The Good, Bad, and Great Value

26 Thursday Jul 2012

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Behind again on wine reviews so going to do my best to catch up over the next few days. Let’s start with a couple of Rose’ wines and a great value Bordeaux white.

L’Esprit De Sainte Marguerite 2011 – This is typical salmon-pink Provence Rose that satisfies. It was a light and refreshing Rose with a fresh berry taste that I enjoyed with some grilled shrimp.

It’s a combination of Grenache and Cinsault. Decanter, the well-respected British publication and website, gave the 2011 Rose’ four a possible five stars. This Rose, though a bit pricer than many I’ve enjoyed this summer, was far from the best or worst I’ve tasted. At this price point, I expected a bit more but it’s not disappointing.

L’Esprit De Sainte Marguerite 2011, $19.99, though I found it a little cheaper on some internet sites. Recommended.

Chateau Margui 2010 – I can only give this wine mention. It was clearly past its prime when I drank it a couple of weeks ago. It’s available here in Indiana and wine ratings I found were positive. I picked it up at a higher price point than normal thinking it would be something special. The wine had not gone bad, just past it’s prime.

The fruit was gone and the wine was flat. The finish was borderline unpleasant. I’ve asked a couple of retailers about the aging of Rose and all have said the higher end wines should age nicely for a few years. This is the second $20-plus Rose I’ve opened recently and been very disappointed. I won’t criticize the wine because I don’t think I tasted it at its best. Let’s just say I won’t be buying any more 2010 Rose this season. I’ll stick to the current releases of 2011.

Chateau Margui 2010 Rose, $26, No Recommendation.

Chateau Haut Rian 2010 Bordeaux Blanc – Here is a wine to bebunk critics who say you can’t buy a drinkable and enjoyable wine for under $10.

This is mostly Semilion with Sauvignon Blanc and I loved it. I got plentiful grapefruit and maybe a hint of lime on this light and minerally white wine. It was delightful with a swordfish steak I seared on the grill.

It normally retails around $12 – a great, great bargain. But I found cases of it at Carmel’s Vine & Table for $9.99.

Chateau Haut Rian 2010 Bordeaux Blanc, $SRP $12.99, Highly Recommended.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

White Bordeaux,Chianti Classico from Organic Grapes

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Howard in France, Italy

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Casina Di Cornia Chianti Classico, Chateau Laubarit Entre-Deux-Mer, Chianti, organic wine, White Bordeaux

It’s time to get back to some specific wines and I have tasted two since returning from France which are available in the United States and made from organically grown grapes.

Chateau Laubarit 2007 Entre-Deux-Mers – Or, we’re talking white Bordeaux if that makes things a little easier. Forget it’s Bordeaux and you can forget it’s French. This is great white wine.

The white is a blend of 60 percent Sauvignon Blanc, 20 percent Semillon, and 20 percent Muscadelle. It’s a white you could drink alone, as a cocktail or with dinner. I served a guest, who is not a big white drinker, this wine with roasted pork chops and roasted herbed potatoes and he loved it!

This is easy drinking wine with enough complexity to satisfy any wine drinker. The Semillon and Muscadelle give the wine a super soft palate feel. The alcohol content is a low 12 percent. At $16, you won’t find a white that drinks any easier with this much palate pleasing presence.

Julien grabs a bottle for the photo!

Casina Di Cornia 2005 Chianti Classico Reserva – This winery was my very first stop during my recent trip to the Millesime Bio in Montpellier, France. I met Julien Luginbuhl who just returned to his family wine-making business within the last year.

I love Chianti but find the quality so uneven with dollops of Merlot and uneven acid in many of the wines you find on U.S. shelves. The Cornia Classico Reserva was big bold dark cherry with balanced acid and a satisfying finish that didn’t over power the fruit.

I love the fact the family uses Sangiovese and the old Italian varietal Canaiolo for the wine – NO Merlot. Being a Classico and a Reserva moves the price up a bit to the mid-$20 range, but it’s worth the price.

Casina Di Cornia has been producing its wines with organically grown grapes for more than a decade.

I would challenge any wine drinker to taste either of these wines, both highly recommended, and not appreciate the fact that no pesticides, no herbicides or other chemicals – and only minimum sulfur – go into the production process.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com