Don't Fear the Grape

OK, so I happened to stop by the Trader Joe’s on Excelsior Blvd in St. Louis Park last Saturday, and lo and behold there was a 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape under the label of J.L. Quinson selling for about $10. I thought, “No way,” so I checked with one of the guys in the store and he said it was awesome. So I picked up a bottle thinking, “Well, it should be a very good Côtes du Rhône.”

It is…and more.

Yes, I was turned off by its recent vintage, its still undeveloped youth. But damn! It had color, substance, body, fruit—in short, anything one would want in a good, albeit young, grenache-based wine. Far better than anything I have had from Spain in the same price range.

So it has had little or no barrel aging. But it’s excellently made and certainly reflective of what the appellation in a good vintage can offer.

Why is it so cheap? My only guess is that as well as being a very good to great vintage, 2009 also produced a surplus of juice. The J.L. Quinson label is owned by the venerable firm Pasquier DesVignes, owned by the Quinson family and located in Romanèche-Thorins, the home also of the sprawling Georges Duboeuf wine enterprise. My supposition is that Pasquier DesVignes had the juice by previous contract with growers—not uncommon in the wine business—and that cash upfront for the recent vintage was better than waiting around for the wine to age, putting it up against more well-known producers.

The upshot? A chance for us peons who prize good wine from good appellations to secure it at a too-cheap-to-believe price.

Is the wine drinkable now? You betcha. Will it be drinkable and enjoyable in 5 or 10 years? Ditto. While oak aging, which this wine lacks, adds a certain something to many wines—notably Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa Cabernets, Italian reds and more—because of the wine’s inherent balance—not too fruity, nor too tart, nor too tannic—the oak is not so much missed.

Bottom line: If you’re near a Trader Joe’s, buy this wine. Buy a case of this wine. Lay it away in a good cellar. For $10 a bottle, you (and your progeny, if you are an old fart like me) will be more than rewarded.

If it’s a German Piesporter Michelsberg Spätlese, YES!

I recently had a 2003 Josef Friederich Piesporter Michelsberg Spätlese Riesling. A 2003, you say? And you drank it in 2010? Yes. This wine is proof that a high-sugar content white wine CAN age and remain drinkable for quite a while (quite a while in the life of a white, anyway).

This Piesporter Michelsberg Spätlese is from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, and has an alcohol content of 8.5%. It’s a beautiful straw-to-golden yellow color with a medium depth and yet quite clear. Its nose is moderate with scents of honey and peach. As one may parse, this is a sweet riesling with a medium body and smooth acidity. Along with low tannins, this is a VERY drinkable wine, and best served alone. The flavors consist of honey, peach and even a hint of citrus and pear with a nice, long finish. I was surprised by how flavorful and complex this wine has remained in seven years of aging.

All in all, a very nice surprise! It’s sweet, flavorful with a very slight effervescence, and out of a 5-star rating I give it 3.5-4. So if you find yourself with a German riesling that you might think is past its prime, open it and give it a try! I know I will.

2005 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Oakville
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Notes: I decanted this wine 3 hours and I would imagine it would have tasted better day 2.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, spice, oak and vanilla
Taste: A juicy palate with good acidity.
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: Solid wine with plenty backbone. (92 pts.)

2004 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick

Region: Washington > Columbia Valley > Walla Walla Valley
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Earth, spices, vanilla and red pepper
Taste: Spices, vanilla, oak and red peppers
Finish: Medium finish and tannic.
Evaluation: Lacks typical Washington State fruit. (90 pts.)

2003 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard

Region: Washington > Columbia Valley > Yakima Valley
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Notes: Still tannic and decanted for 3 hours.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Leather, spice, cherry and pepper
Taste: Very complex palate with leather, spices, pepper, and oak.
Evaluation: This wine is drinking really well and should age nicely for 10 plus years. (92 pts.)

2005 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, oak, vanilla, smoke and cherry
Taste: What a powerhouse wine on the palate and shows a tremedous upside down the road.
Evaluation: While I enjoyed Conn Valley wines young they certainly get better with age. (93 pts.)

2004 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Out-of-sight-vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Floral, cherry, chocolate, and spices
Taste: Very balanced wine and the palate has flavors bouncing all over the mouth.
Finish: Really nice use of oak and there is a medium finish on the wine. A bit of chalk comes into the finish which was interesting.
Evaluation: Wow! Well made wine! (94 pts.)

2007 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: A simple nose with spice, pepper and floral.
Taste: Good flavors but nothing like out of the bottle.
Evaluation: An interesting wine that out of the bottle was great but 4 hours of decanting it lost its edge. I will cellar the remaining 2 and see what happens. (90 pts.)

2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Washington
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Notes: Decanted 5 hours.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Forest floor, spices, coffee, cherry and earth dominate the nose.
Taste: Very integrated wine with tons of complexity.
Finish: The finish is long and shows spice, floral, coffee, cherry, plum and leather.
Evaluation: Another great showing. No flaws on any part of the wine. This wine has it all and is drinking well now but I will revisit down the road. (95 pts.)

2005 Star Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California > Central Coast > Santa Ynez Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, floral and minerals
Taste: Palate is solid.
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: This is the first Cab I have tasted from Santa Ynez Valley and I think with some time this could improve a few points. (89 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled Chicken Ranch Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Rutherford
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Notes: This wine review is on day 2.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, daust, earth, oak and plum
Taste: On the palate dust, spices, floral, cherry and vanilla.
Finish: Medium and concentrated finish.
Evaluation: This is an amazing wine for the price point of $25. (92 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Cloud’s Nest Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Mt. Veeder
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Dust, minerals, charcoal
Taste: On the palate dust, cherry, blueberries, figs, charcoal, oak and floral.
Finish: Medium and multi layered finish.
Evaluation: Great acidity and this wine should improve a few points over the next five years. (93 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Mario’s Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Smoke, dust, blackberries, floral and oak.
Taste: On the palate awesome concentration with blackberries, blueberries, smoke, dust leather and oak.
Finish: Medium, mulit layered finish with some serious punch.
Evaluation: This is a cellar selection wine. (94 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Family Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Central Park West Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > St. Helena
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Bacon, charcoal, tobacco, and spice.
Taste: On the palate rich with cherry, bacon, charcoal, and earth.
Finish: Medium finish.
Evaluation: Since the recorded show I did on Trinchero wines this wine improved to a solid 91 point score. (91 pts.)

These three from Achaval-Ferrer are the best wines I have sampled in 2010! Anyone who doesn’t think Malbec can make a worldclass wine think again.

2004 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Finca Mirador

Region: Argentina > Mendoza
Date Tasted: 2/25/2010
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Very elegant with coffee, cranberries, boysenberries, and spices.
Taste: On the palate this has come around on day 2 with coffee, boysenberries, raspberries, minerals and a vary of spices.
Finish: Medium finish and balanced. On the finish a nice pepper quality is revealed.
Evaluation: Great wine! (94 pts.)

2004 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Finca Altamira

Region: Argentina > Mendoza > Valle de Uco > La Consulta
Date Tasted: 3/2/2010
Notes: Decanted 2 hours
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Amazing with floral, blueberries, perfume, and subtle spices.
Taste: The palate is showing blueberries, spices, floral and earth.
Finish: Medium finish and this wine is extremely balanced.
Evaluation: This is the best South American wine I have ever tasted! Thank you Parker Board for the $40 a bottle price! (96 pts.)

2006 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Finca Altamira

Region: Argentina > Mendoza > Valle de Uco > La Consulta
Date Tasted: 1/30/2010
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Amazing with floral, blackberry, coffee beans, blueberries
Taste: A chewy wine with amazing structure. The palate had an array of flavors featuring floral, blackberries, coffee beans, dust and cherries.
Finish: Long concentrated finish and drinking really well right now.
Evaluation: This is the best Malbec I have tasted to date. (95 pts.)