The Wine Curmudgeon

Wine of the week: Villa Maria Riesling Private Bin 2008

New Zealand is best known for it sauvignon blanc, and deservedly so, for they are among the best in the world. What the Kiwis get much less attention for is riesling -- which is too bad, since they make some very, very nice ones.

The Villa Maria riesling  (about $14, purchased) is a lovely wine, with riesling oiliness (which is a very good thing), some lime zest citrus, stone fruit, and a long finish. Also, it's not especially sweet considering how much residual sugar is in the wine. In this, it's a finely crafted effort, in which the winmaker aimed at balance between the various components -- fruit, sweetness, and acid. Would that more winemakers tried to do this. And, of course, it has a screwcap.

The only drawback to this wine is that it's kind of picky with food (and, in this, is a good example of why some wine is better with some food -- though everyone is free to drink whatever wine with whatever food they like). If you're not going to drink the Villa Maria on its own, it really does need to be paired with a dish that complements it. Think salads or a lighter style seafood. I drank it with potato pancakes and braised red cabbage, and that didn't do much for the wine.

wine reviews, riesling, wine of the week, Villa Maria, New Zealand, white wine

Wine of the week: Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007

The Wine Curmudgeon drinks a lot of cabernet sauvignon, mostly because it's the wine that shows up most often when I get samples. Almost every shipment has a cabernet in it, and the wine closet is about half cabernets at any one time. (Why this happens is a complicated question that makes my head hurt, dealing with marketers' perceptions of what Americans should drink and not what we want to drink.)

Having said that, most of the cabernet I taste is quite ordinary -- some fruit, some tannins, some acid and nothing much to distinguish it from the next cabernet in line. And the prices? Don't get me started.

Which is why it's always a treat to post my mostly annual review of the Avalon ($12, purchased). This vintage provides what Avalon always provides -- quality Napa cabernet at two-thirds to three-quarters of the price of comparable wines. It had lots of berry and cherry fruit, decent acid and tannins, and a cocoa powder finish. Serve this with any red meat or red sauce, and remember what the people who make the wine say: "We've taken the ego out of the equation and bring you world class wine at a darn good value."

wine reviews, cabernet sauvignon, Avalon, wine of the week, red wine, California wine

Wine of the week: Rodney Strong Chardonnay 2008

These are boom times for cost-conscious wine consumers, and one of the best examples is what has happened to the basic Rodney Strong chardonnay (sample). This is quality, top-notch, $15 wine from one of California's most consistent producers.

But because of the recession, retailers are desperate to move product, and they are discounting this wine all over the place. I have seen it in Dallas for as little as $10 a bottle, and it showed up the other day on wine-searcher.com for $9. It's even discounted on the Rodney Strong Web site for $13.50.

This is a value at $15 -- classic California chardonnay, with oak, green apple and citrus flavors, all in balance. It's low in alcohol, food friendly (roast chicken or fish with a cream sauce), you can drink it on its own, and it even won a gold medal in a prestigious California wine competition. So if you see it for $10 or $12, buy it and know you got a great deal.

wine reviews, wine of the week, white wine, California wine, chardonnay, Rodney Strong

Wine of the week: Chateau Causse Rouge 2006

The Wine Curmudgeon is always on the lookout for cheap French wine, and especially red Bordeaux, that tastes like French wine. Sadly, too much inexpensive French wine has been tarted up for American palates -- all fruit, no structure -- or made badly on the assumption that those stupid Americans won't know any better.

Which is why I almost jumped out of my seat at a tasting that included the Causse (about $12, sample). It's produced by the negociant Francois Thienpont, who oversees a company called Terra Burdigala. His wines are uniformly excellent and deliver value, even at the high end, and the Causse is as close to a steal as red Bordeaux gets these days. The Chateau Manoir du Gravoux 2006, a couple of dollars more and harder to find, is also worth a taste.

The Causse is mostly merlot with a dab of cabernet sauvignon. It's a modern wine (a screwcap!) with softer tannins, ripe fruit and stainless steel aging, but it also delivers traditional French style with plummy flavors, a lingering, dark finish, and just 12.5 percent alcohol. It's French wine the way those of us who started drinking it in the 1970s and 1980s remember it -- cheap and simple and satisfying. Drink this with any red meat or even roast chicken.

wine reviews, wine of the week, red Bordeaux, French wine, red wine, Causse Rouge

Wine of the week: Deinhard Riesling Classic 2006

The riesling renaissance in the United States is a wonderful thing to see. It means that Americans are becoming more comfortable with their own palates, and that they aren't embarrassed about drinking wine that isn't bone dry.

Which is where the Deinhard Classic (about $14, purchased) enters the picture. Germany's Deinhard family has been making wine for 200 years, so they probably aren't surprised to see Americans figure out that riesling can be quite enjoyable. And this wine is enjoyable.

The Classic may well be the best riesling the Wine Curmudgeon has ever had at this price. It doesn't have the wonderful lemon fruit that I like, but there was some of it nonetheless -- and the wine had the necessary stoniness and acidity to balance the sweetness and to produce a quality wine. Plus, it has a screwcap. Who says Old World producers can't be progressive?

Highly recommended, especially for people who want to step up from the Chateau Ste. Michelle riesling that has pretty much fueled the riesling resurgence. Drink this on its own or with spicy Aisan, Cajun or even Tex-Mex.

wine reviews, wine of the week, riesling, Deinhard, white wine