Pour Us! Amid Price Spikes, We Find Top Wine Values Around the World
As the summer blazes on, the wine world is continuing to see some rather drastic price increases. Fires, frost, and inflation are some of the culprits for these spikes. Since they may persist, featuring wines that are still a good value has been a major priority for me. In the last issue, I touched on some of the wonderful feature wines from Spain, yet I would be remiss to not mention the top value wines from the other various wine regions of the world that I have been enjoying this season.
CIRÒ ROSSO (Italy): This wine is entirely made of organically grown Gaglioppo grapes from 40-year-old vines in Cirò, Calabria. It features a juicy nose, fruit of plums and cherries, fine tannins, and refreshing clarity with a powerful body. This drinks like a baby Barolo for only a fraction of the price.
LA POSTA FAZZIO MALBEC (Argentina): The vibrant nose of red and black cherries and ripe plums combines with floral touches of violets and rose petals. It holds a nice tannic structure that is full on the palate. Vanilla, chocolate, and some spice appears to make it more complex. It is a fruit-driven, fresh, and well-structured wine that pairs nicely with hard cheeses and meats like prosciutto, making it a nice complement to a post-beach charcuterie board!
AUNTSFIELD SAUVIGNON BLANC (New Zealand): Peach, passion fruit, and lemon-lime flavors open in this ripe, rounded wine, with white blossom and a grassy pungency below. The palate is broad in shape, dry and crunchy, with lovely citrus fruit, texture, length, and heaps of refreshment – perfect for summer. Consistently one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand.
SOUTHERN LINES SAUVIGNON BLANC (New Zealand): The grapes for this next New Zealand value were grown in Marlborough’s Central Valley, where considerable efforts were made to remain eco-friendly. Southern Lines operates under the Sustainable Wine Growing Accreditation: An export certified spray program was adhered to, and if irrigation was required, it was only by trickle system. The wine has a nose that is elegantly concentrated, showing citrus fruit and yellow stone fruit aromas, along with creamy, nutty barrel ferment and oak notes entwined with lemon curd and toasty oak elements. It is medium-bodied with a palette that possesses a core of citrus and stone fruits along with creamy nuances, and is one of my go-to orders to pair with a salad from Fred’s Tavern.
DOMAINE PHILIPPE COLIN CREMANT DI LIMOUX (France): Our first French find is a bubbly from an appellation that deserves to be better known. The Collin family has made Champagne for generations, but Phillipe Collin moved to Limoux to establish his own domaine, and this sparkling wine shows what the area is capable of. A crisp aroma with hints of honeysuckle, bright fruit notes with hints of almond, a clean and refreshing minerality, finishing with excellent acidity. This dry sparkler achieves its impact with only 12% alcohol, and a fraction of the price tag of a comparable champagne.
MOULIN DE GASSAC GUILHEM ROSÉ (France): What is summer without rosé? This one from Moulin de Gassac is a tried-and-true annual favorite of mine. Located in the Gassac Valley, the domaine was founded in 1974 by Aimé and Véronique Guibert. Today the family business is run by winemaker Samuel Guibert and his four brothers. Samuel Guibert describes this year’s rosé as, “lively, vivid rose-pink. Pleasant, intense, floral with notes of citruses. Well balanced with freshness combining red currants and berries. Splendidly fresh and long – thoroughly ‘more-ish.’ A classy rosé! Perfect with grills, barbecues, salads, and fruit desserts.” Classy and under $15? More-ish, please.
DOMAINE JEAN AUBRON SAUVIGNON BLANC (France): This gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc comes from 40-year-old vines grown on gabbro and volcanic soils. Fermented in stainless, it is lightly filtered, and lightly sulfured. The end result is mouth-wateringly refreshing, super bright, and easy to drink. Think of Sancerre – just at half of the price!
CHARLOTTE LEWIS PINOT NOIR (Oregon): From the Rouge Valley, this is another wine on the list that uses sustainable farming. The fruit was hand-harvested at night temperatures, de-stemmed, and fermented whole berry in small, open-top fermentation bins. The three-quarter ton bins are gently punched down for the duration of the 10-to-14-day fermentation. Once primary fermentation is complete, the wine is racked to French oak barrels for 10 months of barrel aging. The Pinot Noir has lively acidity and is well balanced with spice, and another wine with black cherry, plums, and floral notes. On the palate, it is smooth, round, and medium-bodied with flavors of tart cherry, orange zest, rhubarb, and clove. Its lively acidity carries through the palate, followed by a flavorful elegant finish. It is an incredible value for Oregon Pinot Noir.
BIELER FAMILY BORN TO RUN CABERNET SAUVIGNON (California & Washington): This Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% American: 50% from the Columbia Valley in the state of Washington, 50% from California. A rich, soft California Cabernet Sauvignon blended with dark and structured Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington, the result is gorgeous and complex. A ripe plum aroma is joined by the slightest hint of creosote on the nose. The palate echoes the nose, adding blueberry and cassis notes joined by dried tobacco and allspice. There is a firm grip of tannins that holds on tight but is eventually taken over by a wash of mouthwatering acidity on the plummy finish.
TROUSSE-CHEMISE PINOT NOIR (Oregon): Anne Sery studied wine at the University of Bordeaux with the late Denis Dubourdieu (dubbed “wine’s most famous scientist”), then moved to Oregon to make wine in the Willamette Valley. Trousse-Chemise is her label that she started in 2012, making wonderful Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from some of the top vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley. These are some of the top values in Oregon Pinot Noir that can be found today. Her Pinot Noir features aromas of ripe boysenberry, black cherry, and raspberry fruits intermingled with subtle spice notes. On the palate, the dense core of fruit explodes in waves of intense, juicy, fruit flavor. The tannins are refined and elegant, perfectly framing the luscious berry and stone fruits while the soft acidity provides an excellent freshness to counterbalance the fruit intensity. It is a classic Oregon Pinot that shouldn’t be missed!
These values are all exceptional wines for summer drinking.
As always, please drink responsibly!
