The Wine Curmudgeon

Wine of the week: Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier 2012

What's not to like about the Pine Ridge ($10, purchased, 12%)? It's cheap and it delivers so much more value than what it costs that I can't find a sufficient metaphor to describe how much more value that is.

The 2012 may be the best vintage ever, which is saying something given the wine's quality over the past decade. This California white wine blend offers peach fruit and a bit of floral from the viognier plus some citrus and a touch of honey from the chenin blanc. The chenin and viognier play off each other so well that it's hard to believe this wine didn't cost as much as one of Pine Ridge's $50 and $100 reds.

In this, it demonstrates one of the keys to finding great cheap wine from California. Forget the goofy names and cute labels; look for a less expensive wine from a producer who makes lots of expensive wine, be it Pine Ridge or Dry Creek. That's one of the lessons, by the way, in the Cheap Wine Book.

Highly recommended, and will almost certainly be included in the 2014 $10 Hall of Fame. Drink this chilled on its own or with almost any sort of white wine dish.

Wine of the week: Domaine de la Janasse Terre de Bussiere 2009

Just when the Wine Curmudgeon thinks that he can’t be surprised by wine any more, I taste something like this. Is it any wonder that this is the best job in the world?

My reaction to the first sip was “Wow!” – for just that reason (and because, in my notes, wow stands for a possible wine of the week). The Janasse ($15, purchased, 15%) is a red blend from the Rhone in France, but with some very un-Rhone-like merlot added to syrah and grenache. I don’t pretend to understand what’s going on here, but I didn’t need to understand to enjoy it.

This is an earthy and fruity wine (black cherries?), if not especially complicated, and another example of the fine values that are available from the Rhone. It’s an end of the summer barbecue wine, perfect for the porch.

And don’t worry about that 15 percent alcohol level; frankly, I don't believe it (though 2009 was a very warm vintage in the Rhone). The wine wasn’t hot or overdone in the way that so many California 15 percenters are, and I only realized it was so high in alcohol when I did my notes.

Wine of the week: Dry Creek Fume Blanc 2012

California wine takes a lot of abuse on the blog, and with good reason. Too much of it is cynically made and with little concern for value. Slap a marketing campaign on it, make sure there is a lot of sweet fruit in the mix, and flog it to unsuspecting consumers.

In fact, one blog visitor, then doing public relations for a wine producer, said her bosses were quite angry with the Wine Curmudgeon for writing just that several years ago, since it applied to one of their products. Which, of course, made me smile – isn’t that why I’m here?

But there are California labels that remind me that the state produces some of the best wine in the world, cheap or not. Dry Creek is one of them and its fume blanc ($10, purchased, 13.5%) is a classic that never disappoints. It’s made with sauvignon blanc (20 years ago, calling sauvignon blanc fume blanc was a popular marketing technique) and displays all of the flavor and character a California sauvignon blanc should. It’s not thin or watery or overdone, but has grassiness, lemon and lime fruit (maybe even a little more this vintage), and a clean, fresh finish.

Highly recommended, and almost certain to return to the $10 Hall of Fame in 2014. This is the fourth or fifth $10 California sauvignon blanc from the 2012 vintage that has been exceptional, including Joel Gott and Maxwell Creek. They have restored my faith in California sauvignon blanc.

Wine of the week: Planeta La Segreta Rosso 2010

How much of an impact is Sicily making on the wine world? Terlato Wines, which prides itself on its “luxury wines,” is the new importer for one of my favorite cheap Sicilian brands, Cusumano. That Terlato, whose brands include wines that cost as much as $100, sees a future in Sicily speaks to the quality and value available on the island. What Terlato will do to the price of Cusumano, sadly, is another story.

Let’s hope that Terlato, or another “luxury” importer, doesn’t find out about Planeta, whose wines are equally as well done as Cusumano. The La Segreta ($8, purchased, 13%) is a red blend – which includes the very un-Sicilian cabernet franc -- that again shows how far Sicily has come from the old days.

Think of it as a Super Sicilian, the island’s version of the Winestream Media-approved Super Tuscan blend. The Segreta combines merlot, syrah, and the cabernet franc with Sicily’s signature nero d'avola, so it isn't as dark and earthy as other Sicilian reds, but fruitier and richer. Who thought those adjectives would ever be used in a review of Sicilian wine?

But there isn't too much cherry fruit, and there is still zingy Italian-style acid to provide balance. Even more surprising is that the wine needs food, which isn’t supposed to happen with something that costs $8. Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2014 $10 Wine Hall of Fame.

Wine of the week: Maxwell Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Maxwell Creek has been one of the great mysteries of the wine business – incredible $10 wine from Napa Valley, but no one quite sure who or what Maxwell Creek really is.

The Wine Curmudgeon, using post-modern technology (in the form of a federal government website that matches producers and wine labels) can confirm the rumors: Maxwell Creek is a second label for St. Supery, long a consistent and quality and expensive Napa producer.

Whatever possessed St. Supery to do Maxwell Creek, the Wine Curmudgeon is grateful. The sauvignon blanc ($10, purchased, 13.5%) is $10 Hall of Fame quality wine, and the only thing that will keep it out of the hall in January is limited availability. Apparently, it’s only sold at World Market (and maybe Bed Bath & Beyond with wine departments), and World Market has stores in just 30 states.

This wine has a little more citrus (grapefruit and lime?) than a traditional California sauvignon blanc, but it’s not quite as overwhelming as similar wines from New Zealand. There’s even a little tropical fruit in the middle, and it’s not nearly as simple as a lot of other sauvignon blancs at this price. And yes, the adjectives fresh and clean and zingy apply here.

Drink this chilled with an end of summer picnic or barbecue (grilled chicken, perhaps?) and hope that St. Supery will continue to do us this favor.

Wine of the week: Domaine de Nizas Rose 2011

Labor Day marks the end of summer, which traditionally means two things: One can’t wear straw hats anymore and one has to stop drinking rose. It’s a good thing the Wine Curmudgeon isn’t hung up on tradition. Because where I would be without my straw and my rose?

The Nizas ($10, purchased, 13.5%) is one more example of the general, all-around brilliance of rose. For one thing, it’s a previous vintage, and it’s still fresh and crisp and refreshing, something that’s not easy for cheap rose to do. Look for cranberry and raspberry fruit and a long, satisfying, fruity finish.This is another standout effort from an excellent producer from the south of France; serve chilled and drink on its own or with any Labor Day weekend festivity, from barbecue to picnic.

Speaking of which, I’ll be back at the annual Kerrville Labor Day music extravaganza this weekend, talking about Texas wine and plugging The Cheap Wine Book. Stop by and say hello if you’re there. I’ll be the curmudgeonly fellow with the straw hat.

Wine of the week: Dibon Brut Reserve NV

How much did this Cava impress me? The bottle had a neck hanger with a Winestream Media blurb, but I bought it anyway.

And why not? The Dibon ($10, purchased, 11.5%) is a sophisticated sparkling wine with layers of flavor that is made more in the style of Champagne than Cava -- creamy and caramel-like with candied pineapple in back and not as much tart apple. In this, it's got more winemaking going on than I like, but you can't argue with the results. This is an incredible value for $10.

My guess is that this wine, made by the largish Spanish producer Bodegas Pinord, is a one-off – made because there were so many quality grapes available, thanks to the euro crisis and the collapse of the Spanish economy and its 25 percent unemployment rate. Cava sales in Spain were down six percent in 2012, so it makes sense that some producers would re-label bottles or make wines especially for the export market. The Dibon is not listed on the Pinord website, and even Robert Parker had not heard of it when he reviewed it.

Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2014 $10 Hall of Fame. Drink this chilled on its own or with Sunday brunch or something like a crabcake appetizer.