2006 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viogner

My favorite Rhone producer Chapoutier expanded in Australia several years ago with their US importer Tony Terlato, and I had tried this wine once in an earlier vintage. I found it to be quite enjoyable then, and very similar to my favorite Aussie, the D'Arenberg Laughing Magpie. However, the 2006 Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viogner was somewhat disappointing. The wine did not offer anything reminiscent of the Cote Roties the blend is styled after, and instead definitely came off more like some of the over-extracted Aussie fruit bombs that have come out.

On the second night the wine seemed to have settled a bit. The heat wasn't as noticeable, and the wine had definitely mellowed. However, it still was not at the level of the Magpie, to say nothing of having the more elegant profile of a Northern Rhone. It may have been enough to convince me to try another bottle and give it a little time, but we'll see.

2003 Guigal Cotes du Rhone

Another one of my standby wines most every vintage is the Guigal Cotes du Rhone from one of the most famous producers in the region. The 2003 was a phenomenal vintage, and after many great bottles, this may be the last one I have from that year as the 2005 has now appeared on some local shelves (no idea what happened to 2004).

As in prior tastings, this wine continued to show its worth. A darker, richer Cotes du Rhone that definitely has more Syrah than many blends, it has really been a favorite over the past couple of years. I definitely recommend it for the price, and look forward to trying out the 2005 vintage soon.

2006 Argiolas Costera

I had just recently tried a bottle of the 2006 Argiolas Costera and was a bit underwhelmed for a wine I've enjoyed in previous vintages, so I wanted to give it another try. This time, the wine was much more like what I have come to expect from this producer. It didn't quite match the high quality of the 2005, but it was still quite enjoyable. Drunk over three nights, the Costera, which is made from the Cannonau grape, offered great pleasure throughout.

Perhaps the wine just needed a little time to settle down, or maybe the last bottle had some slight heat damage. This time, there was plenty of fruit, and a lightness that kept it from seeming overdone. I'm glad to see that Argiolas is still on track, because this is typically a very good wine for the price.

2001 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf du Pape

Last weekend I cooked a cassoulet, so of course it meant I needed a Chateauneuf to accompany it. My choice was the 2001 Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf du Pape, a good and relatively inexpensive wine from my favorite appellation.

I am pleased to say this wine was really hitting its stride. With a few years of bottle age, it had really come into its own and was showing off pretty quick. There was the dark cherry fruit that is so typical of Grenache, as well as the great garrigue of a typical Chateauneuf du Pape (perhaps assisted by the blend that includes Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault). All this from a wine that I think was about $24 on release. It reminds me that even though prices from this region have really soared over the last few years, there are still some great relative values. If you can find a wine of this quality that can also age gracefully for several years like this, it is well worth it.

2005 Robert Biale Zappa Proprietary Red

It's rare these days for me to drink a Zinfandel other than those in my cellar (mainly Turley), and though this wine is technically labeled as a "Proprietary Red," Zinfandel is the largest component (the wine also has Petite Sirah and Syrah as well). I found this wine in Charlotte recently, where a store had splits for just $13 each, so I picked up a couple. I've had a couple of Zins from this producer and found them to be pretty good, so I was anxious to see how this wine was.

The 2005 Robert Biale Zappa is good enough to stack up with any of the great Zinfandels produced these days. Full-bodied with lots of dark fruits and spice, it also has just a bit of elegance that keeps it from totally knocking you back. I definitely recommend Biale to folks who are looking for some of the best Zinfandels and blends on the market today.

Italian standbys from the 2004 vintage

I've recently once again had two of my favorite Italians from the 2004 vintage, one from the North and one from the South. From the North comes the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre. As I've noted, this IGT offers plenty of drinking pleasure for under $20, and is really a great food wine. I'll add here that I found the 2005 vintage on a local shelf for the first time this weekend, so I will soon be moving to reviews of that vintage (I did taste it at Vinitaly last April).

Next up was the Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato. Once again, I've written previously about how this Aglianico is an elegant wine that many people would be surprised to find from the region of Campania. I think it is really a great example of what is possible throughout Italy, and is another great value at about $16. That, and every bottle takes me back to Amalfi where I first tried it.

1999 Chateau La Roque Pic-St.-Loup Cupa Numismae

Similar to the many Rhones I've had lately was this wine from the Languedoc. Chateau La Roque's regular Pic-St-Loup was one of the first wines I had as I got into wine, and I purchased this bottle of their higher end cuvee in Avignon in 2001. It was one of my first bottles for the cellar, so it was pretty special to me for that (though it can be found in the US now - I've got some later vintages too).

The 1999 Chateau La Roque Cupa Numismae was really quite a good bottle. I was wondering how it would have aged, but to me it was really peaking. There was plenty of fruit, but it was mellowed and aged, not in your face. There is a large component of Mourvedre in the wine, which is what really gives this wine the stuffing to age for a while. The wine had a nice long finish, and was just an overall pleasure to drink. Even on the second night, the wine hadn't lost much.

If you can find this wine in the most recent vintages, I'd certainly recommend it - for probably still in the $20-$30 range, it can definitely age for several years and will provide some great drinking down the road. I look forward to trying my later vintages over the next few years.

Another pair of Rhones

Rhone wines have been in very heavy rotation for me lately, as they seem to go great with many of my hearty winter meal choices. First up was the 2006 Domaine La Garrigue Cotes du Rhone, which I have noted previously. The wine was consistent with the last bottle, offering a bit of the typical cherry flavor of Grenache, and just a hint of the rustic terroir of the Southern Rhone area where this winery is located.

Next up was the 2005 Clos de Sixte Lirac. This wine is made by Alain Jaume, who is known more for his wines from Domaine Grand Veneur which I have noted in prior posts. I have become a fan of Lirac, and wish there were more producers from this smaller appelation. To me, it combines a lot of characteristics of the Northern Rhone with those of its true Southern Rhone locale.

This wine was a blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre, and quite full-bodied. It was also very young still, not fully opening up even on the second night. The Syrah certainly was providing the darker color and a lot of the body that made me think Northern Rhone, but there was the grip of the Mourvedre and hints of the Grenache's dynamic fruit. I've got another bottle of this that I have laid down, so I will be interested to see how it develops over the next few years.

2007 Cantine Colosi Nero d'Avola

Nero d'Avola is a somewhat unknown grape to many Americans, but it is the popular red varietal from the island of Sicily and produces some very good wines these days. Colosi was a producer I had not tried before, but with a $12 price tag and a 90-point rating from the Wine Advocate, I was definitely interested.

The 2007 Cantine Colosi Nero d'Avola was just what I was looking for. It's not the most complex wine, but offers up some very immediate cherry flavors in a lighter-bodied food-friendly style. On the second night, the wine held up well suggesting it has a bit of structure to hold up for a few years. It is yet another great example of the tremendous value available from a lesser-known region of Italy, and I certainly recommend it.

2006 Domaine de la Janasse Cotes du Rhone

One of my favorite wineries from the Southern Rhone is Domaine de la Janasse, which makes a wide ranges of wines from this simple Cotes du Rhone up to a top old vines cuvee of Chateauneuf du Pape. The simple Domaine de la Janasse Cotes du Rhone is usually about $12, and tends to be a great example of the variety available in this appellation as it is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and Mourvedre.

I usually enjoy this wine quite a bit, but this bottle seemed a little difficult. On the first night, it was a bit disjointed, showing some heat and not a lot of fruit. The second night the wine improved, with a little more balance and some nice cherry flavor, but still some heat. Overall, it wasn't quite all I'd hoped for, but knowing the track record of Janasse, I'll definitely try another bottle (if there is any 2006 still left on the shelves).

2005 Paul Autard Chateauneuf du Pape

Normally, I'm not going to open a Chateauneuf du Pape on a random Friday night, especially not such a young one, but I found this wine on special for $24.99 so it seemed like a good idea to try. I already purchased a second bottle too, so I'll get to see how it ages as well.

The 2005 Paul Autard Chateauneuf du Pape isn't a blockbuster, and it's definitely young right now, but there is some potential there. The wine was a bit tight, but there was some nice earthiness and spice that made it enjoyable, especially with a nice steak. On the second night, the wine offered even more flavor, certainly showing that it needs a few years before it will be at its best. I have another bottle, and if there is still more available at the price, wouldn't hesitate to get more to stash away.