10 Dec
2012
10 Dec
'12
9:04 p.m.
10 versatile wines for holiday cheer
Jon Bonn�
Updated 7:22 p.m., Friday, November 30, 2012
Perhaps even more than at Thanksgiving, choosing wine for a holiday party is a matter of
diplomacy. You want to spread cheer and keep the festivities well lubricated, so to speak.
I've been shopping for a few weeks with an eye to the season, and to seasonal
budgets. Even if this is the year for holiday celebrations to resume, that doesn't
mean we're feeling Zuckerberg flush.
Which means your wine choices might have to do double duty - a red that can appease both
Cabernet and Pinot drinkers, for instance.
A white that has the rich charms of Chardonnay and the twang of Sauvignon Blanc, without
falling to the extremes of either. Wines that manage colorful without being quirky.
With that in mind, I set out to do a 10-wine holiday version of my occasional hunt for 20
wines costing $20 or less. In this case I left out bubbles (we covered those in detail
last week: bit.ly/V2050u) and focused on bottles that can work both in the cocktail realm
and at the dinner table.
What follows, then, are 10 exceptional wines for the holidays - plenty to keep you and
your guests in good cheer through the next four weeks.
NV Bedrock Shebang! Fifth Cuvee North Coast Red ($13, 14.2% alcohol): This second label
from Morgan Twain-Peterson is
now officially under his Bedrock label. The quality remains stellar. This latest, a mix of
vintages 2009 through 2011, leads off with Syrah, matched by Zinfandel, Petite Sirah,
mixed black grapes and a miscellany of other things. It's inky and pleasantly savory,
with toasted fennel, suede, a floral side and big, chewy blue fruit - complexity and a
robust side for your guests' full range of tastes.
2011 Herv� Azo Petit Chablis ($18, 12%): Now run by the Brocard house, Azo remains one of
Chablis' great outperformers. Here's a terrific candid shot of Chardonnay
without makeup, exactly what Petit Chablis should be. Flinty and stark, but also showing
lots of fruit from a riper vintage - apple and quince to match its zesty side. (Importer:
Beaune Imports)
2011 Blue Plate Clarksburg Chenin Blanc ($11, 12%): This Napa label again delivers one of
the best values on the shelf, and again shows the beauty of this grape when grown in the
Clarksburg area of the delta. Full-flavored and even peppier than the previous vintage,
with shiso-like herbal notes and citrus peel. Nuanced and user-friendly enough to bridge
the Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio divide.
2011 Domaine de la Pepi�re Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie ($14, 12%): Marc
Ollivier's white-label Muscadet remains a classic in any vintage, but 2011's
tough weather meant more of his best lots went into the white label. So there's
unusual depth in the basic bottle - a custard-like richness to match its intense saline
bite. With preserved lemon, chervil, ripe white peach and honeydew skin, it's
texturally deep but also lively and pure. (Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections)
2010 Banshee Wines Rickshaw California Pinot Noir ($14, 14%): Value-minded Banshee tapped
sources in Sonoma, Anderson
Valley and elsewhere to come up with a Pinot that satisfies cocktail-party thirst. Some
warm wood notes, plus licorice and jammy cherry make this a good gut-check Pinot, one that
offers plenty of fruit without getting in your face. A small portion of profits go to
charity, a nice holiday touch.
2011 Northwest Wine Co. Kudos Willamette Valley Riesling ($12, 12.5%): It's usually
Washington that offers great value in Riesling, but here's one from one of
Oregon's few custom-crush winemaking companies that can compete against popular fave
Pacific Rim. Tart and relatively dry, with green apple and mint flavors, it shows a
density of flavors that most inexpensive Riesling can't offer.
2010 Louis Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($18, 13.8%): This well-known name,
now part of Gallo, continues to turn out an immensely pleasing Cabernet for less than $20.
With a bit of fruit from outside Sonoma and some blending grapes mixed in, this comes
across as racy and fresh. Sweet black currant and red cherry, plus heady aromas of dried
sage and clove. A higher-acid edge reveals the cool vintage, but it remains as reliable as
ever.
2010 Torbreck Woodcutter's Barossa Valley Semillon ($18, 14%): Dave Powell's
esteemed Barossa label again delivers a great value in white wines. Riper and more
distinguished by peach flavors than your average Semillon, this gains nuance from bay
leaf, hay and brown sugar accents, with a faint sweetness that makes it more plush than
Riesling and more exotic than Pinot Gris.
2011 Franz Etz Niederosterreich Gruner Veltliner Austria ($14/liter, 12.5%): Ripe 2011 was
one of those years that favored the Liter Lords - and this version from the Kamptal house
of Etz, one of the most solid on the market, is packed with ripe tree fruit flavors,
fennel seed and a lime-peel kick. The extra flesh is a selling point to both Sauvignon
Blanc and Chardonnay partisans - not that Gruner's versatility needs another
discussion. (Importer: Winemonger)
2009 Telmo Rodriguez Gaba do Xil Valdeorras Mencia ($18, 13%): Valdeorras, on the banks of
the Sil River, is like
neighboring Ribeira Sacra, a sweet spot for the spicy Mencia grape. And ambitious
Rodriguez, who works across Spain using biodynamic methods and head-trained vines, has
bottled a savory, unoaked example that far outpaces its price. Leave it to northern Spain
to bridge the gap between ample fruit and a savory intrigue. Its smoky, mineral side adds
depth to paprika and bright red currant, offering the perfect foil for a hearty winter
dish. (Importer: Vintus)
Jon Bonn� is The San Francisco Chronicle's wine editor. Find more of his coverage at
sfgate.com/ wine. E-mail:
jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jbonne
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