The Great White Hunter Scores Again — Really Nice Whites For Under $15.

No shit, there I was, surrounded by angry bottles of vino blanco. Chardonnay to the left of me. Sauvignon Blancs to the right of me. They well knew how many of their kin I’d taken, and by god, they meant to have their revenge. Alright, so I was really just in the wine aisle of Trader Joe’s and Albertson’s, but this thing has go to start somehow. Right? And the good news is that I have four really nice new whites for you to add to your next shopping list. Best of all, the spendyest of them is just $12.99!

We’ll start with the most expensive, which is a Sauternes — the legendary dessert wine of France’s Bordeaux wine region. These wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc & Semmion grapes that get a beneficial mold on them that the French call the Noble Rot (botrytis). This mold makes tiny holes in the grape skins, causing the grape to lose water and concentrating the sugars. The most famous and expensive of these wines is Château d’Yquem. It can costs hundreds a bottle. But we’re not talking about d’Yquem. We’re talking about a TJ’s wine named G. Chevalier Sauternes 2009. I’d never heard of G. Chevalier, but following a tip from my buddy Perrin Lam, I read the back label, where I found the phrase “…has been specially made for Trader Joe’s by Chateau Guiraud. That name I know. Guiraud is no d’Yquem, but it’s a real-deal Sauternes House. Here’s what I thought: Rated 1 to 5 stars.

G. Chevalier Sauternes 2009 — 14% Alc $12.99 for half bottle

COLOR —  Medium gold

NOSE — Candied apricots, lychee nuts, wet stone and a touch of gasoline (trust me, it’s supposed to be there)

TASTE — Sweet candied apricots and lemon rind, a bit of lychee nuts and a hit on minerals.

FINISH — Medium bodied, mouth coating with the apricots pushing to the end. Not much acidity, but enough to keep the sweetness from being too much.

RATE —  3.5 Stars. It’s not rich enough to go any higher, nor is it complex enough. But, at $12.99, per half bottle, it’s the best Sauternes deal going. It’s yummy. Anyone who likes dessert wines will love it.

Next up is the cheapest of the wines, Sauvignon Republic’s 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand. Sauvignon Republic is a group of folks who go all over the world, searching for good Sauv Blanc that represents wherever it was grown. I found this one at Trader Joe’s for only $6.99.

Sauvignon Republic Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2011 — 13% Alc $6.99

COLOR — Light gold, clean and clear.

NOSE — Minerally grapefruit and lemon, a bit of fresh-cut grass.

TASTE — Grapefruit and citrus flavors with a bit of melon and grass.  

FINISH — This wine is a bit richer than most NZ Sauv Blancs, and its finish is not as zippy as most. Still, it’s fresh and lively, with citrus flavors. Medium length.

RATE —  4 Stars. This wine is no brainer at $6.99. Try this!!

Time for an even better Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand, namely the Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011. I found this one at Albertson’s for $9.99 w/club card ($8.99 if you buy six). This wine is everything I love about Marlborough Sauv Blancs! Bright and zippy, it’s mouth watering and makes you want to take sip after sip.

Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011 — 13.0% Alc $9.99

COLOR — Pale straw, clear, all the way to the edges.

NOSE — Guava and pink grapefruit with hints of stone and cut grass.

TASTE — Bright citrus and guava with a little grass.

FINISH — Light to medium bodied, long finish of citrus and minerals, with vibrant acid. Lingers on and on, making your mouth water for more.

RATE — 4.5 Stars. This is great stuff!! I’ve already bought six of them, and one’s gone down. A perfect summer wine, or anytime you have grilled shrimp, smoked salmon or goat cheese.

Finally, we’ll finish with a new vintage of a wine whose 2009 vintage disappointed me a bit — Trader Joe’s Jacques Bourguignon Chablis 2010.

Jacques Bourguignon Chablis 2010 — 12.5% Alc $8.99

COLOR — A medium pale straw yellow. Quite clear.

NOSE — Honey suckle, lemon-lime, with a touch of crushed stone and talcum powder.

TASTE — Green apple with lemon-lime fruit flavors, some honey and just a touch of minerals. Plenty of flavor and medium bodied.

FINISH — Bright citrus, honey and stone, medium length. Good acidic verve here, like a Chablis should have. No oak what so ever.

RATE — 4 stars. This makes up for the lacking 2009 vintage. The price has gone up a buck, but for $8.99, it’s a great way to try Chablis (Chardonnay grown in the village of Chablis, Burgundy, France).

This could be a really happy New Year — The first Trader Joe’s finds of 2012

OK here we go, the first tasting of the New Year. Doing three wines this time around, all from Trader Joe’s. Two bottles I’m really excited about because they come highly recommended by a wine buddy from San Francisco, with a palette that’s more educated than mine — Perrin Lam. If Perrin raves about something, I gotta try it. The other bottle is one a friend mentioned after reading my Cheap Bubbly blog — Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs @$4.99.

So let’s talk about the TJ’s Blanc de Blancs. I’m a bit dubious about it from the get-go. The Label says “French Sparking Wine.” Meaning it ain’t from Champagne because if it was, it would say so all over the bottle. So what the hell is it? Well, there are two other main sources of sparkling white wine in France, Cremant de Bourgogne (Chardonnay from a cooler part of Burgundy), or sparkling  Vouvrey (Chenin Blanc from the Loir village of Vouvrey). This wine could be either, or both.

Blason du Bourgogne Saint Véran 2009. This is a White Burgundy, a Chardonnay from the Burgundian village of Saint Véran. To get a good Saint Véran for $8.99 doesn’t happen often. Like never. So fingers crossed that this one lives up.

Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2010. In my opinion the Russian River Valley grows the best Pinot Noir outside Burgundy, France. Finding a good RRV pinot for under $15, or even $20, a bottle is my search for the Holy Grail. Let’s hope this is it!

 The Wines

 Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs — 11.5% Alc $4.99

COLOR —  Pale gold, with nice lively bubbles.

NOSE — A touch of match stick, bit of bread crust and pears. I think this is Chennin Blanc, maybe with a bit of Chardonnay.

TASTE — Bright, zippy green apple juice with a touch of lemon rind. There’s a little something green and unripe. And maybe a bit of sea salt.

FINISH — Light bodied and bright with zippy acid. It goes on a bit, leaving something like Granny Smith apple skin on the palette.

RATE —  2.5 Stars. It’s not rich enough to go any higher, nor is it complex enough. Mind you, at $4.99, it’s better than I expected it to be. Far better than anything else within $2 of it! Great Mimosa stuff.

Blason du Bourgogne Saint Véran 2009 — 13% Alc $8.49

COLOR — Medium gold, clean and clear.

NOSE — Minerally white peaches, a bit of candied lemon peel and white blossoms..

TASTE — Rich minerally yellow pit fruits, like peaches and nectarines. There’s a great bit of sea salt and acidity. Really fills your mouth. After this got to room temp, a very nice honey note came out, and the minerality became even more pronounced. 

FINISH — Medium-long, rich with a buttery feeling, but there’s no oak on this wine. It leaves flavors of peaches and peach skin, with sea salt and a hint of white flowers.

RATE —  4 Stars. This wine is better than the Blason de Bourgogne 1er Cru, and .50 less! This is the best $8.49 Chardonnay you are going to find. Screw the price, I’d put this up against wines costing much more. Try this!!

Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River  Valley Pinot Noir 2010 — 13.5% Alc $12.99

COLOR — Clear ruby red, of medium depth, all the way to the edges.

NOSE — Crushed red berries and strawberries, with a bit of cherry cola, rose petals, and something earthy.

TASTE — Bright red berries and strawberries with a touch of sweetness, rose petals, a little minerals.

FINISH — Medium bodied, long finish of berries and miners, with good acid. Nothing green or stemmy.  Lingers on and on.

RATE — 4.5 Stars. This is the REAL DEAL!! Russian River Valley all the way. It’s like turning the clock back to 2003 prices. I’d stack it up against pinots twice its price, maybe more. And it will get better with age. Great stuff. Perfect with salmon, roast chicken, even pork. I’ll be buying a lot more.

Budget Bubbles for NYE — 2 Usual Suspects & 1 Ringer

OK, New Year’s Eve is coming. It’s inevitable. Tradition demands something bubbly to toast with at midnight. But what to get? There are a lot of fancy foil-wrapped, wire-caged bottles out there, and DAMN some of them are really expensive! Me, I’ll be drinking French. Champagne, the real deal. My house bubbly is Nicholas Feuillatte Brut. What if you don’t have a “house bubbly?” (You really should, you know.) And what if you don’t want to pop for around $30 a bottle for the French stuff? I gotcha covered. Here are three California sparklers that will fit the bill for $15 and under. All are Non Vintage Bruts that come from a specific area, not generic Californians.

The wines:

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV, $14.99 @ Trader Joe’s

Piper Sonoma Select Cuvée Brut NV, $12.99 @ Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut NV, $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s

  

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut NV — 12.5% Alc —  $14.99 @ Trader Joe’s

COLOR — Medium gold, with a good head of mousse and medium-vigorous bubbles. Some are a bit big, while others are nice and fine.

NOSE — Nice green apples, bread dough and a bit of something like Bosch pear skin.

TASTE — Granny Smith apples, Bosch pears a touch of almond and bread.

FINISH — Bright and zippy that turns a bit creamy. Medium bodied with a persistent taste of apples and dough.

RATE —  4 Stars. This sparkler always delivers a very nice glass of bubbles. I liked it better back when it was $9.99. I think this wine gets forgotten. The most elegant and “French” of all three.

Piper Sonoma Select Cuvée Brut NV — 13.5% Alc — $12.99 @ Trader Joe’s

COLOR — Pale gold, not much mousse, and sparse, medium-size bubbles

NOSE — Floral Bread dough with red pears & apples and a bit of white peach.

TASTE — Medium rich with slightly creamy red pears, apples and a light touch of yeast.

FINISH — Medium length, with creamy acidity, tasting of red apples.

RATE — 3.5 Stars. The 13.5% Alc shows in the wine’s richness. It’s less “French”, but still has some finesse. At $12.99, this is a really good buy.

Trader Joe’s Reserve North Coast Brut NV  — 12.5% Alc — $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s

COLOR — Pale to medium gold, little mousse, and lazy, medium-sized bubbles

NOSE — Golden Delicious apples with slight bread dough

TASTE — Creamy apples and Bartlett pears, with a touch of fruit skin

FINISH — Creamy medium bodied, with light acidity and medium length. Nothing green or ugly. Would like more verve on the finish.

RATE — 3 Stars. While it doesn’t have the great bubbles and head of the Gloria, this sparkler has a richness and depth to its fruit that makes it really appealing. But, there’s something thick and clumsy about it that lands it in third to the others. Still it’s ridiculously good at $9.99!!

I’ll tell you right now, you stock your NYE party with any of these sparklers, and your guests will be happy! They beat the absolute shit out of Korbel, Cooks, Frexinet and Andre. In fact, with this trio on the shelves, there’s no reason not to serve decent bubbly, no matter how big your NYE bash is. Pop a few of these, and you may find your guests drinking bubbly all night, not just at 12am.

If you’re willing to spend a bit more, here are some wines I’d rate higher than the tasting trio: Scharffenberger, Shramsburg  Roderer Estate (in France they make Crystal) and Iron Horse — all priced somewhere from $16 to just under $30.

Cheers!

Trader Joe’s does it again, with a White Burgundy for just $8.99!

One look at the label in the picture, and you’re probably asking yourself, “What the heck is a Blason de Bourgogne?” Tell ya the truth, I didn’t really know myself. But after a bit of web searching, I can tell you they’re marketing house that more or less takes wines from co-ops in France’s famed Burgundy wine region, and brings them to market. These aren’t the great wines of Burgundy by any means, but value-priced bottles. WARNING: wine facts coming. If you don’t know, Burgundy is home to France’s often amazing Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. A Red Burgundy is a Pinot, and a White Burgundy is Chardonnay. There that wasn’t so bad, now was it.

But so what, let’s get to the vino in question — 2009 Blason de Bourgogne Montagny 1er Cur. Shoot, maybe I should explain that one a bit. You know what 2009 means, but “Montagny” referes to the village in Burgundy where the grapes were grown. It’s one of the lesser villages, not a superstar like, say Gevrey Chambertin. “1er Cru” (pronounced Premier Cru) tells us what rank of vineyard the grapes came from. “1er Cru” is one down from the best, “Grand Cru.” The fact that we don’t see a specific vineyard name means the wine is a blend of 1er Cru vineyards. Still, a 1er Cru White Burg for $8.99 is unheard of.

To be honest, this wine doesn’t have the concentration, depth or power of a 1er Cru wine. That’s why it’s at TJ’s, for just $8.99. But it’s far from bad. In fact it’s a very pretty, medium-bodied “little wine.” Perfect for serving at holiday parties or dinners. On the nose, I get peaches/nectarines, peach skin, a bit of wet stone and this nice white flower note. Maybe Honeysuckle. In the mouth, it’s more of the same, with a light acidity, and not one bit of oak. Read NO VANILLA OR BUTTERSCOTCH. Pure fruit. And boy does it drink easy. But don’t serve it too cold. I found it was best after it had warmed up a bit, and opened up more.

If you can find a better $8.99 Chardonnay, buy it! Yeah, good luck with that.

Cheers!

I've heard that before — curing the non-wine lovers among us.

Every time I hear this, I take it as a personal challenge, “Oh, I don’t really like wine.” Them’s fightin’ words! Easy killer, take a breath and count to ten. Then I reply, “Really, what have you had?” Smiling, of course. “You know, some reds, some whites. I just didn’t like any of them.” Obviously, something needs to be done. I simply can’t let that stand, so I reach for a bottle. I yank out the cork, pour the liquid goodness into the right glass, pass it across the counter, and say, “Try that.” Wait for it!! Then comes the look of Oh My Gawd, and another soul has been saved.

Naturally, when a friend, Patricia, asked me to recommend some wines to cure somebody she knows that “doesn’t like wine,” I knew I had to help her out. Here are a few fairly common and inexpensive vinos that should change the mind of any wine doubter.

REDS

2007 Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico — $12.99 at Cost Plus and Total Wine (Las Vegas) This is a very juicy, medium bodied red that’s soft and easy drinking. No hard tannins, just lovely strawberry & red berry fruit, with hints of sandelwood and flowers.

2008 Saintsbury Garnet Carneros Pinot Noir — $15.99 at Total Wine (LV) Don’t let the screw top bug you, this is really good. Another medium bodied, juicy wine with bright finish, not a tannic one. Juicy red berries and strawberry with a spice and a touch of rosepettals. Great wit salmon & roasted chicken.

2008 Trader Joe’s Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — $9.99 at Trader Joe’s (LV) I’ve touted this wine before, and I’m doing it again. This way over performs its price, with medium to full bodied red currents, cherry fruit and hints of dusty sage and black olives and mocha. There are some tannins, but this is real easy drinking cabernet.

2006 Franciscan Napa Valley Merlot — $15.99 at Total Wine (LV) This is a Merlot even the guy from Sideways would happily drink. This is a med-full bodied red full of deep cherries, mocha, dusty sage and a touch of vanilla. The finish is soft, but the wine has enough flavor to stand up to steak, without the heavy tannic finish. This would be my ace in the hole out of this list.

WHITES

When it comes to whites, I tend to use Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. They’re so zippy and fresh, with great mouth-watering flavors of grapefruit, gooseberries, citrus and a touch of fresh-cut grass and minerals. Some of my favorites are Nobilo, Oyster Bay, Cloudy Bay, Kim Crawford, Starborough and Giesen. These wines are awesome with smoked salmon, goat cheese and anything shellfish.

However, should you really want to serve a chardonnay, there are a few you can go to.

Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard — $13.97 @ Total Wine (LV) This is a Santa Barbara County wine it’s gotten a bit too oaky for my tastes. But it’s also got lots of ripe pit fruit flavors, like peaches with pineapple notes. Soft and rich.

Martin Ray Russian River Valley Unoaked — $14.99 @ Total Wine (LV) This one is more to MY liking. No oak influence at all. Nice white peaches, nectarines and plum skin, with a bit of minerality. French in style. Never mind the screwcap.

Jordan Russian River — $15.97 @ Total Wine (LV) This is a well-rounded chrad, with a big famous name. They’ve backed way off the oak from years past (when I would pour it out), to give us a rich peach and meyer lemon and mineral centered wine.

Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County — $9.99 @ Total Wine (LV) A fine go-to CA chard with pit fruits, lemon crème, hazelnut and touches of vanilla (from light oak) and acidic verve. If it doesn’t convert the non-believer, it just might become your budget fave.

Now for a ringer, from France…

Bougrier Vouvray — $9.99 @ Total Wine (LV) The grape is Chenin Blanc, something used to make crap in the US (with a few notable exceptions), but In France it makes serious stuff. This one is slightly sweet and has a sparkly feel in the mouth, but no actual bubbles. Candied lemon and citrus, with a touch of minerals and a nice zippiness, too. I served this at a tasting, and people went nuts for it, even me!

Cheers,

Cracking the Code — What you can learn from wine labels & shelf talkers. Part 1.

We’ve all seen them, in the wine isles or supermarkets and wine stores. Shelf talkers and tags with lots of adjectives and exclamation points. Attractive bottle labels with dates, names and logos. But what the hell do they all mean?

Well, there's plenty you can figure out, by reading between the flowery lines. Let’s start with the talkers and tags. They can be the biggest load of bullshit, but they can be deciphered. First off, make sure the name and vintage on the talker matches the bottle it’s posted near. You’d be surprised how often these are wrong. Vintages change, but the talker from the last vintage is left up, or worse a different wine from the same winery gets put in the space, but the talker remains the same.

Now, let’s get into the lingo. First off, forget the scores. They’re just an indication somebody liked the wine, but it’s the tasting notes that tell you why. Those notes also tell you a bit about what’s in the bottle. Words like “buttery,” “creamy,” and “vanilla” can mean the wine’s had a  big oak treatment. And if the wine is really cheap, it can mean the wine didn’t see actual oak barrels, but had bags of oak chips sunk into it, while it sat in steel tanks. If that sounds dishonest, it is. Words like “racy,” “vibrant,” “bracing,’ and “clean” can tell you the wine has zippy acidity. Just what I look for in Sauvignon Blancs. “Tannic,” “structured,” “old world,” and “firm” can mean a red wine made in the old-school, lower-alcohol way, that needs time to come around. Wines like these aren’t big, fruity friendly wines that drink well young. Conversely, the words “big,” “soft,” “ripe,” “rich,” “friendly,” “forward,” “new world” usually refer to reds that are bigger in alcohol, lower in tannins made for drinking now.

So, what about the labels on the bottles? I’ll use the front label of a recent fave for example: Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Alc 13.5% by volume (in very small print). Pretty simple huh? Yes, and no. Let’s decode it. “Franciscan Estate” is the winery. “Napa Valley,” means no less than 75% of the grapes came from California’s Napa Valley, but they can come from different vineyards. A wine with a “California” designation can come from anywhere in the state. A wine with a vineyard designation like “Stagecoach Vineyard,” or “Estate Vineyard,” means 95% of the grapes came from that one vineyard. “Cabernet Sauvignon” means no less than 75% of the grapes in the wine are Cabernet Sauvignon, but that 25% can be anything else. Often Merlot or Cabernet Franc, but can be Zinfandel, Syrah, or others. “2007,” means no less than 95% of the wine came from the 2007 vintage. But that’s not all, it also means the grapes were harvested in 2007, not that the wine was bottled in 2007. The wine could have been barrel aged as long as 24 months before bottling. Most wineries will brag about extended aging on the back label. “Alc. 13.5% by volume,” tells you a lot. First, it’s a lower number, so the wine is more old-school, tannic and less ripe. It will taste more like where it was grown than a wine with a higher number. It's not a juicy, fruity wine. In whites a lower Alc % means higher acidity, and less super-ripe fruit.

Whew! That’s a whole helluva lot, isn’t it? And guess what, there’s more. This post has run on long enough. I’ll do a Part 2 later. But now you can find a bit of the truth locked in the shelf tags and labels of the next wine you look at.

Cheers,

California Sparkling wine for $9.99 at Trader Joe’s, and you drink it!

OK, so on my Facebook page I teased the question, “Can a CA sparkling wine from Trader Joe’s for $9.99 really be worth a damn?” Well, I happy to report the answer is, “YES!” I’m talking about the Non-vintage Trader Joe’s Reserve Brut North Coast Sparkling Wine. And yes, it’s only $9.99.

So why in the world would I try a bottle of bubbly from TJ’s? There were hints that it might be good on the label. First hint “North Coast.” There are more than a few nice sparklers that come from CA’s cool North Coast. It’s a good climate for bubbly. Second hint, the Alcohol level was only 12.5%, juts what most Champagnes come in at. Third and final hint, it’s a mix of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. Add all those up, and it was worth rolling the dice at $9.99.

So what’s it taste like? Red delicious apples and pears, with a touch of bread dough and maybe something minerally. It has enough acid to make it bright on your tongue, but there’s also a nice creaminess to it. And the bubbles are vigorous, and fairly fine (a good sign for bubbly).

Look, I’m not saying this’ll remind you of the French stuff because it won’t. It’s not complex or deep enough. But for $9.99 who the hell cares? This is like when Gloria Ferrer’s nice Sonoma Brut used to be only $9.99 at Cost Plus. Good bubbles you can crack on a Tuesday, just because. Run out and get you some, but leave a few for me.

Cheers!