[wine] Value Wines (SFGC)

OK, so when did a $20 Kabinett qualify as "VALUE". C, J Wines from around the world to help you stretch your dollar Jon BonnéLynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writers Friday, October 31, 2008 Great global value wines (from left): 2007 Corbera Vini I... With the election soon upon us, there is a lot of focus on domestic policy. But we can't stop thinking about foreign affairs. Such crucial questions as: What did Obama mean by Iran talks with no preconditions? Will McCain commit to a specific Iraq timetable? How can we possibly afford imported wine when the economy, and the dollar, are so weak? On that last, we have answers. For one, at about $1.30 to the euro, the battle-weary buck has had the sort of rally that suddenly puts the words "European vacation" back on the brain. But a combination of cost-efficient production, cheap shipping (usually by carbon-minimizing container ship) and a bit of currency leverage by savvy importers kept decent wine from around the world on shelves even in the dollar's worst doldrums. No question that prices have been going up, in particular on the 2006 vintage from Europe and some newly arrived 2007s, but even so, it's still easy to find lots to drink under $20 that keeps you on your geopolitical toes. Given the prices of many domestic wines these days, it's still a good time to think - and drink - globally. That goes doubly given how thin our wallets feel these days. Assuming that you don't want to dip into your (somewhat diminished) 401(k) to fund your holiday party, this also happens to be the time of year when many of us are thinking about what to buy by the case and what to serve at the next couple months' dinner parties. With that in mind, the goal was not merely to find "bargains" but to see how well we could drink on a budget given the needs of the season. We chose five regions overseas - and yes, Donald Rumsfeld would kvetch that we paid extra heed to "old Europe" (sorry, Don, that's where the old, cost-effective vineyards are) - with an eye on where we could find distinctive wines that were made to stand on their own, not merely a Chardonnay with a funny name. These are wines with a sense of place. Added bonus: With the dollar rebounding, prices for imports will likely stabilize, if not outright drop. What's a good value now could be an even better value by 2009. Chile Inexpensive, hearty red wines are widely available, but it may take time and several bottles to find a young Cabernet Sauvignon with varietal character, acidity, soft tannins and balance. Look to Chile, which is producing increasing amounts and better quality Cabernet every year. Carmenere - a lovely, food-friendly Chilean red - does not have the space on store shelves that Cabernet Sauvignon does. But most stores have multiple Chilean Cab bottlings. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon had an upswing in the mid-1990s because of the shortage of U.S. Cabernet. During this period, Cab from Chile was average, but subsequently producers have dedicated more attention to its production and marketing. Chile's moderate, Mediterranean-like climate, and relative low cost of land and labor contribute to the reasonable production costs, which result in good consumer value. Besides well-established local wineries that pump out thousands of cases, well-known wineries based outside of Chile - including Lafite-Rothschild (Los Vascos), Augustin Huneeus (Veramonte) and Kendall-Jackson (Caliterra) - have seen the potential. Chances of scoring a very good bottle of Chilean Cabernet has improved - even for those priced $12 and less, though the quality can be a bit uneven with many showing some green herb, stem and more moderate weight than most California bottlings. If you can afford the $15-$20 range, there is a significant jump in quality and consistency, enough to warrant pouring at an upscale dinner. 2007 Apaltagua Reserva Apalto Valley Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) This doesn't scream Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is a nice wine with fruit, structure and balance. The dark fruit is backed by dried herb and stem that is occasionally present in some of the less expensive bottlings. Allow some time for this wine to breathe and find its fruit. Lightly grippy tannins are a plus. (Importer: Global Vineyard Importers) 2006 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($14) Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle - the great granddaughter of Grand Marnier's creator - ages this wine in small French oak barrels for 12 months. Fairly spicy, with hint of herb underneath the ripe, rather rich cherry, red plum and cassis that gets close to California-style weight and ripeness. (Importer: Marnier-Lapostolle) 2006 Cosino-Macul Valle del Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon ($11) Bright juicy dusty Bing cherry with loam and some aromatic intensity plus an underlying bit of stemminess. This lighter weight wine tastes of fruit and not just oak, though wood tannins provide structure enough for simple steaks and burgers. (Importer: Billington Importers) 2006 Hacienda Araucano Valle de Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon ($13) From one of France's best-known wine families - the Lurtons - this solid wine shows a more modern side. Sweet subdued aromas of bramble fruit, raspberry, wisp of herb and hints of charcuterie. More textured palate with tart blackberry and glints of cassis against scant touch of stem and green wood. Food-friendly and great with a meatloaf sandwich. (Importer: Winesellers) Loire Valley Dry, crisp, versatile white wines can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with food or just because. France's Loire Valley produces wine from several white grape varieties that fit the bill: well-known Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, plus Melon de Bourgogne, which makes Muscadet. Muscadet, named for the region in which it's grown, remains in the shadow of its better-known cousins, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume (made from Sauvignon Blanc) and Vouvray (made from Chenin Blanc). Enjoyable, affordable, food-friendly dry white wine is always in vogue and Muscadet is a great value. The Loire Valley lies far north, where cool temperatures are at the lower end of the grape-ripening range. When grapes ripen here, they retain high acidity and lesser sugar levels that translate to lively, relatively low-alcohol wines. Muscadet is the Loire's most-produced white. The best Muscadet subregion is Muscadet Sevre et Maine. Some bottlings are also labeled "sur lie." These wines have spent additional time in contact with yeast, which provides additional flavor and a finer texture. Minerality, occasional briny notes, lees, subtle tree fruit and lively acidity are hallmarks of Muscadet, making it a perfect wine for seafood. Stores that carry Muscadet usually offer only one or two from which to choose. These wine buyers usually choose carefully, so when you find a Muscadet, odds are that it will be a good one. 2006 Chateau de la Cantrie Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie ($9) Deep aromas of waxy citrus peel, faint green pear and a kiss of proofing bread dough. Underlying grapefruit zest with a bit of pith, which accentuates the nicely textured finish. Rounder, richer and less acidic than the 2007 bottlings. Comparatively rich; straightforward, quaffable and a good value. (Importer: Grape Expectations) 2007 Domaine de la Louvetrie Hermine d'Or Muscadet Sevre de Maine Sur Lie ($15) Vigneron Jo Landron's nervy young wine has delicate stony mineral notes and mild lees backed with citrus blossom, sweet Meyer lemon and slightly riper fruit than usual. Similar flavors; lively and dry, with very tart acidity and an occasional zinc note on the finish. (Importer: K&L Wine Merchants/Latitude Wines) 2007 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre de Maine Sur Lie ($13) Bright and clean with faint nose of unripe apple, green gooseberry and light yeastiness. More engaging palate offers lemon and mineral flavors; crisp and bracing with slight lemon peel on the long finish. From vigneron Marc Olivier. (Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections/LCM Wines) 2006 Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet Sevre de Maine Sur Lie ($12) Briny aromas with chalk and a whiff of salt air introduce subtle pear-like fruit and herb hints. More complex in the mouth - dark wet stone, mineral and citrus tending to pink grapefruit. Mild and minerally with classic Muscadet austerity. (Importer: Robert Kacher Selections) Germany Explain this, Sherlock: The dollar's in the tank, and yet we go up against Europe's largest economy and can still get excellent site-driven German wines for under $20. You'd almost have to conclude that Germany really, really wants us to try their wine. And this isn't just Riesling, though the long-awaited upswing in Americans' Riesling interest (yes, sommeliers, we finally listened to you) has certainly helped. Instead of a punch line, German Pinot Noir is now a savvy buy, thanks in part to some overambitious pricing from our homegrown counterparts. Restaurants offer St. Laurent (like a darker-skinned Pinot) from the Pfalz by the glass. Granted, it has gotten harder to locate true Einzellage (single-vineyard) bottlings for under $20, but they can be found, even from the beloved 2007 vintage. With a string of at least four solid vintages, there's no shortage of good site-specific Riesling. And there are no shortage of basic (Qualitatswein) bottling from great producers, some in 1-liter bottles for an extra-good deal. Keep an extra eye out for the '07s. If they lack the overabundant ripeness of 2005, slow-ripening fruit from one of the longest vintages on record is yielding pretty, lean, high-acid wines that will age - even for a Kabinett - for a good decade or so, should that be your thing. And with the dollar slowly getting stronger, and German wines being somewhat immune to the vintage-pricing frenzy that has hobbled Bordeaux, prices only stand to get better. 2007 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Mosel Kabinett Riesling ($19) The wines of this Ruwer Valley producer are defined by their intense slate-driven mineral character. Here, that's matched by a silky profile, with aromas of fig and ripe apple amid the rigid mineral crunch. Delicate and just slightly nectar-tinged on the palate, with a lean, laser-like finish. Fabulous acidity. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) 2007 Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Drachenstein Dragonstone Rheingau Riesling ($18) Johannes Leitz's workhorse Riesling from an excellent Rheingau parcel, packaged with a screwcap and consumer-friendly name, is in fantastic form, with a deep umami note and intensely high acid. Lean, citrus-driven, tangy and spot-on. (Importer: Terry Theise/Michael Skurnik Wines) 2006 G.A. Schneider Kalinda Niersteiner Rheinhessen Riesling ($13) Refreshing, straightforward, mostly dry style, with taut acidity and lots of citrus. (Importer: Winesellers) 2006 Wegeler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel Kabinett Riesling ($17) A proper focused Kabinett style from one of Germany's most revered vineyards, a smoky, stony nose is bolstered by a lot of lime zest, ripe golden apple and slightly tart peach and nectar fruit. Tree fruit wraps around a flinty mineral note, with a bit more roundness on the finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) 2007 Joseph Rosch Leiwener Klostergarten Mosel Kabinett Riesling ($16.75) Werner Rosch's wines have that sugar-driven softness that soothes the palates of the acid-shy. This one's spicy, with nutmeg and allspice atop soft peach, green apple and grapefruit. Upfront and refreshing, with an overt sweetness. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Sicily Sicily's potential for great everyday reds remains one of the worst kept secrets in wine. I refer not to the incursion of the usual international grapes - Merlot in particular - but to modern takes on the island's indigenous grapes. That largely means Nero d'Avola, plus the more robust Nerello Mascalese, a sort of country cousin whose worn shoes are balanced by an innate rustic charm. (They're accompanied by excellent native whites from varieties like Inzolia and Grillo.) Nero d'Avola is a hard grape to pin down. The comparison is often to Syrah, but that seems facile. Nero d'Avola is far more about earthy, tarry aromatics, with lots of darker fruit. Its non-fruit intensity can scare even Italian wine fans, but there's no cause for fear; versions under $20 tend to put the fruit first. (That's an appropriate price cap for all but a small handful of Sicilian reds. You should be able to drink quite well from there for $15 or less.) Though often blended with mellower grapes, 100 percent Nero d'Avola remains a terrific bet. Be sure to ask about the style. Some we tasted could have passed for Zinfandel; others for Beaujolais. Nerello Mascalese is a bit tougher, in the way that Mourvedre is a difficult sell for all but devoted Rhone-o-philes. But if the profile is leathery and thick-necked, it fits the same niche as, say, Petite Sirah (but without the hammerhead tannins). Earthy and ripe but with terrific brightness for balance, its robust appeal should certainly draw fans of a gloves-off style of wine. In either case, these wines stint on neither fruit nor earth-tinged nuance - and usually manage it without a helping hand from oak. 2007 Corbera Vini Isola d'Oro Sicilia Nerello Mascalese ($10) Leathery, cayenne, fennel, stewed strawberry and dry, earthy grip define a profile that's heady, pungent and dark, reminiscent of Mourvedre or even Tannat. (Importer: Oliver McCrum Wines) 2006 Donnafugata Sedara Sicilia Nero d'Avola ($13) One of Sicily's most prolific wineries (with 2.5 million bottles) offers up this beautifully balanced, brooding effort. Distinctly earthy, with moist soil, dark cherry and a charred branch aroma. Equally dark on the palate, with blackberry, moss and a modest grip. (Importer: Folio Wine Partners) 2005 Feudi del Pisciotto Baglio del Sole Sicilia Nero d'Avola ($15) Made all in steel, it's leathery, with polished cherry and red fruit, and a tight-knit minerality guiding the broad structure. Bark-like tannins give a Cab-worthy mouthfeel, though with brighter fruit. (Importer: Vias Imports) 2007 Valle dell'Acate Poggio Budini Sicilia Nero d'Avola ($13) A light touch. Balsam, sweet cherry and a slight waxiness mix with tangy berry and a juicy core. Almost Beaujolais-like in its crisp profile, with a warm fruit presence at the finish. (Importer: Vinity Wine Company) Spain The busy new era of Spanish reds has given almost every region of that country an enological shot in the arm. Relatively cheap labor and a wave of modern winemaking, plus a mix of old-vine native grapes and the usual suspects - Syrah, Cabernet - have turned Spain into ground zero for big, dramatic wines that deliver amazing flavor per dollar. Most of the action lies far afield from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, and even fashionable Priorat - though winemaking in those regions is virtually unrecognizable from two decades ago. New regions like Calatayud, Montsant (created in 2001), Bierzo and Terra Alta, plus media darlings like Toro have tapped into a similar formula and, as a final step, overhauled their looks with some of the most charismatic labels in wine. And a handful of price-conscious American importers (Jorge Ordonez, Eric Solomon) have helped forge a steady market. That has allowed Spain to partly claim the mantle for bold reds from, say, Australian Shiraz, though the harnessing of native grapes like Mencia (Bierzo) and hearty Mediterranean varieties like Garnacha (Grenache) and Mazuelo (Carignan) tends to lend extra nuance to less-expensive bottlings. While Spanish regions like Priorat have been dominating popularity contests against oak-driven New World power bombs, the under-$20 realm is where some of the most interesting wines have emerged, offering the sort of earth-driven quality that used to attract lovers of Rhone wines. 2007 Cellers Can Blau Montsant Red Wine ($17) A blend of Mazuelo, Syrah and Garnacha. Subtle wood aromas mix with quartz-like mineral, black pepper, strawberry and leathery blue fruit. The palate is compelling, guided by lifted minerals, with a grippy, well-defined ending. (Importer: Jorge Ordonez Selections/Henry Wine Group) 2006 Bodega y Vinedos Artazu Artazuri Navarra Red Wine ($11) All Garnacha, from one of the most consistently fine projects in Navarra (just northeast of Rioja) run by the head of Rioja's Artadi estate. Deep, smoky strawberry, mineral and a sweet vanilla presence on the nose. A mineral core is rounded out by tart plum, boysenberry and brawny tannins on the finish. (Importer: Eric Solomon/European Cellars) 2006 Luna Beberide Bierzo Mencia ($13) An amazing value for the price. The textbook aromas of Mencia - raw, almost bloody meat, curing spice, bacon and roasted plum - leap out. They move to refined blue fruit and fine mineral tones, making for a bright, juicy palate with innate balance and soft-edged grip. (Importer: Grapes of Spain) 2006 Bodegas Luzon Jumilla Red Wine ($10) Monastrell (Mourvedre) and Syrah, unoaked and from a somewhat lighter vintage in this southeastern region. But still plenty meaty and leathery, bolstered with red fruit and a purple-flower highlight, with a salty note on the palate. Almost rigid in its mineral structure, but with plush blackberry fruit to round it out. (Importer: Jorge Ordonez Selections/Henry Wine Group) E-mail Jon Bonnét jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com and Lynne Char Bennett at lbennett(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/31/WIB213QLJO.DTL This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *