Top Ten Tastes for the 1st Half of 2010 My approach to wine is always enjoy the best…one sip at a time. This year to date has been fascinating in the sense that wineries up and down the price spectrum have made themselves accessible to the consumer. Wines that have been resting on their past laurels, can no longer count on the past to keep themselves on top. Leaner, quality operations want their share of the market so they outreach every opportunity they get. My coverage of wine events sharply increased the last 6 months, in step with a sharp increase in the excellent end of the tasting scale. In a recent column, I concluded that wines that sell for more, do so because their wines truly taste like premium wines. You do get what you pay for, and sales in the higher end of the wine world are beginning to get their customer base back. I rate wines on a one to five “bad to excellent” scale. Best price to value and availability are favored. The Top Ten Tastes are listed alphabetically. I rated all ten an excellent. Prices are suggested retail based on prices I have paid or web site cart prices. • Catena Bodega Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina. 2006. $18.99. A high altitude European style wine from the superior Mendoza District. 100 year old vineyards define Argentinian wines. www.catenawines.com. • Erath Prince Hill Pinot Noir, Oregon. 2006. $45.00. Low production, 2,000 case single vineyard wine in the Dundee region. Ideal flavor and tannin development for this vintage. 14 months in French Oak. www.erath.com . • Grgich Hills Estate Merlot, Napa Valley. 2006. $42.00. A complex, beautifully crafted Merlot from 4 Grgich Napa Valley vineyards. Biodynamic growing using the earth’s cycles gives this wine a balanced elegant character. www.grgich.com. • Goldeneye Pinot Noir, Mendocino. 2007. $55.00. Part of the Duckhorn group, Goldeneye, in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino, makes quality, cool-climate Pinot Noir. Winemaker Zach Rasmusson is very selective in choosing his crop for the small-lot production in each Pinot bottle. You have to be gentle with this grape. www.duckhorn.com. • Hess Collection Allomi Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. 2007. $28.00. A special Mt. Veeder Napa Valley high-altitude setting is the foundation for this grand home of a renowned family of wines. Hess presents a superior Allomi single Vineyard Cabernet with a regal berry-cherry taste, and grown for its warmer climate on 200 acres in a remote side of Howell Mountain. www.hesscollection.com . • Louis Latour Grand Cru Burgundy Beaunne France. 2005. $40.00. Burgundian wines fathered the popular Pinot Noirs of the west coast. Mellow cherry with a smoky licorice taste. Balanced tannins at the open. 2005 was a legendary harvest for France. www.louislatour.com . • O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mt Napa Valley. 2006. $75.00. Mountainside vineyard patterned for great Cabernet. Wines in harmony with the environment. Betty O’Shaughnessy and winemaker Sean Capiaux produce only Cabernet Sauvignon high up in Howell Mountain, Napa Valley. Small amounts of Cab Franc, Petite Verdot, Merlot and Malbec set the table. www.oshaughnessywinery.com. • Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel, Dry Creek Sonoma. 2008. $15.00 A champion value wine, familiar to Taste of Wine readers. The 2008 has a a5% touch of Petite Sirah to add to the old vine Zin. Hand-picked with ultimate timing for maximum balance and acidity. Barrel aged 12 months. Jammy California style flavor. www.pedroncelli.com . • Tamber Bey Estate Deaux Chevaux Vineyard Rabicano Blend, Napa Valley. 2007. $110. Elegant core of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with Petit Verdot and Cab Franc accents. Deep, rich, black fruit with an endless finish. Winery name derived from Arabian stallions raised on-site. www.tamberbey.com. • Zaca Mesa Estate Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley. 2006. $23.00. 16 months aged in Oak adding to perfect expression of this Santa Barbara County terrior. ’06 should provide momentum to the triple in sales over the previous year. www.zacamesa.com . Wine Bytes • Temecula Valley has its 27th annual Balloon and Wine Festival Fri. June 4 through Sun. June 6. Over 50 hot air balloons ascend at sunrise each day. Top music stars play Sat. night at Lake Skinner. Wine and food pairings over the weekend. Full details at temeculacvb.com or call 951-491-6085. • San Diego’s Balboa Park Spanish Village is the setting for the 3rd annual Cheese, Chocolate and Wine Festival Fri. June 4 from 6:30 to 9:30pm. Benefits Women’s History Museum. Dancing to Sue Palmer’s Band. $25. Call 619-955-8884. • Tesoro Winery Barrel Room Tasting Event happens Sat. June 5 from 4 to 6pm. Four cheeses compliment the blind tasting conducted by a known sommelier. $35. pp. This is at the winery. Call 951-308-0000. • 3rd Corner Encinitas presents a Nicket & Nickel/Far Niente wine dinner Tues. June 18 at 6pm. Cost is $79. Menu and wines, call 760-942-2147. • PAON Restaurant, downtown Carlsbad, “Best New Restaurant” from San Diego Magazine, hosts a L’Aventure wine dinner on Tues. June 8. Stephan Asseo, L’Avenure’s owner, will talk about this premiere Paso Robles Winery and its award winning blends. For menu and pricing, call PAON at 760-729-7377. Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. He is one of the leading wine commentators on the web. View his columns at www.tasteofwinetv.com . Reach him at [email protected]. VIVI BENE… ( Live Well )
