Recommended Wines
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Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2016
A typical pandemic Friday night — what to do to shake one out of the ongoing funk that seems to envelop our lives lately? Funny you should ask. Instead of meatloaf and just another nondescript glass of red, we recently reached out to a favorite local Italian restaurant, Princi Italia, to “attend” its Antinori virtual tasting in which three Antinori branded wines were paired with delicious appetizers from the restaurant. Add a couple of good... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Oct-Sat -
Muriel Fincas de la Villas Crianza 2016
The warmth of late spring in Texas has forced its presence onto the scene, one is reminded that serious grilling season is nigh upon us! Whether your home grill favorite is burgers, dogs, ribs or chicken, a delicious Red from the Rioja Region of Spain is an excellent choice to pair with spring and summer fare. If you are not familiar with the nuanced, delicious Reds from Rioja, you are... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-May-Sun -
Marchesi Antinori 2015 Villa Antinori Riserva (Chianti Classico)
Your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth has been, like most of my fellow sleuths, observing the local "shelter in place" directive during the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 virus scare. During this seemingly unending period of (more or less) voluntary quarantine, my significant other and I have been cooking at home more frequently, and one of the house favorites is Italian, particularly pasta with hearty meat sauces. I have also taken... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Apr-Tue -
Pedroncelli Merlot Dry Creek Valley Bench Vineyards 2017
Those of us who are Big Red fans are always on the lookout for a great Value Wine to enjoy and serve to our own wine buddies. As most of you have heard, the classic Bordeaux varietal Merlot fell out of favor for several years, coinciding in part with the 2004 dark comedy "Sideways" (and Miles' classic utterance that he wasn't "drinking any *&^%ing Merlot" to his twisted buddy Jack),... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Apr-Sat -
Olema Chardonnay Sonoma County 2018
Greetings and Salutations! As the vast majority of the country is in some stage of quarantine (in Dallas, we call it "Shelter in Place"), it seems that we wine sleuths need to have good information for quality Value Wines more than ever. Otherwise, or so I am told, one is liable to end up cracking open in frustration a prized bottle of Kistler Chardonnay or that favorite Nuits St. Georges... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Mar-Sat -
Milbrandt Merlot (Columbia Valley) 2017
I am always on the lookout for a satisfying Big Red that meets our criteria as a Value Wine--i.e., high quality and a price of less than $20. We at The Wine Bargain Sleuth have long been a fan of Washington Cabs and Merlots and have frequently recommended the same to our wine sleuths! The Milbrandt Merlot Columbia Valley 2017 is a terrific example of a great Value Wine: at... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Dec-Sat -
Courtney Benham Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018
In the Great Southwest, a quality Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser around the pool or for a summer cocktail. The Napa expression of the international Sauvignon Blanc grape tends to be a bit rounder than others, with flavors such as peach and nectarine rather than the grapefruit and citrus profile generally associated with, say, the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. A terrific value version of this wine is... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Aug-Mon -
2015 Land of Promise Pinot Noir
Say you have a birthday or a big anniversary coming up. Or you closed that big deal at work...or just because you are worth it! Some days you just want to have an amazing glass of wine. After a long day this week, I had one of those amazing glasses of wine: the 2015 Land of Promise Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast, California. Even better, I got to share a... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Apr-Sat -
Chateau Guiraud G Bordeaux White 2016
With spring comes colorful, fragrant flowers and budding trees, as well as warmer weather that pairs so delightfully with light, crisp wines. Some of my personal favorites include Bordeaux Blancs from France's legendary wine region. In addition to being refreshing with their cleansing acidity and nuanced with their classic blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, many of these French beauties are an amazing value as well. One vivid example of... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Apr-Sat -
Cline Zinfandel Contra Costa County Ancient Vines 2016
Looking for a great value wine in a Big Red? Tired of the ongoing Napa Valley price creep? Enjoy a Zinfandel with a old vines taste profile? Well, wine sleuths, I believe I have you covered for this month! I highly recommend the Cline Zinfandel Contra Costa County Ancient Vines 2016! None other than leading wine publication Wine Spectator bestowed a strong 91 rating on this delicious red Zinfandel, calling... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Feb-Mon
It’s time once again for our recommendations for that most American of holiday feasts: Thanksgiving. Our goal as always is to allow you wine sleuths to heroically pair great wines, both Value Wines and Worth a Splurge Wines, with their favorite holiday dishes. Whether your preferred Thanksgiving entree is a classic roast turkey, a savory honey-glazed ham, a grilled fish or something completely different, our recommendations include sparkling wines, whites and reds, domestic and foreign, classic wines and a few curve balls thrown in to keep ’em guessing!
A classic Right Bank blend of primarily Merlot with a healthy dollup of Cabernet Franc, the Chateau Tessendey 2014 is drinkable now as a cocktail wine or as an elegant pairing to a roast pork tenderloin or lamb chops, but it has the structure to lay down for a few more years as well. The Chateau Tessendey 2014 has a mouthful of berry fruits and currants, with a classic Bordeaux earthiness and a long, bone-dry finish. Wine Enthusiast Magazine agreed and bestowed a strong 91 rating on this Big Red to boot! If this description sounds like a French wine that will put a serious bruising on your Visa card, then we have a nice surprise for you!
The Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva Mendoza 2013 is just coming into its own, but is definitely drinkable with perhaps 15-30 minutes of breathing to allow it to open up. Clever wine sleuths know that wines that are released from the Southern Hemisphere are actually a growing season ahead, making a 2013 release from, for example, Argentina the functional equivalent of a 2012 release from the USA. The initial flavor profile of this Fabre Montmayou Gran Reserva is of fresh dark fruit, pepper and spice, with a lovely earthiness on the mid-palate, followed by a lengthy finish of chocolate and licorice hints. While the Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva 2013 would be an amazing pairing with a charcoal-grilled ribeye steak, it was also silky and elegant enough to be served, as it was to our birthday party, with chocolate truffles and apple pie.
Those who are kind enough to follow The Wine Bargain Sleuth are aware that I am a fan of Washington wines in general and Washington Cabs, Bordeaux Blends and Merlots in particular. In terms of high quality and low price points, the very crux of value wines, I am of the view that there are very few competitors to Washington wine offerings at prices that casual wine fans and wine sleuths on a budget can equally enjoy.
I recently had the opportunity to sample some of the higher end wines of Columbia Crest, including their world renowned Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and their Walter Clore Private Reserve Reds. Presenting the Columbia Crest Big Reds was Laura Sorge, a winemaker for Columbia Crest. While Laura acknowledged that Columbia Crest was possibly best known for its value wines such as the H3 Les Chevaux, H3 Cabernet Sauvignon or the Grand Estates Merlot, she maintained that it would be a mistake to overlook the two high end Columbia Crest offerings, which are in and of themselves a great value, particularly when compared to Napa Valley Big Reds.
A recent family vacation to idyllic Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic afforded just such an opportunity to try a terrific Argentinian wine — the Trivento Cabernet-Malbec Mendoza Reserve 2013. The very definition of a food friendly Value Wine, the Trivento Big Red contains elegant red berry, earthy green tea and dark current profiles, with a seemingly seamless, lengthy finish.
Sometimes your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth is a slow learner, but I have learned that without a doubt my favorite wine festival is held annually in June at the classic Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena, California: The Taste of Howell Mountain. As luck would have it, I was able to string together a weekend getaway to this terrific event presented by the Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers Association. And yes I did have a large time, thank you for asking!
Sometimes your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth is just plain fortunate to be invited to amazing wine events. That was definitely the case with last weekend’s by-invitation tasting at Hall’s beautiful St. Helena winery in Napa Valley, for which my lovely spouse and I were somehow included. I have found that many times in life it’s better to graciously accept rather than question why, just in case one’s invitation was delivered by mistake!
I don’t know that I tasted a better, more elegant, more nuanced Cab the entire trip to Napa, if not this year to date, than the Lamborn 2008 Howell Mountain Cab. Deep aromas of blackberry and even a hint of black cherry and cassis began the experience, with an oaked but polished mid-palate, with a smooth, earthy and complex finish that felt like it lasted for 2 minutes.
Without a doubt, the State of Washington is producing some terrific wines, and you savvy wine sleuths should definitely pay heed. Exhibit A is the Columbia Crest 2013 Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an delicious medium-bodied Cab that is widely distributed. I picked up hints of cocoa, blueberries and blackberries, with a noticeable but delicious oak overtone. Not overly tannic, this is an everyday Cab that can be served as on its own, or it would be a delicious pairing with a grilled filet or even a pork tenderloin.
My giving nature aside, the alarming cost of great Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is on my mind this month. And like the absurd price increase in college costs since I myself was a college freshman back in the Dark Ages (which now, according to my daughter and her friends, makes me “vintage”), the prices of Napa Valley’s trademark Napa Valley Cabs have shot up astronomically since the wine bug first nipped on yours truly. I have a sharp recollection of purchasing my first high-end Cab (a Peju Reserve 1994) in January of 1998 during a La Nina monsoon that blanketed Napa Valley. I held my breath and purchase this prized bottle…for the princely sum of $40. That equivalent bottle in April of 2017, just 19 years later, is now $125, over 300% of that first prized bottle that made my head spin, thinking that purchase was a one-time only deal! Well, so much for best laid plans, etc….
Looking for a new house Big Red that impresses your savvy wine buddies but still leaves a few quid in your pocket from a $20? The great state of Washington and one of its shining wine stars, Chateau Ste. Michelle provides this month’s answer in the form of its Indian Wells Merlot 2014. A full-bodied but lush expression of Merlot, the taste profile for the Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot 2014 is that of ripe dark cherries, cocoa, spice and just a hint of oak for balance.
As prices of our favorite Bordeaux and Napa Valley Big Red offerings continue to soar, much to our chagrin (I remember the good old days when I nearly had a stroke when I paid $40 for a top rate Napa Reserve Cab!), we wine sleuths are constantly on the lookout for a satisfying steak wine but still need change back from our $20 bill. Add bonus points if you are willing to look south of the Equator for sometime somewhat exotic and really amazing. Well, my thirsty friends, your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth has your solution for this month: the Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva 2014.
Amazingly, our little blog is about to celebrate 4 full years. What began as a basic idea and clearinghouse of quality wine information with a little dollup of fun mixed in has continued to grow exponentially and, hopefully give you the reader more and better information.
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