Minireviews 9: Greg Norman, red Burgundy, Rioja, Hess

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the final Friday of each month (though it's early this month because of the holiday).

• Greg Norman California Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($14, sample): Quality California style sauvignon blanc, with less citrus (mostly lime) and more minerality. A wine for people who like sauvignon blanc but don't like the New Zealand style.

• Chanson Père et Fils Bourgogne 2006 ($25, purchased): A decade ago, this French pinot noir would have cost $15, and its flaws -- a bit thin with some unripe fruit -- wouldn't have mattered. At $25, they matter a lot.

• Bodegas El Coto Rioja Crianza 2005 ($10, sample): An odd little wine -- sour and tannic, but not in an unpleasant way. I can't tell if it's old fashioned, made the way the Spanish have always made tempranillo, or just poorly made.

• Hess Collection Chardonnay 2008 ($12, sample): This California white is always dependable, if not always exciting. I don't know that it's worth 20 percent more than Bogle's chardonnay, but it's more than adequate in a pinch.

wine reviews, Greg Norman, red Burgundy, Rioja, Hess Collection