No Wine Over $20-Reviews and the LA Wine Scene

I don't know where to start: under $20? The list goes on and on. So, I'll start here:

2005 Capestrano Montepulciano D'Aburzzo - between $8 and $12. Plums and leather and loads of character, better the next day.

Try Cline's 2005 Viognier. About the same price. Peaches and spice.

Try any white blend from SoFrance.

xxoo le king

This is a blog about wine but not necessarily devoted to wine. Do not be surprised if you read about golf, healthcare, politics, media or anything else we feel like describing and weighing in on.

We knock off Victor Hugo because we are proudly literate (especially dokkerm), unbound by convention, and declaring a call to action. Molly Pitcher guards the right bank as we take on trophy wines and fashion-driven price-bloated trend-setters. If you agree with our battle cry then you will like this blog. NO WINES OVER $20. We date the beginning of our campaign to the first vintage of the Mondavi-Rothschild Opus project. We recall with a smile the Underground Wine Journal editorial titled Hokus Opus. Stand upon the ramparts of good sense. There are too many wines around priced at or below $20 to let them languish in the floor stacks of retail shops. Our raison d'etre is to approach these wanderers and let you know what they had to say about their terroir.

Given that, here is the first entry about trophy wines from our past. We are purging our cellars of the spoils from earlier collector wars. Here are the goods. Friday June 8 the evening's selections included in order, (1) 1990 Prince Poniatowski Aigle Blanc Moelleux Vouvray (2) Rochioli 1999 Estate Pinot Noir (not a designated vineyard), (3) Dehlinger Estate 1994 Pinot Noir Reserve, and 1997 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard. I also opened a Lascaux 2005 from the Languedoc for those moments when we were out of wine and I did not feel like walking back to the cellar. DokkerM evaluates...

"Each was a perfect representation of the winery. For my taste, the Dehlinger was the favorite. Idiosyncratic but rich and balanced. The Rochioli is a classic - I'll have to rummage around and see if I have any single vineyard '99's. The W/S was spectacular, but more fruit forward than I would prefer (not that I would spit any out, mind you)."

Stu (that's me) says the 1990 Vovuray was outstanding. I tried this in May in a SF restaurant, Pres a Vie. Found it over the Internet in Glendale - ETC Wines. $21/btl. The restaurant offered 16 tasting flights that evening. The flight that included the Vouvray declared

"a dreadfully misunderstood varietal. Filling your glass with pineapple, spiced ginger and lime..."

DokkerM covers most of the rest. The 1999 vintage in Dry Creek was pretty great. The Rochioli bottle was released at $40 or more. The W/S was typical candy fruit in your face. That evening I think the good doctor said you just want to open your gullet and pour it in. Another guest said he would take care of the bottle if we thought it was so unsophisticated. He is so transparent and a W/S swine.

The Dehlinger was the last in my cellar. Bought it on release for ~$35. Five years on it had a repelling barnyard nose and flavor that made me wretch. Thankfully I laid it down for another 7 years and now it is a legend in our backyard. Delicate, cherry fruit, lacey, enchanting. Like a Nawlins madame.

The Lascaux is a great buy at $10. You can get it at Kermit Lynch in Berkeley. Light spice, mild pepper. Easy drinking and perfect with BBQ.

To arms!! (and legs)

1997 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir: As Dotoré purges his cellar tBoW benefits. We opened his 1997 Richioli Riverblock at the last Super Bowl. Loved it. Fact is the wines from WS are best enjoyed in their youth. In my experience the Allen is among the slowest WS wines to come around. At 11 years this bottle is not spry but it still has some hops. Maybe not as spectacular as the Rochioli Riverblock but nothing to sniff at. Perfectly balanced. Showing some red brick color in the bowl. The first impression is how delicate. Like a dragonfly showing wonder and light. We can smell and taste the figs. "As good as California pinot gets" declares Dotoré [ed. obviously he is coming around to you position that WS trumps Rochioli in sheer pleasure which was originally noted by IGTY]. Yes, it is more fruit forward than Burgundies. Aren't all Calif Pinot Noirs? But only Williams Selyem has the candy. 13.8%

2005 Williams Selyem VIsta Verde San Benito County Pinot Noir: Contributed by IGTY. Unusual source prompts discussion about from how many vineyards WS sources their fruit. Where is San Benito County? Hollister, which you fellow Angelenos know is where they grow garlic and asparagus. This is inland farm country on the hottest stretch of the 101 freeway. Nevertheless, against all odds the wine is pretty nice. Has a deeper color than the Allen, but then it is 8 years younger. Rich, more dense flavor, and still delicate consistent with the WS style. 13.9%

2006 Siduri Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $24: The odd bottle from a highly reputable Pinot Noir specialist vintner. "37% Sonatera Vineyard, 31.5% Terra de Promissio, and 31.5% Hirsch Vineyard" which sounds like pretty good pedigree. Very different form the Williams Selyem wines. Earthy. Like a Gevrey is to a Volnay. Almost (but not quite) rustic. Liked it. Did well in this group. Very nice. 14.1%

2006 Paul Lato Larner Vineyard Syrah $60: Opened it first which was probably a mistake. Should have let it air out. Needed the time. Very intense and focused. Too big too soon. "Hot" with high alcohol. This needs to be aerated. It is a pricey wine but then when you fall in love... you do crazy things! Paul Lato wines are the only ones I am willing to buy from the region. I hasten to point out that Paul makes his Pinot Noir from Santa Maria which is like being on the Eastside of the 101 in Paso. He is now being sought as a winemaker by the premium growers in Santa Rita Hills. I do not blame him for charing premium. He makes so little and his winemaking style is absolutely right when it comes to working with SRH fruit. "The fruit is so muscular it does not need more muscle. I try to give it some grace and intelligence". Hell yeh. 80 cases. 15%

2005 Abbaye de Tholomies $14: Purchased at K&L Hollywood. Grenache based from the Languedoc. The village of Minerve and its historical tragedies at the hands of the Papal armies are documented in another post [ed. with photos of the "island" village]. This wine shows the hot and arid country surrounding Minerve. Highlands, up-river. Hardy country where head cut Grenache and Mourvedre grows well. The "story" is that the winery and vineyards were purchased in 1980s by a surgeon obsessed with quality. Dark red color. Sweet high toned fruit with plenty of backbone acid. The mIssus would call it thin. Call it sinewy, muscular like a dancer (not a gymnast or a diver). [ed. tBoW concedes a lone Olympic reference] Good hot dry fruit. We have happily witnessed the resurgence of Languedoc wines in the past decade. Now will this make me forget Tablas Creek or Gauby? No. But for $14 I can forget a lot of overpriced cabs and red burgs. 13.5%

1995 Weinlaubenhof Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #12~$80: Not a U20 but a wine probably worth the splurge if you like sweeties. Fantastically delightful and delicious dessert Riesling blend from Kracher. At 13 years there is plenty of time to enjoy this wine. We had it with a cheese plate that matched very well. ..and coffee. Topped off another great meal at Palate. Sommelier Steve Goldun says this vintage is the last of Kracher's more acidic Kracher sticky styles. Apricots, apples, just enough acid to keep it firm. Most amazing...only 12%

The wine economy update:When I wrote this post about a month ago in advance of this publication preceded the greatest economic event in our lifetlme. The current financial crisis in world markets has bearing upon what we will be buying and drinking over the next couple years. It is more important than ever to find value wines and avoid the vinous equivalents of institutions deep into credit debt swaps

The end-of-days folks are getting new airtime. tBoW finds that contemplating the mass psychology of cataclysmic disaster scenarios makes it all the more important to attend to more rational minds breaking new ground in their own way.

New York Times wine columnist Eric Asimov recently published a column that addressed the "intersection of price and value". It is definitely worth a read. With the economy slipping into darkness we are going to be reading a lot more about the broader issue of price and value - a favorite and frequent tBoW subject. Click here to read a pdf version of "Modest Luxuries for Lean Times" posted with permission from Mr. A.

tBoW interviewed an industry insider who has seen plenty of ebb and flow over the past 30 years. Here is what he sees in his looking glass. (1) Trophy wines are a dead market and have been for 6 months. After all, even Sumner Redstone had to sell off stock at depreciated values to cover his margin calls. (2) We will be seeing more and more wines form South Africa and South America because they are the only wine producing nations that can compete at the sub-$10 level with Two Buck Chuck. (3) California wines have to recalibrate and re-negotiate in order to avoid pricing themselves almost completely out of a declining consumer market. Look for this to be a painful process that will not be realized until 2010 as California vintners hang on to the vapor from their Mondavi-style hangover.

And this is just the start. Here is what tBoW was thinking about a few weeks ago.

The Canyon Bistro in Topanga Canyon has been open less than a year. The history of dining establishments in Topanga Canyon is checkered, to be blunt. Topanga is the canyon where time stands still. I suppose time also stands still in East LA where mariachis and homies have been alive and kicking for more than 60 years. The Topanga equivalent is hippies, pot and artists...since the 60s.

The last decent restaurant predictably folded [ed. ca 1993] undone by Topanga's finest hippies, artists and reefer. The place was a home with a fireplace masquerading as a dining establishment. Dining was very relaxed.
Steaks were broiled on a grill in the fireplace in the dining room. [ed. That had to be out of code] Sometimes you had to remind the waiter the steak was ready to come off. Service was a direct function of what weed was in the canyon that month. All the servers were stoned. We saw Steve Guttenberg in there a couple of times [ed. and Rebecca Romijn in Canyon Bistro]. Now it's an "antique" clothing store.

The Canyon Bistro is sober and quite charming. The tBoW team hopes they make it. Service is alert, food is prepared well, and the wine list is decent. One recent evening we brought in a wine and ordered one off their list.

1996 Rochioli Little Hill Pinot Noir $475 (today online): If I had to pick a favorite Rochioli pinot noir this would be it. 1996 was a very good vintage in Russian River. The lineup used to be East Block, West Block, Three Corners and Little Hill. The color on this 12 year old wine is cherry red. The nose is exotic in the way Broadbent describes the exotic nose of Mouton as Chinese spices. We have tea, truffles (funk), cardamon. Indian spices? There is acid in the front. Fruit is high toned. It all settles down and wasn't this a very fine bottle of wine? 13%

2006 Louis Latour Macon Lugny "Les Genievres" $42 (on the list, $20 retail): Stony, citric. Green apples. Mineral-like and lean. No oak. tBoW prefers this style of Chardonnay. Very nice bottle. 13.5%

2005 Grange des Rouquette Marsanne Viognier$8: A Robert Kacher Selection from the Languedoc. Chalky nose, lightly woody, call it balsa. On the lean side. Some honeydew melon emerges but it is too late. Lost interest. Probably one year past prime! 13%

I know what you're thinking. Where is Steve Guttenberg now? Find out easy enough online. Just turned 50. Hot work period was in the 80s. Still works on stage, Dancing With The Stars showing off a "hot press" facelift. Playing it a little safe. Best line from his IMDb bio "Spent a week volunteering at the Houston Astrodome after Hurricane Katrina hit". Bravo.

When the world seems upside down it makes perfect sense to turn to wines we know and love. We feature a few of these "comfy wines" in this post.

Hot off the press. LA Times covers everything you have been reading for weeks about falling prices on trophy wines, the inevitable rise of New World wines under $10, and the reluctant cancellations of wine club memberships, on tBoW. Click here to read what we already know.

2005 Tablas Creek Grenache Blanc $26: Sweet, with bright acid grapefruit flavors. Released in 2006 this wine is drinking wonderfully, cellared for more than a year. Still has a hint of wood. tBoW taster Tootsie says she's had this before. It's Oroblanco grapfruit. Say what? "In Israel, known as 'Sweetie'. Mid winter Oroblanco produces sweet seedless fruit even in areas of low summer heat. Huge, intensely fragrant flowers and attractive glossy foliage." Read about all kinds of citrus fruits at the Four Winds Grocers website here. I bookmarked it. An omigod 15.3%

2004 Tablas Creek Panoplie $68: [ed. Alert reader points out tBoW missed this price point. This is the release price for TC Wine Club members Serious thanx for the tip.] The TC flagship wine blends 69% Mourvedre with 21% Grenache and 10% Syrah. Like the name it is a "magnificent array" of TC's top red vines. A classic Rhone blend only made in exceptional vintages. Differs from the Esprit de Tablas Creek in two ways: proportions of Grenache and Syrah are reversed and the Esprit includes Counoise. This is big and jammy right now. tBoW team taster the Crackberry Kid distracts himself from his 24/7 mainline to everything anyone needs to know long enough to say "Nouveau Beaujolais". Then he busies himself looking up how many home runs Dick Allen hit in his career. [ed. 351] The wine should age plenty more years. Goes well with thick grilled pork chops and grilled pineapple, onions and red peppers. But it is still not too big or overwhelming. Somehow it seems restrained. Could be the food! 280 cases. 14.6%

Both wines are delicious and encourage the tBoW tasting team that things will get better!!

2004 MacKenzie Mueller Carneros Cabernet Franc $27: Another fine effort. Dark red robe. Cinnamon and spice. Dark chocolate finish. Perfect with steaks. A tad hot at 15.2%

2005 Williams Selyem Flax Vineyard Pinot Noir $54: Beets and smoke on the nose. Rochioli broods while WIlliam Selyem giggles. Cherries and cola (but not cherry cola) flavors. Young enough to show some tannins. 14.4%

Late word from the Crackberry Kid...a panoply is...oh, we already know.

tBoW loves to visit San Francisco. Even with the worst parking in the nation and the most ridiculous public policies imaginable (force more commuters to take BART by photographing license plates of downtown's daily commuters and sending them a bill) the City has endless charms and simply the finest wine-ing and dine-ing east of New York City with Chicago a close second.

A recent trip to Baghdad by the Bay yielded enough cool surprises - two great restaurants with mega-fab wine lists; a legendary wine snob; and new discoveries at old sites; to ensure many happy returns.

Top dining experience was with the folks at Perbacco Ristorante + Bar in the Financial District downtown. The recommendation came from a helpful clerk at The Jug Shop on Van Ness who asked if I liked Italian wines. Sure. tBoW touring tip: if you want to dine at the coolest joints in town just ask in the local wine store. Most of the time the helpful person (and fellow wine fiend) even makes the reservation for me! We arrived on time to be sufficiently concerned by (a) the crowd spilling out the door and (b) the $10 valet fee. The difference between great and trendy is often slim. Like many SF dining rooms Perbacco is long and narrow. The hostess directed us to the packed bar at the entrance. We ordered a wine flight from the list. This is how they do it in SF. Choose from 3 flights of 3 ounce pours. We went with mixed Ital over the all-Piemonte and Cal-Ital selections. You can also order by a 6 oz. glass, quarter and half liter or a full bottle. I present the retail price (Internet) and the half liter ticket. Right about now you should be shaking your head wondering WHY WINE BY FLIGHT OR IN CARAFE IS NOT AN LA ROUTINE. I know I wonder why. More on that later.

NV Adami Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Bosco di Giga Brut $17 retail / $11 for 6 oz glass: Fresh and bright with a moderately full taste of pears and leaches. Had to pry it out of Mrs. tBoW's hand. Great price point and a U20. 11% Hello Summer 2009.

2006 Marco Porello Camestri' Roero Arneis $13 / $30: The go-to everyday white wine of Piemonte. Typical firm acid backbone with medium weight fruit and some minerality filling out the flavors. Serious but far from grim.

2006 Marramiero Dama Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $15 / $25: Light to medium weight. Strong red color. Perfumed nose. Excellent selection that fits with the white selections and worked with the cheese plate. 13.5%

The hostess arrived to offer the first booth next to the door. We liked our wines and the cheese so we opted to wait for a table in the back. 10 minutes later we were seated and ordered our second wine flight with advice from manager/sommelier Marco Aponte. Splendid young man who recommended the Ital-Cal and tossed in a white Nebbiolo because tBoW has never tasted [ed. or heard of, take my word for it] a white Nebbiolo.

2007 Chiavennasca Conti Sertolo Salis Lombardia $21 / $33: Chiavennasca is Nebbiolo from Lombardy. Conti Sertolo Salis is one of a few producers in the region. As a white wine it is less interesting than the idea. Almost a leathery oxidized flavor. Apparently recently featured in a TV show (Dirty Sexy Money). So what! We have other wonderful wines in concept and vinous accomplishment in front of us. In the red version this is known as Valtellina, harvested extra ripe like an Amarone.

2007 Malvira' Langhe Favorita $11 / 30: K&L featured this wine that not surprisingly sold out. Favorita is related to Vermentino, a grape of which tBoW is a BIG FAN. Has the same qualities of bright fruit with plenty of acid, peaches and lime which probably sounds awful but works when balanced. Like here. Strong lingering finish.

2006 Peter Paul Russian River Valley Chardonnay $21 / $45 per bottle on the list: Maybe it was the place but here was another outstanding wine that would not be expected being a California Chard. tBoW has the usual Calif Chard reservations...too much oak...too many tropical fruit flavors...way too pricey. Whoa Nellie. Pure Chardonnay fruit, floral scents. Good acid. Not overdone, extracted or any of the grievous sins committed by most California Chardonnay producers. I still would not buy it even though it is almost a U20. Instead I would get some of those Italian wines (excepting the white Neb). 14.2%

2006 La Crotta di Vegneron Vallée d' Aoste Gamay $14 / $30: Just when you thought you could not be more tickled and entertained by a wine list and wine/wait staff here comes another doozy; Gamay from Italy's ski country. Since Gamay wines from Beaujolais have been the tBoW house favorite in 2006/2007 we had to taste what Italian Gamay might have to show. Familiar plummy fruit, perhaps a bit more smoke. Light to medium weight. Fairly simple if well made. Does not fade. 13.5%

The meal at Perbacco was the finest in recent memory. Everything and everyone was fan-tas-tick. We asked Marco to recommend a spot for the next night and he suggested Delfina. Of course, he ensured a reservation in our name.

Before tBoW reviews Delfina (it was superb) the tale of the Napa Valley Winery Exchange must be told. The closet-sized shop was adjacent to our hotel so I had to stop in where I met Don Gillette who fuses Captain Kangaroo and Michael Broadbent. Don is the finest wine snob I have met in a while...and I do mean that as high praise. He has a blog and works the front counter of the shop which I will bet does a bang up mail order business with exclusively wine snobs. I thought I might get a sense of his "common snob" knowledge so I asked if he knew Marshall Cellars was sellng for $10 in LA Whole Foods. No he did not but he quickly quoted the release price ($35) and dropped the names of the owner and winemaker. I countered with the case production and the match was ON!! Had he ever tasted the Heitz port? Some time ago. It was nice. Feeling momentum building I followed with the Bouchaine Late Harvest Chardonnay. Tough grape to harvest late he parried and he was certainly correct there and suddenly I hit a sand bar. He seized the moment and tested my "SoCal knowledge" asking about Santa Rita Pinots (turns out the devil worked there 15 years). I turned to the recent tasting wherein the 2002 Ojai Clos Pepe was matched with a Belle Pente small vineyard and the Price Family effort from Russian River. I could not recall the BP vineyard as I noticed several Price Family offerings on the shelf behind him. I could see his brain swell with information. Or maybe that was mine from fever. He rattled off the most recent winemakers who were getting juice from Wes Hagen and suggested one (which one? which?) that would be the humdinger release in 2008. He finished me with a few comments about the Mount Carmel vineyard where the Sanford owner originally sourced his grapes and I limply admitted I did not know it. How could I not? I do not recall seeing the vineyard on any label. Isn't the Mount Carmel Vineyard in Napa or Monterey? Nope, one of the oldest vineyards in SRH said Don. Let me show you on the map. I drew small solace the vineyard had been left off the map. He graciously offered to show me the best Pinot Noir in his opinion from SRH and the state. Did I know Chasseur? Shut out again. Andruw Jones crossed my mind. Overcome by shame yet content knowing I had been topped by an old dog, a complete wine geek with that crusty San Francisco insouciance, I accepted the offer to become informed. He brought out a bottle of Chasseur . I do not recall the vineyard. I held it in my hands. How much? $54...but this bottle has someone's name on it. Deciding not to bolt with the bottle I suggested the name might be his own. No. It belonged to a customer on his Great Pinot Noirs club list. This is the wine snob's coup de grace, the matador's final thrust of the sword to the bull's neck severing the spinal cord. Great pinot noir is never a matter of price but...altogether now...A MATTER OF AVAILABILITY. Chasseur. Now informed I immediately graduated to obsession. Bitten. Infected. Fortunately, I did find a Russian River Valley bottle the next day. I bought it and cracked it.

2007 Chasseur Sonoma County $30: Picked this up at a hole-in-the-wall liquor store in the East Bay - Jacksons in Lafayette- where Mrs. tBoW's brother-in-law lives. Must be the entry level wine; not listed on the website. Cherry and strawberry on the nose and in the mouth. Light to medium weight. Same fruity aromas. No problem picking out this nose. A bit sweet for my taste but it will please many. Very well balanced. Nice but I will take the Belle Pente. 14.1%

To sum, Don Gillette knows American Pinot Noir. His shop offers a Pinot Noir Wine Club that delivers half a case quarterly of domestic for about $250. If you love American Pinot Noir I am confident you cannot go wrong. Or you could read his blog!

Delfina Restaurant is in the Mission at 18th and Guererro about four blocks from where Mr. and Mrs. tBoW used to live a very long time ago. About 20 tables with the open kitchen and smart informed wait staff. Our excellent waiter (a woman but when dining is serious as in Hollywood with serious actors one does not qualify gender by referring to the actress or the waitress) knew all we needed to know about the wine. The list favors Italian. Refreshing moment about the meaning of Italian in SF versus LA. In LA Italian means steak house or pasta emporium with big ticket Baroli and Tuscan wines. In SF it means risotto, pork chops, mushrooms, well-priced Chiantis fromTuscany, Barberas and a couple Baroli from Piedmont but nary an Orenllaia or Sassicaia.

2006 Renzo Marinai Chianti Classico $26: Spectator highly-scored wine lives up to the hype. More than 90% Sangiovese. Excellent balance without being integrated. Strange as the fruit and acid flavors are only dating and not yet married. Grapes may not be aware they have been vinified. Cherry flavors, good acid spine. Unexpectedly nice. A case in which we trusted the waiter and she came through like a pro. 13.5%

2006 Tiefenbrunner Sudtirol "Castel Turmhof" Lagrein $18: Lagrein is a Northern Italian grape which our waiter pitched as Syrah-like. Lean, full flavored with medium weight. I ask myself shouldn't Tempranillo taste this good? I preferred the Chianti but this everyone else loved this bottle. Good forward fruit for such a Northern climate in the Alto Adige. Another ski country wine. 13%

Our waiter recommended an Alamo Square wine bar named Uva Enoteca and a wine shop called Biondivino off of Polk. I can tell by looking at the websites next trip for sure.

The LA Times Wine Critic recently described the best LA has to offer in restaurants with strong wine programs. tBoW will checking out Pinxt with Dotore' in tow. We already know Palate (top of a short pile) AOC and Lou. We expect this handful to be excellent. We just wish there were more of them!!

News Flash - before you get started tBoW wishes to acknowledge the first two newsworthy events for the new year in thebestofwines world. The January issues of Gourmet and Los Angeles magazines each feature a tBoW fave. Gourmet covers all things consumable that are Italian. They make a point of including a photo and kind words about the efforts of Napa's most under-rated winemaker Jim Moore and his l'Uvaggio di Giacomo label to produce memorable California wines from Italian varietals. The Jan 09 issue of Los Angeles magazine picks tBoW hero Palate Food + Wine as the #1 restaurant in LA. LA mag gave Palate a curiously arms-length review in August 08 as though withholding final judgment. Glad to read the reviewer made up his mind. [ed. we knew it soon as we walked through the doors in June] Unlike Los Angeles mag, Gourmet does not post open links to its content so you will have to pick up a copy.

Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year the adaptable wine taster has an opportunity that comes once a year. That is to taste a wide range of wines you might normally never encounter. Already tBoW has had his glass filled with Moet White Star, a Zinfandel and a late harvest Chardonnay. How bizarre how bizarre.

2004 David Coffaro Price Family Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel $20: This is the perfect example of a wine I would never taste if it was not for the holidays. tBoW never drinks Zinfandel by choice [ed. he ain't crazy about Viognier either]. This is a ripe Dry Creek Valley wine that is typical of what is generally regarded as the finest region in the state for growing and producing Zin. Ripe Zin often has prune or raisin flavors like we find here. There is nothing wrong with the wine. I am just not a fan of the varietal (with a couple exceptions like Franus and ). Nalle both made in a Claret style) This wine is high in alcohol which is not unusual for the varietal and the region. 15%

2005 Bouchaine Bouche d'Or Carneros Chardonnay $30 at the winery: One does not often see a late harvest wine made from Chardonnay grapes. This is a Mrs. tBoW selection purchased at the winery. She picked a gooder. The wine is lively with firm acidity. The flavors show apricot, honey...and Fuji Apple. Very long finish. Young tBoW sommelier-in-training Senor X grappled with the flavor, not satisfied with the apricot call. He returned 10 minutes later (the finish is that long) to proclaim that Fuji Apple is exactly what we were tasting in the slight bitterness like one gets from the apple pulp. tBow kvelled noticeably. By the way, Bouchaine is the oldest winery in Carneros but changes are afoot. The former winemaker at Acacia Michael Richmond joined the team in 2007 and they are being distributed by a division under Southern Wines so they should get more exposure. If you are a Kendall Jackson fan you might want to check out Bouchaine as a superior product in essentially the same category. The wines seem to have improved. 11%

Heitz Cellar Ink Grade Port NV $30 (split): Yet another unusual bottle not found among tBoW selections. This blend of 8 traditional Porto varietals from as many as 6 recent vintages is personal project of Joe Heitz; he of Martha's Vineyard fame [ed. the original big-ticket award-winning highly-collectible Napa Cab]. Deep black ruby color. Rich honey flavors which seems unusual for a red port. Beautifully balanced. Not at all cloying or candy-ish. An excellent wine at a very good price point that is worth pursuing. 18.5%

2007 Vinos Sin-ley "Valleclaro" Prieto Picudo Rosado Valle de Benavente$11: A hot summer ticket in 2008. This delightful light cherry red wine from Spain got a big Parker rating and was noticed by Tanzer. The fruit is like pear rind [ed. you have to imagine this]. A dry bite on the finish because the wine itself is a bit hot for Rosé at 13.5%.

2005 Kaiken Ultra Malbec $16.50: Covered this winery from South America in an April 08 tBoW blog post following Argentina trip in Spring 2007. The "trick" is they blend Argentine and Chilean juice. OK. The wine is very good. I do wonder if they drive the juice over the Andes pass. Mendoza is just over the border. The "ordinary" blend is very good. This is extra thick and extra rich without being over-stuffed. Thick fruity flavors. Almost like a liqueur. Very dark color. This is among the best in a class of richly sweet and thick wines from South America that maintain balance. The price is excellent given the high quality. Costco pick. 14%

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%

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.

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%

The emergence of a newfound wine snob can be dangerous. Chances are things go the wrong way if the ingenue parrots all the same stoopid metaphors, failing in the process to represent a personal point of view. And make no mistake; it is the POV that matters. It also helps to have a tasting palate and to generally enjoy wine and good food. Things go well when the fearless taster is willing to share his point of view and can craft his own metaphors for what he experiences. Say hello to Wild Willie, a man who described a Sangiovese as "typewriter ribbon". Now, he might have been having a little fun but the effort was strong. Refreshing as a bright fruity Albariño.

Speaking of new friends, tBoW was able to interview and taste the wines made by Hank Skewis of Skewis Wines in Healdsburg. Thanks to Palate Food+Wine for hosting another terrific "Sunday Session" at which Skewis was featured (along with the typically delicious and simply prepared lunch). He sources six vineyards in Northern California from Sonoma Coast to Mendocino's Anderson Valley. Because tBoW has 20 years experience tasting Rochioli and Williams Selyem Pinot Noir wines he is a bit jaded about Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley [ed. a snob]. I have tried to describe this dilemma which wins absolutely no interest from others, including Hank Skewis, in these pages. In a sentence Rochioli has "too many notes" and Williams Selyem is too sweet for current preferences. Both wines are quite pricey, as well.

The opportunity to discuss wine, the wine industry and wine preferences with an accomplished winemaker is always a treat. Here is what we learned from Hank Skewis.

He has made wine for 30 years. He claims no prior career so suffice it to say he is stuck on wine. He first made wine for Lambert Bridge until the founder sold the winery and label. He did a crush in Mersault where he discovered Burgundy. tBoW asked for his view on our contemporary contrarian theme - Chardonnay is not very interesting. He acknowledged that the only Chardonnay he prefers is Montrachet. With his funds, he only makes Pinot Noir. His annual production is 1,000 cases and he is in his 16th vintage. The discussion turned to aging wines, another popular tBoW topic. Agreeing that aging wine is anything but uniform he mentioned the 1994 vintage remains one of the most fresh in his cellar! Interestingly, he features the 1994 label at his website. One of those in vino veritas moments, eh? [ed. we only have the 1994 label to show]

Here is what we thought of the Skewis wines we tasted.

2006 Skewis Salzgeber-Chan Vineyard Pinot Noir $40: Brick red color. Deep flavors,bittersweet chocolate, a bit beefy. Somebody said wet stone. Light to medium weight. 14%

2006 Peters Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $48: Muted nose, brighter red color. Perhaps a bit more alcohol. Again, kind of meaty in flavor. Light to medium weight. Good depth. A bit more liquer like. 14.5%

2006 Bush Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $48: Gamey nose, elegant, balanced. Dark red color. 14%.

These are very nice wines. tBoW likes this style; not overripe, not too alcoholic, more elegant and lightweight in texture. The price is higher than $20 but he pays top dollar for the fruit (he confided his per ton cost can cross $4,000) so the price is justified in the most basic economic terms. While the opportunity for the consumer to purchase quality wines below $20 has never been better every cellar should have some premium wines that are frugally allocated. 1,000 cases is not a lot. These are wines worth owning, although given the current economy we have time to get on board. Hank Skewis loves what he is doing and does it very well. tBoW purchased which, after all, is the best praise.

Other wines recently tasted...

2003 Manzoni Bianco Marca Trevigiana $1: BING BING BING. Lifted from the closeout bin in a local haunt, the tasty snob rationally reasoned if it was priced at $4 he figured he could get it for $1. And he did. Here is the best news. The wine was good. Would we run out and buy a case for $12? No because it won't be there. A blend of Pinot Blanc and Riesling from the northeastern corner of Italy which is the newest regional discovery for our infrequent Least Coast correspondent, Mouse, or as he prefers, the King. The wine is oxidized but not to the point of being offensive, rather it touches the caramel threshold and shows some butterscotch and anise. Online notes say the vines are 30 y.o. and the wine was slightly oxidized to begin with. Put this in a blind tasting and it would be a winner. 12.5%

2006 Morellino di Scansano La Selva $11: Bargain bin Tuscan pickup that turns out pretty nicely. Medium weight Sangiovese (10% Merlot), light and fruity but with enough age to not be overbearing at all. Good fruity flavors. Easy to drink. Great with food. Light on its feet. Widely available in UK; more likely to find it on East Coast than West. 2005 was Gambero Rosso rated two bicchieri. 13.5%

2006 5 Mile Bridge Syrah Margarita Vineyard Paso Robles $9: Wades Wines which has always been the go-to local vendor for Central Coast wines is loading up his bargain bin...with mixed results. This wine has a moldy nose but the flavors are simple and straightforward and without any rot. The winemaker sources the fruit from the Margarita Vineyard and has a website worth visiting. This is his second release. Deserves a second try. Admirably low alcohol for the region. 13.1%

1996 Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon Chaume Vielles Vignes ~$25 online: A gift more than ten years ago. Never quite knew what to do with the wine until the generous giftor reminded me this was probably a good time to uncork it. Wasn't he right. This represents everything tBoW thinks is great about wine. The price is very fair; in fact, for the quality it is a steal. The region is completely under-valued. The Chenin Blanc grape is under-publicized and unfashionable even though it has produced outstanding wines for centuries [ed. high snob appeal]. Read this web site description and you have to visit. "Domaine de la Soucherie is located in the village of Beaulieu sur Layon in the very heart of the Côteaux du Layon appellation just south of Angers. This quaint city traces its roots to early Roman times..." This is 100% Chenin Blanc dessert wine. It is qualitatively different than Sauternes. Where the great sweet wine of Bordeaux is heavy like syrup this is light weight. There is flint and chalk in the nose. Lychee in the exotic flavors, both sweet and sour and in balance. Honeysuckle, acidic, excellent balance. A pleasure to drink. Ownership turned over in 2007. Available online.