: A bit more feminine and elegant. Lighter weight. Delicate. Excellent. tBoW's preferred style. 13%

2007 Franck Peillot Altesse de Montagnieu Rousette du Bugey $20-$25: Another new grape (Altesse) for tBoW. Ain't it great to go to a wine tasting and try new wines? Tapioca in the nose. Full flavors, middle weight wine. Lush. No tannins. A winner. Here is another terrific blog that goes into more detail about the grape and this bottle. 12.5%

2006 Domaine Marechal Bourgogne Cuvee Gravel $24-$29: Entry level Pinot Noir from Burgundy. The whole reminded me of Dave Dascomb and East Valley Vineyard in Santa Ynez. Local guy making straightforward wines at very good prices. I prefer this Cuvee to other Bourgognes I have tasted recently. Smoky nose, sweet flavors. Beautiful. A bit of gamey flavors in the middle palate. Mssr. Marechal spoke little English and tBoW even less French so WHWCo staff David Russell intervened. Marechal makes 2000 cases of this bottle. He tends 30 hectares, some owned some leased, mostly near Pommard. So there is your pedigree and your selection. Isn't it cool Dressner finds under-publicized vignerons from Burgundy? We think so. 13%

2005 Azienda Agricola Montesecondo Rosso del Rospo $22-$28: Bella Signorini Francesca Padovani poured. Her twin sister Margerita stayed back with their vineyards in Tuscany. The sisters think nothing of clearing land, planting vinifera and making wine. Together. Then they make the traditional wine their way risking DOCG status because they followed their own rules more than the DOCG. [ed. they used the obligatory Sangiovese but only two of the other dozen Ital varietals that comprise Chianti]. But then, who could tell them no? She poured a Sangiovese along with this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, both form the estate. This was remarkable wine, tannic and rich. A wine that begs for steak. It will keep a long time. Ripe and powerful without being overwhelming. 14%

2006 Occhipinti Frapatto $33-$42: My notes say "if there is one bottle of wine I have to have..." This is it but you got to love the funk. The nose is sweaty, funky, off-putting to some but not to the Epoises/Tallegio crowd. Then you taste. Delicate, balanced, sweet. Take a look at the winemaker Arriana Occhipinti [ed. oaky peen-tee] which means "painted eyes". Strong features with soulful eyes. 4,000 cases made in Sicily. I was surprised at the number of bloggers reporting similar moonstruck impression. This is a wine to toss in front of the King (visiting this summer, odd years on his calendar). "Oh Mouse, have you tasted many Frapatto wines? From Sicily you know." [ed. he'll know alright] She also makes a Nero d'Avola which Dotoré acquired. Cool. 12.5%

With Spring and Summer comes wine festival season. With so many many to choose from tBoW presents two festivals worth your consideration. How is a wine festival like a golf tournament? If you like golf you must go to a tour event at least once, see the pros hit the ball, make tricky putts, eat a hot dog. If you like wine then you should probably attend an event where the wineries are pouring their best stuff, you can attend an exclusive dinner in a winery, and talk to the winemaker over sips. [ed. photos show the Pipestone corner of paradise, the 10 acre vineyard and the wonderful owners/winemakers/farmers Jeff and Flo]

#1: Portland Indie Wine Festival takes place in Portland May 1-2. tBoW will report on his first visit. This festival hits the excitement button on a couple counts. First, there are a limited number of wineries (40) that are "craftsman" size (must produce less than 2500 cases). I guess the idea is that if you are making less than 2500 cases of wine you gotta really love doing it because you can't make a lot of dough at this size. Maybe enough to feed the family of four and a couple hounds. Second, Portland is adjacent to premium Pinot Noir country. tBoW has previewed the wineries online and is certain we will find a handful worth filling up on at fair prices.

#2: Paso Robles Wine Festival is two weeks later May 15-17. tBoW has covered Paso wines and the region. Dotoré declared he was finished with the region following an underwhelming visit. Do not let this dissuade you. There are more and more exciting wines coming from the region, e.g., Clautiere, Pipestone, Saxum, Linne Calodo, Barrel 27. Many Paso wines are priced competitively, are not so thrilling to tBoW, and have loyal followings. Then there is Tablas Creek which is one of the finest wineries in the state and the finest in Paso all things considered. The point is you get to try them all at this well-attended event. You might make it a 3 day weekend and do some touring as well. They usually feature a bunch of winemaker dinners worth considering. We recall a great evening in Adelaida Cellars where the owner host broke out a 1989 sparkling wine in magnum that was exceptional and completely unexpected. Here is the link. This one sells out quickly so get on it ASAP.

Within the Paso Wine Fest is an exhibit sponsored by the Paso Robles Art Association. Art and wine...it's a lifestyle thing. They are featuring twenty-seven professional artists and 6 commissioned one-liter wine bottles called "Magnum Masterpieces" (alas sin vin). Proceeds help build the new Paso Robles Art Association art gallery in downtown Paso. Preview the "Masterpieces" here.

Finally, Tablas Creek is hosting a bunch of events throughout the summer. So if you miss the Paso wine Fest you can always visit TC. Check them out their events calendar here. They put on a fine show and do not scrimp when it comes to breaking out the good stuff.

One North Berkeley Wine selection and one Kermit Lynch wine showed very nicely recently. tBoW has to hunt these down for more. Fortunately, NBW is featuring a Spring blowout sale.

2006 Jean Paul Thévenet Morgon "Vieilles Vignes" $24: This is Beaujolais at its best. Lush, lightweight, delicate. Dancing a minuet in your mouth. Ruby red color. Perfumed nose of cherries and strawberries. Very slight pepper on the mid palate. Finishes with Kirsch flavors and power. Had it with the Easter lamb dinner. It was THAT good. Sign of the times...tBoW called Kermit Lynch and got the last 5 bottles. Amazing this was still in stock one year later. 13%

2006 Frédéric Magnien Chablis Foréts $24: Another WOW. Tart, fruity, quince jelly. Is it apples? Pear? Then the key lime shows up. Mrs. tBoW says she can tell it is not new world because there is no oak. The crisp flavors go deep and the wine is extremely satisfying. A winner. NBW is out of the 2006s but has the Magnien 2007 group. 13%

2005 William Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $20: Showed nicely with rich Napa Cabernet flavors. Bit of leather, soft fruit, not much tannins. I guess a Napa cab hound would be disappointed while a Napa cab fan would consider this a good daily wine. tBoW finds the wine and the varietal fairly ordinary, especially on its own. It just is not that interesting. Jim Moore said it first "Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice blending varietal".

2004 Jo Pithon Savannieres La Croix Picot $22: Purchased at Palate Food + Wine shop. Chenin Blanc youthful and spritely. Like some kind of fairy dust. Peppermint candy cane flavors. Balanced. Delightful. The label pic is borrowed from The Wine Doctor who has an excellent post on the wine here. He likes it alot. And in case you want to learn more about Loire Valley wines you can click on this link.

2003 La Azul $23: This was the wine that got away from the 2008 Argentina wine tour. Took the #1 spot on tBoW's top 9 wines. Impossible to find in the US. When http://www.vinesofmendoza.com/ announced their free shipping in April promo tBoW jumped on half a case. Good idea. Fruit forward with stuffing. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Malbec. Blended perfectly to produce a middle weight dark and rich wine with black cherries and figs. Still #1. 14.2%

2005 Coppola Directors Cut Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel $20: A "re-gifting" bottle that had to be opened otherwise it would have been rude. Turned out to be quite lovely, soft, and delicate especially for such a young wine. Dry Creek produces the best quality and most interesting Zinfandels; a grape usually of little interest to tBoW. This is the exception. None of the dried raisin/prune flavors or brambly tannins sometimes found with the varietal especially when harvested over-ripe. Soft in the mouth, easy to sip on. Caramel flavors and soft tannins suggest it is good to go. 14.8%

1995 Bruno Rocca Rabaja Barbaresco $90: It is called a cult wine when truthfully the entire region of Piemonte is a cult. You have to be pretty nuts (or obsessed) to follow Baroli. The wines are not easy to love..util you get a great one. This was typical of what must be endured. Tough out of the bottle which seems common with the hard and lean 1995 vintage. After three hours it opened to a (still) lean drink with focused Nebbiolo fruit flavors. Lots of dried cherry and perfume. Definitely showing its age but still a beautiful wine.

Rosé, Moscato d'Asti, fresh fruity bracingly acidic and low alcohol white wines. These are summer wines we have learned to adore. And every summer brings a new batch. What is it about summer wines that seem so fresh and new soon as the weather gets hot? As Dotoré might say these are the best days of the year.

2008 Le Saint Andre Vin de Pays du Var Rosé $11: Rosé de Provence that is 25% each Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache and CInsault. Light salmon color. Tastes like a lightweight non-fizzy soda yet serious in a summer rosé context. Like it fine but it ain't the killer summer wine we know will eventually turn up. 12.5%

2007 Vida Organica Torrontes $8: Argentina's great white wine [ed. must you say this every time?] this from Mendoza produced by the Zuccardis, wine royalty in the heart of Argentina's wine country. Floral nose so common to Torrontes. Good acid and medium weight. Tropical flavors just like the label says. Torrontes is consistently lush with natural acidity that brightens it up. Viscosity makes it almost beefy. These are organic grapes, purchased at Whole Foods. It is a real deal at this price. Screw cap and 12.6%

2006 Domaine Gauby Les Calcinaires Cote du Rousillon Villages $24: The red version of the white wine from the same house. Imported by Weygandt. Dark almost black red color. Red berry fruit flavors. A village wine which means it is not very complex or it is exactly what you would expect to find in a local restaurant in southwest France. Put this next to your Qupe Syrah at $12. Is this Gauby twice as good? Is it worth another $12? I think it is twice as interesting as the Qupe but problem is there are some really nice Pinot Noir wines or otherwise in the same price range. So I would rather have the Gauby than the Qupe but then I wold rather buy the Dewey Kelly than both. 13.5%

2007 Belle Pente Wlliamette Valley Pinot Noir $19: Purchased at local wine shop WHWCo. Wanted to visit this the winery when up there last month but they were closed on Sunday. tBoW has reviewed Belle Pente wines a 2005 specific vineyard before. That was in the $30+ range. This is the entry level and we wanted to see if the quality trickled down into lumpen land. Color is light red brown as we expect in a 2007 Oregon PN. Looks like it is aging but it is not. More like tomato soup with burnt red peppers. There is no hint of oxidation. It is just a lighter vintage. The nose is all about the forest floor. Mushrooms, wet decaying leaves, earth. I know it sounds just awful but it is actually decadent. The wine is yummy and I would buy it again. An excellent example of what one can expect from the 2007 vintage in Willamette Valley. At $18 it is a U20 winner. Sorry Gauby. 12.5%

This weekend June 13 & 14 consider doing the Topanga Canyon Artists' Studio Tour. It is tBoW's favorite summer event. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Topanga home you would never see except for this tour pictured below.

As we roll into summer you may enjoy a runup in invites to dine al fresco with friends and acquaintance. tBoW encourages using such occasions to raid the hosts' wine cellar. Why be just polite when you can also be rapacious? [ed. Mungo Jerry signals the official arrival of another LA SUMMER]

The scene is a Memorial Day last minute dinner at the home of good friends. The offer is to pull anything you like from the cellar. We came up with a Bordeaux and a Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir. Not bad!

2002 La Tour Haut Brion $50 online: A holiday gift from someone in the same business as our host. Meant to impress. At 7 years old it is still young and showing tannins with plenty of Cabernet Franc fruit. The wine is very nice and since we rarely drink Bordeaux wines this is certainly a treat. Goes perfectly with the grilled steaks. It is impossible to write about Bordeaux wines without giving some background. The region is almost universally the introductory wine experience for wine snob novitiates. Bordeaux wines have the right features for newbies: "unquestioned" pedigree, comparatively few labels, prestige pricing, and decent wine. In some cases snobs-in-training start with California. What is interesting is how many wine-os never move past Cabernet Sauvignon thereby becoming faux snobs. For the record, LA Tour Haut Brion is the "second" label for La Mission Haut Brion. This means the wine is made from young vines (figure under 10 and probably closer to 5 years) and is not permitted in the premium batch. For an absolutely classic and haughty article on the Haut Brion wine scene click here.

2006 Aramenta Reserve Pinot Noir $43: Aramenta is the adjoining property and neighbor to Ayres, lauded in the recent Oregon Pinot Noir reviews. tBoW has had Aramenta in the past and enjoyed even though he found it too sweet to purchase it was not so sweet he would turn it down. This is from the ripe 2006 vintage. It is dark red but still not so dark to be mistaken for something other than Pinot Noir or Gamay. Sweet, burnt brown sugar. Kinda big. Would like to try this again in a year's time.

2006 H Pinot Noir $20: We did not get to pick this wine. It was offered as an example of the expanding ocean of "high end" wines now reduced and hitting the consumer market like bugs on the Interstate. Formerly $50 he picked up this H Pinot Noir for $20. The story is "right" with 198 cases and "hand-harvested" Sonoma fruit. Of course, good value requires two components: price and quality. The alcohol is way too high for this Sonoma wine produced and bottled in Paso Robles. The fruit that is there cannot fight its way past the ethanol curtain. Not to be confused with Oregon's Hamacher H wine from Willamette Valley. Or Macy's bedding line with the same logo. 15.55%

2007 Domaine du Vissoux Pierre-Marie Chermette Fleurie Poncié $20: This is the first Cru Beaujolais tasted from this vintage. tBoW flipped over the village Beaujolias from the same producer in the tBoW review last August. The contrast is striking. The cru wine is more intense overwhelming any of he other components such as alcohol and tannins. It is big and fruity. Word to Dotoré: While this Beuaj is very nice now tBoW looks forward to trying it again in a year. Reminds me of the 2006 Jean Paul Thévenet Morgon "Vieilles Vignes" that showed so much better one year later. $13%

The host made up for the BBQ-lighter Pinot Noir with a Canadian sweetie available at BevMo.

2006 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors Reserve Vidal Icewine $16: Out comes a specially packaged tube of Canadian late harvest something. Shows bright acid with ripe apricot and mango flavors. Very nice and refreshing. The region is Niagra and the grape is a 1930 hybird known as Vidal Blanc, named after the bio-engineer who crossed Ugni Blanc with Rayon d'Or to get a cold weather high sugar varietal. The bottle at 187.5 ml is the tiniest ever seen outside an airplane. A very good U20 dessert wine. 10.5%

As though there were no red wines for hot days and warm nights summertime is allegedly for fresh white wines and sparkling fruity wines like Moscato d'Asti. NOT. There are beefy and manly pinks and there are also Pinot Noir and Beaujolais that work in the 80s at 8:00. Sometimes you even find a 21 year old memory on your table in front of you. Here are several of da kine.

2007 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone $14: tBoW does not see pink wine from this mainline Rhone producer so we had to give it a try. Mostly Grenache and Syrah. Alcohol in the nose and mouth (level is a bit high for pink) but plenty of fruit. Reminds me of the 2006 St Andre. 13.5%

2006 Trenel Beaujolais $11: tBoW reviewed this almost a year and half ago so old habits must run deep. It is still a winner. An import from the mysterious Robert Chadderdon. Delicious Gamay fruit in excellent balance. Not showing much age 16 months down the line. Quite tasty. Serve with a slight chill. Works with all kinds of summer meals from burgers to pasta salad. Also excellent value. 12.5%

Giacomo Bologna Brachetto d'Acqui "Braida" $25: Looks like a Piemonte label because it is another one of those fizzy summer red sparklers from Barolo land. We got to know the style at the recent 100x summer tasting. This one is a bit more sophisticated than the Icardi which is not to say it is nay better, especially for another $8. Nevertheless, it is delightful. Strawberry pop with a bit more kick from the flavors, not the alcohol which is perfectly light beer level. Buy it instead of the $17 Icardi? Not likely but no regrets. 5.5%

Chateau Saint Pierre Cotes de Provence Tradition $14: tBoW recalls buying Freddie Cannon's Palisades Park when he thought it was Johnny Horton's Battle of New Orleans. Same serendipitous confusion here. Thought this was another St something from Provence. Wonderfully lean Rosé with plenty of melon flavor and just enough spine to make it serious. Good value for a very light salmon color fine wine. Like Palisades Park; not a mistake at all. 13%

1988 Leoville Las Cases $33 (on release): Dotoré pulled this Super Second Bordeaux from the recesses of his cellar. There are 5 first growth in Bordeaux, none from St Julie. Leoville Las Cases is the premier wine from that district. 21 years old and fresh as a daisy. Has the distinct Bordeaux pencil lead nose and dried cranberry flavors. Red brick color heavy on the red. Perfectly stored and in outstanding condition. The tBoW team realizes Cabernet Sauvignon is the lone varietal that can span continents in style and recognition. Not that Napa can produce a Cabernet Sauvignon exactly like this one BUT at least the chracteristics are distinctly similar. Wonderful wine. A midsummer treat on a Sunday evening outdoors. "11% to 13%" (per the label- how quaint)

LA the city as brasserie. Flames fan the hills. Corks get pulled. Once for Dotoré's 60th. Again for RB's departure. Friends mix, barely familiar. Zins and Cabs here. Pinot Noirs there. Fruity whites cross all snob lines. Wine greases the wheels. Everyone loosens up. Even the tighties. Almost everyone. Birthday boy pulls the cork on two Melville bad boys. tBoW pops a double mag and a 26 year old port. Different fetés. Same classic soul mix with 60's thrash. Dotoré and tBoW the only fans.

So what got poured...it's all right here.

1997 Ca' Moreis Sandro Fey $50 (jeroboam): Poor man's Barolo from the region's best producer. Middle weight Nebbiolo from the Italian Alps. Not meant to age so no wonder the color is brown and red brick. Coffee nose, herbal flavors. Soft, lean. Balanced, spicy. A perfect night to pull this cork. 13%

2009 Crios Torrontes $12: Susan Bilbo's classic white from Argentina. Drink it now. Fresh cantaloupe in a glass. Cousin Gar asks if it is Viognier crossed with Riesling. Nice instincts. Every new winemaker should start with Torrontes - the wine you can't screw up. 12%

The guests will eventually dictate the wine lineup so you know in advance what you'll be tasting. At the birthday this meant a descent into big fruit Napa wines...and a couple of bad boys from the Central Coast.

2004 Vincent Arroyo Entrada Napa Wine $65: Mostly Syrah (62%) with a solid Cabernet paunch 23% and a 15% Petite Syrah kick. The only big California grape left out is...that's right...Zinfandel. Carob flavors, i.e., dark chocolate. Thick, heavy weight. Reaching for the Silver Oak style. Not much tannin. Heavy wines should have tannins or they come off mushy. Are you ready for the sex girls? 14.3%

2005 Quintessa $55: Big ticket Napa Bordeaux blend. Lots of Merlot in the mouth. Soft delicious fruit. Balanced. And mushy. 14%

2002 Melville Carrie's Pinot Noir $60 (at winery on release): The LEGEND. The wine Dotoré had to have or be hounded by fever dreams. This isn't wine. It's MMA in a bottle. Seven years ago it was brutal, nasty, ready to take off your head. Now it is somewhat weedy. The fruit has yielded to the alcohol. All that's left is vanilla from what must have been a thorough oaking. Deliciously stupid. 16.1%

2002 Melville Carrie's Syrah $55: A wine only an investor could love. I like to imagine this is the wine that drove the family apart. Like it's sister the Pinot It is just huge. Together these bottles are the Williams sisters of wine. 16.1%

As though the fires in the hills extinguished and a strong ocean wined blew all the smoke somewhere over the desert...there was one more entry.

2006 Stevenson-Barrie Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $32: Cuzzin Gar slipped this one in honoring the Pinot lovin' Dotoré. After having our palates carpet bombed this excellent Oregon wine helped tBoW re-calibrate. Coming from the fruity ripe 2006 vintage the wine actually fit in well. Creamy oak, smells and tastes like PN. 14%

What do you do when the "revenue river" decides he should redirect his course to the Middle East? Same thing we do every weekend. With a bit more subdued crowd, selfishly selected to suit tBoW's taste. The wine choices were more familiar. We skip the whites report except to say there were two goodies: a 2005 Macon Village from Kermit Lynch, matched with a 2005 Dirler Pinot Gris from Alsace. Both were quite pleasing, a cut above and U20s.

2006 Williams Selyem Westside Road Neighbors $100: The first time tBoW has tasted this blend of Russian River premium Pinot Noir. Tannic, exotic, viscous, Plums and blueberries. This was an exciting bottle. The most notable WS tasted in quite a while. 14.2%

1996 Rochioli Three Corners Vineyard $475 (?!?): The wine held form like we would expect from California's most collectible Pinot Noir. Sweet flavors, slight volatile acidity. Focused and balanced. Coffee and toffee flavors. 14.2%

1983 Smith Woodhouse Oporto $35 in split ($9 sticker!): Wow. Port in a split makes such sense. It is so hard to finish a 750 ml bottle at the end of a meal featuring great wines. You have to have 8 solid citizens to make a dent. But, a split is just perfect. This wine was smooth, soft, with stuffing. Dark red, sweet but focused. Each pour was drained . Threw sediment in the split! A perfect port. xx%

Who knew Argentina has a Promotion Centre in Los Angeles. Consul Adjunto Jose Cafiero sent out invitations to the right people who showed up on a lovely early fall late afternoon to check. Sr. Cafiero promoted six Mendoza wineries that would love to be represented in Los Angeles. All they need is an importer and/or distributor.

tBoW documented a March 2008 Argentina trip that left a powerful impression of the wonderful and abundant wines, the perfect growing conditions, and the excellent values. We may not have mentioned how gorgeous is the country and the people. Argentina has a preponderance of spectacular scenery and easy-to-look-at citizens. Today's post is peppered with handsome Argentines pouring their wines. Even their feet are attractive.

The tasting was set in the back yard of the Consul residence. Nothing fancy. Six wineries looking for partners. If there is a downside to Argentine wines it is the difficulty finding them. Distribution in the USA is at best sporadic which was the point of this exercise. A tasting like this is a great way to make a match.

Karma Wine Group showed five wines. The "story" is how a Tibetan guardian priest fled with the Dahli Lama and eventually settled in Mendoza where he started making wine. His wines were being poured by Gary Parker, the owner of San Diego's excellent WineSellar and Brasserie, a ground-breaking restaurant and wine store celebrating 21 years in business. Gary's once unique concept is now widely copied. These wines were all under $20 making Karma the best price to quality ratio table at the tasting. There were other wines we preferred but no other table with this consistency at the U20 price level.

2009 Karma Sauvignon Blanc $10: Fruity, slight grassiness. Fruity with a bubble gum aroma and flavor. Slightly tannic. Good wine at a great price. 13%

2009 Karma Chardonnay $12: 100% Steel fermented. No aging in oak. Good fruit. Perfect restaurant $5-pour-by-the-glass-wine.13.2%

2008 Karma Torrontes $13: Bright fruit. Clean flavors. Best in the flight. From Salta region where great Torrontes comes from. 13%

2006 Karma Cabernet Sauvignon Premium Reserve $18: Cherries on the nose. Gets 6 months French oak. Medium weight. Slightly vegetal that gives character. A U20 winner. 14%

2007 Karma Malbec Gran Reserva Old VInes: Did not get the price. Very nice middle weight wine. Good stuffing. Citric flavors characteristic of Maipu vines. Went back for it. 14%

Bodega Viniterra showed the typical lineup of entry, middle and top level reds. But they also showed a couple of unique bottles; 15 bottles in all! Grapes from Mendoza's premium Lujan de Cuyo region located at 3,400 foot elevations. The commitment to premium winemaking is evident.

2008 Viniterra Pinot Grigio $11: Delightful wine with a minty powder puff nose. Sweet but not too much so. Soft body, fragrant nose. U20 value wine. 14%

2008 Viniterra Viognier $15: No foxy flavors we dislike in the varietal. Like Malbec, another example of how the region or country changes the profile of a particular varietal. Nice enough. 14%

2008 Viniterra Chardonnay $15: Pour it by the glass in your restaurant. Cannot go wrong. 13.5%

NV Viniterra Sparkling Extra Brut Champenoise Method $22: 980% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. Very pale salmon. Yeasty nose. Mucho mousse. doughy flavors, dry. Very nice and low alcohol. 12.5%

2008 Terra Sparkling Malbec: Think of sparkling Buguey or Lambrusco. Only this is much nicer. Red color and a solid spritz. This wine could make it here. Not your fruity summer pink sparkler. A butch sparkling red. Very nice effort. 12.5%

2007 Viniterra Pinot Noir $16: Your basic New World fruity forward, middle weight Pinot Noir. If you like California Pinot then you will be very happy with this wine especially since you are going to pay half to a third of the normal California Pinot Noir price. Forward fruit with lots of cherry flavors. Mrs. tBoW liked it just fine thank you. 14%

2006 Viniterra Select Carmenere $18: tBoW missed the memo on the history of the Carmenere grape...you know - wiped out by phyloxera in Europe mid-19th century memo to be discovered in Chile in the 20th where it is used as the basic blending grape in red wines. That one. Highly perfumed nose. Tastes Italian with plenty acid and lean fruit, especially for Argentina. Violets in a glass. Kind of sweet like a ripe Sangiovese. 14%

2006 Viniterra Select Malbec $18: Fruity with plenty of stuffing. Middle weight and muscular. 12 months in French and American oak. Balanced and rich. Very tasty and excellent U20 value. Can they really sell it at this price? 14%

These are two of the best wineries presenting. Karma with its narrow range and Viniterra with everything under the sun represent the variety and range of wines available in Argentina. We present the other two that impressed in the next post.

Argentina is U20 nirvana!! This post continues our report on the Argentina wineries tasting hosted by the Argentine Promotion Center in Los Angeles. All six wineries that showed were very good. However, four stood out as especially fine.

La Garde Winery presents itself as the old guard of Mendoza wineries...which it is [ed. pictured below]. They claim and aim to represent the long established tradition of fine winemaking in Argentina where terroir comes first. The winery was founded by a Spanish family in 1897 and sold to an Italian family in 1977. One distinguishing characteristic is the comparatively low production which is limited to 60,000 cases annually; small by Argentine standards. Their vineyards feature any old vine plantings located in the premium regions of Lujan de Cuyo and Tupungato Valley. Pride of ownership and old guard values are openly promoted. Worth seeking out.

2008 LaGarde Viognier $14: Rightly proud as the first winery to cultivate this varietal. Like the Viniterra version this is not foxy. Has glue-like nose. With lots of fruit, young and rich. 14.8%

2009 LaGarde Sauvignon Blanc $10: Grassy nose but not overwhelming. Fruit outweighs grass on the palate which is always good.

2008 Altas Cumbres Malbec $10: The entry level Malbec. Dividing the wines into entry level and above is very common. The purpose is to distinguish young vines from older, and reserve wines from premium. See? That is the problem. Grade levels imply less versus more, good versus not as good. But in marketing like children's birthday parties we cannot have lesser or not as good wines like we cannot have one kid getting all the gifts. But we digress. This is fruity stuff with plenty of body and at this price it is a U20 bargain. 14%

2007 LaGarde Cabernet Sauvignon $15: There are many many Cabernets like this one in Napa. Only they cost 400% more. Fruity, rich, heavy weight. 14%

2008 LaGarde Malbec $15: There are NOT ANY Malbecs like this in Napa. Rich, focused, liqeuer flavors. Tons of chocolate and cranberry. Your basic Turkey killer wine. Both wines are in the Reserva line, one step above entry level Altas Cumbres. 14%

2007 LaGarde Malbec DOC $20: In the US the label says Special Selection. This is the Major Drummond single vineyard of 100 year old vines, although the fellow pouring confided they blend it with 50 year old vines. It was exceptional. If the price is right [ed. $20 ain't right enough?] then we should split a case. 14%

2006 Henry No. 1 $50: The big ticket blend of 50% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Syrah. The blend can vary year to year. Juan Roby is the winemaker who selects and blends the best fruit production from the five vineyards in each vintage. This is very much like a Bordeaux blend, although quite young right now. Forward and rich style of a St. Julien. Not tBoW's style, preferring the single vineyard Malbec. 14%

These are the guys from Bodegas Lontué whose wines we tasted, liked, but did not review. Their wines are from Santa Rosa which is about 60 km south of Mendoza; a hotter region at sea level. Very good value wines.

Bodega Mi Terruño is a family owned winery with holdings in Mendoza's Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley regions. Style is very similar to Bodega Viniterra; tiny production - only 8,000 cases here - and commitment to quality. Both presented a full array covering the spectrum of white and red wines and a couple of unexpected ringers. Happily, both bodegas make excellent wine.

2009 Mi Terruño Torrontes $11: Mealy, high tone, structured. Nicest Torrontes here. From Santa Rose vines. Would seek this one out. Good acid. Very good effort. An absolute steal at this price. 13.9%

2007 Mi Terruño Malbec Rosé $10: What a nice surprise. Grapefruit flavors, good acid. 13%

2008 Mi Terruño Reserve Malbec $16: Fruity, mild tannins. The notorious entry level wine. Very good. 13.5%

2008 Mi Terruño Malbec Limited Reserva $22: Half Cabernet Sauvignon from Uco Valley. Lush, lovely, middle weight. $14.2%

2007 Mi Terruño Mayacaba $50: The old vines bottle blends juice from the finest Perdriel vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo. 100% Malbec. Chewy, tannic, Rich. Primo. I could not justify spending $50 but if I did I would buy this before the LaGarde Henry blend. Female winemaker. 14.5%

After the tasting the tBoW team dined at Marino Restaurant in Hollywood. A first time for tBoW and crew. Old style Hollywood with up to date cooking and a classic old style Hollywood wine list; six pages of fairly priced Italian selections followed by three pages of first and second growth Bordeaux going back to the 70s for "da playahs". Highly recommended.

I don't care how rich you are...you can't grow decent wine in LA. Besides, there are too many other reasons to not even try. The idea already failed 100 years ago when Southern California was the state's wine center. Most of the planting was northeast of the city in the high desert. Prohibition shut down the locals and the state's wine capital moved to north to the Central Valley, Sonoma, and Napa. SoCal never recovered...until now.

There are 150 new acres planted to vinifera in the Santa Monica Mountains representing 50 vineyards. Do the math...these are small plots. Who are these mad vintners? Growing vines and making wine is not like putting in a pool with a slide. Acreage under 5 acres makes it very hard to turn a profit since 1 acre will yield only 75 cases of wine. Undeveloped land in Santa Monica Mountains makes developers drool. Planting vineyards where they see condos or gated McMansion "communities" must drive them nuts. Be serious. You have to have money to burn to do this. And they do. They include actors and folks who sold a very successful business like the Cheesecake Factory or Lowes Hardware; or ran hedge funds or got rich selling helicopters. God knows. Some people say you get a tax break if you plant vines because that will throw your property into a lower tax bracket. But that is not why they are doing it. I think many of this new corps are wine snobs, grape geeks, the kind who say things like "great wine is not a matter of price but of availability".

So what about the wines? Visit Cornell Corner off Troutdale Road which is off Kanan Dume Road which is in the Conejo Valley which is one valley north and outside of Los Angeles...and find out. Now tBoW thinks Cornell is exactly the kind of cheesy name a developer would come up with. But it ain't. Cornell has been a three building outpost on the old stagecoach route more than 100 years. If you drive there over Mulholland Highway from Calabasas the way everyone once came it IS a long way. But if you take the 101 and exit at Kanan it's only 5 minutes on the way to the beach.

The new plantings are barely 10 years old. There is a big dog in the region, the Semmler property with just under 100 acres planted. They have their own tasting room and a cave with 300 year old Chumash cave paintings of the Spanish Portola expedition on horseback. They recently handed over the winemaking to a real winemaker so soon there will be more to do than see the cave.

tBoW visited the Cornell Winery and ate at the Old Place next door in a downpour which only added to the wonderful atmosphere of both settings. Cornell Winery is not a winery but a tasting room for local labels and gallery for local artists. The building, built in 1870, was refurbished by Denise and Tim, who own the "winery" and the restaurant next door. The restaurant is a local haunt having existed out in the boonies for more than 50 years before the new 101 was built in the 70s, when tBoW and the Mrs used to hitchhike the old inland road with two dogs. True story.

Cornell features Malibu and Santa Monica producers and vineyards. A few of the labels source juice from other regions, e.g., Santa Barbara and Lodi. However, the majority are home grown. Now, I Gotta Tell Ya, [ed. glowering above] there have been a few articles about the new winery projects. They are always portrayed as vanity deals which is easy to believe because the conditions for growing wine on this stretch of the California coast are not exactly ideal. The most notable "success" story is Rosenthal's Bordeaux blend which is a blueprint for what not to do; grow Bordeaux varietals, and price it like another "collectible" Napa fruit bomb. If Paso Robles is wrong for Cabernet Sauvignon then Malibu must be even worse. The Semler project has produced thousands of cases of very mediocre wine for 10 years. At least they have planted Rhone style grapes. One thing is absolutely certain...you cannot grow Pinot Noir where people surf! So what can we reasonably expect of more newbies working 1 to 5 acres? Smaller tragedies? Here is what we tasted. We were surprised.

2008 Rosenthal Surfrider Sauvignon Blanc $19: Edna Valley juice in a "New Zealand" style which means grassy. It is green and grassy. 10% of sales benefit the Surfrider Foundation which is very very nice. 14.4%

2008 Republic of Malibu Beach Blonde $22: The label name winner for Republic. The wine is 91% Chardonnay and the rest Viognier which is not really discernible. However, the wine is nice with a smoky nose, light gold color, buttery feel. Estate grown on two acres in Malibu. Tiny production. A very restrained and much admired 13.5%. Bravo!

2008 Republic of Malibu Rosé Pink Lady $19: Grown in Corral Canyon which has to be the same 2 acre vineyard, right? Chalky nose and flavor. IGTY likes it because it is not sweet. And that is correct. However, Mrs. tBoW likens the flavor to Kaopectate which is probably not where the winemaker was aiming. Not a bad wine but you can buy a lot of great Rosés for under $20. 13.9%

2007 Cantara Barbera $32: Juice from Lodi which is a long way from Malibu. The owners live in Camarillo which is close enough I suppose. Apparently, they do not have any Malibu plantings. They must be very friendly. For such a young wine it shows very little tannins. Instead the wine is soft and sweet. Tastes Italian. Denise says it is a great everyday wine for any meal. Yes but not at this price. Another much appreciated low alcohol wine at 13.5%.

2007 Milan Vineyards Maximilian $45: It was only a matter of time before we met a bottle named after a much-loved family member. It's like the group of people who buy paintings of landscapes and flowers. These vineyards are in Topanga Canyon [ed. tBoW loves Topanga]. This is a more sophisticated wine. It is an outlaw blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Cab Sauvignon and 25% Syrah. And it is grown in my backyard! Great mouth feel, silky smooth and well balanced. Medium weight, soft fruit but high alcohol at 15%. An impressive effort.

2006 Hoyt Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $19: Off the map and off the web! But a wine with some age. And it tastes like Cabernet Sauvignon; meaty, chocolate, some veggie quality. Slight sweetness. Mrs. tBoW likes it. Our second U20. 14%

2005 Malibu Valley Vineyards Reserve Syrah $15: It's a vintner like this that gets tBoW excited. All his wines are $15 so people will try them! Brilliant! These new winemakers stuff their dog's beds with hundies so push the bottles out the door ferkrissake. And this is nice wine with a little age. Nice dark robe. Some BBQ sauce on the nose which I like. Some tannins which with the decent fruit shows it is trying to be serious. Taste the vanilla oak. Wonder how long? The hands down U20 winner! 13.6% makes it another big drinkability winner.

NV Saddlerock Old Vine Tawny Port $20: Saddlerock is the second label of Malibu Family Wines. This is a nice non-vintage wine. The oldest plantings on the Semler ranch are Cab and Merlot from 1987. Wonder what is in here. Nice nutty flavor with a caramel core. Nice wine. 19%

The Old Place is quite a place and definitely worth a visit. If you are coming to LA skip Universal Studios or Rodeo Drive and go here instead. Read about the former owner Tom Runyon and learn something about the way it once was in the Malibu Hills at the link above.

We bought two bottles at Cornell and toted them into The Old Place.

2007 Malibu Vineyards Vortex Sangiovese $39: The price is too high and tBoW got fooled by the vortex of Malibu winery names thinking this would be the $15 bottle by Malibu VALLEY Vineyard. The wine tastes like Sangiovese. It had that nice acidic backbone with a lean kind of sweetness. Mrs. tBoW does not like this style. It is Old World which is somewhat surprising for a New World wine. Light body weight. Had it after the killer wine of the evening which was tough competition. Great alcohol level...12.9%

2008 Malibu Sanity Pinot Noir Schetter Vineyard $42: Hey! I thought I told you to not even try to grow Pinot Noir down here ya knucklehead. IGTY said we had to buy this bottle. He was paying so tBoW said go ahead. There was every reason to expect something unusual...even bizarre. If you can't grow Pinot Noir in Paso Robles how can you grow it 200 miles further south? Well, put me in the barrel and stomp my fruit. This was very good wine. Pretty, light cherry red color. Delicate weight and delicately balanced flavors. Cherry style with bacon bits. So easy to drink. You have never had a Santa Rita Hills Pinot as light on its feet. Paul Lato makes sinewy if genteel wines that are still masculine. This is 100% girlie and completely charming. Think Juliette Lewis in Cape Fear. After dinner tBoW spotted a bottle of 1998 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche on the bar (empty) at the Old Place. I started up a conversation with Tim (proprietor in both entities) and mentioned the Sanity Pinot. "Oh yeah, that guy is a total Burgundy freak." Well no shit. 14.5%

The ocean of wine and the lineup in it keeps getting bigger. We choose wines like we would choose waves; certain size, as close to perfect conditions as we can presume. What wines will be in the tBoW lineup for 2010? [ed. the surfing lineup is all those people in the water here at Topanga point trying to catch the same wave] With seemingly limitless options we contemplate the wine lineup for the coming year. Keep it simple - good values, great and interesting wines, selecting carefully from the best of the best. Based on the first pours in January we can forecast that Winter through early Spring will feature French white wines and more Malibu discoveries. We can live with that. The local vintners of the Bu continue to defy expectations and definitely have our attention. Here then are several recent turns of the corkscrew.

2005 Malibu Vineyard Rambla Pacifico Pinot Noir $35: Another pretty darn good Pinot Noir from the coastal hills up Pacific Coast Highway on the way to the best surfing beaches in north LA county. The story is owner Michael McCarty (of the venerable dining establishment Michaels) planted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the late 1980s with displeasing results. The vines were torn out and replaced with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wine in this bottle is a bit rustic with a sense of terroir which in tBow-speak means it does not taste like a fruit bomb from the Central Coast. That is good. It has ripe cherry flavors putting in the Volnay style class. No forest floor here. Solid middle weight viscosity and very drinkable. Price is fair and alcohol level is acceptable. Of course, we cannot help but compare it to the Malibu Sanity Hills wine. They are different; think Old World vs New World. Very good effort, worth seeking out and comparing over the years to come as each wine develops its personal style.

2004 Solstice Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon $36: One of the earliest vintages from this well regarded vintner. The retailer said some bottles are bad so you can bring it back. But some are really good. This was a good one. Fruit is ripe but not jammy plump and all stuffed up. Raspberry flavors, light to middle weight. Has a quick finish. Reminds me of a New World Syrah. How did he keep the alcohol below 14? We would drink this again before trying one of the endless Napa Cabs at or near the same price now seeking shelter on winestilsoldout.com 13.8%

A few words about the Dean of Malibu wine country, John Selman, who runs Malibu Village Wine Shop in the shopping bazaar off PCH across from Surfrider Beach. This shop is like walking into one of the homes on the Hoarders series. Cases on top of cases, tasting notes hanging like tinsel on my Xmas tree, and a decorative collection of vodkas in the far corner. John knows where everything is in the store and he knows even more about who is growing what and why in the hills of the Bu. Prices are very fair, selection is tops if you want to try the best Bu wines, and the conversation is stellar. Any visit to Malibu wine country should start and/or end at this shop.

2006 Chantemerle Chablis La Chantemerle $20: Always been a Chablis fan. The style is generally steely, lean, fresh. When exaggerated these qualities come off foxy even feline; but not here. Hope to drink more French Chardonnays like this one in 2010. Because Chablis is generally under-valued, it is actually a good region to watch for great values. [ed. dreams of $25 Gran Crus danced through his head!] This is ordinary Chablis with a few years on it. Decent price. Nice and simple. Balanced, light to mid weight. Refined with pear flavors. Showing some tannins. It ain't New World Chard. Is that all we care about? Well, not all we care about...but it counts. xx%

2004 Rochioli Estate Pinot Noir $60: Accompanied the Saints-Vikings game. Can I compare the wine to Brett Favre? [ed. should you?] Over the top. Intense, Iron fist in a velvet glove stuff. Focused but not BIG. And ultimately, a miss more than a hit. "Too many notes." The point is Rochioli wines do seem to over-reach for the heights in the most obvious and nearly bombastic style. Like Favre they are legendary and produce incredible hits. But they also make some very ill-timed boo-boos. This wine was big enough to overwhelm the cigar I smoked between games. It is muscular, supple, with solid flavors. Concentrated. I can taste the alcohol which is never good. And it tastes a lot like a California Syrah from the Central Coast. 14.8%

2006 Bret Brothers Pouilly-Fuisse Climat Le Clos Reyssie $34: Purchased at Woodland Hills Wine Co. Two French brothers named Bret (not Favre) began making their own wines in 2000. They own a vineyard AND buy grapes. This wine has a sinewy feel. Lean. Green and chalky flavors. The vineyard source - Le Clos Reyssié - is the most famous holding in the village of Chaintré which is one of the four villages producing Pouilly-Fuissé. [ed. tBoW lifted this from the Bret Bros website] This wine comes from a 60 year old plot on rather deep soil on a vein of very hard limestone. Makes me think this is what Cakebread wants to taste like but never will. And this is half that cost. We like it. We also noted the distributor Polaner Selections who reps several labels we also like including Clos de la Roilette and Didier Dagueneau. Keep an eye out for Polaner. Love the low alcohol level. 12.5%

Here is another example of what the Malibu Coastline can produce given very good conditions.

One 2009 mega-trend (mega trends being mega trendy) - new local tasting establishments - (El Vino in Venice, 55 Degree in Atwater Village) has come to Santa Monica. Actually tBoW is a bit behind the 8-ball here since Pourtal opened in April 2009. [ed. call us hokey using their web image but it works] We visited the wine tasting bar in January to taste a couple more Malibu wines. Pourtal hosted a Malibu winery series in January. Maybe they will do it again! Of course, some of the Malibu wines are available for tasting any time...because Pourtal has three Enomatic tasting machines. Each machine is geared to a theme such as international, zins and mixed bag. The Enomatic keeps the open bottle fresh using an inert gas to defend against oxidation.

tBow first encountered this remarkable machine in Napa circa 2005. A new tasting bar called Stave was the first US retailer to bring the machine made in Italy to the US. We liked the concept then and are pleased to see it has made it to LA. If you think oxidation can be deterred by simply keeping the bottles in the refrigerator then take a 15 time out before resuming this review. The Abronson family owns and operates Pourtal. Turns out they were inspired by the now defunct Stave project. Times are very tough in Napa so we hope Pourtal finds success in our neighborhood.

Pourtal is located where Santa Monica Blvd meets Pacific at the park overlooking the ocean. This first block is crammed with cool eating spots and typical bars including the World Famous Ye Olde Kings Head which I see now has a gift shop. If you like to drink British beers and watch soccer with Brit ex-pats then get on down to Ye Olde Kings Head. We presume YOKH is still a good meet market.

However, if you want to taste a lot of very interesting international or domestic wines then hit Pourtal right next door. I cannot say whether it is a good meet market but you can always just slide over to YOKH if you catch a buzz and an inclination.

Pourtal revolves around four tasting stations where one can self-dispense one ounce tastes of wines from a selection of 40 bottles>. You purchase a "smart card" with a read/write chip, setting your own spending limit. tBoW went for $20. Cost per taste varies according to the bottle. For example, the 2005 Dominus will take $8.80 out of your credit line [ed. and still be tight and not ready]. What makes Pourtal interesting from purely a wine snob perspective is the range of wines available for tasting. This is, of course, a function of the wit, energy and knowledge of the wine director. That would be Ms. Rachel Bryan.

Rachel brings solid credentials and the perfect palate to Pourtal. She has worked as sommelier in New York City and Los Angeles restaurants, She has also worked retail in one of NYC's premium wine shops, Chambers. So she knows wine. Proprietor Stephen Abronson loves wine but admittedly is not the total wine freak. However, he knew to hire Rachel. Together they select the monthly wine themes. The wine importers and distributors follow Rachel wherever she lands because who else will buy their most unusual international selections. And that is the point of Pourtal: where else can the wine-curious find answers to what is coming out of the Israeli or Croatian wine scenes? That makes Pourtal at least a monthly wine stop on tBoW's calendar. Coming up in the months ahead? Island Wines (Sicily, Canary, Mallorca, New Zealand), Funky Reds [ed. the Isaac Hayes to the James Brown of wines? We'll go just for the DJ], Top Eco-Wineries (Alma Rosa, Cade, Stoller, Bonny Doon). Wine is so much more than Parker ratings!

We visited Pourtal to learn about the operation and to taste wines poured by premium Malibu vintners Hoyt and Schetter. But we missed the tasting. You have to wait for another mega-Bu report to read about the Malibu part of the evening's program. However, coverage of Pourtal's outstanding international selection - such that one just does not see elsewhere - especially by the glass, follows.

2006 Teliani Valley Khvanchkara, Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia $22: It's from Georgia; not the Atlanta Georgia; the former Soviet Socialist Republic state. Many of us do not realize that every one of those Central/Eastern euro nations has a long standing wine producing tradition. Like the Hungarian Tokay Aszu with its putonyos. Under Communism the tradition fell on hard times. We could speculate on why this was but we will not...except to say...never mind. The label on this wine says "semi-sweet red wine." I have heard semi-sweet is the preferred style for this part of Europe. Reputedly this was Stalin's favorite wine served to Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta. Lots of acid here and sticky sweet juice. I am thinking this would probably go well with unfiltered cigarettes. All right. Cheap shot. This is a premium growing region that claims at least 15 aboriginal wine varietals. [ed. but are they vinifera?] and it is quite possible we may be seeing more wines from Georgia. It is often the case the best wines from a new region come later after the cheap ones have ruined all expectations. 12.5%

2008 Attila Gere Villány Portugieser $13: Light weight wine that is well-made if a bit thin. Think Julie Haggerty; like the great comedic actress the wine is quite enjoyable if not inspiring. If tBoW was traveling in Transylvania and saw a bottle he would buy it. 12.5%

2007 Bouza Tannat $37: This wine holds special interest because Tablas Creek produces a Tannat wine which is another good reason to follow TC. Hardy by reputation and certainly big and brawny from Paso Robles, tBoW was anxious to see what kind of Tannat is produced in Uruguay at the Bouza Bodega outside Montevideo across the strait from Buenos Aires. The nose is high toned and lofty. Restrained. Flavors are pleasant. Cannot taste the alcohol which is at Central Coast level. Not as ripe as the TC rendition. We like it. Solid middle weight. 15%

2007 Flam Classico $34: A blend of Cabernet and Merlot from the Judean Hills in Israel. Distinctive and appealing nose of charcoal and anise. A very good effort. Strong flavors, not too ripe. Fleshy. I would prefer this to many domestic blends. These last two wines were excellent ones to finish with. Chabad's house wine? Brought in by Israeli Wine Direct. 14%

This was a very fun tasting evening. Unusual wines that show how things are changing all over the world. All for $20. Big tBow stamp of approval.

Got to thinking about Julie Hagerty and found this wonderful and memorable scene from Lost in America. Maybe we did not give her sufficient credit. Imagine how tough it is to have your name constantly misspelled!

You can see Positano from Don Schmitz's vineyard 2100 feet above Malibu. Not many peaks are higher than his. He planted 1 acre of Cabernet Sauvignon on the South, West and North slopes surrounding the hilltop with 1200 vines where his 7,000 square foot home is going up. The scene is nothing less than spectacular. Dotoré posited it is the single most incredible home site he has ever seen in Los Angeles; in person or photos.

And what about the man? He makes no claim to being a winemaker. He is a vintner whether he admits to that or not. The Solstice label is his conception with a strong influence from George Rosenthal of Rosenthal-The Malibu Estate who Schmitz identifies as mentor. Rosenthal makes quite a few wines from his estate grown and sourced grapes a few miles to the east. Where Rosenthal has a Malibu Hills vineyard (some 90 to 100 acres) Schmitz has one acre in a spot where he has a wall to wall coastal view but is above the fog so he gets some of the Hills heat. It would seem to be an ideal location for Cabernet. Why only Cabernet Don? Because Cab is King.

Schmitz selected the site carefully. He did not pick it for the opportunity to grow vinifera BUT, once the site was secured, he did have the soil and water analyzed for suitability to grow wine grapes. He got good news and planted in 1997. His first vintage was in 2001 and he has bottled in every year since. He harvests and immediately transports the grapes to the Daumé facility in Camarillo also known as Camarillo Custom Crush. Apparently, this is the go-to winemaking facility for many of the new local Malibu vintners. Schmitz hires a vineyard manager and, like so many other locals, uses the Daumé winemaker. Don says each vintage is different and he likes that about the wines because every year the intense fruit from his vines shows through. Don does reserve all decision-making when it comes to barrel selection. He frowns on using too much oak and prefers neutral French oak which means he likes to use barrels that have been though several vintages.

So how are the wines? Our host brought a 2004 and 2006 Solstice from the cellar on the promontory facing North. We pulled the corks on those two and a bottle we had brought, the 2007 Paul Lato Larner Vineyard Syrah.

2004 Solstice Cabernet Sauvignon $36: We covered this recently. Same ripe fruit flavors in the nose and the mouth. No we did not snort the wine. It is just that ripe. The ripeness of the fruit is attributable to long hang time. Don told us as much. Neutral oak lets the fruit run wild! 13.8%

2006 Solstice Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $50: More stuffing than the 2004. Also more blue than red fruit, as in blueberries. Still fairly ripe and unbridled fruit. Bigger yet relatively soft and plump. 14.2%

2006 Paul Lato Larner Vineyard Syrah Cinemathique $80: Undrinkable. What happened to Paul Lato wines? He went Hollywood Santa Rita style. Happens to so many out-of-towners who come to SoCal and get star struck. In this case it seems Paul decided he would make wine like everyone else in Santa Rita Hills: bombastic, over the top alcohol and fruit that Parker gives his biggest scores to. Natch this wine hit the mid 90s. Four days later it was still trying to pry itself open. This wine could test the limits of the aerator. 15%

So what about the Solstice wines? There is potential to make a distinctive and wonderful wine of sophistication with verve that is distinctly Malibu. But we think that wine is hidden under too many layers of fruit upon fruit. The character and unique qualities seem lost. We have a strong-willed vintner who routinely scraps with California's toughest environmental protection group, the Coastal Commission. And he wins more often than not or at least often enough to actually be sitting atop Malibu in his own Xanadu. He has more acreage that could be planted with the right permits and a few more commissionary scrapes. We hope he plants Cab Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and blends it in Solstice. We hope he tries new oak and tells his winemaker he would like to evoke more of the mountain qualities of his vines instead of allowing the fruit to overwhelm the wine like so many weeds in the vineyard. We hope...we hope we visit Don again when his home is finished. Next time we'll bring a Napa Cab like Regusci or even Hess...or Ridge...doesn't have to be Monte Bello.