Dr Vino's wine blog

Spain
Castaño, Solanera, Monastrell, 2001. $10.46
From the obscure Spanish region of Yecla comes this superlative red wine. One of only four producers in the D.O., Castaño has hit their stride working with importer Eric Solomon (They would be S.O.L. without SOLOMON). This Solanera from old-vine monastrell (aka mourvèdre) has impressive nose, which decanting for one hour made even more intense with dark fruits and black cherry. The penetrating and all-encompassing mouthfeel yields to a smooth and long finish. Wow! This is surely the leading candidate for best wine of the year for under $10. Oops. The price increased from $9 last year. Pity we have to pay up, but if you are going to breach the $10 limit, make this the one!

Louis de Vernier, Blanc de blancs, Cava, NV. $9
Cava? Not well-known in the US, Spanish sparkling wine has grown to account for half of the sparkling wine market in the UK. This cava is a sparkling example of what has made it such a good export product. Dry and refreshing with vigorous bubbles, this wine is good year-round, from summer parties to New Year’s Eve. Even though it sells for about $4 in Barcelona, the low price tag here means that we can be more Spanish and not just save this for special occasions.

Castell del Remei, Gotim Bru, 2000, Costers del Segre. $10.41
This wine delights the palate while going easy on the wallet. Sadly, however, the price rose over 15% from last year’s vintage putting it above $10, thus leaving me with the dilemma of whether to review it at all. But it is still a terrific wine value, one that is too good to pass up. From Catalonia in northeastern Spain, this super smooth, complex blend (cabernet sauvignon, merlot and tempranillo) hits is mark like an arrow rather than a “hedonistic fruit bomb.” An excellent nose, with black currants and supple tannins on the palate, all give way to a lasting finish. Try it with a range of foods, from pork to paella. www.castelldelremei.com

Chile
Haras, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000 Maipo Valley. $9
This winery epitomizes current trends in Chilean winemaking: young, export-oriented, well-capitalized, and a tasty wine. With their first vintage only a decade ago, the winery blends the two passions of Chilean businessman Eduardo Matte, horses and wine, into this horseshoe-shaped winery (a horse sketch also adorns the label of this wine). This 100% Cabernet cuvée for the US market is a dead ringer for a young, peripheral Bordeaux, where it would have cost double. Purple-red in color, with dark fruits on the nice nose, this wine has seen some oak for smoothing out. Fans of “big reds” will enjoy this wine but its supple and medium bodied mouthfeel do not make it overwhelming. Imported by Fine Vines, LLC. www.harasdepirque.com

Terra Rosa, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, 2000. $9.99
Patrick Campbell, the Sonoma winemaker, headed south, not just for the winter, but also for this wine. Campbell has an excellent focus not only on quality (with his Laurel Glen wines sell for $50) but also on value. The two Terra Rosa wines come from vineyards on both sides of the Andes. This one from Chile has a base of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) but it is the added Carmenère (similar to a Merlot) that give this wine a voluptuous lushness that I have not encountered in other Cabs from Chile. Dark fruits with light notes of spice make this well-structured red a real crowd pleaser. www.laurelglen.com

Italy
Falesco, Vitiano, 2001, Umbria IGT $8
Viti-ano. When thinking Italian wine, why not think in Italian? Viti, a Latin root for grape; ano is similar to the word anno for year. Grape of the year? Well, a wine of the week at the very least. The alluring deep purple color draws the drinker in through the eyes while the intense aromas of black cherry and plums draw the drinker in through the nose. This medium bodied red has added complexity to sangiovese with good proportions of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. This one is a winner in the Italian wine under $10 category.

South Africa
Goats do Roam, Red, 2002, Western Cape, South Africa. $7.
Great skepticism accompanied the tasting of this wine. Was the witty name that plays on the Côtes du Rhône region of France covering up poor wine quality? (Goats do, in fact, roam on the property as Charles Back, the winemaker, is also a leading regional producer of goat cheese.) Was the pinotage, a leading red wine grape from the South Africa, going to be a disappointment as it had in the past? The wine itself dispelled the skepticism. A blend of several grape varietals including pinotage and the Rhône staples of grenache and syrah, this medium-bodied wine has a surprisingly concentrated nose with spice and dark fruits on the palate. From one of South Africa’s largest exporters, this wine is also easy to find.

France
Commanderie de Bargemone, rosé, AOC Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, 2001, $8.
When the thermometer rises and the humidity jumps, who wants a massive Cab? For those hot summer days, try a dry rosé. This quaffable choice, derived from Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah, has just enough substance to be interesting, no sweetness to be cloying, and served chilled it is very refreshing. Pair it with some grilled white fish and you are on your way to an excellent summer barbeque.

Mas de la Bergerie, VdP Coteaux de Bessilles, 2001. $8
Folies Bergères? No, this vin rouge is not Moulin Rouge. This turbo-charged red from the Languedoc clocks in at 13.5% alcohol but doesn’t feel heady. One of the wines from the ever-growing Domaines Paul Mas, this vin de pays is a blend of syrah, merlot, old-vine carignan, and cabernet sauvignon. Ruby in color, the wine has a concentrated nose of dark fruits and strawberry jam and holds together well on the palate. Try it with thyme-infused meat dishes.

Chateau Pesquié, Les Terrasses, AOC Côtes de Ventoux, 2001. $9.99
The slopes of the Mont Ventoux, which have been such a showcase for the skills of Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, also show the quality of this region’s winemaking. A blend of Grenache and Syrah, this ruby red wine is light in color and in tannins. Hints of earthiness and cloves are present in the excellent nose. On the palate, the wine has a bracing acidity and the wine evolves in the glass even though it is a young wine. Just as Lance makes going up the Mont Ventoux look easy, Chateau Pesquie makes their wines go down easy.