2006 Hall cabernet Napa Valley

Back in 2010 I picked up three bottles of the highly-rated 2006 Hall Cabernet Napa Valley (WS 94 points). At the time I was not familiar with Hall, nor had I tried this wine, but I had read about in Wine Spectator and my friendly neighborhood wine merchant was very high on this wine. So I bowed to the sales pressure, paying $35/btl at the time. Last week I finally pulled a bottle from the cellar to have with our grilled steak dinner. Wow! What a terrific wine. It has prominent cocoa/mocha aromas and just smells absolutely succulent. It has layers of flavors with dried cherry and dusty earth most prominent, giving way to a lingering licorice essence at the end. One of the best cabs I’ve had in a long time. Though not quite as good as Plumpjack (my personal favorite cabernet), this is nonetheless a pretty darn good cab. And, considering I only paid $35, it is all the more enjoyable. Unfortunately, I now have only two bottles of this left in the cellar. I will try to save them but it will be difficult to restrain myself now that I know how good this wine is.

2012 North by Northwest chardonnay H3

Though I don’t generally drink a lot of chardonnay, here is another surprisingly good one that I tried recently. I say “surprisingly” good only because, for the price, I did not expect too much from this wine. On the other hand, I must say that I have had consistently good luck with chardonnays (and most white wines in general) I’ve tried in recent months from the Pacific northwest. This particular wine was an impulse buy on a recent trip to one of my favorite local wine shops, Chris Hinton’s The Wine Store (http://www.thewinestoreinc.com/new_site/). This chardonnay, from Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA, runs about $13/bottle and is a delightfully fresh young white with good overall balance and a nice, crisp acidity to counter the prominent chardonnay character. Aromas of lemon curd and vanilla wafers waft from the glass, with the vanilla staying nicely prominent throughout. I’d be pleased to serve this wine to any of my chard-loving friends. Definitely worth the modest price.

2012 Trader Joe's Yountville chardonnay

On a whim last week I picked up a few bargain-priced wines at my local Trader Joes. Mostly these turn out to be worth about what they are priced at, nothing more. But occasionally there is that diamond in the rough that delivers quality well above the price point, and one such wine emerged from this most recent TJ’s venture. It is the 2012 Trader Joes Yountville chardonnay (Lot 82), priced at $9.99. I opened this bottle last night to “test drive” with a dinner of roast chicken and was very pleasantly surprised with the overall quality at this price point. Fresh apple and floral aromas are prominent on first sniff, with pear and vanilla coming through on the palate. It has a crisp, light body and pale yellow color; a definite CA chard, but restrained with good acidic balance. It's not the typical big “butter bomb” that you often get with lower-end CA chardonnays that are heavy with artificial personality. This chardonnay is entirely pleasant, well balanced and deliciously restrained in its flavors. This wine is a real bargain at this price. I shall head back to TJ’s for a few more bottles of this one while the supplies last!

Cameron Winery 2011 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Reserve

Just tried this wine for the first time. Received it via routine shipment from the wine club (http://www.northwest-wine.com/Insiders-Oregon-Pinot-noir-Club.html). I had run across Cameron wines a couple of times during trips to Oregon, but had never tried their pinot before now. I must say, this is a terrific wine…particularly for the price point ($30). It’s a medium-bodied pinot with very intense aromas moist earth and dried berries right out of the bottle. With a little time and air, the aromas grow more varied and layered, with hints of sage and perhaps some cedar showing up. The flavors are a mouthful of luscious tart berries and soil (in the best possible way!). As a fan of Oregon pinot, this has instantly become one of my new favorites. Unfortunately, this 2011 Reserve is a very limited production and every online outlet I’ve checked is already sold out. Oh well, guess I’ll have to wait and pounce on the next vintage of Cameron.

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle - Dr. Looosen Reisling Eroica Columbia Valley

My first impression of this wine was "fresh". The aromas are fresh and clean, with melon and floral notes. There's also a noticeable hint of minerality on the nose.  The flavors are of crisp apple with honeydew melon and a distinct tangy mineral kick.  This is a very enjoyable reisling.  Nice balance with a very subtle sweetness that is pleasantly offset by the tangy acidity and minerality. A good value American reisling.

2009 Descendiendes de J. Palacios, Petalos

This delicious red from the Bierzo region of Spain is made from the Mencia grape. If you are not familiar with this somewhat obscure (at least in the U.S.) grape varietal, you should definitely try this wine.  It is produced in large volume so it is widely available.  I have found it in several different wine retailers in the Atlanta area.  This is a terrific, dense red wine with unique, elusive aromas that really pull you in. It has a rich, toasty/smoky aroma with some herbal essence to it.  It has a subtle dark-cherry flavor characteristic that is long and layered, with a touch of minerally-graphite on the end.  I found this to be a extremely interesting, delicious and totally enjoyable wine.  An outstanding value at around $20/bottle.  Am definitely buying more.

2009 Tyee Estate Pinot Noir

I’m a big fan of Oregon pinot noir and I enjoy the wines from a lot of different OR wineries.  There are many, many excellent pinots from OR, at a range of price points and styles.  However, I recently tried a new OR pinot for the first time and, I must say, came away unimpressed.  The 2009 Tyee Estate Pinot Noir ($25/btl) was a disappointment.  This wine is very light-bodied with a thin, almost transparent color.  It had pleasant aromas of dusty earth and cherries, which showed promise while in the glass.  But the wine had a tart, too-acidic quality that failed to match the inviting aromas, plus there’s a bit of an herbal/vegetable quality that I found a bit off.  Tried it again the next day with similar impressions.  To me, this wine also doesn’t show the depth or complexity that would indicate it’s going to improve over time.  While this is not a bad wine, per se, and some may find this ultra-light texture and herbal quality appealing, for me there are just too many other brilliant Oregon pinots – even at this relatively modest price point – to waste time and money on this particular one. 

2012 Charles & Charles Rose

I usually try a number of different roses in the spring and summer, always on the lookout for a particularly good one.  When well-made, roses can be an excellent value because they tend to be relatively low priced and are terrific wines for summer entertaining because of their food-friendliness and versatility – satisfying both those who appreciate well-made wines as well as the white zinfandel drinker.  So, I’m particularly excited by a wonderful rose example I’ve found from Washington state – the 2012 Charles & Charles Rose Columbia Valley  (from highly-regarded winemaker Charles Smith).  This rose of Syrah is nicely balanced with loads of mouth-watering fruit kept in check by lively acidity.  With aromas of strawberry and perhaps a hint of ripe pear, this rose is delicious, crisp and vibrant.  Great with food or by itself (well-chilled).  It runs about $12/bottle, which is a terrific price for a rose this well made. 

2011 Aveleda Vinho Verde

If you’re a white wine drinker and looking for something different than your usual chardonnays and sauvignon blancs, try vinho verde, the crisp, slightly bubbly white wine from Portugal.  There are lots of good ones available, although you might not find them among your typical grocery store selection.  A good one to try is from Aveleda (Quinta da Aveleda), which is mass-produced and is very widely available.  I have found it in several different wine stores, from my local wine & beer store to large retailers such as Total Wine. At only about $9/bottle, it’s a real bargain for a very pleasant, light-bodied white wine. 

It has a flinty, slightly smoky aroma with strong notes of fresh pineapple & citrus. 

The flavors are of lime and Granny Smith apple balanced with crisp acidity on a light, slightly effervescent texture.  This is a lively, easy-drinking white with a nice combination of tart flavors and acidity.  Another plus is that (like most vinho verdes) it is slightly lower in alcohol than many whites wines (10%).  Goes great with a whole range of light summer food fare, from salads, fresh fruit, light seafood and goat cheese.  Best served well-chilled.

2010 Spindrift Cellars Croft Vineyard pinot noir

This wine is a small production Oregon Pinot noir, so it is not very widely available. But, if you can get your hands on a bottle, consider yourself lucky. (A great source for Spindrift wines and many other terrific Oregon pinots is: http://www.northwest-wine.com/).  This wine is not one of those super premium pinot noir thrillers which the Williamette Valley seems to produce with amazing regularity, nor is it priced as such. Instead, this is a very good single vineyard PN displaying the rich fruit and acidic balance of top quality pinots from this area. It is a light-boded wine but is chock full of flavors and, at about $25 (if you can find it) this is an excellent value. Tantalizing aromas of dark cherry and black pepper leap immediately from the glass, but let this one breathe a bit and the layers keep opening. Flavors are lush and layerd with cherry & dark berry fruit most prominent, with prominent earth and a touch more black pepper on the finish.
I'm a big fan of Oregon pinot noir and I try a lot of different ones at all different price points.  Am always looking for wines that hit the "sweet spot" of quality-for-price.  This one really hits the mark. Haven't found too many pinots this good for under $25.

2012 A to Z Rose

Just finished off a bottle of the 2012 Oregon Rose from A to Z Wineworks.  Paid $12.99 at my local grocery store.  I like A to Z wine in general.  I think they deliver a routinely excellent value across their array of varietals.  Their pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris are all consistently good values year in and year out...and occasionally outstanding values.  This 2012 Rose is no exception.  It's a very good value at $12.99 and a terrific spring/summer sipping wine.  This year's version is fresh and lucious with strong strawberry and floral aromas that leap out of the glass immediately.  The strawberry essence carries through the flavor along with a faint touch of watermelon, but this is no sweet, flabby glass of yuck.  The sweet aromas and fruit flavor essences are well balanced with a nice dose of puckery acidity to keep it refreshing.  This is a fun, flavorful, easy-drinking wine that also has "real" wine structure and integrity. Pairs well with all kinds of warm-weather foods from entree salads to Chinese take-out to burgers on the grill.  Good stuff. 

2009 Chappellet Merlot

Let me start by stating that I don’t drink very much Merlot so my perspective is somewhat limited.  Had a lot of bad merlot in years past and thus I’ve mostly avoided it since.  I am, however, a fan of Chappellet Winery (Napa) which, as most fans of Napa cabernet know, makes consistently excellent cabernet along with other varietals.  So, when I recently had a chance to try the 2009 Chappellet Merlot, I had reason to hope that it might re-establish my appreciation for the merlot varietal.  And so it did. 

This 2009 Merlot is a smooth, delicious red wine. It has nice aromas of ripe plums and baking spices.  A dense, rich mouth feel with some good tannic structure (presumably from the cabernet added to the blend), but very smooth with no harsh edges.  Prominent fruit flavors of blackberry and a hint of cherry with some toasted oak essence.  Nice lingering aftertaste with more of the spice notes returning.

Overall, this is a very nice wine and a decent value at $38. Could be a terrific choice for those looking for a “big” red wine but with more prominent fruit and less of the firm, tannic structure of most Napa cabs. 

2011 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc

I will be the first to admit that the price of Merry Edwards sauvignon blanc is off-putting.  Who pays $45 for a bottle of SB when there are so many very good versions from New Zealand (and elsewhere) for less than $20?  However, sauvignon blance from Merry Edwards is in a class by itself.  It is not in a price range to quaff on a nightly basis (for most of us at least), but the caliber of this wine will make you rethink what is possible in a SB.  It is a much more layered, nuanced wine than most other SB's, with subtle fruit flavors and an amazing balance of acidity.  This wine does not have the in-your-face, bracing tartness that is so typical of many sauvignon blancs (particularly from NZ).  Instead, this beautiful wine displays fragrant apricot and melon aromas that meshes elegantly into the pronounced citrus, pear and subtle spice flavors. It is so food-versatile that it's pointless to try to pinpoint only one or two food pairings.  Try it with all manner of seafood and poultry, plus salads and cheeses. Hard to go wrong. 

I've had several bottles of ME SB over the past several months (both 2010 and 2011) and have found both vintages to be nothing short of delicious and completely satisfying.  The price is a bit steep to enjoy this wine as often as I'd like, but it's a wonderful choice for the occasional weekend dinner. 

2012 Kirkland Pinot Grigio

Last night I tried the new 2012 Kirkland Pinot Grigio, from Costco of course.  I had picked up this bottle, among others, on a recent trip to the big box.  At $6.99/bottle, it's hard not to give it a try.  Expectations were, naturally, pretty low given both the price and the Kirkland label (which I have found to be a very hit-or-miss venture).  This one, however, is a distinct hit, most noteworthy for the sheer value of it.  For starters, this is after all a pinot grigio, so the goal is basically just a pleasant, light-bodied drinkable white that doesn't require much consideration. However, like most wine fans, I'm always looking for something extra, something unexpected in every bottle I try, no matter the price.  I must say, this Kirkland PG delivered. It is, of course, a simple white wine, but it had very nice top notes of fresh apples with a hint of honeydew melon, nothing at all unpleasant in the initial aroma.  The flavor has elements of fresh peaches and a continuation of the melon essence balanced with some nice minerally bite.  Not a long finish, but totally pleasant til the end.  Just a very nice, light & crisp wine.  And of course, knowing what I paid for this wine added immensely to the overall experience.  A definite winner at this price.  I will no doubt pick up a few more bottles of this wine to keep on hand over the summer.  It's an easy wine to break out for company out on the patio, especially for those guests who just want "a glass of white wine" and you don't want to open a more expensive bottle. 
Overall assessement:  a definite value pick.  Compares favorably with other domestic pinot gris in the $10-$15 range.