DINNER CHEZ PELZ - (3/5/2011)

Had friends over for dinner. We started off with a couple of appetizers and some Gaston Chiquet BdB. As always, the Champagne was a crowd pleaser.We then graduated to two spectacular reds which we continued to drink over the course of dinner:

• 1988 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  
  Stupendous wine. Served blind, this was a very elegant, feminine, and pretty wine. Cigar box, pencil shavings, and cassis. I guessed Bordeaux and more specifically Pauillac or Margaux, and was fortunately not too far off. The wine was showing so young, that I missed my vintage guess by 11 years. That's how much life is left in this wine. The Lafite showed great from the start, IMO, but continued to develop nicely. Another quintessential food wine that did marvelously with the braised lamb I cooked. This showed the greatness of Bordeaux, specifically aged Bordeaux, as well as the pedigree of this wine. A real treat.
  
• 2001 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  
  Amazing stuff. My second batch of this wine and another great bottle. Consistent with prior notes, this is a very elegant and feminine CdP although it manages to pack powerful fruit, earth, and dried herbs. It's a quintessential food wine that is silky and long. My favorite CdP by some margin over the likes of Pegau, Clos des Papes, Giraud and others.
  

Quite frankly, two of the best wines I have had in a long time. Just a night where it all came together. Friends, food, wine.

Impressions from Saturday Night Wine Soiree

On Saturday, we hosted a wine soiree at our humble abode and invited 20+ of our friends and Austin's wine afficionados. I didn't take formal notes as I wanted to enjpoy the evening and company, but I am listing the lineup below and some brief impressions.

Token Whites
2000 Monbousquet Blanc
2006 Doennhoff Riesling Spaetlese "Oberhaeuser Bruecke"
2003 Saxon Brown Semillon Casa Santinamaria Vineyard

Reds
1979 Chateau Belair
1989 Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Picasses"
1990 Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Picasses"
1998 JL Chave St. Joseph
1998 E Guigal Cote Rotie "Brune et Blonde"
1999 E Guigal Cote Rotie "Brune et Blonde"
1996 Pesquera Crianza
2000 Vietti Barolo Ravera
2003 Janasse Chaupin CdP
2005 Clos des Papes CdP
2001 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova
2002 St. Innocent Pinot Noir "Shea Vineyard"
2003 Pavie Macquin
2000 Lopez Heredia Bosconia Reserva
2000 Numanthia Toro Termanthia
1999 Rafanelli Cabernet Terrace Select (did not taste)
2000 Clos du Marquis (in magnum)
2007 Vieux Donjon CdP (did not taste)

Wine of the night:

Hard to pick one wine from a lineup a good as this one, but I will go with the 2005 Clos des Papes. Textbook CdP that showed extremely well after being audouzed for about 7 hours. Soft yet structured, and with plenty of elegance and finesse. Just lovely. As good as the Clos des Paepes wa, the bottle of 2003 Janasse Chaupin was not far behind, and neither were the two bottles of Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Picasses", which showed beautifully. Amazingly, the 1990 showed much younger and greener than the 1989. Either way, these four wines were my favorites. I did not get to taste the 07 VD, but hope to rectify this situation very soon.

Dud of the night:

The 2001 Casanova di Neri is a good wine, but not nearly as good as has been maintained by the wine press. One thing in particular that bothers me about this wine is that as tasty a it is, it doesn't speak of its place. The fact that CDN is implicated in the Brunellopoli scandal is not surprising to me as this wine just doesn't seem like it could be pure Sangiovese...but what do I know. Either way, $200 for this wine is frankly insane, and if you can get some Guidalberto or Serre Nuove from a better vintage, you can have a nearly identical drinking experience for far less money. YMMV.

Surprise of the night:

In this category, I see a tie between the 1998 Chave St. Joseph and the 2003 Pavie Macquin. I thouht the Chave may show over the hill, but nothing could have been further from the truth. It drank at peak, and was a lovely mix of pepper, bacon fat, and earth. What a great wine for the money. The 2003 Pavie MAcuin, I expected to show overblown and roasted, and again, it wa a very nice, layered wine with plenty of fruit, but also some retraint. To me, this wine performed as well as any of the critics' reviews. Glad to have one more in my cellar.

QPR of the Night:

This award has to go to the 2000 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia that was purchased on wines.com in Austin by a friend for less than $9 per bottle. This wine is stupidly good to begin with, but at 75% off retail, this wine is just a laughable deal. Back up the truck.

Fake of the night?

I know many of you will think it's impossible, but I believe the bottle of 1998 Cote Rotie from Guigal was a fake. I looked at the label and cork, and found nothing suspicious, but this wine, which I have had on three occasions, and which has shown 100% consistent, tasted nothing like Cote Rotie. As a matter of fact, it tasted almost exactly like an inexpensive Southern Rhone from CdP, Gigondas, or Vacqueyras. No bacon fat, no pepper, far too much funk...the 1999 we drank side by side with this showed completely typical and only heightened my impression that the 98 wa a fake. I had purchased the lot on K&L a few years back, so it's hard to believe it would be a fake.

As is usual with these evenings, there was even more wine that I didn't taste and don't remember. Among them was a Le Cadeau Pnot from Oregon, a Vilmart Champagne in Magnum, an obscure, dry white Bordeaux in screwcap, and other gems I may have missed.

Thanks go all my friends who made this evening fun and brought all the delicious food.

One last word, and unfortunately a sad one...my father, Werner Pelz, passed away somewhat unexpectedly on Friday after a short bout with heart disease. The tasting and these notes are dedicated to his memory and his life. I will post my thoughts on his passing in a separate thread once I've had a chance to collect all my thoughts and turn them into a coherent hommage to the man that influenced my life so much.

Dinner Chez Rob & Lauryl

DINNER CHEZ ROB & LAURYL - (5/30/2009)

We were invited to eat and drink at our friends Rob and Lauryl's place last night. Food was amazing, and so was the company. Lovely wines, too.

Champagnes

With Hummus dip and tuna tartare in cucumber slices.

• 1999 Eric Rodez Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
  Fantastic Champagne. Clearly from a cool site with nice layered fruit and some brioche. To me, the Chardonnay dominated in this wine, despite the fact that the blend is 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Lovely wine that is drinking great right now.


• N.V. Krug Champagne Grande Cuvée Brut - France, Champagne
  Second bottle of Champagne last night. Mighty big wine that has just a ton of flavor. Maybe a little nutty and has some nice fruit. No need to hurry drinking this, but I don't know what the disgorgement date was. I loved it.

Reds

With lamb chops, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

• 2005 René Bouvier Marsannay Ouzeloy - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
  Maybe a little too warm at first, but it showed very well overall. Extremely sappy and mouthwatering, this is drinking great. Some crushed berry, tobacco and earth, and the fruit is still pretty primary. Lovely Pinot that can be cellared for some time, I'm sure, but I liked the way it was drinking.


• 1978 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Great bottle as well. Took a few minutes to clean up after it came out of the bottle. Started really funky, but after it shook off the funk, the fruit was round and soft, and the tannins were barely there. Great freshness, and leather, cigar box, and a lot of minerality were all there. My runner-up WOTN last night.


• 1998 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Best Pegau Laurence I've ever had. This wsa just loaded with garrigue and like the Cuvee Reservee, this also has loads of cherry juice / kirsch liqueur. Another taster said black pepper, and I can definitely see that in this wine, too. Spice and a touch of licorice. Phenomenal wine that is in no danger of decline anytime soon. It is drinking at peak though in my opinion, so no need to hold off further. My WOTN.


• 1999 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Just like the day before this was a very Burgundy-like CdP with berry fruit, spice, good minerality and solid structure. What I am missing here is a little more depth of flavors. Very good but not outstanding. Like the 1998 Pegau Laurence, I think this is drinking at peak.


• 2001 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Started out rough for me. Very primary still, and was in a weird place initially. After it had some air for an hour or two, this began to shine though. Classic pencil shavings, tobacco, earth, and some floral notes. Despite being medium bodied, this has very nice flavor intensity, and it ends in a good finish. Although it was delicious with the food last night, this will get much better with time. A definite winner.


• 2002 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
  This wine is still so tannic and acidic that it was a shock to drink after the wines before it. Just massive structure despite low extraction. Has the funk that Olga Raffault is famous for. As with most of her Chinons, this is a finesse wine that has some serious green bell pepper and vegetable notes, so those who can't tolerate that will hate this wine. I predict this will be an amazing bottle of wine in 10 more years. Really not a wine to consume right now. The rest of my bottles go to the long term underground storage.

There were two stickies for dessert, but I barely tried one. I was done with wine and had moved on to coffee. Thanks to Rob and Lauryl for outdoing themselves last night, and thanks to all others for bringing some great wine.

Posted from CellarTracker

RICK'S WEDDING RECEPTION

Tonight, we were at Ricks place for his wedding reception. Needless to say we brought plenty of wine. We started with a variety of Champagnes, which I won't recount for this post, but they were all delicious. we then went to reds and never looked back.

• 1989 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
  Showed just a little odd at first. With air, it opened up and was unexpectedly in a dark fruit spectrum with smoke and plenty of acid to back up the fruit. Length is there, but I am not finding the focus, delineation and verve I find in the best burgs. Good, but not great for me tonight.


• 1995 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  I just really like the style of this wine. Where the Pegau may have lacked some cut and focus, this wine showed it in spades. Horse manure, cure meats, black olive, grilled dried herbs, and a briary, saline component make this an intellectually inspiring wine. It's not very extracted, but there's plenty of fruit and structure, and almost racy acidity. It won't win over lovers of brute force wines, but burg drinkers should relish this. When I was drinking this, all I could think of is what it would be to drink it along a herb and salt crusted rack of lamb. 5 years from peak, at minimum, maybe 10 years would do it even more justice. Needs food, and a long evening to really follow the evolution of this wine.


• 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  A very, very good bottle of CdP. Best Cdp I've tasted from 2003 thus far. Incredibly powerful on the palate with ample tannin, kirsch and plum fruit, and some creamy, glycerin notes. Meat juice, licorice, and loamy notes. Ever so slightly raisiny on the finish, but it never got hot or flabby. If I had to nitpick, I'd say this lacks a little acidity, and for lovers of the more traditional style of CdP, this will probably never approach the heights of the 2001 or even the 2000. That said, amazing wine, and certainly worth multiples of its release price.


• 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Seems way too young still. Almost primal aromas of deep black currant and a lack of teriary notes. Perfectly balanced wine that shows off its fruit, and structure, and virtually screams to be cellared another 10 years. Some tobacco and gravel, this is dominated by its masculine fruit profile. Reminds me a little of the Leoville Barton house style. Very very good wine. Needs time.


• 1990 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Color was incredibly light red, raspberry-looking. Powerful on the palate though, and it tastes like freshly rendered bacon fat. When drinking this, I can't help but think of a side of bacon. Nose on this was remarkable, and so was the cut and focus of the wines' palate. This particular bottle was perfectly red fruited, although getting ever so slightly thin on the finish, so I thought it was drinking in the perfect window right now. No need to hold...ready to drink and give lots of pleasure. I would love to drink this alongside some good cassoulet.


• 1997 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  My last wine of the evening, but what a showstopper. The fruit was simply perfect. Velvety texture, slick, silky acidity. Amazing sweetness of tannins, but the wine was fully dry. Earth, loam, dirt, dust, complexity, and nuance. Cherry fruit. Very tannic still, but ready to drink at the same time. What a wine...intellectual and keeps you guessing at all times.

Thanks to Rick and Nicole for their generosity and hospitality, and to those who contributed the fantastic wines.

Posted from CellarTracker

Sunday Afternoon Grilling Chez Pelz

We had some friends over yesterday afternoon to celebrate the glorious Austin weather and thoughtful conversation. I decided to grill a variety of foods. It was a very relaxed afternoon with the adults talking while our kids all played. The notes are therefore more informal than usual, but I think they render a reasonable picture of the wine quality. Only thing missing...some Rose...have to do that next time.

As an Aperitif

• N.V. Jean Milan Champagne Blanc de Blancs Spécial Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Oger, Champagne
  As usual, this is a very reliable Champagne to start the evening off with. Fresh zingy acidity, nice apple and some interesting toasty nut flavors. If I would want to complain about something, it is that this bottle showed more advanced than I thought it should have with a light gold color and a bit of creaminess. Overall, still enjoyable to drink, but I'll drink the remaining 3 bottles before the end of the year...I am not sure if waiting will be rewarded with this one.

With the grilled foods

- chicken skewers
- beef skewers
- NY Strip (grass-fed)
- Hamburgers (grass-fed)
- Boudin Sausage (homemade by one of our guest)
- Assorted Sausages (homemade by one of our guest)
- grilled artichoke with EVOO and Fleur de Sel
- Salads
- Creme Brulee, Ice Cream, Watermelon

• 2000 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This bottle wasn't nearly as fresh and exciting as the last one. It seemed a touch lighter and more advanced in its development. Very soft and unusually gamey on the palate. Dominated by plum and raspberry. Finish is good and texture is silky, almost a little like an older Burgundy. I really wonder if this bottle was slightly off. Very good, but nowhere near sa good sa the last bottle a year ago.


• 2006 Château de Parenchère Cuvée Raphaël - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur
  One of the guest brought this bottle and despite this being a "lesser" Bordeaux wine (Bordeaux Superieur), this was fabulous in its own right. Nice, ripe fruit, very little tannin relative to the Pontet we drank afterwards, but great freshness and dryness which made this a fun wine to drink with our grilled foods. Finished well. Probably not something that I think will reward cellaring, but it's really solid drinking right now.


• 1994 Château Pontet-Canet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Unlike the Bosquet Chantemerle CdP that preceded this bottle, this was significantly better than my previous bottle a couple of years ago. It still has searing tannins that require some decanting and gentle aeration, and it is still very early in the drinking window. The fruit shows tremendously well right now, along with some cigar box. That said, I think this will turn out significantly better with tertiary notes and aromas when they arrive five years or more down the road. This is clearly a very backward wine, but I think there's plenty of fruit to match the structure.

Wine Salon - Rhone (Chez Brian 1/11/09)

One of our Austin wine fanatics hosts a monthly wine salon, during which wine afficionados and folks in the wine and food industry come together and taste through the wines of a particular region with the goal to educate ourselves. This month, we tasted through the greater Rhone region. Food was fantastic all around with home made venison and pork sausages, leg of lamb with a ridiculously tasty almond creme sauce, and a tenderloin prepared sous-vide by none other than JohnGL of the food blog The Alcoholian (www.alcoholian.com). On to the wines.

The Whites

• 2000 Château de Nages Costières-de-Nîmes Cuvée Joseph Torrès - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes
  Not dead yet, but marching steadfast towards its demise. Past its prime and just a lot of stone and mineral. Fruit is thin, acid high. Not fun to drink anymore.


• 2001 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  I really like this wine. Age has given it some steeliness while retaining the oily texture. Some lemon curd and beeswax on the palate with crushed rocks. Finishes well. Some tasters will prefer this young, but I consider this to have another few years of age-ability on it.


• 2000 Château Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Le Blanc Epicurien - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc
  Dreadful. Oxidized in my opinion. Another taster mentioned this must have been heat damaged. Either way undrinkable. Oak seemed overdone, though.


• 2006 E. Guigal Condrieu - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
  Excellent young Condrieu. All that Viognier makes for a very soft and fruit forward wine in its youth. That being said, the wine has serious backbone, and I can see how it would last many years. Peaches, tropical fruit, and wet stone on the palate. Very nice.

Languedoc and Gigondas

• 2002 Domaine du Mas Blanc (Docteur Parcé) Collioure Clos du Moulin - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Collioure
  Weak vintage, and it shows on the thinner than usual midpalate. It does have the typical funk that Dr. Parce's wines often display, and it's definitely very pleasant. Just not really good.


• 2002 Domaine du Mas Blanc (Docteur Parcé) Collioure Cosprons Levants - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Collioure
  Again, a pretty weak wine from a weak vintage. But it's definitely good, enjoyable, and fairly priced. Good everyday drinker, but not more. Fiven the Syrah content, it's a bit weak on the palate, but it hold up.


• 2000 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
  First red of the night I really liked. Pretty typical provencal grilled/roasted herbs, lavender and garrigue with some meat juices. Finishes great and has a bit of time left before going into decline. Rather liked this a lot, although it's not an intellectually inspiring wine by any means.

Beaucastel and Family

• 2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  My first Tablas Creek, and somewhat of a revelation. Much better than any other California Rhone Ranger I've ever had. This had a lot going for itself. Good fruit and ripeness, ample acidity, and a nice structure underneath. Could probably fool people into believeing it's a Southern Rhone in blind tastings. Only problem is that the acid seems artificial to me...maybe watered down or acidified?


• 2001 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
  Not bad at all. Fruit has already faded quite a bit, and I think it's time to drink up. But what a nice win for the money. Very good CdR, but not mini-CdP quality in my opinion. Fruit lacks depth and layers for that to apply.


• 2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  One of my top two wines in the tasting. Incredible depth of fruit, balance, elegance, and my favorite truffle notes in Beaucastel from the aging Mourvedre. I could drink this every night. Many years left in the tank to develop.

CdP Big Hitters

• 1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Unfortunately, this bottle was ever so slightly corked. Drinkable, but the fruit was stripped of its suppleness, and the finish was dulled.


• 2000 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  This was more like it. Lovely nose of herbs and smoked meats, blackberry fruit, and a nice frame that should support many more years of graceful ageing.


• 2000 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Great bottle. From magnum, the freshness of the wine showed over the Beaucastel from the same vintage. Not necessarily better than the Beaucastel, but different. Laurence's CdPs are often less dark and brooding than those of Beaucastel, which I attribute to the generally lower Mourvedre content. That said, it had the usual Pegau funk/brett, with loads of garrigue and the Kirsch liqueur notes I have always liked in Pegau. Great wine, great bottle, My WOTN by a slim margin over the Beaucastel.

Northern Rhone Syrah

• 1997 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Good wine. I like Chapoutire's Sizeranne and have had some mind boggling bottles, such as the 1990 and 1989. This wasn't as good as those, but it showed fairly well. Pretty open-knit with olive tapenade notes and some meat juices. Blackberry fruit and good freshness. Bit short on the finish, bur very pleasant.


• 2001 Guy Bernard Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Good vintage, but pedestrian wine. Nothing wrong with it. but hollow on the mid-palate, shorter than expected on the finish, thin on fruit, and lacking the typicity of black olive and bacon fat I'm looking for. Not worth buying and even less worthy of cellaring. Would be a good quaffer if it were to cost $15/bottle.

Syrah/Viognier Blends

• 2001 Jean-Michel Gerin Côte-Rôtie Champin le Seigneur - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  This one was significantly better than the Bernard. Had the black cured olive and bacon fat aromas and flavors. Smoke and beef blood. Decent depth, and solid finish. Should hold up well for many years and improve. Interestingly, Tanzer scored this one quite a bit lower than the Bernard. Different folks, different strokes, I guess.


• 2003 Kangarilla Road Shiraz - Viognier - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  Not my cup of tea. Too blowsy, but most distractingly, I tasted tons of dried apricot. Some called it apricot jam, but I think it's even sweeter and more cloying than jam. Although the rest of the wine has appeal, and I can see how this could make an interesting pairing with spicy food or thick and juicy BBQ ribs, this just isn't for me.

The Dessert Wines

• 2006 Domaine des Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
  Weird wine. Had a slightly bitter edge to it, and I thought it didn't go well with the dessert. Not sweet enough to be a dessert wine by my definition, and too sweet to consume as a table wine with other foods than dessert. Just in that exact spot where I thought it's difficult to pair. Not my favorite.


• 2004 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu Ayguets - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
  I liked this a lot. Sweet and round with nice peach and apricot, sufficient acidity. Was a great match to the tangerine dessert. Definitely the better of the two dessert wines IMO.

At the end of the night, I was apparently feeling too confident, and I bragged about my Creme Brulee. Turns out JohnGL spent a year perfecting his recipe, and let's just say it's way more elaborate than mine. Tonight I'll be making his recipe to see how much better it is than mine (if it isn't, I'll be shocked). I'll report on this event at some other point in time.

VILLA DIXON DEGUSTATION (11/28/2008)

Last night, a few of us got together at Villa Dixon to celebrate Earl and Diane's launch of their new online cookbook of the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. All the recipes from last night came from this cookbook and are from the best chefs in the great Lone Star State. Although I am friends with Earl and Diane, I feel comfortable saying that cooking from this cookbook is going to be fun for cooks of all proficiency levels. If you feel like you'd like to check the cookbook out, just go to:

http://winefoodcooking.keepercollection.com/content/display/page/home

It's a subscription service, but I suspect many of you will find it interesting and worthwhile.

At dinner, there was also another fellow blogger who writes about food. To make this post more entertaining, here's the link to his post for pictures of the food and detailed notes on the meal. Enjoy.

http://www.alcoholian.com/?p=1573

With Maytag Blue Cheese Potato Chips

Picture of this course

• 2007 Bisson Prosecco Colli Trevigiani IGT - Italy, Veneto, Colli Trevigiani IGT
  Best prosecco I've ever had. Surprisingly lean and structured, although still simple in nature and not something to contemplate over. Yeasty flavor with some white bubblegum. Good match with food, but maybe a touch high in residual sugar for me...a drier sparkler would have cut the blue cheese slightly better, I think.


• 1989 Kerpen Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Poor match for bluecheese. Competed too much with it. Great wine by itself though. Classic petrol/fuel, peaches, and jasmine flowers with nice cut, zingy acidity. Liked it, just not with the food. AP Nr. 2576 562 990.

With Smoked Duck Diablos with Red Chili Glaze

Picture of this course

• 2002 Domaine Fourrier Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vougeot 1er Cru
  Awesome bottle of wine and one of the best food pairings of the night. Seemed young with some ground coffee, pepper, dark fruit, and plum. Spice on the palate along with tree bark, moss, and some orange peel. Solid structure and acidity that should allow for many more years of aging.


• 1997 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
  A disappointment. Thin on the fruit, very advanced appearance. Rusty orange color, very cloudy opacity. High toned, high acid, very earthy with pine forest floor flavors and aromas. Fruit was thin and nearly gone. Not obviously flawed though. OK wine at best and needs to be consumed now.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Chorizo Soup with Crawfish Croutons

Picture of this course

• 2002 Maison Bertrand Ambroise Ladoix 1er Cru Les Gréchons - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Ladoix 1er Cru
  Lovely wine. Very stony, minerally, and chalky. Gunflint and blossoms and some subtle citrus, apple, and bosc pear. Not a hint of oak and reminded me more of Chablis than anything else. Was a touch too subtle for the soup course, but nice nevertheless.


• 2007 Soc. Coop. Vitivinícola Arousana SCG Rías Baixas Paco & Lola - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
  Great match for the soup. Fresh fruit and cut grass flavors with a more intense and full bodied experience than the other two whites served side by side. Great everyday drinking white. Just under $20 per bottle at the local Costco. Recommended.


• 1995 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Le L D'Or - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
  As always, very reliable. High acidity with green melon flavors and salty/briny finish. Proverbial sea breeze in a glass. Good match for food.

With Diver Scallop Carpaccio

Picture of this course

• 2003 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Ashley's Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills
  Good wine. Not extremely heavy on the oak, but more oak than I typically would indulge on. The nose is very un-like any Chardonnay I've ever smelled or unlike any California white I've ever smelled. Better on the palate than the nose with some intense, dense Chardonnay fruit with a touch of honey, caramel, and a shot of minerality.


• 2002 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen - USA, California, Sonoma County
  Classic RRV Chardonnay with tell-tale buttery flavors and aromas. By far the most suave white wine in the lineup and it's oily texture goes down incredibly easy. Has an interesting amber and brown sugar element. Despite all the softness of texture, it retains just enough acidity to remain captivating. Finishes strong and gives you something to think about. Probbaly a wine I'd like to sit down with and stew over for a few hours.


• 1998 Mathern Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
  Sensational pairing with the diver scallop. Layered with apple, candlewax, and grapey flavors, the acidity of this wine cut through the buttery texture of the scallop beautifully. AP Nr. 7750 043 1799.

Braised Pork with Cardamom, Serrano Peppers & Sweet Potatoes

Picture of this course

• 1979 Château Figeac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
  Great bottle. Exactly what I expected with old-school St. Emilion truffle, animale, and blackberry, and mocha. Finished great and was a good match to the food. Definitely in a great drinking window right now.


• 2001 Bodega Abel Mendoza Rioja Jarrarte - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
  Excellent wine and another amazing food and wine match. The fact that its spice and structure was more noticeable than in the Figeac, turned it into the better wine for this particular food it was served with. Full bodied with ample structure and great freshness and a little dustiness. Somewhere between more tradtional and more international style, but delicious either way.

The Chicken & Pancetta Cacciatore

Picture of this course

• 1999 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Riserva Piano Di Montevergine - Italy, Campania, Taurasi
  Dark and brooding. Brawny and in typical funk style for this winery. Has some undergrowth and dried herb flavors lurking behind the wall of blackberry and black currant fruit and tannins. A bit wild and untamed. Only OK as a food match, as the chicken would have fared better with a more subtle set of flavors in my opinion, but it was still enjoyable.


• 1990 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  I've had many CdPs and many older ones, too...but never one like this. Popped and poured, this was dark as night and tasted like Northern Rhone Syrah to me. I have no idea what the cepage is, but the Syrah component must have been huge. A part of me is so confused about tasting this that I am at least tempted to think it could have been a fake. Don't get me wrong...this was a very, very good bottle, but it just wasn't identifiable as CdP. I am suspect, but it was good nonetheless.

Caramel Filled Brownies

Picture of this course:

• 1995 Araujo Estate Syrah Eisele Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Still a baby, really. Big, big black fruit with some cedar notes and licorice. Very well made wine, but a touch too much for my taste. Lacks some of the elegance the Chapoutier had. That being said, it was a magical pairing with the rich brownies.


• 1995 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  This is Syrah the way I love to drink it. Obviously cool climate, this has a cool feel to the palate with silky texture and loads of dark fruit and ample acidity. Structured to go many more years in the cellar, but certainly no shame to drink now. Great way to end the evening.

Thanks to Earl and Diane for the hospitality and the fantastic food, and thanks to the rest of the crew for making it a memorable evening.

Birthday Dinner Chez Pelz

Last night, our friends convened at our house to celebrate the birthdays of our friend Lauryl and myself. For the occasion, the food was as follows:

Appetizer: Melted brie with home-made crispy hazelnut bread and red pepper jam (prepared by Shannon)

Entree: Whole bone-in pork loin chop with braised kale and porcini risotto (prepared by yours truly)

Dessert: Apple/Almond Gratin (prepared by Lauryl)

I actually had made a cranberry/apple chutney well in advance, but I forgot to serve it with all the hustle in the kitchen....I guess we'll save it for Thanksgiving.

With Appetizer:

• 1998 Deutz Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne
  Served last night with appetizers. Very tasty and those familiar brioche and yeasty flavors I love in BdB. Bead and mousse were a little more coarse than I expected, but overall, this was excellent.

With Entree

• 2004 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Olivets - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  I continue to enjoy the 2004 CdPs. This wine was very clearly a CdP with red fruit, red licorice, some olive tapenade and garrigue. This is as typical and traditional a CdP as I have tasted in a while. Very mellow already and ready to drink without further cellaring. I liked this a lot.


• 1982 Château de Sales - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
  I love mature Bordeaux. This bottle had been lovingly stored as it was in great condition. Red fruit, plum and tobacco on the nose had me guessing left bank Bordeaux from 78/79, but alas I was wrong. Either way, this was just fantastic and kept unwinding throughout the evening. Very smooth texture and textbook finish with tertiary flavors dominating. Impressive showing.


• 2005 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes (Chantemerle) - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Another CdP. Although I recognized this as a CdP, it was in a different style from the Sabon. Much bigger and more fruit forward, and with a much darker fruit profile, this nevertheless had the elements that I associate with CdP...garrigue, olive tapenade, almost slightly oily texture, truffle/earth and black licorce. Finishes strong. Seems like it would have a fairly good size Mourvedre and Syrah component. This is a candidate for extended cellaring in my opinion, and a wine I am glad to own some of.


• 2004 Icardi Langhe Nebbiolo Surisjvan - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
  I pegged this correctly as being from Italy, specifically Piedmont. I incorrectly thought it was a Barbera. Either way, it had the typical acid and funk profile I love in Piedmont wines. Great balance and dark fruit with floral undertones. Finished well. I rather liked this a lot.


• 1995 Château Troplong Mondot - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
  Great bottle. Every time I drink this '95, it reminds me how much better it is than its '94 counterpart. Definitely still young with good structure, but it's beginning to get mellow and it shows some secondary flavors of earthiness and leafiness. Some tobacco and black currant with a touch of earth and truffle. Everything is here and all with great balance and class. A reminder why I like Bordeaux even if I don't currently drink very much of it.


• 2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
  Decanted for 7 hours. Dark, almost black color. Nose is intense with black fruit, leather, and some earthiness and cedar. Incredibly velvety texture and monster finish. As much fruit and structure as there is in this wine, there's also plenty of acidity to balance the wine out. It's definitely balanced impeccably. For lovers of traditional Brunello, this may be a disappointment as it is made in a modern style, but to drink with food, it was very good. That being said, to me, I align more with Galloni's assessment than Suckling's.


• 1999 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  And yet another CdP. Again, I guessed this as CdP because of the garrigue, licorice, creosote, and earth/truffle. A big, dark, brooding CdP, that I would guess has significant Mourvedre and Syrah precentages in the blend. Finishes very strong, and it's a candidate for long term cellaring as well. Nowhere near sa approachable as many other 2004s I have had.

With Dessert

• 1998 Château Climens - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
  Very good. Golden color. Clean, focused honey and pear with some honeysuckle. Good companion to the apple gratin dessert.

DINNER CHEZ PELZ - (3/23/2008)

Casual dinner at our house with another couple.

With fresh gulf shrimp in Spanish tapas style:

• 2006 Pierre Sparr Riesling Reserve - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC
  Was good again tonight, although with noticeably more fruit than the Luneau-Papin. The fruit had almost tropical elements to it but stayed in the apple and pear spectrum afterall. Was another great food match tonight.

With little neck clams Portuguese style (with dry chorizo and white wine broth)

and

Fresh Bluefin Tuna Sashimi:

• 2005 Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Le L D'Or - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
  Amazing wine. Great minerality, great delineation, great finesse, great acidity, great roundness and no hard edges. To describe this wine in terms of fruit, misses the point of this wine, IMO, so I won't attempt. It is very floral, racy, zingy, and fun. Paired as well with the food tonight as any food/wine pairing I've ever tried. At the $16 I managed to snag this, this is a case buy.


• 2000 Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  This was not good. Very course bead, almost like one dropped a tablet into fizzy water. Very bitter on the finish and hollow on the mid-palate. We all tried and poured our glasses, and ultimately the bottle, down the sink.

With Ham and green beans

and

Veal shank provencal style:

• 1989 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
  Popped and poured. A slightly browning edge at first, but with air, the color becomes solid dark garnet red. The aromas of this leap out of the glass and I swear you could smell it from feet away. Leafy mushroom, earth, truffle, and cassis wrapped into a round, fully mature body that leads into a long, long finish. Just a joy to drink and although I think this has many years left in the tank, it is drinking positively stunning right now with all the secondary and tertiary flavors one could wish for. This is a benchmark wine for me. Not only for Chinon, but in general. One of the best wines I have ever tasted. Goes without saying that at less than $50 per bottle, this has to be one of the finest wine values in the world.

Assorted Cheeses and Easter Cake:

• 1998 Patrick Lesec Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Galets Blonds - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  I suspect this wine was minimally corked. It was so subtle that the fruit was completely unaffected, but the nose was in my opinion. With that said, it still drank nicely and we almost finished the bottle. Definitely a more old-school wine in flavor profile that seems to emphasize the Grenache component very much. Very ripe year though, so viscosity was high. Plenty of underbrush/garrigue to match the kirsch notes this wine showed. Nowhere near over the hill. Was a great match for the cheeses.

1998 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

This was another great bottle of this. Soaring nose of earth, truffles, garrigue, plum, and hoisin sauce. Spectacular on the palate with amazingly delicate fruit framed by lively acidity, good structure, and waves of truffle, earth, and silky red fruit. Finishes great. Simply the best basic CdP I have ever had.

2004 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage)

It's hard to describe just how good this is. Popped and poured. Purplish garnet/ruby color. The rendered bacon fat and oil cured olive aromas literally jump out of the glass to attack you. Tarry, espresso, licorice, black currant and blackberry in an extremely elegant package. Finishes great and I can see this improving for so many years. The only thing I regret is not owning another case. I read on Squires' Message Board that JL Chave claimed Crozes Hermitage lacks terroir. I think he couldn't be more wrong based on this bottle. Buy all you can.

Braised Venison Dinner - 2/17/2008 (Chez Rick)

A few folks convened at Rick's house to have some braised venison and man was it good. The wines we drank with it were as follows:

With french cheeses

• N.V. H. Billiot Champagne Cuvée Julie - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
  My stomach is still getting over being a little upset a few days ago, so the idea of Champagne itself was testing for me. With that said, I really couldn't get into this. Very apple dominated and seemingly large-scaled, this was too much for my stomach's sensibilities last night. I tried and abandoned the glass when it became clear that I wouldn't be able to really enjoy it. Sorry Greg.

With local slow-braised Venison

• 2005 Château Duhart-Milon - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  My first 2005 and what a nice wine this was. Open for 2 days already and still primary and with a tannic bite on the finish. Great black currant fruit and balance though, and probably a wine that is still reasonable in terms of price for 2005 Bordeaux. I will try to secure some for myself. Very impressive.


• 2002 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Really nice wine and surprisingly big and rich for it being from the 2002 vintage (generally considered a "wash-out" as far as I know). Really super olive tapenade nose and palate with some nice dried herbs and meaty, smoky iodine flavors. Finishes great, and if someone told me that this was from a weak vintage, I would be hard pressed to believe it. Still very, very primary fruit though and no notes that indicate any significant development. With that said, I think RP has the drinking window wrong. I would guess this needs 2-5 more years of rest and it'll hold for at least a decade past that. Only caution...I like my wines old and tertiary.


• 1996 Pio Cesare Barbaresco Il Bricco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
  Most backward bottle of wine I have ever had, especially from Piedmont. When first popped and poured, it showed none of the tertiary notes I expected on the nose. The color of the wine was deep, dark, and rich. On the palate, this wine seemed brawny and serious. It took hours before this lost some of the primary fruit notes and showed some secondary notes. I don't know if it was the storage of this bottle that made it this backward, or if the wine in general is, but I would say that this needed at least 5 and as many as 10 more years before being opened at a reasonable stage of development. Everyone liked it a lot.


• 2002 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled - USA, California, Napa Valley
  I was skeptical of the Todd's wine, but it was actually pretty good. I'm not a big fan of California Cabernet, but this was very drinkable. I probably wouldn't run out and buy it because of my personal preferences, but I can see how many folks would love this.


• 1989 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
  Great bottle from my favorite producer of Crozes-Hermitage. Somehow, Graillot manages to make a wonderfully floral, minerally Crozes in virtually every vintage. This one was no exception. Sensational bacon fat, black olive, lilac, violet, and smoky meat flavors wrapped into a superb texture. I can't speak highly enough of this wine, a true achievement in terroir wine making in my opinion. My personal WOTN.

Thanks to Rick and his lovely fiancee for the fantastic evening, food, and hospitality.

2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Super dark garnet color. Nose is redolent with tree bark, earth, mushrooms, licorice, smoke and blackberry. A wine that is definitely in the black fruit spectrum. Interestingly meaty and iodine on the palate with more licorice and blackberry. Acidity pokes out a little for my taste. Finish is good and structure is very prominent. Clearly a very good effort from one of my favorite CdP basic cuvees year-in and year-out. If the acidity was just a little lower, this wine would be even better IMO. The 1998 is my benchmark for this cuvee. I am not complaining though given the price of $25 per bottle on release.

Christmas Eve Dinner and Wine

With appetizers

• N.V. Michel Turgy Champagne Réserve Selection Brut Blanc de Blanc - France, Champagne, Côte des Blancs, Champagne
  I really liked this. Got us started tonight and was a great food wine. Pretty yeast and brioche flavors and crisp apple that I find so common for BdB from Mesnil. Very dry. I almost wondered whether it was zero dosage. I would buy this anytime.


• N.V. A. Lancelot-Pienne Champagne Brut - France, Champagne, Cramant, Champagne
  I didn't like this as much as the Turgy. Still a great bottle of Champagne, but the mousse was a little finer and the fruit a little sweeter than the Turgy which showed much drier. Still a solid wine that shows less yeast and brioche than I am used to from BdB. Almost seemed that it had a roasted hazelnut and yellow flowers profile which I don't find commonly in BdB (of course for my palate).


• N.V. Cameron Hughes Lot 25 Carneros - USA, California, Sonoma County, Carneros
  This wasn't half bad. Clearly not as good as the Champagnes, but certainly not horrible. Good quaffer, especially considering the price.

With cream of wild mushroom soup

• 2004 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Very good. Dark garnet/ruby color and nice nose of cherry and allspice. Solid texture and mid-palate with good, sappy finish.


• 2004 Domaine Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Cuvée des Cigales - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
  Dark, but completely translucent appearance. Funky nose of leather, tobacco, and red berries. Needed a lot of time to open up, gain weight, and show fruit. Once there, this had a tremendous palate presence and finish. All I am looking for in a young, affordable Burgundy.

With homemade duck breast confit

• 2002 Château Pradeaux Bandol - France, Provence, Bandol
  Showing even better than the last bottle. Dark plum color with slight bricking at the rim. Sweet fruit and nice leather and truffle flavors. The Provencal sun is almost detectable in the wine. Super soft texture, but good, persistent finish. I would buy this again.

With rolled rib of beef au jus

• 1995 Réserve de la Comtesse - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  From magnum. Opened hours in advance but not decanted. I thought this may be good, but it was a real shocker just how good. Dark garnet color with killer nose of cigar box and cassis. Suave on the palate with layered fruit, earth, and tobacco/cigar box flavors. Finish was good enough to make this the ultimate food companion and incredibly fun to drink. Would buy again.


• 2003 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
  As always very reliable. Bacon fat and black olive tapenade dominate this wine along with nice blackberry. Very consistent profile between the nose and the palate and a great finish. It's worth twice as much as I paid for it and I'd buy it again. Fun wine.


• 2001 Neal Family Cabernet Sauvignon Second Chance Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Atlas Peak
  I'm not a big fan of California Cab in general, but this was very, very tasty. Lots of dark soft blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with some nice tobacco and tar mixed in. Light on its feet but lots of structure. No heat on the finish and no angularity to this...shows signs of high elevation restrained fruit (in a good way). Drinks incredibly well right now. Was decanted for about an hour before consumption.

With fruit tart and chocolate cake

• 1996 Château Guiraud - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  Drinking in a sweet spot right now. I can't imagine how this will get any better. Great aged flavors and smells of honey, poached pear, and white blossoms. Great acidity. This is really a great performer right now. Would buy again in a heart beat.


• 2000 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac - France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Monbazillac
  I still think this is showing a little weird. Very high residual sugar (much higher then the 96 Guiraud) and very low acidity. Viscous like motor oil and massive flavors of honey and flowers. Almost overbearing. Very good, but a tough match to food in my opinion. Would probably not buy again.

Wine Values - Where to Find the Gems in 2008

I've been known to be fiscally conservative, so spending limitless amounts on wine and even more on specific wines is and will never be an option. I always look for value when I buy any wine.

Although values are getting tougher and tougher to find, especially for highly rated, special occasion, cellarable wine, I have recently found value in some known, but also in some unexpected places.

Let's take a look at Piedmont for example. MacArthur's in DC (www.bassins.com) has tons of aged Barolos and Barbarescos from top producers in stock from the fantastic vintages of 1996-2001. Most of them are available for $50 or less. Producers like Bongiovanni, Corino, and Parusso stick out on the Barolo side for me while Produttori, Albino Rocca, and Sottimano make my heart beat faster on the Barbaresco side. As if that were not enough, Woodland Hills (www.whwc.com) sell the 1999 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco for less than $50 as well. To me, all these wines are screaming values given the high level of quality and expected aging window.

Of course, let's not forget about Dolcettos, Barberas, and Nebbiolos (not from Barbaresco or Barolo). Many great producers like Giacosa and Conterno make enormously tasty wines from these "lesser" grapes. Many of them can be had in the $20-ish price range.

Another stunning value right now for my tastes is 2006 Bordeaux. Sure, 2006 may not hold a candle to 2005, but the prices are also drastically lower. I believe there are very few areas in the world where one can get world-class Cabernet and Merlot for less money than in Bordeaux. I encourage you to look into it.

The trick with 2006 Bordeaux is to make a decision as to whether to buy en primeur or not. The dilemma is that demand is low for the wines of this vintage (with some exceptions like Ausonne), but the dollar being in free-fall currently means that when the wines come in, they may be more expensive anyway. Plus, with en primeur, one can be sure that the provenance of the wines is impeccable, which can get a little less certain when the wines arrive at retail. 2004 also offers some great value for very fine wines from Bordeaux.

The Southern Rhone is also a place where great wine can be had for relatively little money. 2004, hailed as a good but not great vintage by Robert Parker is liked much more by the English Wine Press (Decanter), and the wines have great finesse, slightly lower alcohol, and are less tannic than their 2003 and 2005 counterparts. They can be drunk now or cellared for many years. Just yesterday, I secured a couple of bottles of 2004 Marcoux CdP for $35 per bottle. An exceptional deal for an exceptional wine from one of the top domaines in CdP. 2005 is also looking like there are some values to be had. There are many highly rates wines under $50 and some in the $30s.

If CdP is too expensive for your tastes, expect the Cotes du Rhones from some of the top producers from the 2005 vintage to be very stellar and in some cases to taste like "mini-Chateauneuf". These will drink well young, and will go great with a meal most nights of the week without denting the wallet.

Bandol is another area where great wine is made at (still) very fair prices. Entry level red wines like Gros Nore are usually 100% Mourvedre and superb. Gary Vaynerchuck recently raved about Le Galantine, and even the big hitters of the appellation like Chateau Pibarnon and Chateau Pradeaux are available sub $30 in some cases.

In Burgundy, I discovered Beaune and Savigny this year, where in 2005, outstanding wines were made by producers like Bize, Morot, and Bouchard. These wines will drink well for many years (in some cases decades), but are balanced already and can be popped now. Equally interesting is that with the high quality of 2005 (from what I've tasted and read), many Bourgognes are going to be outstanding at bargain prices.

Champagne is another place where I think lots of great values can be found. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of grower champagnes. Often, excellent wines can be had for $30...the kind that can be popped now or cellared for many years. My favorite producers is Launois, but there are tons of other producers that offer similarly great champagne at similar prices.

Lastly, I still think there are some bargains to be had in California. For fans of the more traditional wines, I would encourage you to look at Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnays from Varner and Mount Eden. They are fresh, minerally, and with loads of typicity for their geographical origins. If you like Pinots, I encourage you to explore Walter Hansel, who is offering top-notch California Pinot in the mid-$30s.

That's it from the value frontlines. Please leave a comment or two in case you agree or disagree with my assessments. It's always more fun to have some interaction on this site.

2004 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Dark color. Earthy nose that shows blackberry and cherry along with tree bark, chocolate, and some herbs. When I first opened it last night, the tannins were pretty strong and the flavors were more in the blackberry spectrum, but after having been opened since last night (albeit in the cellar), this is now leaning towards a softer cherry style. If I'm not mistaken, this is 100% Grenache from 70 to 80 year old vines, aged in 2-3 year old barriques. Remarkably dark color and fruit profile for an all Grenache CdP in my opinion, and I wonder whether the super low yields have something to do with that. Drinks extremely well right now, especially with the Cacio Bosco cheese (truffled peccorino) that I am nibbling on with it. Finishes exceptionally well. Highly recommended.

2003 Patrick Lesec Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pierres Dorées (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

A stunner of a CdP. I don't know if mine was just an exceptionally good bottle or if this is stylistically in my sweet spot, but it's the essence of kirsch with cedar, spicebox, and amazing aromas of balsamico, and chinese hoisin / plum sauce. On the palate, it is like biting into ripe plum and bing cherry mixed with garrigue, earth, and tons of stuffing. Soft, velvety texture on a structured frame with a finish that goes on and on. By far the best 2003 Cdp I've tasted to this point. For me, this is profound.

2003 Clos du Mont Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Unique (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

This is nice. Kind of a tight nose that doesn't yield much, but what does peek through is a mixture of raspberry, leather, and wood. Much better and expressive on the palate, where this shines with some nice red fruit, and plenty of garrigue and earthiness followed by a full, plump finish. I do think this is a particularly backward style in this vintage for a basic cuvee. It's very good, but falls short of outstanding right now due to its being slightly closed. Revisit in a few years.

2000 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Dark ruby to garnet color and effusive nose of the essence of kirsch, garrigue, and tree bark. Just sensational texture, acidity, balance, and sweet blackberry and cherry fruit. Long, long finish. I really love this wine.

2001 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Light garnet red color. Aromatically, it doesn't offer up much, but the most obvious smells are dried herbs, pine sap, and a hint of kirsch liqueur. On the palate, the wine has a fair presence with a very good finish. Keeps leaning toward the pine sap and has a salty quality. Very good wine, certainly for the $27 at release, but not outstanding IMO. Maybe time will change this, but I just don't see the stuffing and complexity to call this outstanding.