The Frugal Oenologist

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Rio Diamante Chardonnay 2008

This Argentine white has elements of apple, is heavily oaked, and has a finish that seems, definitely, to be cinnamon. To my taste, it's a bit more fruity than I like, but I admit that may be an idiosyncracy of mine. $7.99.

Jaboulet-Vercherre Chassy 2008

This red Cotes du Rhone is alright, although on the whole forgettable. It displays some dark berry flavors and soft tannins, but lacks the full bodied character that one associates with the region. On special at $7.99, but is offered for two dollars less elsewhere.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Donna Fugata Sedara 2007

Sicilian reds tend to err on the side of Disneyland, but this one is relatively restrained. The nose has a definite note of tobacco, it tastes of cherry and blackberry, moderated by soft tannins. If you find it with an instant rebate coupon for $2, reducing the price to $9.99, it's worth a try.

Dao Cabriz 2006

Providing it is allowed to breathe for at least an hour, this Portuguese red, a blend of three local grapes, is a pleasant mix of dark cherry, blackberry and oak and doesn't undergo any unpleasant deterioration at the finish. It's uncomplicated but a nice quaff and most affordable at $6.19.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Cavas Hill A Brut

We had something to celebrate, so we settled on this Spanish cava. (I really am curious what French 18th century public relations genius in Champagne first promoted the notion that spakling wines are especially festive). This is a non vintage wine, with elements of apple and citrus, is rather acidic and the carbonation is somewhat subdued. It's good, but in the price range I prefer the Freixenet. $9.49.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Campo Viejo Crianza 2006

This is the entry level of the Rioja which I previously reviewed in its Reserva incarnation. There is a good mix of dark cherry and tanins, along with an acerbic but by no means bitter finish. Not a bad buy at $8.99, but drink it now, I don't think it will keep much longer.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Le Rime Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio 2008

This white, another Banfi product, comes from Montalcino in Tuscany, one of Italy's prime wine growing regions. It tastes of apple and citrus and is by no means bad, but is not a truly happy marriage, as it lacks both the buttery roundness of Chardonnay and the bite of Pinot Grigio. $7.99, and if you can find it with the instant $2.50 rebate tag, you might want to try it, it's well worth that.

Some Personal Notes...

I was born and grew up in Belgium. There, as in all of the francophone world, children, as soon as they were old enough to sit up at table to have their dinners (usually at midday) with the adults, were allowed a glass of wine. The thought behind this was that they should enter their turbulent teens already accustomed to alcohol and not treat it as yet another exciting discovery, to be abused with the ungovernable energy that the hormonal storms of those years produce. By and large, this premise was a sound one. The level of alcoholism in the French-speaking countries tends to be well below that of the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian ones, never mind the United States. To be sure, this datum can be challenged on a matter of definition: while there may be fewer binge drinkers who get raging drunk whenever they have access to alcohol, a goodly proportion of the working class, which habitually has a glass or two of wine with breakfast, is working on a mild buzz throughout the day. Still, the results are less deletirious: they function. At one point a Prime Minister of France, appropriately named Mendes-France, himself an anti alcohol crusader, launched an initiative to persuade the French to throw away their wine and drink milk instead. Needless to say, the project was still-born. The French consume as much wine as ever. The point I'm trying to make is that it seems to me that it is eminently possible to go through life enjoying one's wine without being seriously impaired in one's judgement or one's work level. In the old days in Europe one had the main meal of the day at noon, invariably following that up with a nap, so that when one returned to work one's mind was again clear. Nowadays dinner tends to be taken in the evenings, which means that one isn't really fit to do much serious work afterward, but I would argue, pace all you workoholics, that one's evenings should be devoted to less demanding and more congenial activities. I have enjoyed my evening wine throughout a long life, I've drunk some very good bottles and remember them fondly, and I would urge you to do the same.S