This rich, dark red hails from the Limoux region of Southern France.  With sufficient aroma, the Le Grand Pinot Noir 2009′s nose consists of delightful red berries, cherries, raspberries, currants, and a note of fig.  The wine is rounded, and delights the taste buds with exploding flavors of red berries, cherries, and currants.  Its semi-spicy kick is nicely countered by its smooth, balanced, satisfying finish rich with tannins.  Though not an extremely complex wine, the Le Grand Pinot Noir 2009 is quite good considering its average low price of $8.99 a bottle.  In fact, I find the wine to be better than some higher-priced red Burgundies.  Pairing well with salads, various cheese platters, game birds, and fish dishes including salmon and tuna, this is a good wine to enjoy with light, summertime fare, as well as with hearty pork!  Although Le Grand Pinot Noir’s logo may contain a black sheep, this wine is certainly an inexpensive winner in my book!

Because this is a such an inexpensive, versatile wine, this would be an excellent choice to purchase by the case when throwing a party. To really impress your guests, store and serve from an elegant wine credenza, a combination wine storage cabinet and serving table!

This delightful rosé blend from Château Montaud makes a perfect picnic wine, or one to enjoy on a nice, hot summer eve.  With a very clear raspberry appearance, this evanescent wine has stunning visual presence.  The nose, very clean but low-keyed, presents pronounced berry and peach aromas, with hints of honeysuckle, strawberry, and even a wisp of pear!  Pleasant-tasting, this crisp wine has very lively acidity and is well-balanced.  Though its body is a little poor, and the finish is short, its charming and agreeable character more than makes up for these.  Like other blends, this rosé pairs well with artichoke recipes, Brie and other mild cheeses, numerous fish dishes, and summer salads.  It is fast becoming one of my favorites of the season.

Happy Memorial Day, wine lovers! While typically a holiday of grills and beer, there’s no reason not to enjoy a nice, summery bottle of wine today!

This hearty, Argentinean Malbec is quite robust!  Its delightful nose contains pleasing plum and vanilla scents.  The wine itself has prominent spicy flavors–very characteristic of Argentinean Malbecs–as well as those of dark plums, blackberries, and traces of vanilla.  The finish is quite good, lasting well over 40 seconds, and includes satisfying blackberry notes.  This is a wine sure to delight fans of “spicy” and “peppery” wines.  Often found at $12 a bottle, Malbec enthusiasts will want to try this affordable, solid example of a Bordeaux varietal that falls somewhere in-between a Cab and a Merlot.  Though the label mentions this wine is a good fit for “barbecue meat,” be careful of the barbecue sauce you use.  Sweeter sauces will not compliment this wine, but certain pasta sauces and rich cheeses certainly do. Any dish incorporating cranberries, unsweetened or semisweet, also makes a surprisingly good match, as will cashews.  Of course, this spicy red is quite good on its own, so enjoy a bottle of Jelu Malbec 2008 today!

If you’ve been faithfully trying all the wines we’ve reviewed here recently, you may find yourself with a few partial bottles that need storing! We carry a variety of wine preservation and dispensing systems to suit a range of needs, from the casual drinker (try the Pek Preservo for a single bottle–also a great gift!) to home (or restaurant) wine bar (check out the WineKeeper systems). These systems use argon or nitrogen to prevent oxidization of your open bottles.

Unlike sweet Hungarian wines made from Tocai Friulano grapes, this Italian Pinot Blanc blend utilizes this curious grape to create an elegant and interesting combination of flavors and scents consisting of 60% Tocai Friulano, 25% Pinot Bianco, and 15% Pinot Grigio.  Fermented in stainless steel, the Pino & Toi is very fresh, aging little before bottling.  It is often recommended that this wine be consumed fairly quickly (within 2 to 4 years), which is why I was delighted that my 2007 bottle did not disappoint!  The wine’s light yellow color complements its pleasing citrus nose.  Though a bit acidic on the first sip, balance is quickly restored with overflowing flavors of peach, lemon, honey, and melon (The acidity works very well to provide a well-balanced finish).  Though given an 82 point rating by Wine Spectator, I agree more with Robert Parker’s rating of 86 points if only for the added complexity found wanting in other blends.  If you’re looking for an interesting dry, medium-bodied white to accompany summer salads, seafood, Chinese food, or to drink on its own, try the 2007 Maculan Pino & Toi.  It’s a crisp, enjoyable summertime sipper with personality!

A white wine with a light golden color (and subtle hints of blue), this inexpensive summertime sipper hails from the banks of Germany’s Mosel river in Trier.  Though the nose is on the weaker side, this light, crisp wine is well-balanced.  Its body is delicately creamy, consisting of a subtle buttery texture slightly reminiscent of a Chardonnay.  Interestingly, the Piesporter Michelsberg 2009–which is a Riesling, by the way– contains flavors of numerous fruits with varying degrees of sweetness, as well as citrus fruits (including tart hints of green apples), that allow it to stimulate all of your flavor-detecting neurons.  I found this breadth of flavor to be a curious treat, much more apparent in this wine than in other Rieslings I’ve recently tasted.  With mild acidity, the eight to ten second finish is satisfying-but-short, leaving the drinker yearning for another quick sip.  The wine works as-is on its own, or you can pair it with light dishes.  The latter suggestion is preferable, given the quick duration of the finish.  Though this is certainly not the “best” Riesling available, I find it very decent given the price range it normally inhabits: $8 to $12 a bottle!  Not too shabby!

Perhaps you’ve read our previous post, Fooled by Numbers: Wine and You?  If so, this short comparison between two very different wines compliments it nicely!

I recently purchased, for the same price, a bottle of El Salegar Tinto Fino 2007 and a bottle of the Maison Elise Richard 2008 Corbieres Red Blend, without knowing at their ratings.

Made from a promising blend of Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, the Maison Elise Richard 2008 Corbieres Red Blend was extremely slow to open, and its nose was very closed.  Even after opening, this wine’s nose was stubbornly elusive, being somewhat acidic and only sharing hints of black fruit and prunes.  Though the wine’s texture was not unpleasant, it was not very firm.  Its taste was earthy, but not robust.  Prevalent with brown and black fruits, including prunes, the wine also contained an aberrant licorice flavor which seemed to be an irksome “streak of independence” that divided the wine, rather than unifying it.  Rich with tannins, this is a wine that works best if paired with various potato dishes; I did not find it fully convincing on its own (it also cries for decanting).

In contrast, the El Salegar Tinto Fino 2007 made from Tempranillo grapes, had a delightfully aromatic nose, a very nice body,  and good color.  Containing earthy, herbal flavors including cherries, plumbs, and even some licorice, this wine was pleasantly well-balanced, and offered a robust, satisfying finish.  Unlike the Maison, the El Salegar demanded my attention immediately, and also did not have to rely on food to be enjoyed.

Granted, these are two very different wines, but it is interesting to note that they both were rated highly at 90 points each!

The Atalaya Almansa 2007 will surprise you not only with its ridiculously low price tag, but also with its richness in flavor. The Atalaya Almansa is a distinguished blend of Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera, and other grapes.  Brought to you from Spain, and aged eight months in French and American oak, its impressive nose consists of violet, blueberry, black cherry, leather, and spices, that seem fitting and appropriate given its rich royal purple hue.  On the tongue, this wine is enveloping and elegant.  Its delightful complexity contains the flavors of succulent berries and dark fruit, and its exquisite tannins are balanced by pleasant acidity.  With a finish that is long-lasting and satisfying, containing coffee, oak, and other flavors, this is truly a wine with depth.  Because of its considerable presence, consider pairing it with bold, flavorful foods like steak, pepperoni and cheese, pasta and chicken, or even spicy shrimp.  Of course, it is also quite sufficient on its own!  At such an affordable price, this is one of those wines to buy by the case (need some inexpensive, moveable storage for your extra bottles? How about a metal lattice wine rack?).

With an expressive bouquet and regal purple appearance, this is a wine sure to impress without making an impression on your budget.

This incredibly affordable California red zinfandel is bursting with dark berry flavor!  The Ravenswood Winery motto, “No Wimpy Wines”, certainly applies to this well-structured, rich blend.  With a nose that includes cherry, dark berry, and black pepper aromas, this wine is perfect for pairing with red meats, pasta, and well-spiced poultry.  Moderately complex, its flavors include black cherries, mint, and vanilla.  Though the initial sip presents a touch of sweetness indicative of many red zinfandels, the slightly pungent finish makes for a nice, well-balanced tasting experience.  Ravenswood’s Vintner’s blends are, however, quickly released; the wine spends less time both in the barrel and the bottle.  This “shortcut” is primarily responsible for the affordability of these blends.  Still, the Ravenswood Zinfandel Vintner’s Blend 2008 is a delicious wine not to be overlooked because of a truncated aging process.  And given its price, it’s a great red zin to try if you’re accustomed to whites!

Since my introduction to the Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2009, it has become a staple in my home.  I’m always prepared with a few extra bottles in the event of unexpected guests. This Argentinean wine has a beautiful nose of berries, dark fruit, spices, and a trace of violet.  It is nicely balanced and smooth, with an exquisite finish that lingers and delights.  With three months of exposure to American and French oak interstaves prior to bottling, this affordable wine has quite a bit of personality.  And like most Argentinean Malbecs, this wine pairs well with grilled burgers, steak, other meat items, as well as with hearty salads and even dark chocolate! 

Be warned, however!  If you are aging this wine, it is recommended that you drink it within five years for optimal flavor.  This is a wine with a short life span.  The suggested serving temperature is 60° F, though I find it opens better at 62° F.  This is one of those instances where a wine cabinet or chiller comes in handy to regulate the exact serving temperature of this and other wines.  If you’re a big Malbec fan, the Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2009 will not let you down, especially given its affordable price!

The first rosé of the year has arrived just in time for spring, and spring-like it its!  For a longtime fan of rosés, this beauty certainly does not disappoint!  Made from an exquisite blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Merlot, and Grenache grapes, the proportions of grapes in the 2010 Triennes Rosé were expertly chosen.  The merlot flavor, in particular, is more subdued than expected, being used as a traditional blending grape, with a delicate hint of softness and plum flavor perfect for use in a rosé.  And the 2010 Triennes Rosé was bottled young enough to keep the wine exceptionally fresh, unlike rosés I will not mention from previous years.

The 2010 Triennes Rosé is everything you’d expect from a wine where the grapes were harvested at just the right time–not too early, and not too late after ripening.  This helps explain why this rosé is elegantly balanced and delightfully aromatic with a luxurious nose that is sure to evoke an “ahhhh” of pleasure.  If you have never tried a rosé before, the 2010 Triennes Rosé should be your first.  It sets the perfect standard by which you can adequately judge rosés you encounter in the future.