Peltier Station - 2005 Petite Sirah

12 Days of Petite Sirah continues, with the first of several coming up from the Lodi California appellation. I find this region to be particularly noteworthy for Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Therefore I'm happy to report that several of the two-dozen Petite Sirah's I'm covering will be from this area. Peltier Station is the first selection from Lodi I'll be looking at. I recently had their Viognier at a tasting and was impressed by it's freshness and varietal character. So when I was planning the 12 Days of Petite Sirah I knew I'd want to include Peltier Station in my coverage.

This Petite Sirah is 100% varietal and all Lodi fruit. Oak alternatives were used over 7 months to replicate 24 month of barrel aging. 5,000 cases were produced and the suggested retail price is $18. This is a wine made with a specific flavor profile in mind, that of big and brawny Petite Sirah.

A huge nose of plum and vanilla are the first things from the Peltier Station Petite Sirah to present themselves. The first sips reveal a bit of tartness, deep jammy plum and dark berry fruit. Atypically for a Petite Sirah this wine opens up quickly when decanted. The mid-palate through the finish feature a ton of white pepper notes as well as continued dark berry fruit and undertones of mocha and earthiness. This wine will match up with the biggest food you can throw at it. Steak, Lamb, and Wild Boar are but a few choices that come to mind.

The 2005 Peltier Station Petite Sirah epitomizes Lodi fruit. It's bright and jammy on top with a solid backbone of dark fruit underneath. This wine is a big, rich, opulent, drink now pleasure giver. The Peltier Station Petite is over the top and I mean that in the best way possible. As the old Howlin' Wolf song is titled this wine was "Built for Comfort." While it's not as age worthy as the other Petite Sirah's I've looked at, so far, that wasn't it's intent. All that in mind it still the structure to drink well for several years. But why wait?

While the retail price is $18 you can find this for under $15 if you look around. At that price it's the perfect choice to bring to a Memorial Day BBQ or other event where you want to wow a large group for a reasonable amount of money.

Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

Up Next: 12 Days of Petite Sirah Continues, Stay Tuned.

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Rutherford Grove - 2006 Petite Sirah

The second selection for the 12 Days of Petite Sirah is from Napa Valley's Rutherford Grove. Established in 1993, they have been making excursively Estate sourced wines since the 2003 vintage. The Spring Creek Vineyard that the grapes were sourced from is located in St. Helena. This is in the northern portion of Napa Valley. Aging was split evenly between French and American oak. 50% of it new, 30% on year old and the balance 2 year old.1,000 cases of this Petite Sirah was made. The suggested retail price is $37.

Bib black cherry character underscored by vanilla are the most prominent characteristics on the nose. The first sips reveal a fleshy dry fruit and bring plum and sour cherry to mind. Spiciness and subtle licorice notes come out on the mid-palate and carry on through the finish which also has additional dark fruit notes and a touch of earthiness.

While this wine drinks well now, especially after decanting I don't think it's near it's peak. This is a good choice to lay down for 8 or so years and drink for close to a decade after that. The earthiness that is subtly present now should emerge to the forefront over time.  Petite Sirah's are rightly often described as big, juicy and brooding. Elegant is rarely a word associated them, this one is that as well as subtle and layered. The sour cherry notes that emerge on the front of the palate remind me of the characteristics associated with Chianti. In some ways this wine strikes me that perhaps this is what Petite Sirah would taste like if it was made in Tuscany.

Rutherford Grove has crafted a wine that has many of the benchmark Petite Sirah characteristics, yet also strays from what one might consider a typical expression of this varietal. As I mentioned above I expect this wine to be an exceptionally age worthy example of Petite Sirah. Pick up a couple and forget about them for awhile, you'll be rewarded later.

 Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

Up Next: 12 Days of Petite Sirah Continues, Stay Tuned.

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Epiphany Cellars - 2005 Petite Sirah

The first wine I'm looking at for the 12 Days of Petite Sirah is from Epiphany Cellars. Located in Los Olivos California they're one of the labels under the Fess Parker Family of Wines Umbrella. The 2005 Petite Sirah from Epiphany is 95% varietal with 5% Grenache blended in. 55% of the wine spent 24 months in French Oak. 967 cases were produced and the suggested retail price is $30.

Plum, cedar and caramel present prominently in the nose. The first sip reveals the wine to be a bit tight out of the bottle with some characteristic Petite Sirah tartness at first blush. Decanting is highly recommended with almost any Petite Sirah and this one is no exception. Once it opens up vanilla notes emerge and play and become prominent. The caramel continues through the mid-palate and is accompanied by fruitcake notes and some light earthiness. The finish features a terrific spiciness.

I found the 2005 Epiphany Cellars Petite Sirah to be particularly layered and complex for an offering this young. Considering it's relative elegance for a young Petite this is a good choice for a kicked up BBQ. Will pair well with grilled filet mignon, braised short ribs or other rich roods.

Medium tannins suggest this wine will age and evolve nicely. I'd expect the now subtle earthiness to emerge and become far more prominent over time. The Epiphany Cellars Petite Sirah should drink well for at least a decade and perhaps longer. Deciding when to drink it will depend on whether you want to enjoy the current fruitiness or the earthiness which will come out later. Either way this is a fine example of Petite Sirah.

Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

Up Next: 12 Days of Petite Sirah Continues, Stay Tuned.

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12 Days of Petite Sirah

Starting tomorrow I'll be featuring Petite Sirah reviews for 12 straight days. It's an early Christmas gift for those of us who love the varietal most likely to leave your teeth with purple stains. Some will be from well known producers and others will be from lesser known wineries. In all about 2 dozen offerings will be featured during the 12 Days of Petite Sirah. They'll be from a variety of price ranges. This is a fun wine that some winemakers with other varietals as their focus only make tiny amounts of as a pet project. It's the kind of wine that has inspired an advocacy group, PS I love You to form. How many grape varieties can lay claim to that? I hope you enjoy it, I know I'm looking forward to it!

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Lunch with Pieter Malan of Simonsig Family Vineyards

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of spending a few hours having lunch with Pieter Malan. Along with his two brothers he runs Simonsig Famliy Vineyards in South Africa. It was founded by their father in 1968. Pieter is a raconteur of the first order. He told the intimate group gathered at King's Carriage House in Manhattan as much about wine in general as he did about his wines specifically. Pieter made an analogy that seemed to get the attention of everyone at the table. Basically he said that wine is like a four legged table. If fruit, acidity, sugar or alcohol is out of whack with the others, the table will not be balanced. It would be the equivalent of one leg being longer or shorter than the rest. As Pieter conversed with us we ate  and tasted through six of his wines. First up was a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. While this wine definitely leaned toward the grassy style so often associated with New Zealand, I also found it to have some of the citrus associated with French and California Sauvignon Blanc's.

The second wine we tasted was a 2007 Chenin Blanc. This varietal is the signature white grape of South Africa. Depending on the producer one of the big differentials with Chenin Blanc is how sweet a style it's made in. The Simonsig Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc did have some light sweetness but it was never overdone. Rather that sweetness was enough to get the taste-buds primed after the more austere Sauvignon Blanc. The Chenin Blanc has a suggested retail of $10.99. For that price point it certainly would make a lovely aperitif or welcome wine to serve guests as they enter your home, or at the beginning of a long meal.

The next wine, and first red, was the 2004 Labyrinth Cabernet Sauvignon. Pieter revealed a story about the single vineyard (called Labyrinth) that this wine was sourced from. Long discussions with his brothers about planting a spiral vineyard led to planting one that is shaped like a Labyrinth. Pieter further described this wine as the one he finds the most pleasing to take into a corner and drink over a long evening. I found it to be a nice Cabernet Sauvignon for it's $20 retail price. Dark fruit and vanilla notes were the most prominent to me. It's particularly smooth for a Cabernet that's less than 4 full years old.

Next we moved on to two vastly different Pinotage's. While South Africa has more Chenin Blanc under vine than any other grape it's Pinitoage that is it's singularly unique offering. The first one we tasted was the 2004 Simonsig Pinotage. This wine saw no oak treatment at all. The thing that stood out to me about this offering was how much spice character it showed. It had good fruit and a medium body, but the spice is what drew me in for additional sips. For a suggested retail of $13.99 this was the wine that left the biggest impression on me. It struck me as steal. It's a red that has enough complexity to keep you interested, yet is light enough to drink in the summer when bigger reds tend to be a bit too much.

The second Pinotage and fifth wine overall was the 2006 Redhill Pinotage. It would be an understatement to say this was a completely different expression of the same grape. This wine spent 16 months in a combination of French and American Oak, all new. That oak influence added quite a few layers. I found this wine to be enjoyable now, but I'd expect it to better and more resolved a year from now.

The final wine we had was the 2004 Simonsig Merindol Syrah. This Syrah had more in common with old world wines than new world examples. Plenty of rich berry fruit and mocha characteristics where present along with an inherent spiciness. The Syrah retails for $36.99 and also has several years of positive evolution ahead of it.

The wines of Simonsig Family Vineyards were all well balanced, often elegant. Each of them was built with food in mind. When thinking of South Africa this is unquestionably a producer to not only be aware of, but to seek out. Recommended across the board.

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Spier - 2005 Malbec/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot

The last wine I'm looking at this week from Spier is a blend of Malbec (57%), Cabernet Franc (32%) & Petit Verdot (11%). The lots for this wine were aged separately in a combination of American and French oak before blending and bottling. As with the Shiraz I looked at yesterday this wine is part of Spier's Vintage Selection series. It's suggested retail is $20 but i can be located for closer to $15. The Cabernet Franc in this blend is the first varietal that makes it's presence known due to the big nose it provides. The Bouquet is one of leather and tobacco with subtler berry notes underneath. The first couple of sips find this wine to be tight and tart out of the bottle. Decanting is a necessity with this wine right now to get the most out of it. An hour at minimum is recommended. Once it has a chance to open though you'll be rewarded with a huge burst of bright cherry fruit. The finish is long and spicy featuring white pepper and hints of nutmeg.

With this wine Spier presents an intriguing blend. From the Cabernet Franc's strong aromatic nose, the Malbec's meaty and chewy mid-palate to the solid backbone supplied by the Petit Verdot this is a diverse wine. It probably needs another 8-12 months in the bottle to fully resolves itself and come together as one. It's enjoyable right now, especially after decanting a long while. But If you have the patience to hold on to it for a year or two you'll be happy when you pop the cork. After that it should drink well until about 2013.

In general I found the Spier Wines I tasted to be well balanced and food friendly.

Up Next: Lunch with Pieter Malan of Simonsig Family Winery

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Spier - 2005 Vintage Selection Shiraz

Shiraz is one of the red varietals that seems to emerge a lot from South Africa. After Pinotage it's the next red I tend to think of. The 2005 Spier  Vintage Selection Shiraz is 91% varietal. Smaller lots of Mouvedre (6%) and Viognier (3%) are blended in. The suggested retail price is $20 but this wine can be found commonly for closer to $15.

The wines nose opens with tobacco, dark berry and a hint of tar. Decanting this wine is definitely recommended as it takes about an hour or so to really open up.  The first sips reveal more berry fruit that become more prominent as the wine opens. Once it does it shows a lot pepper, clove and nutmeg in the mid-palate through the lengthy finish. The 2005 Shiraz from Spier has good acidity. This wine drinks well on it's own but will also match up with a wide array of foods.

While this wine has a lot of fruit this isn't what I would call a "big" Shiraz. In fact it's fair to say this wine is closer to the old word Rhones than it is to it's new world counterparts.

What stood out to me about this wine is that it over delivers in flavor and complexity for it's price point. Decanting this wine really allows it to shine and show it's subtle layers more effectively.  This wine has medium tannins and is appropriate for short to mid term aging.

This wine is a good value in the $15 price range.

Up Next: A fourth and final wine from Spier.

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Spier - 2005 Private Collection Pinotage

The second wine up from Spier is the 2005 Private Collection Pinotage. For those who are unfamiliar with Pinotage it's the benchmark red grape of South Africa. It was created over 80 years ago as a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. The 2005 Private Collection Pinotage from Spier checks in with a robust 15% alcohol. It was blended with 2% Shiraz and aged in French and American oak. The suggested retail price for this wine is $30. Looking around though it can be found for closer to $25.

Leather, raspberry and plum present prominently in the nose. A hint of Eucalyptus underscores the nose and carries subtly throughout the wine. The first sip reveals some tartness which blows off once the wine has a chance to open up. Once that tartness steps aside rich, spicy berry fruit emerges in copious quantities. Loads of pepper, assorted other spices and oodles of dark fruit appear in the mid palate and carry through the finish. Spice really is the master of the day in this wine. Lovers of black pepper notes will certainly be rejoicing when they taste this wine.  This Pinotage is rich, full bodied and mouth filling with a finish that brings to mind crushed velvet. This is a big chewy wine that demands to be served with with a big meal. Leg of Lamb is the first thing that comes to mind as an accompaniment to this wine.

Firm tannins on this wine suggest medium term aging. Cellared properly this wine should be evolve and be very enjoyable until 2018 or thereabouts. Of the Spier wines I have tried over time this is the biggest and brawniest. It offers good complexity and is reasonably priced for a wine that will age well for a decade.  Highly recommended, especially for lovers of pepper.

Up Next: Spier Shiraz/Mouvedre/Viognier

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Spier - 2005 Private Collection Sauvignon Blanc

Spier is a South African Winery who's roots in the industry take back to the late 1600's.  They make wines in as many as 6 different tiers. Prices, styles and intent range amongst the tiers. Over the next few days I'll be looking at 4 wines in the Spier portfolio. The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc is from the Private Collection. This is the highest rung on the Spier quality scale.  The wines at this level are from single vineyard plots and released in limited quantity each year assuming the selected grapes are up to snuff. Suggested retail price on this wine is approximately $28.

The nose of this wine opens with a lot of citrus which is underscored by a subtler but persistent grassiness. The first sip reveals and incredible fruitiness and well balanced acidity. This wine is rounder and more full bodied than the average Sauvignon Blanc. The mid palate continues the citrus theme with an undercurrent of pineapple and a touch of green pepper. The finish is long and persistent with spice notes closing things out.

For a Sauvignon Blanc that's three years old as I write this, the Spier Private Collection is very fresh and lively. It has another 2-3 years of life ahead of it, assuming it's well stored.

Truthfully I don't often consider spending the sort of money on a Sauvignon Blanc that this wine goes for. That said it's one of the more impressive and complex Sauvignon Blanc's I've had in a long while. And while the retail is in the upper $20's, this wine can be found for much closer to $20. At that price Spier is offering a wine that straddles the world of Sauvignon Blanc's. It has the citrus associated with them in many parts of the world as well as some of the grassiness most often associated with Sauvignon Blanc emerging from New Zealand.

Up Next: Spier Private Collection Pinotage.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2004 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon

The last wine I'm looking at from Boggy Creek Vineayrds this week is also the only blend. The 2004 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon is 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's worth noting that blending these two varietals is as traditional to Australia as the blending of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is to Bordeaux. This wine was aged in a combination of American and French Oak. The suggested retail price is $26. As with the other Boggy Creek Wines it's finished in screw top.

Dark plum and raspberry jam notes emerge immediately in the nose. From the first taste a tremendous sense of spice character is revealed. It's as strong and impressive as the fruit throughout the palate of this wine. One of the spices that comes out of the gate and stays with the wine is white pepper. The finish which is long and lingering reveals a significant undertone of earthiness which is the last thing from this one that stays with you. This wine drinks very well on it's own due in part to it's inherent silkiness. That said it'll pair with a broad range of foods.

The 2004 Boggy Creek Vineyards Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon is the most elegant of the Boggy Creek wines I tasted. The combination of the two varietals presents a very smooth wine that at first blush seems mellower than the stand alone Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. In reality this wine is more subtle and complex than the stand alone varietals. Certainly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts.

For $26 this wine offers a good value due to it's combination of complexity and easy drink ability. It'll last in the cellar for a few years, at least, but it's ready to drink now. Boggy Creek Vineyards is making some fairly priced, well balanced wines. This is a producer to seek out for something outside the average from Australia.

Up Next: The wines of South Africa's Spier.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

The final wine that'll I'll look at from Boggy Creek Vineayrds later this week is a blend. However today, the third wine I'm looking at from Boggy Creek is a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine spent 11 months in French oak and the suggested retail price is $18.

The Boggy Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon has a big nose of fresh raspberry and strawberry. White pepper, nutmeg jammy fruit and a touch of licorice come out front he first sip and carry through the mid-palate. A light vanilla bean note is evident all the way through this wines palate. The finish features a wallop of blackberry with an underlying mocha presence. This is a rich and full flavored wine with lots of fruit upfront and throughout. It's not however over extracted or over-oaked. As with the other Boggy Creek Wines it's well balanced and made for food. This would be a good match for a steak or dishes with lots of earthy mushrooms.

The 2004 Boggy Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignion has soft tannins and a round, smooth mouth feel. It's ready to drink no and will also standup to near term cellaring. For $18 the wine has plenty of Cabernet character.

Coming Next: a Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Boggy Creek Vineyards.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2004 Shiraz

Although their first vines were planted in 1978 and they produced wine ever since, the Boggy Creek Vineyards Label was not actually launched until 2000. With Shiraz being the benchmark grape of Australia and Boggy Creek being in a cool climate area I was very curious to see what they did with this wine. The 2004 Boggy Creek Vineyards Shiraz is made of 100% Estate Grown fruit. It was aged in a combination of French and American Oak Barrels. The suggested retail price is $22.

This wine opens with a nose of black cherry, vanilla and spice notes. A ton of raspberry, blueberry and strawberry feature prominently throughout the palate along with a nice undercurrent of spices such as white pepper and nutmeg. The finish has touches of leather and earthiness along with subtler but present chicory notes that linger for a good long while. This wine will pair with a wide variety of foods. Pork chops, sausage and peppers, and grilled shish kabobs are just a couple of the choices that pop into my head when considering this wine.

The Boggy Creek Vineyards 2004 Shiraz has plenty of fruitiness to please those who like a wine that has pleasing bright fruit character. But this is a well balanced wine with good acidity. It has shows restraint and should also be of interest to those who prefer old world wines. In short this wine tows the line, lots of fruit, but in a classy manner. As with the other Boggy Creek Wines I've had the Shiraz is elegant and refined.

For $22 this probably isn't a Wednesday night with leftovers wine for a lot of people. However It is a fairly priced wine for the quality. It has at least a few years of evolution ahead of it in the bottle. With that in mind it's a good choice to stash a few of in the cellar for future enjoyment. Whether the future is Sunday Dinner in a month or Easter in 2010.

Up Next: Boggy Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2005 Unwooded Chardonnay

Boggy Creek Vineyards is located in Australia's King Valley. This is one of the cooler climate areas of Australia and it tends to produce wines that have a bit of a different flavor profile than the what the average consumer thinks of when considering Australian wines. A couple of months back I had the opportunity to taste some Boggy Creek wines for the first time and I was impressed with their offerings across the board. So when the opportunity to take a closer look presented itself, I jumped at the chance. Over the next few days I'll take a look at four releases from Boggy Creek Vineyards. Today I'm looking at Boggy Creek Vineyards Unwooded Chardonnay. Frequent readers of my blog have no doubt noted my disdain for overoaked Chardonnay. This is a beautiful varietal when handled properly. Too often in California and to a lesser degree in Australia it's mangled with absurd amounts of oak treatment. The 2005 Chardonnay from Boggy Creek Vineyards is the other extreme, no oak at all. This wine is finished in screw cap and the suggested retail is approximately $18.

The nose of the Boggy Creek Vineyards Chardonnay presents hazelnut, fig and citrus notes that really burst from the glass and envelop the senses. Taking the first sip I was hit with honeydew melon and copious tropical fruit notes. This Chardonnay is very fresh and crisp throughout. There is an excellent spiciness on the mid-palate that carries through the finish which is fairly lengthy. Good complexity is apparent through the length of this wine.

I found the 2005 Boggy Creek Vineyards Chardonnay to sip very well on it's own. It will also match well with entree salads, grilled chicken, and a variety of cheeses. This is also an excellent choice to serve with appetizers at the beginning of a long meal.

The 2005 Unwooded Chardonnay from Boggy Creek is an incredibly pure and unadulterated expression of Chardonnay. Nothing gets in the way of the fruit exploding on your palate and making its charms known.

At a suggested retail of $18 this is a nice value.

Up Next: Boggy Creek Vineyards Shiraz

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Valentin Bianchi - 2005 Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon

The Valentin Bianchi Winery, bottles four separate Cabernet Sauvignons as stand alone varietals. They also use Cabernet in several blends, so clearly this is a grape that's important to them. After Malbec, I happen to think that Cabernet is generally speaking one of the strongest varietals being produced in Argentina. Today I'm going to look at the 2005 Valentin Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon. As with the other two Valentin Bianchi wines I looked at this week, the 2005 Cabernet is 100% varietal. The wine spent 10 months in oak, one third each in new, one-year and two year old oak. The suggested retail price on it is $18.

This 2005 Cabernet's nose is loaded with berry casis and mocha notes. The first sip reveals a lot of spice characteristics, which stay with the wine from beginning to end. Earthiness emerges on the mid-palate and stays through the finish, which is fairly long and lingering. The Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet is rich and mouth filling throughout. This is a pretty big wine and should be paired accordingly. Red meat, mushroom based dishes and strong cheeses are all safe bets

The oak on this Cabernet is apparent but well integrated and unobtrusive. This is smooth, elegant and well balanced for a Cabernet this young and at this price point. It has good complexity and enough structure for near-term aging. A Napa or Sonoma Cabernet of this quality would easily fetch twice the price. The Valentin Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon is widely available for around $15. If you like well made Cabernet at a more than reasonable price point this one is a bit of a steal.

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Valentin Bianchi - 2005 Famiglia Malbec

Valentin Bianchi has several families or tiers of wines. A step up from the Elsa line whose Malbec I last looked at is the Famiglia Bianchi wines. I'll be looking at two wines in this category. First up is the Famiglia Bianchi Malbec. 8,000 cases of this wine were made. Valentin Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Malbec spent 10 months in new oak, with 80% of it French and the balance American. The suggested retail price is $18.

Strong plum aromas fill the nose of the Famiglia Bianchi Malbec. The first sip reveals mocha notes and dark berry fruit that carry on through a round, mouth-filling mid-palate that coat the back of the throat. A ton of black pepper emerges in the mid-palate and carries through the finish, which is fairly long and luxurious. A ton of spice notes present themselves throughout. This Malbec is wine that wants food. Grilled meats such as steak or a burger would be excellent accompaniments, as would strong cheeses.

The Famiglia Bianchi Malbec from Valentin Bianchi is a step up in refinement, silkiness and elegance from the Elsa. It has significantly more structure and complexity. I found it to really open up and be it's best after 90 minutes in the decanter. . It has enough structure to suggest that it will evolve nicely for a few years and drink well for a few after that.

There are a lot of well-made wines coming out of Argentina made from a wide array of varietals. However for me Malbec remains their benchmark grape. Other regions make it, but when you want a great Malbec Argentina is the place to look. This release from Valentin Bianchi is a good place to start.

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Coming Tomorrow: Valentin Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon

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Valentin Bianchi - 2007 Elsa Malbec

Over the next couple of days I'll be looking at three wines from Argentine producer Valentin Bianchi. And while they have an Eighty-year history in Argentina they also have roots that connect them to both Italy and California. The Italian heritage is Valentin Bianchi himself who founded the winery after immigrating to Argentina in 1920. The California connection came a bit later, in 1996, when the grandsons of the founder recruited well-regarded Napa based winemaker Robert Pepi as a consultant.

Valentin Bianchi makes several tiers of wines. Within those tiers they have a number of Malbecs. This isn't surprising as Malbec is essentially the benchmark grape of Argentina. Malbecs can often provide some of the greatest values in Argentine wine as well as some of the most interesting releases. The 2007 Elsa Malbec saw a minimal amount of oak aging. 15,000 cases of it were imported into the US and it's suggested retail price is about $9.

This wine is a deep purple in color with jammy berry fruit in the nose. The first sip reveals some light sour cherry notes that give way to darker berry and plum fruit in the mid-palate. The finish features some earthiness along with light vanilla and white pepper notes. This is a fruity approachable wine that will go nicely with a wide variety of foods. Strong cheeses and meat dishes would be a great match. A sausage and mushroom pizza would compliment it well also. With alcohol at a modest 13.5% this is an easy one to drink on it's own as well.

For $9 the Elsa Malbec from Valentin Bianchi shows good varietal character in its category. Approximately 45 minutes in the decanter is recommended to get this wine to perform at it's best. Once it opens up the Elsa Malbec proves itself to be a good value. It's approachability; easy drinking style and sufficient complexity make it a wine to consider as an everyday red.

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Up Next: Valentin Bianchi Famiglia Malbec.

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Clos La Chance - 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is the last wine from Clos La Chance I'll be covering this week. Their Petite Sirah will be included in my coverage of that great varietal later in the month during Petite Sirah Week. As the name indicates this wine is from Clos La Chance's Estate Series. Cabernet Sauvignon represents 93% of this wine with Cabernet Franc making up the rest. 60% of the wine spent 27 months in new French Oak with 30% in 1 year French Oak. A modest 800 cases of this wine were bottled and it's suggested retail price is $40.

The Clos La Chance Estate Cabernet's nose opens brimming with leather, cedar and casis notes. That nose, no doubt elevated by the Cabernet Franc makes an impressive first impression. Dark berry and mocha present themselves from the first sip and carry onward to the mid palate which also adds in some earthiness and spice in the form of white pepper. That mid palate is big, round, rich and mouth-filling. Black pepper and additional earthiness by way of mushroom notes come out in the smooth, elegant finish. This is a nice big Cabernet Sauvignon that cries out for a steak or perhaps lamb chops to pair with it.

There is a present but approachable tannic structure to this wine. It's drinkable right out of the bottle but a little time in the decanter is definitely suggested to allow it to blossom properly. This wine has the stuffing to evolve nicely and drink well for quite a few years. I'd guess it has at least 7-10 years of life ahead of it. In that time I'd expect what is already a present earthiness to emerge closer to the forefront.

Well made, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon isn't inexpensive. For $40 I feel this wine is priced fairly. As with the other Clos La Chance wines I looked at this week, it's well balanced and food friendly.

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Clos La Chance - 2005 -Black-Chinned Syrah

Today's selection from Clos La Chance, a Syrah, is part of their Hummingbird series. This 2005 wine is 77% Syrah with the remainder being made up of Grenache, Mouvedre, Carignane and Petite Sirah. 24% of the wine spent 16 months in a combination of new, French and American oak. The total production on this wine was 4,700 cases and it's suggested retail price is $18. The Black-Chinned Syrah has a nose of mulled spices and berries. The first sip out of the glass reveals a host of blueberry notes.  the mid-palate has some earthiness and a hint of bacon fat that carries through to the finish which also features some pepper and vanilla notes. This wine will go well with grilled meats but also drinks nicely on it's own.

This is a medium bodied wine with good acidity that's also fairly smooth and easy drinking. It brings to mind wines of the Northern Rhone more than the average California Syrah. Part of that is likely due to the 12% Grenache which lends a nice balance to this wine.

Much like their numerous wine tiers, Clos La Chance's wine club is full of options to those interested. If you happen to lean towards one of their wine tiers more than another, there's likely a club option for you. I'm told that they take the wants and needs of their members very seriously and do whatever they can to accommodate them. Much more detailed information including specific discounts and benefits afforded for each level are available on the Wine Club portion of their website.

Coming Tomorrow: Clos La Chance 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Clos La Chance - 2005 - Buff-Bellied Zinfandel

The 2005 Buff-Bellied Zinfandel is part of Clos La Chance's Hummingbird Series. These are their entry level wines and most of them retail for between $14 & $18. Even though it's one of their entry level selections all the fruit was sourced from their estate vineyard in San Martin, CA. They also name each of the wines in this series for a specific type of Hummingbird, one that they feel relates in some way to that varietal. Just over 7,000 cases of this Zinfandel were made. 83% of it is Zinfandel with Petite Sirah, Primitivo and Alicante Bouchet making up the rest. A quarter of the wine was aged for in new American oak for 14 months with the remainder in neutral oak. This particular wine retails at $18 and it can be found pretty commonly for closer to $15.

The Buff-Bellied Zinfandel offers a nose-full of raspberries and spice with subtle vanilla notes. Upon first sipping, I found it to be a bit tart out of the bottle. However it opened up quickly. Thirty minutes in the decanter had it really showing off it's charms. Once it did open up there was abundant dark fruit followed by a mid-palate with lots of both light and dark jammy berry notes and more prominent vanilla characteristics. This is a mouth-filling wine that lights up your senses as you drink it. A subtle plum note and white pepper that lingers for a good long while close it out.

I find that I often enjoy Zinfandels that have a generous amount (10% in this case) of Petite Sirah blended in. The tradition of doing that goes back to many of the Italian field blends that have been popular in California for many years. What I feel the Petite Sirah adds to these Zinfandels is a dark brooding bottom end to balance the bright Zinfandel fruit.  If a Zinfandel like this were a rock band I think of the Petite Sirah as the thumping bass while the Zinfandel itself is the screaming lead guitar.

The Clos La Chance Buff-Bellied Zinfandel is well balanced with excellent acidity. It has some jammy characteristic but it's far more elegant that the typical Zinfandel. That being the case this wine will go with a much wider variety of food than most Zinfandels. I had it with Penne Arrabiata and found that to be an excellent match for it.

Throughout the year I drink and/or taste quite a few Zinfandel's as they're of particular interest to me within the larger world of wine. I found the Clos la Chance Buff-Bellied Zinfandel from the Hummingbird Series to be a fine example of one made in a traditional style at a fair price.

Up Next: Clos La Chance Black-Chinned Syrah

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Clos La Chance - 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay

Clos La Chance releases wines in three tiers and designations. Throughout this week I'll look at a total of four wines, two from the Hummingbird Series and two from the Estate Series. Close La Chance will also be featured again on this blog at the end of April during Petite Sirah Week. Today's wine is one of several Chardonnays Clos La Chance produces. A couple of them are vineyard designate wines (part of the Special Selections Series). The 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay is part of their Estate Series. Just under 3,500 cases were produced and the suggested retail price is $20. 20% of the wine spent 10 months in new French oak with the remainder in either 1 year oak (30%) or neutral (French & American) oak.

The nose of this Chardonnay presents an abundance of pear and pineapple alongside subtler spice notes.  Pear comes out in droves with the first sip. That carries through the creamy, mouth-filling mid-palate which also showcases more prominent spice notes. The finish has hints of vanilla, apple pie spices and a light minerality.

This Chardonnay has excellent varietal character, and good acidity. It features enough oak to offer significant complexity in it's price cetegory but it's never obtrusive to the fruit. This wine tastes incredibly fresh and springlike.

For $20 this wine is an excellent value. It puts me in a mind of some of the Chardonnays I enjoy year in and year out. With 3,500 cases out there it should be fairly easy to locate. If you like well made Chardonnay, that actually tastes like Chardonnay, with good complexity, this is definitely one to try.

Coming tomorrow: Clos La Chance, Buff-Bellied Zinfandel

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