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A pair of Top 5 Spanish whites for $12

7/28/2011

Among our very first Top 5 Value lists was Top 5 Spanish Reds. But Spain is not only a prolific source of inexpensive reds, but also a great producer of delightful and affordable whites – most using grapes that few American wine drinkers have heard of.

Two such crisp, refreshing white that are bound to make the next Wine for the Rest of Us Top 5 list are widely available locally for between $11 and $12, if you know where to look. Bodegas Abanico Colinas del Ebro Garnacha Blanca is our favorite type of value wine because it’s consistently pleasing year in and year out. Made from garnacha blanc – a white wine grape said to be a relative of the red grenache (garnacha in Spanish), famously used in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and some of our favorite Spanish reds – Colinas del Ebro is sourced from 100-year-old vines in a relatively obscure wine-making region called Terre Alta. The crisp, unoaked wine is nothing if not consistent; it’s scores from the influential Wine Advocate have been 87 points, 87, 87, 90, 87 and 88 points for the past five vintages through 2010.

On his blog last July Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre described the 2009 is the vintage, which you’re most likely to find in stores, as “A terrific little white, crisp and citrusy, ideal for an aperitif or with light, herby seafood appetizers - think Mediterranean ...” A month later in his August 11 Post column he noted it is “ideal on a hot summer evening and an excellent pairing for shellfish from the grill.”

“Medium straw-colored, it displays a perfume of mineral, candle wax, baking spices, nutmeg, and pit fruits,” wrote Wine Advocate’s Jay Miller in the April 2010 issue. “On the palate it has plenty of spicy fruit, good depth and concentration, and medium length. Drink this very good value over the next 1-2 years.”

Josh Raynolds scored the 2009 Colinas del Ebro white 88 points in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar describing it as having “Laid-back aromas of yellow apple, pear, melon and lemon thyme. Silky and modestly concentrated, with fine-grained honeydew and pear flavors and a light kiss of herbs. Tightly wound for the variety, finishing with good bite and lingering herbacity.”

Assuming that “herbacity” is even a word, we’d say there’s a fairly strong consensus that this is a great wine at $12 a bottle.

Compare prices nationwide and find Colinas del Ebro Garnacha Blanca online or at a wine shop near you.

Equally consistent, typically a few dollars more expensive, but now on sale at Paul’s of Chevy Chase for $12 a bottle is the perennial “Best Buy” 2010 Burgans Albariño. As the name suggests, it’s made from Spain’s albariño grape, known to produce exotically perfumed, floral and citrusy wines that are typically crisper than chardonnay and perfect for cutting through the humidity on steamy Washington evenings.

“The Burgans Albarino is a perennial Best Buy in these pages,” noted Wine Advocate’s Miller in the June issue, scoring the lastest vintage 90 points for the third time in four years. “The 2010 Burgans Albarino delivers notes of lemon, peach, mineral, and a hint of tropical fruit aromas. Round, ripe, and savory with a slightly exotic personality, it is a nicely textured effort that over-delivers in a big way. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.”

The consistently high scores for Burgans Albariño in International Wine Cellar are almost spooky; Raynolds awarded the wine between 88 and 90 points in six straight vintages from 2003 to 2008. Wine Spectator, which oddly only seems to review the wine in even numbered years, awarded 88, 84 and 87 points for vintages ’04, ’06 and ’08, respectively.

If you can’t make it to Chevy Chase for the sale at Paul’s, you’ll find Burgans Albariño for between $14 and $15 a bottle in the District and Virginia and from $16 to $17 in Maryland. Most stores will have the 2010, but might find some 2009 (which also earned 90 points from Miller at Wine Advocate) still on store shelves. (Total Wine in Virginia has been sold out recently, but should be getting more of the 2010 in this week.)

Check out this slideshow for prices around town for both these Top 5 Spanish Whites or Compare prices nationwide and find Burgans Albarino online or at a wine shop near you.

If you are convenient to Friendship Heights, the $11.99 sale price for Burgans Albariño at Paul’s (regularly $14.99) is reason enough to buy this consistent winner by the case.

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A contender for best $7 red wine ever?

7/24/2011

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No sooner did we publish last Friday’s column on the Wine for the Rest of Us list of Top 5 Spanish red wines, did we find our email inbox full of sales on one of our favorites on the list.

Choosing among the Top 5 is like choosing among your children. But we’ll admit to having a favorite on the Top 5 Spanish Reds because of how many great values that one spot on the list represents. Bodegas Borsao produces no fewer than four terrific values, from the $5 Borsao Viña Borgia to Borsao Tres Picos, which costs three times as much and is worth every penny.

Most of the Borsao reds, imported by Jorge Ordonez Selections, are made from garnacha, the Spanish name for the grenache grape made famous in France’s Rhone Valley (the dominant grape in renowned reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape). But possibly the best value is the red blend, simply labeled Borsao, which is 80 percent garnacha and 20 percent tempranillo, the signature grape of Spain’s famous Rioja wines. (Oddly, the redesigned label of Borsao Tinto, as it’s also called, included “Garnacha” on the label, though it’s still an 80-20 blend.)

Like all the inexpensive Borsao wines, Borsao Tinto is consistently good year in and year out. You don’t have to worry about what vintage it is if you see it on the shelf. At its typical price of $8 to $10 a bottle, it’s always a great value. But this week it’s on sale at Paul’s of Chevy Chase, which has the 2009 Borsao for just $6.99 a bottle or $79.99 for a case (or $6.66 a bottle). It’s also $6.99 a bottle at Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits ($81.18 for a case) through August 6, so you’ve got a few weeks to stock up.

(See the slideshow for prices around town or compare prices nationwide and find these Borsao wines online or at a wine shop near you.)

After the 2008 vintage was awarded 89 points and the top spot on Wine Enthusiast magazine’s Top 100 Best Buys, the 2009 vintage earned a solid 87 points from Wine Advocate’s Jay Miller and 88 points from Josh Raynolds of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.

“A deep purple-color, it offers up a brooding bouquet of spicy black cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of violets in the background,”wrote Miller in the April 2010 Wine Advocate. “Sweet, long, and layered, this lengthy effort is an excellent value for drinking over the next 3 years.”

“Bright ruby. Sexy aromas of red and dark berry preserves and violet, with a spicy quality gaining strength with air,” agreed Raynold in the Nov/Dec issue of IWC.“Very fresh, juicy raspberry and blackberry flavors gain depth with aeration. Slightly jammy but offers a load of sweet fruit and finishes with good lift and clarity.

“It sounds like a broken record, but this is another remarkable value from Borsao.”

And even though some of our readers won’t get the reference – a skipping CD? a balky iPod? – we don’t mind sounding like a broken record either, saying this is a great red for pairing with summer barbecue or sipping with a slight chill on to take the edge off this obnoxious heat.

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This 93-pt French red for $12 could be your go-to summer red

7/14/2011

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When we recommended the 2009 vintage of Beaujolais (NOT Beaujolais Nouveau) in November as affordable, easy-to-drink food-friendly wine to serve at Thanksgiving, we bought – on sale – a mixed case of wines from different Beaujolais villages all by Georges Duboeuf. We didn’t need a case of wine for Thanksgiving dinner, but we were looking ahead to the steamy summer months, when Beaujolais is often our go-to red wine, served slightly chilled.

Unfortunately, those 12 bottles of delightfully juicy, delicious wine made from the gamay grape didn’t last past the 4th of July. But fortunately, possibly the best deal among those particularly Beaujolais bargains is back. The 2009 Georges Duboeuf - Morgon Jean Descombes, is Calvert Woodley’s, Wine of the Week and back on sale for just $11.99 a bottle (regularly $13.99).

Last fall we quoted the rave review by Wine Advocate’s David Schildknecht, who scored it 90-91 points in the August 2010 issue, having tasted the wine from the tank, before it was bottled. He described it as, “Effusively and sweetly fruity as usual, … scented with creme de cassis, black raspberry preserves and pear liqueur; silkenly saturates the palate with rich yet infectiously juicy fruit concentrate; and introduces a saline note that along with its sense of juicy freshness makes for a stimulating finish.”

Since then Wine Spectator’s Alison Napjus, presumably tasting the bottled wine, scored it a whopping 93 points and named it among the magazine’s “Smart Buys” in the February 28 issue. “Light tannins and a smoky mineral note frame this lush red, which displays layers of black cherry, raspberry ganache and tea rose flavors,” she wrote. “There's a spicy thread running through the wine, leading to a fresh, firm finish.”

She advised reader to “Drink now,” which we, of course, did with the bottles we bought in November. But Schildknecht speculated, “This perennially outstanding value will probably pick up more complexity over the next 12-18 months and be worth following for at least twice that long.”

(See November's slideshow for other Beaujolais bottlings to look for or compare prices nationwide and find this wine online or at a wine shop near you.)

At $12 a bottle, we’d suggesting buying by the case. But if you expect a bottle or two to last until Thanksgiving, you may need to buy two cases.

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A white Burgundy value – not an oxymoron

7/10/2011

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As we noted a few years ago when we first recommended Cave de Lugny, chardonnay from its ancestral homeland, Burgundy, is not a French white that typically falls into the value category. But in our continuing series on crisper summer whites, we turn to the more elegant French style for the world’s most popular wine.

“The French may have many faults as a wine-producing nation, be it genuflecting in Robert Parker's direction or refusing to acknowledge the 21st century,” noted our favorite wine blogger, The Wine Curmudgeon, in February when he last recommended Cave de Lugny. “But they still make the world's best chardonnay -- even grocery store chardonnay.”

And he doesn’t use the term “grocery store chardonnay” pejoratively. He just means it literally. The wines are produced in such volume and they're so widely distributed that they can be found in grocery stores that sell wine. (Safeway, Giant Food, Whole Foods and Harris Teeter all carry them in Virginia and the District.)

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A $10 French white perfect for summer sipping

7/8/2011

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It’s not often that a $10 white wine doesn’t have that little added sweetness aimed at appealing to the American masses.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that (apologies to "Seinfeld"). Jess Jackson, of Kendall-Jackson fame, died a few months back incredibly rich because he recognized back in the early 1980s that Americans would drink more wine if it had more sweet fruit and less European funk. (Read The Wine Curmudgeon’s insightful tribute to Jess Jackson for more on the creator of one of the most popular wines in the country, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve.)

But that little extra sweetness can be a bit much for sipping in Washington’s July and August heat and humidity. Crisper, more refreshing whites tend to pair better with the summer swelter. France is one of our favorite sources of dry white wines, and Domaine de Coussergues is one of the most reliable producers of inexpensive whites that have the fruit Americans like and the crispness Washingtonians need.

The estate, founded in 1495 by a land grant from Charles VIII, is in the Languedoc region of southern France, one of the best sources of good, inexpensive wine. The owner, Baron Arnould de Bertier, is said to be the 15th generation of the family to run the estate. Domaine de Coussergues grows a variety red and white wine grapes, including chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and viognier, and makes a varietal (meaning single grape type is used or is dominant) of each. But the most widely available white around here is the chardonnay-viognier blend.

A 50-50 blend of the two grapes, the 2010 Domaine de Coussergues Chardonnay-Viognier earned 87 points from Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate, who characterized it as “slightly lighter, crisp, fresh, medium-bodied,” compared to the other white varietals from Domaine de Coussergues. Though he didn’t think it had “the personality of the three 100% varietal wines,” he nonetheless included it in his recommendation for “readers looking for inexpensive, fruit-driven, crisp, lively wines.”

Bob Chamberlin in the Los Angeles Times praised the 2009 Domaine de Coussergues Chardonnay-Viognier, which you may find in some wine shops like Unwined Online in Alexandria. “Good inexpensive white wines are the toughest to find. And this one has none of the headache-making sweetness that mars so many cheap whites,” he wrote in his April 12 column.

“Domaine de Coussergues' Chardonnay-Viognier is lean and focused with a pleasant aftertaste and an aromatic lift from the Viognier. It's a great party wine for the price.

“Serve it with salty nuts, olives, tapenade, shrimp toast, pad Thai or other spicy food,” he added.

Either vintage should cost about $10 a bottle, as it does at Unwined Online, Cleveland Park Wines on Connecticut Ave., NW, Chain Bridge Cellars (formerly Cecile’s) in McLean or The Wine Cabinet in Reston. You might also find some of the varietal wines – well worth a try – like the sauvignon blanc ($9.99) at Connecticut Ave. Magruder’s, which has the chardonnay-viognier blend for only $8.99 a bottle. But in rarity greater than a non-sweet $10 white, the best price in the area is in Maryland, where Wells Discount Liquors in Baltimore has it on sale for $7.99 (regularly $9.99). It’s also available at The Bottle Shop in Rockville and elsewhere for a still-reasonable $11 a bottle.

Compare prices and find Coussergues wines online or at a store near you nationwide.

This widely available bargain is consistently good year in and year out, which is why it and its siblings are likely to make the forthcoming Wine for the Rest of Us list of Top 5 French Whites (stay tuned). Pickup a bottle this weekend so you can tell your friends this was your go-to summer white wine before it became fashionable.

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Two $10 Spanish reds perfect for the holiday BBQ

7/3/2011

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Dave McIntyre’s wine column in the Washington Post Wednesday cast aspersions on one of our favorite wine grapes, Spain’s tempranillo. Yes, he attributed the criticism to a friend, while professing his love for the grape made famous in Spain’s Rioja wines. Yet he allowed his friend an awfully broad brush to paint Rioja wines as over-oaked monsters that overpower food or “tastes like oak juice.”

If you think primarily of wood chips when you think of Rioja, you’re not drinking the inexpansive, everyday tempranillos that we recommend. You’re probably drinking pricey “gran reserva” wines that by law in Riojo must be aged at least two years in oak barrels, plus three more years in the bottle. The more youthful wines we’ve recommended in the past are labeled “crianza” (See Rioja's youthful crianza may be Spain's best bargain) and require only two years of aging, just one in oak barrels.

McIntryre steers wine buyers to Spain’s pricier Toro and Ribera del Duero regions for fresher, juicier tempranillo-based wines. His “Recommended tempranillo wines” range in price from $17 to $27 a bottle, but you can enjoy similarly fresh, young Riojas for about half that.

Thanks to the lingering effects of the economic downturn, two of our favorites are still on store shelves all over town for between $9 and $12 a bottle. We’ve been touting Bodegas LAN Rioja Crianza 2006, since it earned 90 points and the No. 44 spot onWine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the 2010 last fall. We bought a case when Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits put it on sale for a ridiculous $8.99 a bottle, and have found every bottle we’ve opened tastes like a wine twice that price.

“Fresh and balanced, this red brims with cherry, spice and licorice, with light, firm tannins and vibrant acidity,”wrote Spectator’s Thomas Matthews, awarding the LAN Crianza 2006 90 points in June 2010. “The texture is generous yet delicate. Not heavy, but vivacious. Drink now through 2014.”

Though Chevy Chase’s sale price is long gone, the wine is still widely available for a $10 to $13, a bargain compared to wines from Toro and Ribera del Duero. (See slideshow for a sample of prices in DC, Maryland and Virginia.)

Compare prices and find LAN Crianza online or at a store near you nationwide.

Another perennial Rioja value that’s still on retail shelves more than a year after we first recommended it (see A mixed bag of value wines at tonight's Grand Tasting) is 2009 Montebuena Rioja. Known as a “joven” in Spain, because it’s made to be consumed young and doesn’t conform to the aging requirements to be labeled crianza, the 2009 Montebueana has enough fruit to age well for another five to seven years, according to Jay Miller of The Wine Advocate who scored it 90 points in the April 2010 issue.

“Dark ruby-colored, it offers an appealing perfume of spice box, leather, tobacco, and blackberry. On the palate it is packed with ripe fruit, has outstanding concentration, and impeccable balance,”Miller wrote. “It is a great bargain that offers a sneak preview of the great 2009 vintage in Rioja and northern Spain in general. It should drink well for 6-8 years."

Normally a wine that earns such high praise and costs about $10 a bottle disappears from store shelves in a few weeks or months. But Montebueana is still widely available for a low of $9.99 a bottle at Calvert Woodley, Magruder’s, Bell Wine & Spirits, Total Wine and others to a high of $11.99 at Corridor Wine & Spirits in Laurel and Beltway Fine Wine in Towson. (See slideshow for a more complete rundown of prices in DC, Maryland and Virginia.)

Compare prices and find Montebuena online or at a store near you nationwide.

Both of these wines are consistent winners year in and year out, which is why they've been named to the Wine for the Rest of Us Top 5 Spanish Reds list.

We do agree with McIntyre that there’s no need to swear off tempranillo just because you don’t like the big, oaky, smoky flavors of expensive, aged Spanish wines. But we don’t think you have to spend $20 a bottle, either. These $10 to $12 bottles will go great with whatever is on the grill this holiday weekend or all summer long.

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Try this $10 Spanish white bargain

7/1/2011

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Chile isn’t the only source of good white wines that strike a nice balance between the bracing intensity of New Zealand sauvignon blanc and the more subtle and restrained style of French white wines. Spain, using grapes that few American wine drinkers have heard of, produces plenty of delightful and affordable whites, perfect for your 4th of July picnics and cookouts.

One of our favorites is a 50-50 blend of juice from the verdejo and viura grapes that has been getting solid reviews for three straight vintages, yet is still widely available for between $10 and $12 a bottle, as it was when we first tried it more than two years ago.

The 2010 vintage of Fuente Milano Verdejo-Viura has been hitting store shelves in recent weeks and will be open for tasting this evening at the regular Friday Night Wine Tasting at The Bottle Shop in Potomac Woods Plaza, Rockville. The new vintage was named a “Best Buy” in the July issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine, which scored it 87 points, calling it “juicy and pleasant, with melon, citrus and nice acidity.

“The finish is fresh and lasting, and overall it’s pure and fairly full-bodied for basic Verdejo-Viura.”

In addition to The Bottle Shop, which has it for $11 a bottle and also part of its $115 “Summer Sampler” mixed case ($9.58 a bottle), Finewine.com in Gaithersburg has it for $9.99 a bottle, and Paul’s of Chevy Chase has the 2010 Fuente Milano on sale for $8.99 (regularly $10.99). That was the tasting price from its June 24 tasting, so you may have to mention that you read about it here to get the discount. Montgomery County Liquor stores and Unwined Online in Alexandria have the 2009 vintage for $9.25 and $9.99 a bottle, respectively. (See slideshow for sample prices and vintages available around town.)

You may even find some of the 2008 that we enjoyed two years ago still on some shelves. Josh Raynolds of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, scored the 2008 Fuente Milano blend 88 points in the July/August 2009 issue, calling it, “Vibrant and pure, offering zesty citrus flavors and a suave undercurrent of succulent herbs.” He described it as offering “aromas of grapefruit, green apple and lemon pith” (not rind or zest or juice, but “pith”).

“A note of anise adds complexity to the spicy, persistent finish. Reminds me of plenty of sauvignon blancs that sell for twice the price,”he added.

This wine has been a consistent winner, so no matter what vintage you find, it’s likely to be a good for your holiday weekend.

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Author

Rob Garretson is an award-winning journalist, who remembers the bottle of Burgundy that converted him from a wine drinker to a wine enthusiast. He maintains a 400-bottle wine cellar in his home outside of Washington, DC, yet upwards of 350 of those bottles cost $9.99 or less.

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