Mini-reviews 17: Gloria Ferrer, Hugel, Clos de los Siete, Trapiche

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.

• Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir NV ($20, sample): Sparkling wine of the year at this year's Indy International (my panel picked it), and one of the best made California bubblies I've ever tasted. How nice is this wine? We had two Frenchmen on the panel, and they loved it as much as I did.

• Hugel Pinot Gris "Hugel" Tradition 2006 ($15, sample): Very lemon lime and much fruiter than I expected an Alsatian pinot gris to be. Having said that, it's another fine effort from one of my favorite Alsatian producers.

• Clos de los Siete 2008 ($19, sample): This Argentine red blend is made by the infamous Michel Rolland, who takes extraction and fruitiness to new levels. Call him the Jerry Bruckheimer of the wine world; if blowing up one building isn't enough, he'll blow up another. If you like this style -- lots of fruit, oak and alcohol -- you'll adore this wine.

• Trapiche Pinot Noir 2008 ($8, sample): The Wine Curmudgeon doesn't understand why producers make $8 pinot noir, since it's almost impossible to make it taste like pinot noir. This Argentine label tastes more like pinot than some of its contemporaries, but it still isn't very pinot. But if you want a well-made $8 red wine, you could do a lot worse.

red wine, white wine, wine reviews, Argentine wine, Californian wine, Alsatian wine, cheap wine, inexpensive wine, $10 wine

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Comments

[Jeff]

In reference to the Trapiche Pinot Noir - do I detect a bit of wine snobbery at play? If there were no $8 pinot available, I would seldom drink pinot! Those that I drink - Mark West, French Maid, Pepperwood Grove - are lighter than cabs and syrahs; great for sipping on a hot summer evening.

[Jeff Siegel]

Me? A snob? Aren't I the fellow who drinks wine made with ugni blanc? And, if you check (search box on the left), I have said nice things about Mark West and French Maid.

This is actually part of a larger question that I have also addressed: If a wine doesn't taste like it is supposed to taste -- if it isn't varietally correct -- is it worthwhile drinking? Do we want chardonnay that doesn't taste like chardonnay? Or merlot that doesn't taste like merlot?

I don't know the answer, and for the reason you suggest. Who am I to legislate what wine should taste like? But I do think I should note that a wine doesn't taste like the accepted standard.