Lately I’ve been pairing my wine reviews with trips, and of course I like to write about the wine we have when we go out to dinner. But the quest for a decent $20 Bordeaux, a tasty Rhone or a powerful Zinfandel need not happen out on the town, or on the road. Here are some winners we’ve enjoyed recently.
The quest for a truly good $20 Bordeaux continues, but we did find a decent one. Chateau Haut-Piquat 2005 was recommended by the wine purchaser at the Vienna Whole Foods store for $18. It’s a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. It had a nice color and assertive nose (for a Bordeaux) in the glass. The bouquet suggests a lot of fresh fruit, but the wine is very dry and with a tart pucker. It’s light but not weak, and gets a little less tart in the glass. It wasn’t super by any means but very drinkable and the closest we’ve found to a nice Bordeaux at this price point.
Last time I wrote about a good Rhone wine, it was actually from just over the border in the Languedoc region of France. And so was the 2004 Chateau de Nages we had a few nights ago. This one is technically over the border as well, just to the west of Rhone near the city of Rimes. This wine had a rich, fruity bouquet that suggested it would be more “new world” in style. The wine was very flavorful, but it did have the “old world” dryness and tart finish. There was a lot of dark fruit and just a touch of licorice on the slow finish. The fruit was restrained by acidity, and it was a very good food wine made from 95% Syrah grapes, with 5% Mourvedre. We paid $18 at Total Wine in Alexandria.
Over the weekend with steak we sampled a new Zinfandel, the 2007 Napa Wine Company. Man, this was a big, tasty and spicy wine. Made from grapes grown organically in the Oakville appellation, it was huge fruit with lots of pepper and spice on the finish. I tasted deep cherry and boysonberry with a hint of vanilla on the palate. It was smooth and medimu-bodied, with enough going on to stand up to any dish and overwhelm many. Have this wine on its own or with red meat, it’s delicious. We paid $20 at Total Wine.
What have you been drinking this spring? Drop a comment and let me know.
