In my last review, I shared the Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay. Tonight, I move on to their Cabernet Sauvignon.
The suggested retail price of this wine is slightly above our typical target, at $28. But it’s a darn good wine and shopping around you may find it as low as $21 at some places, which makes it close enough.
Franciscan Estate has a history in Napa Valley going back to 1972. Their approach to winemaking is to ferment the wine in small lots from the vineyard that aren’t blended until just before bottling. Enabling the winemakers to work with the nuances of each lot’s unique characteristics.
This cabernet sauvignon has a few non-cabernet grapes blended in. It’s 85% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot, 3% syrah and 1% malbec.
Vanilla and black cherry aromatics dominate the nose of this wine, although there is also some blackberry and cedar underneath those. It’s powerful and well balanced. The aromatics actually have a tactile quality that make it smell smooth. And on the palate, it feels smooth too. The balance and elegance makes this wine feel luxurious in the mouth. The acidity is good and the tannins are firm. It offers well concentrated flavors such as black cherry, plum and blackberry. The fruit continues into the finish, but a black pepper note also comes to life there. This is a very tasty cabernet and although it’s a couple bucks over $20, it’s still a great value.
Wine: Franciscan Estate
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 92
Price: $28.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
I don’t like chardonnay. OK, that’s not entirely true. I don’t like bad chardonnay, and unfortunately there’s way too much of that out there. When I find one that’s made well I love it.
By “made well” I mean that the palate isn’t buried in oak, it still has crisp acidity and it has lively fruit flavors without too much sweetness. Ultimately there are many more factors that go into a great chardonnay, but those few are a good starting point. I also want it to be balanced, complex, intriguing, harmonious, exciting, evocative and delicious.
This Napa Valley chardonnay from Franciscan Estate meets much of that criteria.
The nose of this chardonnay is well balanced and pleasant. Vanilla is the most prominent aroma and it’s backed up by pear, apple, hazelnut and citrus aromatics. The palate is also well balanced, with lemon, pear, apple and mineral flavors. The acidity is sufficient. The finish is a tad short, but pleasant, offering lime, apple and mineral notes.
As I said, I generally don’t dig chardonnay, but I this one impressed me and I’d gladly have a glass of this with dinner.
Wine: Franciscan Estate
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $18.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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Rosé is often an under-appreciated and overlooked wine category. But if you’ve been reading Cheap Wine Ratings for long you’ve probably picked up on the fact that we love a good rosé—particularly a good, dry rosé. And today wine writers around the world are celebrating dry rosé for the return of Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW).
WBW is an event that dates back to 2004, before Facebook and Twitter became what they are today. Back then, social networking among wine bloggers took place on wine blogs themselves and WBW was a monthly event that brought wine bloggers together to write about a common theme. It went on for a number of years, but eventually lost steam. However, today it’s back and I’m glad to be a part of it once again.
WBW always includes a “host” blog where a roundup is posted to provide a summary of the contributions to the event. The host for WBW #80 – Dry Rosé is Tim Elliott at Winecast.
The wine I chose to write about today is a sparkling brut rosé, made from 100% cabernet franc from the Loire Valley in France.
I have a slight tangent to share here but this will all make sense when you get to the next paragraph… I often taste wines blind, particularly when I’m taking notes on a number of wines of the same variety. Blind tasting has it’s merits. It let’s you evaluate a wine without preconceived prejudices or preferences and come to a conclusion based strictly on the wine itself. But it’s also disconnected from the real experience of drinking wine in life. You almost always see the bottle before you taste a wine and that’s going to create expectations for you that become part of the experience.
I did not taste this wine blind. And when I look at this wine, there are several factors that make me like it before I even taste it. One could say that’s why you should taste blind. Or one could say that those influential factors are part of the experience.
The things that make me think I like this wine before I taste it include:
- It’s a rosé.
I already touched on this, but I think rosé is often overlooked. A good dry rosé is crisp, refreshing and delicious. I know some guys aren’t comfortable with drinking a rosé because someone might think they’re a sissy. Get over it! You’re missing out with that attitude. I do lots of manly things, like weightlifting, boxing, listening to hard rock, woodworking, carpentry, the list goes on. Yet, I’m totally comfortable drinking a rosé and it doesn’t compromise my masculinity. A good rosé is fantastic and makes me feel totally gay — cheerful, that is.
- It’s a sparkling wine with a brut classification.
I love bubbles. But I don’t typically want a bubbly that’s sweet. A brut classification is pretty much the perfect level of dryness. And I know that in some people’s eyes the only thing that could make a rosé less masculine is making it a sparkling rosé. Again, to hell with that misguided viewpoint.
- It’s a Crémant.
This is the name for a French sparkling wine that’s not from Champagne. While I love Champagne, the prices are generally higher than I prefer to spend. Crémant can be just as good but not nearly as pricey. And that, I love.
- It’s from the Loire.
Some of the best values from France can be found coming from the Loire. Good wine at reasonable prices.
- It’s 100% cabernet franc.
When done well I love cabernet franc. Of course my affection for cabernet franc is associated with big red wines. And, cabernet franc is prone to vegetal aromas (green pepper) if overcropped. Therefore, while I love the idea that this is cabernet franc, I have a slight reservation about it too.
All of those factors are giving me a positive vibe about this wine before I even taste it. I hope it meets my expectations… and it does.
This Crémant de Loire has a nice, crisp nose with plenty of plenty of bright, citrus aromas like grapefruit and lemon. It also offers some cranberry and a touch of yeast. The palate is very tasty, bringing tart green apple, lemon and cranberry flavors. The acidity is perfect. The mouthfeel is nice and bubbly. It finishes with a salty mineral quality layered over citrus flavors.
Wine: De Chanceny Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Vintage: non-vintage
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $16.00
If you like wines that deliver exceptional value, as I do, then Portuguese wines are a great place to look. And in the summer months, Vinho Verde is one of my favorite white wines. It tastes great, it’s refreshing and often it’s quite a bargain. OK, and truth be told it doesn’t have to be summer for me to enjoy a Vinho Verde. I love it anytime.
Of course saying “I love Vinho Verde” is a pretty broad statement, as Vinho Verde has a number of different personalities. There are red, white and rosé wines from Vinho Verde and over 30 different types of grapes that can be used in the wines.
One of the grape varieties that can be used in white Vinho Verde is Loureiro and this one from Quinta da Arcas is made exclusively from this one grape variety. And that gives me another reason to want to taste this wine, so that I can better understand a specific grape.
Loureiro is known for it’s aromatic characteristics such as laurel (better known as bay leaves) and acacia (an aroma descriptor I’ve never used for anything before). This wine certainly shows that earthy, bay leaf-like quality on the nose. But it also shows plenty of fruit, such as lemon and pear notes. The palate is lemon and mineral, with good acidity. There is a slight frizzante quality to the wine too. It finishes with very long citrus flavors and a touch of saltiness.
So this is one personality of Vinho Verde you can check out. You may love it. But if not, don’t rule out the whole category.
Wine: Arca Nova Loureiro Vinho Verde
Variety: Loureiro
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $10.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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I regularly encounter folks who say they don’t like riesling. As I’ve said before, I think riesling is misunderstood by too many people. Yes, there’s some crappy riesling out there that might make you think you don’t like it. But chances are that if you think you don’t like riesling, you’re just drinking the wrong riesling.
There’s a part of me that wants to steer the misled toward tasting a better riesling, yet there’s a part of me that wants to keep the awesomeness of riesling as a secret. After all, the more people get turned on to riesling the greater the demand will be and thus prices might go up. I should keep quiet and enjoy the bargains. But I can’t be so selfish.
For those who want to venture out and discover a great riesling, this one from Max Ferd Richter will definitely do the trick. It is a German riesling from the Mosel region, home to many exceptional rieslings. The producer does almost nothing but riesling. They’re focused on producing one thing and producing it really well.
The nose is pleasant, with orange blossom, pear, apple and citrus aromas. The palate is off dry and loaded with crisp fruit flavors, primarily peach, but there’s also some apple, pear and citrus. There’s a touch of creaminess to the mouthfeel which amps up the enjoyability factor. The finish is rather long, with tangy apple and citrus flavors. This wine will not disappoint.
Wine: Max Ferd Richter, Veldenzer Elisenberg, Riesling Kabinett
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 9.5%
Rating: 91
Price: $20.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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The Wittmann family behind this wine has a history of wine production in southern Rheinhessen, Germany that goes back to before the United States has been a country! Way before! The first record of winemaking in their family dates back to 1663!
It’s not uncommon to find families with a long history of winemaking in Europe. But it’s still kind of mind boggling when you think about all that tradition being maintained through so many generations.
While the tradition of winemaking had a long history within this family, the techniques have changed over the years. In 1990 they began transforming their vineyards from conventional practices (i.e. using chemical pesticides) to what they call “controlled ecological viticulture,” which is a long way of saying “organic.” They’ve been a member of the Naturland organic farmer’s association ever since. And they’ve been practicing biodynamic viticulture since 2004.
I love that they use environmentally-friendly practices, but as I always say the proof of the wine is in the tasting. And this wine delivers there too!
I love this style of riesling. It offers honeysuckle, lemon, lime and a touch of petrol on the nose. The palate is dry (trocken) with subtle flavors such as apple, lime and mineral. The acidity is sufficient, although a touch more would be even better. The finish is relatively long with flavors such as granny smith apple, pear and wet stones.
Although it’s slightly above our typical target price range, this is a very tasty riesling.
Wine: Wittmann
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $24.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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Last night I reviewed the 337 cabernet sauvignon and tonight I thought I’d give props to his sister, 446 chardonnay. It’s another part of the Noble Vines lineup.
This wine is named after a combination of the vine clone and the block where it’s grown. The vine, clone 4, is also called the “Martini clone” and is named after winemaker Louis Martini, who cultivated the clone in Carneros. These vines are planted in block 46 of the San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey, California. This is a cool climate region, which is perfect for chardonnay. And there you have it, clone 4 + block 46 = 446.
In case you didn’t pick up on it, this is a single vineyard wine. And it’s only $12.99, which conceptually seems like an an incredible bargain… as long as it’s good. And it is good.
I, like many wine lovers these days, am not a big fan of chardonnay. Or a better way to put that is I’m fed up with poorly made chardonnay. Too often it’s over-oaked, lacking acidity and not showing the tropical flavors that could make it spectacular. Those shortcomings are not found in 446.
This wine is pleasantly floral, offering a honeysuckle-like aroma. It also shows some citrus, melon and mineral aromatics. The palate brings melon, citrus and tropical fruit flavors with sufficient acidity. The finish is medium in length with melon and mineral notes.
In short, this is a good chardonnay. It’s not exceptional, but it’s good. And for the price it’s very good.
Wine: 446
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $12.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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I was talking to some millennial wine lovers the other day and one commented to me that he just loves a good Californian cabernet sauvignon, but he doesn’t want to spend a lot on it. While there are plenty of overpriced Californian cabernets to be found, there are also some great bargains out there.
This one from Lodi is one that I reviewed last year for the 2009 vintage. That one was good and so is the 2010 vintage.
The 337 in the name doesn’t represent the area code where it was produced. That area code is in Louisiana, which isn’t really known for exceptional wines. Rather, the 337 is name of the vine clone—which happens to be a Bordeaux clone.
Is there a name for Bordeaux-style wines from California? There should be. Calideaux, perhaps?
This vintage came to life with a few different characteristics than the prior vintage, but it still has dense, dark aromatics and delicious flavors.
Aromas like black cherry, black olives, blackberry and a touch of black licorice give this wine an enjoyable nose. On the palate it offers more black cherry, along with blackberry and some spice. The acidity is sufficient and the tannins are soft. It finishes relatively long with tangy cherry and blackberry flavors. Tasty and affordable!
Wine: 337
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $14.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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One of the things I look for in a wine brand is consistency. I expect there will be some minor variations in a wine from one vintage to the next, but when a producer puts out a wine of similar quality vintage after vintage I know what to expect. And when that wine is consistently good, it becomes an easy “go to” wine.
As I was going through my old tasting notes I found that I had notes from two past vintages of Trivento Reserve Malbec and I just tasted the current vintage. What I found when looking across the notes is that the wine is fairly consistent from one year to the next and I scored it slightly higher each vintage (a good trend).
While it’s not a total “knock your socks off” wine, it’s very good and it’s only $11, which makes it even better. Here are my notes for the latest three vintages of this malbec.
Trivento Reserve Malbec 2010
Black cherry, blackberry cinnamon and vanilla with moderate intensity make for a pleasant nose. In the mouth this wine is bursting with ripe black cherry and black raspberry flavors. It has a nice mouthfeel with moderate tannins and good acidity. The oak flavors are a touch heavy on the finish, but overall it’s still good. Rating: 85
Trivento Reserve Malbec 2011
Black cherry, clove and allspice aromas give this wine a spicy nose that’s well balanced and intriguing. The palate is brimming with black cherry, blueberry and plum flavors. It has good acidity and tannins too. The finish is a little on the short side, but it’s pleasant and offers some light vanilla and black cherry flavors that linger a bit. Rating: 86
Trivento Reserve Malbec 2012
Chocolate covered black cherry aromas lead the nose on this wine, it’s backed up by cinnamon and allspice. The mouthfeel is fantastic, with smooth tannins and perfect acidity. It offers flavors such as black cherry, blackberry and blueberry and they are juicy! By that I mean there’s a touch of sweetness like you would get from ripe fruit and the flavors are concentrated. This is the best vintage I’ve tasted of this wine. Rating: 87
Wine: Trivento Reserve Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 87
Price: $11.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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I can’t wait to taste the 2013 vintage.
My virtual tour of Greek wines continues with a “visit” to the southern slopes of Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, via a taste of Tsantali Rapsani.
This wine is made from a blend of indigenous Greek grape varieties: Xinomavro, Krassato and Stavroto. Wine Geek Info: The wine was aged in small French oak barrels for 6 months, 50% new oak and 50% re-used oak. And it was aged in the bottle for at least 6 months before release.
Spice dominates the nose of this wine, offering nutmeg, black pepper and toasted oak aromatics. There is also some fruit on the nose, such as cherry and strawberry. It’s quite dry on the palate, with very good acidity. This wine is not about big, ripe fruit flavors. It’s more subtle than that. There are some wild cherry and cranberry flavors, but the intensity of those flavors is restrained. This wine is more about structure than it is about fruit. And it’s a wine that’s best enjoyed with food. The acidity will compliment fatty foods while the flavors won’t overpower the food. It has decent tannins too, adding a touch of texture. If you like juicy fruit bombs this isn’t your wine, but if you like good food wines with nuanced flavors then check this one out.
I continue to say “thumbs up” to Greek wines with this one.
Wine: Tsantali Rapsani
Variety: Xinomavro, Krassato and Stavroto blend
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 86
Price: $15.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
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