Dave McIntyre, writing in the Washington Post, recommended a number of “bargain” Spanish wines this week ranging from $9 to $24.
Of this selection he said: “On the fruitier side of Albariño, it has the crystalline, bright and focused flavors of apricot and slate. Pair with seafood salads or grilled shellfish. Lagar de Costa also makes an Albariño called Doelas de Lagar de Costa ($18) that is quite good and in wider distribution.”
Price: $23
Mundo de Yuntero 2012 Tempranillo y Syrah, Manzanares, Spain
At the lower end of the budget at just $9, McIntyre picked this Tempranillo/Syrah blend which he said would pair well with grilled foods.
He said: “The Jesús del Perdón cooperative is producing delicious bargains, including this blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15 percent Syrah. Juicy and gulpable, it retains the leafy, earthy notes of Tempranillo and a core of acidity that keeps it grounded. Stock up for your weeknight burgers on the grill.”
Price: $9
La Crema Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2012, Oregon, US
From the heart of Oregon comes this week’s recommendation from Sandra Silfven, writing in the Detroit News. She said this Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was a “beautiful Pinot” that was “dry, earthy, herbal and so tightly wound”.
She said: “The blast of cherry, plum, vanilla and herbs is Oregon refined and polished to a sparkling gem. This is a powerful, beautiful wine. Acidity makes it lean and mean. Fruit speaks to the highly rated 2012 vintage. It was sourced from 10 vineyards and seven clones from throughout the Willamette Valley and its sub-AVAs, and aged nine months in 100% French oak, 25%. Get ahead of local distribution and join the La Crema Wine Club or buy it when it becomes available online at La Crema. It’s a whole new taste and style profile for this artisan winemaker.”
Price: $30
2011 Caprili Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
A “perfect food for wine”, this 100% Sangiovese Grosso from Tuscany was Irene Vibila’s pick of the week, writing in the LA Times this week.
She said: “What a beauty. Caprili’s 2011 Rosso di Montalcino, 100% Sangiovese Grosso, is the perfect food wine, bright and chiseled, with flavors of black cherries, sweet spices and chocolate. Tannins are tight, and there’s a lovely slight bitterness at the finish that keeps you coming back to the glass.
“It’s wonderful with tagliatelle or fettuccine with meat ragù, grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled meats or roasted birds.”
Price: $20 to $24
Renieri, Toscana IGT, Regina di Renieri 2009, Tuscany, Italy
Rebecca Murphy, writing in the Dallas News, also recommended a Tuscan wine – a “spicy” Syrah with “savory cedar aromas.”
She said: “Syrah from Tuscany? Indeed, syrah thrives in sangiovese country, bringing color, fullness and complementary tannins in a blend. It takes a star turn in wines like this one from Renieri. Its spicy, savory cedar aromas alert the taste buds to get ready for a mouthful of wonderful. The rich flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruit show an Italian flair, mingling with licorice, tobacco and wood spice and tempered by decisive acidity and dusty tannins. Enjoy it with a steak grilled with rosemary.”
Price: $35
2012 Domaine de Tariquet Chenin-Chardonnay, Cotes de Gascogne, France
Michael Dresser, writing in The Baltimore Sun, picked this French Chenin-Chardonnay as one of his wines of the week – which he said was perfect wine for “outdoor quaffing”.
He said: “This artful blend of 75% Chenin Blanc and 25% Chardonnay combines the fruit of the former and body of the latter in a fresh, dry white wine. It offers refreshing, lively flavors of lime, pear, apple and minerals. An excellent choice as we move into spring and outdoors quaffing. From Robert Kacher Selections.”
Serve with bouillabaisse or spicy Asian cuisine.
Price: $13
2013 La Ferla Inzolia, Sicily, Italy
Another recommendation from Dresser was for this Sicilian white made from the lesser-known Inzolia grape.
He said: This is a wonderfully fresh wine, just recently bottled. Inzolia, a white wine grape grown in Sicily, is hardly a household name, but this wine puts 90% of Pinot Grigios to shame. It’s a fully dry wine, but it has so much lively fruit there’s no severity.
“There are refreshing hints of lime, lemon, pear, mint and pine. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable wine at a very appealing price, perfect for outdoor sipping between now and Labor Day.”
Serve with fish, shellfish or Thai cuisine
Price: $9
2013 Brancott Estate ‘Flight Song’ Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Colette Bancroft, writing in the Tampa Bay Times, highlighted this calorie conscious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as her wine of the week, which she said was a “lively and satisfying wine”.
She said: “We’re not in the business of counting calories here at Wine of the Week, but this week’s selection comes with a bonus for those who are. Because the grapes used in the 2013 Brancott Estate “Flight Song” Sauvignon Blanc (about $14 at wine-savvy markets) were harvested early in the season, sugar levels in the fruit were lower than in those harvested later — resulting, according to the wine’s label, in a quaff with 20% fewer calories. Now that’s trend-conscious winemaking.
“We didn’t miss the calories one bit. Given that Brancott was a pioneer planter of Sauv Blanc in Marlborough, New Zealand, we wouldn’t have expected them to offer us anything but a lively and satisfying wine. Pink grapefruit is the headline for this zingy white. It captured our fancy at first whiff and then broke hugely on the tongue, with smidges of nectarine, pineapple and key lime nibbling around the edges. The finish is both short and as crisp as a freshly printed C note.
“This wine will be a very fine companion at poolside or on the terrace at sundown. It also will be beautiful with seafood, especially oysters and other shellfish and with grilled mahi or grouper. If fish is not your thing, try it with straight-ahead roast pork.”
Price: $14
Blandy’s 10 Year Malmsey Madeira, ($30)
Katie Kelly Bell, writing for Forbes, picked a selection of wines “with an Irish soul” following in the wake of St Patrick’s Day.
She said: “More a dessert wine than a savory wine, but still a drink to gather together over. Rich and nutty with apricot and toffee notes up front, followed by a fresh, bright lingering finish. Compulsively drinkable. Something sweet works best with this—maybe a scone, but really, the Irish love ice cream (it’s the only thing my aunties have in their wee freezers), so go straight up vanilla bean.”
Price: $30
2012 Domaine du Cros Lo Sang del Pais, Marcillac, France
Bell also recommended this Mansois varietal from southwestern France.
She said: “Plummy with raspberry jam notes and vanilla. Great minerality and structure, delicious and a great value. Made from 100% Mansois (aka Fer Servadou), a grape native to southwestern France. If you can’t find this wine, a red blend from the Languedoc is another great bet. Try this with salmon or lamb chops.”
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