The Wine Curmudgeon

Wine of the week: Robert Hall Rhone de Robles 2011

The Wine Curmudgeon practically gushed about this wine during my recent chat with Robert Hall winemaker Don Brady, so more details are in order. The first is that this is the kind of California wine that undoes so much of the damage caused by the rest of California’s wines.

How much so? The night after I drank this, I drank a similar sort of red blend made by a popular Napa producer that cost a couple of bucks more. There was no comparison, and I was quite shocked that the Rhone du Robles ($15, sample) came off of so much better. But why not? It isn’t too fruity, too oaky, or too alcoholic.

Look for some red fruit, which Brady makes a special effort to keep to sensible levels, as well as a structure that shows something besides fruit, including some very pleasant tannins. This is a terrific food wine; think Thanksgiving, modern French bistro or even something as old-fashioned as steak frites. Highly recommended, though not, unfortunately, always easy to find.

Mini-reviews 41: Eurl Patrick, Fougeray de Beauclair, Chateau Massiac, House Band

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:

• Eurl Patrick Barrière Village 2010 ($10, purchased): I bought this wine because I didn’t expect it to be worth drinking (I am the Wine Curmudgeon, after all). But it wasn’t French bad – green and tannic. Instead, it was California bad – overripe and extracted, without tannins or acid, and made in the grocery store style.

• Fougeray de Beauclair Bourgogne 2009 ($20, purchased): Another attempt to find drinkable red Burgundy for less than $40 with mixed results. Slightly rustic (pencil lead on the front and a rough, interesting finish), but not much fruit, even for Burgundy, and a bit thin in the middle.

• Château Massiac Minervois 2008 ($15, sample): Surprisingly fresh and fruity (black cherry?) red blend from southern France that includes syrah. But still dark and almost brooding; I'm not sure how it would fare with Americans used to Central Coast merlot.

• House Band White NV ($10, sample): This white blend takes full advantage of California's plethora of cheap, quality grapes and solid winemaking skills. It's dry and fruity, but not overdone in any way.

Wine of the week: The Other Red 2009

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. This wine now costs as much as $15 a bottle. Which, as much as the Wine Curmudgeon likes it and as much as I respect the producer, Lodi’s Peirano Estate, is a lot of money for what it is.

Fortunately, The Other (purchased) can still be found for as little as $10. When that’s the case, it’s the kind of wine that makes writing the blog such a pleasure. This vintage is a blend of moslty cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with 10 percent syrah, and is fruitier than usual (cherry). But it has enough acid and tannins for balance, as well as just 13.8 percent alcohol. The difference in alcohol between this and 14.5 percent wine, over the course of a bottle, is not only noticeable, but enjoyable -- a weeknight dinner without getting buzzed.

Note, too, that the cherry is real fruit, not the fake, candied kind that is the current style as winemakers try to give the impression of sweetness in dry wine.

It does seem a little thin in the back, but that may be a function of age. Three years is a long time for this kind of wine to last. But The Other remains one of the best California-style red blends available, and has never disappointed me. Serve this with any casual red meat dinner.

Mini-reviews 40: Red Newt, Rene Barbier, Quincy, Steelhead

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:

• Red Newt Cellars Semi-Dry Riesling 2011 ($15, sample): This New York white, which I tasted as part of a Finger Lakes Twitter event, didn’t have as much varietal character as I expected. More sweet than anything else, without enough fruit or minerality to balance the sweetness.

• René Barbier Mediterranean Rose NV ($5, purchased): The best of the three Rene Barbier wines (and the most difficult to find), made more like a New World rose with strawberry fruit. Highly recommended.

• Domaine du Adéle Rouzé Quincy 2010 ($20, purchased): French white from the Loire is imported by the always reliable Charles Neal. Lots and lots of lemon; the wine may require a little more time in bottle to even out. Needs food, and probably seafood (boiled or grilled shrimp, steamed mussels).

• Steelhead Red 2010 ($15, sample): California blend is heavy on the cabernet sauvignon, so it needs beefy food. But it has lots of character and oomph, as well as blackberry fruit and dusty tannins.

Wine of the week: Hess Select Sauvignon Blanc 2011

One of the things that makes the Wine Curmudgeon so cranky about California wine is that the state produces lots of cheap wine of decent quality and lots of expensive wine of decent quality. What it doesn’t do nearly enough is produce cheap wine of expensive wine quality. That’s why there are always so few California wines in the $10 Hall of Fame.

Which is why I was so happy to taste the Hess ($11, sample). Hess is a top-flight $20 and up producer, and always shows up on lists of wines to buy that deliver quality and value. And now they’re making a very impressive cheap sauvignon blanc.

This is a wine that that is balanced, crisp and fresh, and isn’t bothered by Hess’ policy of oaking even wines -- like this -- that usually don't need oak. In this, it’s all California, all the time, which means no dominating citrus like a New Zealand sauvignon blanc, but lots and lots grassiness – the smell of a new mown lawn. There’s even what seems to be lemongrass, for those who look for those kinds of descriptors.

Serve this chilled on its own or with grilled or boiled seafood. It’s a terrific Sunday afternoon porch sipping wine as the days get cooler, and would even be worth keeping around the house as the holidays approach.

Expensive wine 43: Ridge Three Valleys 2010

If more California producers tended to business the way Ridge does, the Wine Curmudgeon would not have nearly as much to complain about. It has been one of the best wineries in the U.S. for almost four decades, and it’s not a coincidence that its Monte Bello cabernet sauvignon was a California entry at the Judgment of Paris.

Even during the silliness before the recession, when so many wineries chased points and dollar signs, Ridge did things pretty much the way it had always done them. It’s still doing that today, which is why it’s always on my list of the wineries that I respect the most.That’s saying something, because its least expensive wine is around $25.

That’s the Three Valleys ($22, purchased), a red blend made of mostly zinfandel. It has enough zinfandel character to appeal to those who like the post-modern style, yet it's also balanced between the jammy blackberry fruit, the oak, and what seems to be an almost herbal-like spiciness. And, somehow, it's only 14.4 percent alcohol, almost unheard of for zinfandel these days.

In this, it's an honest wine, something Ridge has always aimed for. Winemaker John Olney practices his craft the way it should be, and not how so many others do it to get high scores or critical raves.

Pair this wine with almost any red wine food, especially as the days get cooler, and it's an excellent choice for the fall holidays.

Mini-reviews 39: Schug, Anne Amie, Acrobat, Colores del Sol

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. Today, wines to enjoy over the Labor Day weekend:

• Schug Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2010 ($25, sample): Elegant chardonnay that is a huge bargain at this price. It retains California freshness and fruit while showing some of the length and breadth of a fine white Burgundy.

• Anne Amie Pinot Noir Cuvée A 2010 ($25, sample): Classic Oregon pinot (and always a favorite), with berry fruit and earthiness that balance each other, and a fine value at this price.

• Acrobat Pinot Noir Rose 2011 ($10, purchased): Nothing really wrong with this Oregon rose, but mildly disappointing if only because it’s not up to the quality of the Acrobat pinot gris. Tastes of red fruit with almost sauvignon blanc-like acidity.

• Colores Del Sol Malbec 2010 ($12, sample): At $8, this is a nicely done grocery store wine, featuring the typical blueberry cola aroma. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t cost $8.