Alsace is on my list of wine regions I hope to visit some day. It’s the eastern-most region of France, bordering Germany, and is culturally kind of a blend of French and German cultures. This is one of the reasons I’m intrigued by the region. Another reason is that they produce some incredible wines here and the prices of those wines are often fairly reasonable. They are most known for white wines and riesling is the most prominent grape in the region. And all Alsatian riesling is dry.
Domaine Ehrhart, the producer of this particular riesling, has a family connection to wine going back centuries but as a label only dates back to 1999. They practice organic and sustainable wine growing, a couple positive factors there. And they are imported by Robert Kacher Selections — an importer I trust to consistently maintain good quality wines in their portfolio.
Beautiful floral aromatics lead the experience with this wine. Light apple, lemon and mineral aromas can also be found. The palate is perfectly balanced and dry with apple, lemon and mineral flavors. The acidity is spot on. The finish is long and fantastic, leaving tart apple and lemon flavors lingering on the palate. This is a fantastic riesling.
Wine: Domaine Ehrhart Vieilles Vignes Riesling
Varieties: Riesling
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 92
Average price: $17.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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This is one of those wines that I don’t have a big background story on. It comes from Picket Fence, which is a brand in the Bronco Wine Company portfolio. You may not have ever heard of Bronco Wine Company, but you’ve probably consumed some of their wines. They are a giant in the bargain-priced wine category, with well over 100 brands in their portfolio (based on the list on their website).
A lot of the wines in the Bronco portfolio don’t have a specific appellation designation, beyond something broad like “California.” But Picket Fence comes from the Alexander Valley AVA in the northern part of Sonoma. This region is known for it’s cabernet sauvignon.
This may sound strange, but this wine smells dark. And I don’t think that’s due to the fact that I’m listening to some old industrial music as I write these notes. The aromatics are dense, intense and coincidentally remind me of dark-colored things like black currants, beets, black olives, blackberries and leather. It smells wonderful, although “dark” is not what I expected from a wine named “Picket Fence” – a name that conjures visions of a bright sunny day outside.
The palate is fantastic, offering vibrant acidity, a silky mouthfeel and delicious fruit flavors such as blackberry, cherry and black raspberry. The finish brings spicy fruit flavors that linger. Overall, this is a very good wine.
Wine: Picket Fence Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieties: Cabernet sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 88
Average price: $17.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
For a number of years I’ve been a big fan of Chilean wines due to the fact that you tend to get a lot of bang for your buck with wines from Chile. But that love of Chile is pretty much relegated to when I’m in the mood for “new world wines.” By that I mean that most bargain wines from Chile tend to be more fruit forward, big and aggressive versus lighter, more earthy and subtle as I find with “old world” wines.
And while I generally love crisp white wines from Chile, I find myself struggling at times with some of the reds. The main challenge I find is that sometimes Chilean red wines will give off a menthol aroma. I’ve found this most often in cabernet sauvignon. I don’t mind a little of it. It can make the wine interesting and give it character. But sometimes it’s just too strong.
The 2010 Apaltagua Signature cabernet sauvignon is an example of a wine that that shows some menthol. But fortunately the menthol isn’t overpowering and falls into the background as the wine opens up.
In addition to the menthol, it shows pencil shavings, black olive and black currant aromatics. The palate brings a really nice mouthfeel thanks to good acidity and tannins. The flavors include dense cherry, blackberry, apple peel and black currant. It finishes exceptionally long, with lingering apple peel and blackberry flavors. If you don’t find the menthol aroma to be too intense, this is a very enjoyable wine. Like I said, let it breath to calm down the menthol aromas if you find them too intense.
Wine: Apaltagua Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieties: Cabernet sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 88
Average price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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I’m a big fan of a good, dry riesling. And I’m an even bigger fan of a good, dry riesling that is bargain-priced. This is one such wine.
There are a lot of folks who buy wine based on the label… and I’d be lying if I tried to tell you that I have never been influenced to buy a wine based on the label too. But I’ve never been drawn to “critter labels.” In fact, I tend to avoid wine with critters on the label because I know that winemakers know that critters on the label sells wine. That right, there are a large number of consumers who will choose a wine because it has a cute critter on the label. That makes me suspicious that unscrupulous wine producers will put cute critters on their labels, therefore I avoid those wines.
When I looked at the label of this wine I wasn’t sure if I should consider this a “critter” labeled wine or not. It does have a critter on it, but that critter is not that cute. It actually looks like a rather evil fish. It’s not unattractive, it is somewhat artistic. It’s just not cute. Therefore I deemed this wine acceptable to try — and I’m glad I did.
This wine is all about the mineral. It has a very soft nose, that smells like wet stones with a touch of floral aromatics on the side. The palate is dry with crisp acidity. It offers some lemon, apple and slightly salty mineral flavors. This is a very tasty dry riesling.
Wine: Selbach Riesling Dry
Varieties: Riesling
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 91
Average price: $13.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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Back in 2007, when I started this website, I drank a lot of Spanish garnacha (or grenache). It tends to be an approachable, affordable, fruit-forward style of wine that’s easy to drink and easy to love. It’s often not a sophisticated wine (for lack of a better word) but tends to be just kind of a simple and fun wine.
I haven’t reviewed a ton of garnacha since the first year I launched the site, but I still get a chance to mix some in here and there.
This bottle showed up back in September when the PR folks behind this wine sent me a bottle for International Grenache Day — a manufactured holiday that creates publicity opportunities for wine producers. I had planned to play along and review it on Grenache Day, but I ended up with a horrible cold and wasn’t tasting any wines that week. And then, somehow, I overlooked the bottle for a while. But I’m finally getting around to it today.
This wine comes from Campo Viejo, a fairly big producer from Rioja, Spain. I reviewed some of their Rioja blends a couple years ago, which are the wines they are best known for. This garnacha is new to their portfolio as of last year.
Intense black cherry aromatics are the key feature on the nose of this wine, and it also shows some strawberry and raspberry aromas. The palate brings tart cherry, strawberry, cranberry and raspberry flavors. It’s very fruity, but not too sweet. The acidity is nice and bright. The finish is fairly long with tart cherry flavors that linger for a good bit. This is a nice garnacha.
Wine: Campo Viejo Garnacha
Varieties: Grenache
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 86
Average price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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Want another opinion? Check out these reviews:
I first came across Spelletich wines back in 2012, when I had an opportunity to review a few of their wines and I found that they struck my fancy. It’s a small winery in Napa Valley, California, producing only about 3,000 cases per year. They are a winery, not a vineyard — in other words, they source their grapes from other growers. They also run a custom crush facility where they produce wine for other clients.
Since I last wrote about Spelletich, they’ve added a brand to their portfolio, Prix Fixe, under which they are selling a couple French wines. I’ve only tasted their Diable Rouge under this label, but it is devilishly delicious.
This wine is made from marselan grapes, which is a cross between grenache and cabernet sauvignon. It’s most prevalent in the Languedoc region of southern France.
The aromas on this wine are bright and spicy, with elements like raspberry, cherry, nutmeg and cinnamon. The flavors are even brighter. Seriously, the vibrancy of this wine is beautiful. It offers flavors like black cherry, raspberry and cranberry, spiced with orange peel and nutmeg. It has a bit of a pucker to it and a decent mouthfeel. The finish lingers for a near eternity. The vibrant acidity of this wine make it perfect for fatty foods, like braised short rib or duck. I definitely dig this wine.
It costs a little bit more than my typical $20 target, but it’s close and pretty darn tasty. Only 416 cases of this wine were produced, so it’s not one you’re going to come across everywhere. Which means that if you do get a bottle of this wine it’s something rare and special.
Wine: Prix Fixe Diable Rouge
Varieties: Marselan
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 13.1%
Rating: 88
Average price: $24.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
When it comes to cheap sparkling wines, Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut is an easy, go-to wine. If you’ve shopped for sparklers very often I’m sure you’ve seen this distinguishable black bottle on the shelf — and perhaps you’ve wondered if it’s any good. It’s not bad at all and for the price it’s pretty awesome. You may have also wondered how to pronounce the name. The producers say that it’s pronounced “fresh-eh-net,” which means I’ve been mispronouncing it for years. I was close, but I always dropped the “t” at the end — which I will probably continue to do because I think it sounds more elegant.
It’s not a knock-your-socks-off kind of sparkler, but it’s decent. And for $12 decent is a great.
This wine is a Cava (i.e. a sparkler from Spain) and is made from Spanish varieties of grapes, macabeo, xarel-lo and parellada.
The aromatics on this sparkler are nice but nothing extraordinary. It offers pear, lemon, wet stone and light floral aromas. The mouthfeel is fabulous, with a creamy texture and lots of bubbles. The flavors are brimming with crisp apple, pear and lemon-lime, with good acidity and concentration. The finish is a little short, but pleasant. It’s an enjoyable sparkler and a good value for the price.
Wine: Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
Variety: 35 % Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 40% Parellada
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 85
Price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
Let’s continue the sparkling wine into the new year theme, but moving on from the Portuguese sparklers to an Italian prosecco.
Prosecco is a great sparkling wine option for bargain hunters, as it tends to be very reasonably-priced. One brand that I’ve found to be a reliable bargain is Ruffino. It’s a wine that pretty easy to find too, with good distribution. Ruffino is part of the Constellation Brands wine portfolio — and if you don’t know Constellation is one of the biggest wine/beer/spirits companies on the planet.
Given that this wine comes from one of the “big boys” some wine snobs might right it off as being a cheap “bulk” wine. So what? It’s affordable and it tastes great!
It’s a bit tangy on the nose, offering lemon and orange peel aromatics. The palate brings crisp acidity and lemon flavors, along with a touch of mineral toward the finish. This is an extra dry wine, which has a touch more residual sugar than a brut and you can taste that slight sweetness. The mouthfeel is good, with an adequate sparkle but it’s not quite as bubbly as some others. The finish is like salty citrus.
After I took my notes on this wine, my wife showed me her new trick to add even more fun to a sparkling wine — cotton candy. Add a little cotton candy to the glass before you pour the prosecco. It will dissolve and lend its color to the wine. Then add another tuft as a garnish. Who knew you could have this much fun with prosecco?
Wine: Ruffino Prosecco
Variety: Glera (prosecco)
Vintage: non-vintage
Alcohol: 11%
Rating: 86
Price: $13
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
Want another opinion? Check out these reviews:
In my last review, I highlighted a sparkling Vinho Verde from Portugal and I’m going to continue the theme of Portuguese bubbly today with a sparkling rosé.
Filipa Pato comes from a family that’s been making wine for five generations. Rather than just working in her family’s vineyard, she set out to study winemaking in other parts of the world and returned to Portugal to start her own winery in 2001. The focus of her vineyard is to express the terroir of the Bairrada region, located in the western part of the Beira province (south of Porto & Douro). As a part of expressing the Bairrada region, Filipa Pato also has an interest in preserving the prevalence of Baga, a native grape in the region.
Bairrada and Baga are two of the “B’s” that were inspiration for the 3B name of this wine. The other B comes from Bical, another Portuguese wine variety. As you might guess, this bubbly is made from these two grapes, 50% Baga and 50% Bical. However, I like to think the 3B’s are bubbly, beautiful and blissful.
Filipa Pato refers to this wine as a “Traditional Method” rather than a “sparkling wine” and hopes Portugal eventually adopts a regional name for sparklers, similar to Cava in Spain.
Back in October I spent a week in Portugal and I was continuously coming across this wine in restaurants, along with the other Filipa Pato 3B sparklers. In addition to the Rosé they have a Brut Nature and a Blanc de Blancs under the 3B name. I did have a chance to taste the Brut while we were in Portugal and it was very good, although I didn’t take formal notes on it. I spoke to a number of folks in Portugal about Filipa Pato’s wines and she appears to have quite a following there. Fortunately, we’re able to get these wines in the US too.
The color of the 3B Rosé is a beautiful light pink. It’s soft on the nose, with light yeast, mineral, rose and strawberry aromatics. The palate is quite dry, with firm mineral flavors complemented by lemon and light raspberry. The mouthfeel is fantastically bubbly. It’s a very tasty, mineral-centric sparkler.
Wine: Filipa Pato 3B Rosé
Variety: 50% Baga, 50% Bical
Vintage: non-vintage
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $18
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
Happy New Year! And just because the New Year’s Eve party is now over is no reason to not continue drinking bubbly. Therefore, my first review of 2014 shall be a sparkling wine.
OK, I’ll cut to the chase… I love this wine: Castas de Monção, Mstodo Classico – Bruto Natural. The idea of this wine is like when someone thought to put peanut butter and jelly or cheeseburgers and bacon together. It’s two great things combined into one, unified deliciousness. One of the components here is a Vinho Verde, made primarily from alvarinho (albariño) and the other is a traditional method, brut sparkling wine. Two things that are great on their own, joined together to create a new greatness.
Yes, a lot of Vinho Verde has a slight frizzante to it, but this one is a full on sparkling wine with lots of bubbles. I like the frizzante and I like full sparkling even more.
I can’t think of any other sparklers made from albariño that I’ve tasted before. But I do hope I come across more in the future.
Another thing I like about this wine is that it’s vintaged. Most bargain bubbly is non-vintage (i.e. no date is specified on the label) yet I would expect quality/characteristic differences from one year to the next.
And most importantly, I love the taste of this wine. It has plenty of yeast on the nose, along with lemon and mineral. The palate brings a fantastically-bubbly mouthfeel and tasty flavors, like lemon, apricot and salt. Salty mineral flavors and more lemon is the story on the finish too.
In short, this is a bargain-bubbly-vinho-verde that delivers!
Wine: Castas de Monção, Mstodo Classico – Bruto Natural
Variety: 70% alvarinho, 30% trajadura
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $14.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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