A pair of 2005 Turleys

As the new shipment of Turleys have arrived, and the spring BBQ season is upon us, I've opened up two bottles from my stash recently. Up first was the 2005 Duarte Zinfandel. This was a nice wine from the difficult 2005 vintage, but not a Turley that really blew me away. I certainly enjoyed it, but it didn't make my list of top Turley experiences.

The other 2005 I had was the 2005 Cedarman Zinfandel. This bottle was quite enjoyable, especially in how it surprised me from the start. I truly think this wine could've passed for a modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape. It wasn't too heavy, but had plenty of fruit and even some of the garrigue elements I associate with a Southern Rhone Grenache. This was really an enjoyable bottle, and definitely the type of experience that reminds me why I buy these wonderful California wines each year.

Tour of Italy, part 2

Continuing all of the Italian wines I've had lately, I begin again in the Veneto. Up first are a pair of vintages of the same wine, the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre. This has been a favorite wine of mine for nearly a decade, as I believe my first vintage was the 1998. I still have some back vintages of the wine, as it actually ages quite well. As good as it has been, I think Allegrini has really upped the quality over the past few years. The 2004 was been my favorite young version of this when it first came out, and this latest bottle was just as good as usual. then I loved the 2005 as well, but, the 2006 vintage is really something - so fresh and full-bodied, yet refined. The wine can still be found for $20, and at that price continues to be a great bargain and a wine I will drink over and over.

Moving to Tuscany, I had the 2007 Argiano Rosso di Montalcino. Amazingly I found this wine locally for $16, another great bargain for a very good Rosso di Montalcino. This wine is pretty close to the 2007 Il Poggione, and at the price is a wine anyone who likes Sangiovese should seek out. It isn't a huge wine, but restrained and almost elegant. I have quickly gone and bought more.

Finally, I had the 2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. I haven't had too many wines from this region, and some of those I have had were "bargain" wines that really didn't offer much. This wine had a little more character, though I still wasn't blown away by it the first night. The second night it was better, and certainly an enjoyable wine that did more to show off the diversity of Italy. However, at the price similar to the other wines in this post, I'm just not so anxious to buy more.

Tour of Italy, Round 1

My consumption of Italian wines continues to increase, thanks in great part to the wide variety of grapes and styles present. Thus, I have two full entries just covering Italy from head to toe.

Up first was the 2004 Brandini Langhe Rosso. I was not familiar with this producer but picked up a bottle at one of the local shops on a recommendation. For the price (around $20) this was a fine bottle of wine, offering nice cherry notes. I drank it over multiple days and it held up well. It's a nice bargain from Piemonte.

Next was the 2007 Zenato Valpolicella, the entry level wine from one of my favorite producers. The 2007 Valpolicella isn't amazing, but it's a solid bottle. I think I prefer the Brig'aldara in '07, but there's no complaints about the Zenato either.

Moving south to Tuscany, I had the 2006 Volpaia Chianti Classico, another perennial favorite. Volpaia makes high-quality affordable wines from Chianti, and this one from the excellent 2006 vintage is no different. It's a great food wine too. Volpaia is one of several wineries I plan to visit on my trip to Tuscany in June.

My final wine was from further south in Campania, the 2004 Vinosia Taurasi. I picked this up originally just because it was an affordably priced Taurasi - only later did I learn it had been receiving some rave reviews. I can certainly say it warranted those, because this is an excellent representation of Aglianico, and even better when factoring the price (around $24 here). It is still a bit young for a Taurasi, with some tannin, but not overwhelming. However, the bottles I have since bought will wait for just a bit to see how they develop. I highly recommend searching this wine out if anyone is interested in learning more about the wines from Southern Italy.

A pair from Spain

I seem to be drinking less Spanish wine lately, at times having to remind myself to open one for more variety. One that I've had a couple of times is the 2007 Atteca Old Vines. It's been a favorite value selection of mine for a while, and while it is one of those more New World-styled Spanish wines, I still enjoy it. It is a 100% Grenache from Calatayud, and pretty full throttle, not unlike 2007 Rhones.

The other wine I had was the 2004 Finca Allende Rioja. I already had a bottle of this in the cellar, but a local store got more in, and after tasting an open bottle there, I decided to pick up more and try it. I've had the 2001 vintage of the wine as well, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This bottle was good, but not outstanding. I think it actually will do better with a little more time, so I intend to hold off a while before opening another bottle.

2007 Piemonte

2007 is shaping up to be another solid vintage in Piemonte, and three wines I've recently had from three great producers have shown the potential of this vintage when the big guns are released over the next two years.

Up first was the 2007 Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto d'Alba. This wine has been a favorite of mine, both in this vintage and earlier ones. This latest bottle was consistent with my prior notes, a delicious example of this varietal.

Next was a new release from one of my favorite producers, the 2007 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne. This Barbera doesn't have quite the elegance of the Sandrone Dolcetto, but is still a fantastic wine. It delivers plenty of fruit and a bit of complexity that may be unexpected in a wine of this price. Vietti seems to really be moving into the upper echelon of Piemonte producers, and as one of my favorites for a while, I am really enjoying their wines.

Finally, I had a wine that's not officially a 2007 vintage, the Albino Rocca Rosso di Rocca Vino di Tavola. As a Vino di Tavola, it can't include a vintage, but this is lot L 20.07. The designation is applied because the wine includes 10% Cabernet Franc in the blend with Nebbiolo and Barbera. However, it is a delicious wine, and also very reasonably priced. It is again a little different than the previous wines, with a little extra body from the Cab Franc, but it doesn't lose the typicity of the region, readily identifiable as a predominately Nebbiolo wine.

Overall, these are three great reasonably priced wines from three great producers in a region I continue to enjoy more and more. The wines are all great with food, and drink well in their youth, a great benefit while waiting for the top wines from the region to age into their prime.

Older Northern Rhones and younger Southern Rhones

Once again, I've neglected the blog for a while, so there is a lot to catch up on. I'll begin with a selection of Rhone Valley wines I've had over the last several weeks.

First up are two wines from the north. The 2000 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde was solid, but not spectacular. This is Guigal's entry-level Cote Rotie, made from purchased fruit. It can be really good (a 1998 I had last year was quite nice, but the 2000 vintage isn't quite as good. I did enjoy this wine, but as the price continues to rise on it, it's not the great value in Cote Rotie it once was.

The next Syrah-based wine was the 2001 Patrick Lesec Cornas Le Vignon. I had Lesec's other 2001 Cornas last summer, and as expected this one performed a little better. The Le Vignon was probably not going to get any better, as this seemed a good time to be drinking it. Still not a blockbuster, it was an enjoyable wine, and probably more on the modern style of Cornas.

Moving south, I've had more from the 2007 vintage. First was the 2007 Domaine Duseigneur Antares Lirac. This was not a producer I was familiar with, but the wine had a good review and a good price. I thought the wine had a pretty nice balance for an 07, but it didn't blow me away. There wasn't quite the fruit and complexity of some of my favorite Liracs (Mordoree, Jaume), but it wasn't bad either. I may try another bottle at some point, especially if the price remains low.

Finally, I had a bottle of the 2007 Perrin et Fils Vinsobres Les Cornuds. I'd had the 2006 vintage of this wine and came away slightly underwhelmed, but the 07 is a different story. This wine was really singing, a great 2007 Rhone. As I've been noting, it seems the 07's are just now starting to hit their stride, and this was no exception. The acidity has calmed a bit, and the wine seems in fine balance. It is one of many great values now available in 2007 Southern Rhones.

2007 Cotes du Rhone and Southern Rhone

Not surprisingly, I've been drinking quite a bit of wine from the 2007 vintage in Southern France. I feel like the lower-end bottlings are finally coming into their own, and not just those from the Rhone, but also other areas.

Up first was a wine from the Languedoc, the 2007 Mourgues du Gres Costieres de Nimes les Galets Rouge. I picked this wine up in Charlotte, as the 07 vintage has not arrived here in Atlanta yet apparently. It's a predominately Syrah blend, and is really quite outstanding, especially for the price (around $15 I think).

Next was the latest vintage of one of my perennial favorites, the 2007 Chateau Pesquie Les Terrasses. I've noted this wine before, and it's definitely a fantastic value. The latest bottle was just as good as the last, maybe even a bit better as the wine has really settled into a sweet spot.

I then moved into the Rhone for two more wines from this amazing vintage. First was another favored producer, Domaine Les Aphillanthes. The 2007 les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone still has a bit of acidity, but is settling into what should be a really great value. Another few months should see the wine hit its stride, but it is already quite good. I've really enjoyed the 2006 Cotes du Rhones-Villages from this producer, and this wine has the potential to be even better.

Finally, I had the 2007 Mas de Boislauzon Cotes du Rhones-Villages. This was actually the first wine I think I've had from this winery, but they apparently hit a home run in 2007. Their top Chateauneuf du Pape cuvee got 100 points from Parker, and while this wine isn't nearly at that level, it is still really good. Like I've mentioned with the others, this wine is just really coming into its own, and will probably be at its best over the next year or two.

Overall, there is just so much fantastic quality and value coming from the 2007 vintage in southern France. I keep buying so many of these wines, and after several months they are finally settling down and becoming the great wines everyone has said they would be. Over the next several months, I anticipate many more notes on this fantastic vintage.

Ridge - a favorite from California

While I certainly love Turley, my favorite California winery may actually be Ridge, which continues to make great wines at fair prices, and using a variety of grapes. I've recently opened two of the wines I got while Loudoun and I were on their direct shipping list. Up first was the 2005 Dusi Ranch Zinfandel. This is a full, rounded Zinfandel, but it isn't overpowering. Instead, it's got a bit more finesse and subtlety, but without sacrificing any of the great fruit. It's definitely a high-quality Zinfandel.

Up next was the 2002 Lytton Estate Syrah, the first predominately Syrah I've had from Ridge. It was an excellent wine, really showing off how California can do a great job with this grape, but not overdo it. This wine isn't an overly New World-styled wine, but more refined like a Rhone Valley wine. It probably helped that it had some age on it, but this wine was really in a great spot. I definitely enjoyed both of these selections, and they reminded me that I might want to start getting more wines from Ridge again soon.

Italian values

I've had several nice, inexpensive Italian wines over the last few weeks, from three very distinct areas (one popular, one emerging, and one still pretty off the map).

Up first was the wine from an "emerging" region, the island of Sicily. From one of the biggest wineries there, the 2007 Planeta La Segreta is a blend of 50% Nero d'Avola, 25% Merlot, 20% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine is very fruit-forward, certainly a bit more modern in style, but also quite enjoyable. For about $12, it certainly delivers plenty of drinking pleasure.

Up next was a wine from the region of Le Marche, I believe the first I've had. The 2006 Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno Piediprato is a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Montepulciano. It is really nice, soft, wine with a lot of finesse. Again, this wine was about $12, and is really a pleasure to drink, though much more restrained than the Planeta. I bought this bottle in Charlotte, but would love to find it here, as it is really a great value.

Finally, I had a wine from an area and a producer I am very familiar with, but this wine was new to me. The 2005 Ciacci Piccolomini Poggio della Fonte IGT Toscana is a great value from one of my favorite producers in Montalcino. A blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet, it is another fruit-forward wine, but very balanced. It won't confuse for a higher-end wine, but again the $12 price point makes this a fantastic value. I immediately went out for more of this one.

Overall, these three wines continue to show why I have fallen in love with Italian wines. These are all great values, and also three very different wines from different regions, and incorporate both indigenous and international varietals. There is just so much good wine being made in Italy today, and I love discovering it all.

Rhone cellar selections

I've been a bit slow with updates, but have several lined up over the coming days. To begin, I've recently had a couple of Rhone Valley wines from my cellar. Up first was the 2001 Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas, one of several wines from this producer that I have. I knew when I pulled this bottle out that it may be a little long on the tooth, and I was right. The wine wasn't shot, but it was definitely fading. On the first night, it was still good, though obviously not at its peak. By the second night, it had unfortunately lost more fruit, with the aged soy characteristics taking over.

Up next was the 2004 Chante Cigale Chateauneuf du Pape, the latest bottle from the case of this I purchased a couple of years ago. Every so often, I like to check in on this wine, and it is still not at its peak. The wine is very nice, with lots of traditional southern Rhone characteristics, and for the price I paid (about $19/bottle) a really nice wine. I think another year or two will put this wine at its peak, so I intend to wait a while longer before opening the next bottle.

Two iconic Italian producers

It doesn't always cost a small fortune to taste the talents of great producers, and these wines are two great examples. Up first was the 2003 Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo d'Alba. This wine isn't from a great vintage, and it certainly won't ever match up with the great Barolos and Barbarescos from Giacosa, but this wine was surprisingly full of life. Perhaps the age has allowed the tannins to soften somewhat, and the fruit is still there, which I was afraid would not be the case. I'd imagine that less talented winemakers wouldn't have crafted a wine that would stand up like this, but Giacosa has. I still have one more bottle of this, and will report on it in the coming months.

The second wine was a step up, as it is a young wine from a great vintage, just a lower-end production (though no slouch at $30 a bottle). The 2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico is really a treat. It is still quite young, and will benefit from a few years of age, but it is one of the best mid-level Chiantis I have had. This wine has everything I could ask for, with fruit, tannins, and acidity, which balanced out after a couple of nights. With a few years of bottle age, this will be a phenomenal wine. I have a bottle of 2004 still in the cellar, and another bottle of this 2006 as well. Of course, I had tasted this wine at Vinitaly and knew its potential, but just had to try it again to confirm. For those who might not be able to afford Fontodi's flagships (Flaccianello and the Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Riserva), this is a wonderful choice.

Two from the Veneto

I've had a pair of wines from a couple of my favorite producers in the Veneto over the past few weeks, one that's been a regular, and one the is a rarity around here these days. First up was the regular, the 2007 Brig'aldara Valpolicella. It hadn't been too long since my last bottle, but with this wine being available for a song locally, I've been a big buyer. The wine was just as good this time as last - simple, with lots of bright red fruit. It's a great everyday drinking wine that will go well with a variety of foods.

The next was was a bit more serious, but still a well-priced example of the potential in the Veneto. The 2005 Speri Ripasso adds the extra dimension from the Ripasso method, but is still more of an everyday wine. It's unfortunate that the Speri wines have become more difficult to find around here, as they are a great producer of traditional-styled wines from the Veneto. I definitely recommend searching their wines out if available in other areas.

2001's from Southern France - a lesson learned

I've opened a couple of aged French wines from the cellar lately, and just got to them in time. 2001 was 9 years ago now, so many wines will be showing their age. First up was the 2001 Patrick Lesec Kristial Chateauneuf du Pape. This wasn't a particularly expensive Chateauneuf, and was stored in my passive cellar for years. As such, I wasn't surprised at its advanced age. The wine still had some nice terroir and a bit of dark fruit from the Grenache, but it wasn't a stunner. I enjoyed the wine on the first night, but by the second, the soy notes characteristic of a very advanced Chateauneuf were creeping in.

Up next was the 2001 Chateau La Roque Pic St-Loup Cupa Numismae. I'm sad to say that having multiple vintages of this, I seem to have kept them all too long thinking the Mourvedre-dominant blend needed years to settle. Instead, these wines (again stored passively) seemed to age quickly. This wine was similar to the Lesec in that on the first night, it was still good, though not great. On the second night though, things were evolving fast, and it wasn't as enjoyable. Overall, I'm glad I didn't wait any longer on these two wines, and wish I had probably opened them a bit sooner. I'm trying to do a better job at cellar management, so expect more picks from there in 2010 as I grab wines before they begin to fade.

Finally back for 2010 - starting with Montalcino

Ok, so it's not Brunello, but I'll begin 2010 with the latest on Rossos from two of my favorite producers. First up was my latest bottle of 2004 Val di Suga Rosso di Montalcino from Tenimenti Angelini. I've had this wine several times before, and continue to enjoy it. The 2004 is really drinking well right now - in my opinion hitting its stride. I really think this is a great example of how Rossos still need a little time in bottle to develop, as this wine is so expressive with plenty of red cherry fruit and great balance of acidity to go with it.

Up next, I had my first bottle of 2007 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino. I've mentioned the 2006 before, which is a true gem, but quickly disappeared from store shelves. The 2007 might not be quite as good, but it is still a very nice bottle of wine. The wine is also quite young, but I wanted to go ahead and try a bottle (I've already purchased a couple more bottles to put in the cellar). For current drinking, I'd take the 04 Val di Suga, but in time this will probably be the better wine. Whatever the case, these are both wines and producers that I would recommend.