To Reserve or Not to Reserve? And What's the Difference Anyway?

In your wanderings down supermarket aisles and through wine stores, you may have come across wines labeled "Reserve" or bearing the name of a vineyard and wondered what the designations were all about. What does it mean to be a "reserve" wine? A vineyard wine? And what difference--if any--does it make to the taste? Or the price tag?

If you are confused about what "Reserve" means there is a good reason for it: there is no standard or regulated use of the term. In its purest sense, it was once used by winemakers to specially mark wines they felt were superior. Today, it can be used to indicate the wines have been reserved in the winery for an extra year or two, that they received special oak treatment, that the grapes used in the wine were from a select portion of those harvested, or some combination. It can also be used purely as a marketing term, because who wouldn't want a special wine?

Wines with vineyard designations are regulated, however, and if you see the name of a vineyard on a bottle it means that 95% of the grapes used in the wine must come from that vineyard. Vineyards vary tremendously in terms of soil, climate, and exposure and all of these variables can alter the taste of your wine. Sometimes, a winemaker feels that the grapes grown in a particular patch exhibit special characteristics, and they decide to keep that fruit separate to accentuate the unique qualities of the grapes.

Recently I had a chance to taste three wines made from the same maker, from the same grape, and all from grapes grown in the same county (although different parts of that county). One was the standard bottling, one was a vineyard designate, and one was a reserve bottling. All three were excellent--but had distinctively different taste. Here's my take on them.

2009 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma County (suggested retail $13.50; available in the market for $8-$15). A clean and crisp Chardonnay, with apple and lemon aromas and flavors accented by richer pineapple and creamy vanilla notes. A portion of the juice was fermented in barrels, the rest in a tank, which helps to explain both the vanilla notes (the oak) and the crispness (from the stainless steel tanks). Flavorful, well-balanced and food friendly. Very good QPR.

2009 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Chalk Hill (suggested retail ; available in the market for $13-$21) This wine was made from grapes grown in an estate vineyard in the Russian River Valley. A distinctive, classy Chardonnay with apple and toasted oak aromas followed by apple flavors. Layers of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg make the wine spicy, but the apple flavors remain strong and keep the wine fresh as do the underlying mineral notes. The aftertaste is nicely spicy, too, in part from the time the juice spent in both new and seasoned French oak barrels. Very good QPR.

2008 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Reserve Russian River Valley (suggested retail $35; available in the market for $24-$35). This wine was one year older than the others I tasted (even though it is a recent release) and tasted and smelled far richer with its apple and toasted coconut aromas. Full, creamy baked apple and sour cream flavors were followed up with a rich, spicy aftertaste. The Rodney Strong website explains that the wine was made in their "small lot winemaking facility," and that the juice was fermented in French oak barrels. Though this wine cost significantly more, it was an excellent value of the rich, oaky style of California Chardonnay. Very good QPR.

When faced with a decision of whether to choose a standard, vineyard designate, or reserve bottling, remember this: it's all about the taste and what you find affordable. In this case, the higher priced wines were richer-tasting, in large part because of their contact time with expensive oak barrels. However, sometimes what you want is a crisp Chardonnay. In that case, you'd be far happier with the Sonoma County bottling! As for me, my palate was most pleased with the Chalk Hill example.

As for food pairings, any of these wines would provide you with a pleasant Chardonnay to pair with your late summer/early fall dinners of grilled or roasted chicken, butternut squash ravioli, or grilled halibut.

Full Disclosure: I received samples of these wines for possible review.

Open That Bottle Night Report: Scholium Wine

Saturday was the 10th annual Open That Bottle Night. Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, the wine critics from The Wall Street Journal began the event because so many people have wine in their house that they think is too "special" to drink. The result? When something finally happens that constitutes a "special" occasion, the wine is over the hill and can't be enjoyed anymore.

Open That Bottle Night gives you the permission to say "today is the day" and pull the cork on that expensive, rare, or sentimentally significant bottle.

As you might imagine, the bottles I hang on to are the ones that cost me more than $20. After a disaster or two I no longer set aside "special occasion" bottles, but I do tend to be reluctant to open something outside my normal price range.

So I opened up a bottle of Scholium Wine, the project to push the wine envelope started up by former philosophy professor Abe Schooner. (photo of Abe Schooner taken by fellow blogger Dale Cruse, from the blog Drinks Are On Me) I'm on their mailing list, and get a chance twice a year to buy Abe's wine. One reason I like Scholium is because it's out-of-the-box wine making. Usually, I'm a correct varietal characteristics maniac, and want my Cabernet Sauvignon to taste like it's supposed to. With Scholium I make an exception. Nothing Abe does with grapes fits a textbook description and his wines are a wine-drinking adventure as a result. And I'm not alone in thinking so. Other wine bloggers enjoy the challenges associated with opening up a Scholium wine and abandoning their preconceived notions of what wine should be. Check out RJ's post on Scholium at RJ's Wine Blog for an example, or Richard the Passionate Foodie's experience meeting Abe.

That spirit of adventure was certainly part of the 2007 Scholium Project "The Prince In His Caves" Farina Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($45 through the mailing list; you can get other vintages for between $45 and $49 from these merchants). I just adored this wine, but all the while I had to abandon my idea of what Sauvignon Blanc was "supposed" to be. It opened up to a cloudy orange-yellow that resembled flat beer. Initially, there was a strong aroma of pink grapefruit juice concentrate. I got some rock salt, too. The flavors were thick grapefruit juice and guava nectar at first, then there were honeyed notes as it opened up, and minerality and citrus pith as it warmed. I kept thinking that this was a wine that they would recognized in the Middle Ages, which (from the descriptions I've read) was mostly thick and mostly cloudy.

I'm glad that I took the opportunity to open this wine now, because I have another bottle of it and I will save it for a night when all I ask for is a non-boring wine. This is most definitely NOT boring, and reminded me of what Open That Bottle Night is all about: wine is meant for drinking. So just do it.

Today on Serious Grape: Super Tuscans, the Italian Super Hero

Today on Serious Grape, my weekly column on Serious Eats, I tackle a topic of heroic proportions: Italian Super Tuscans. (photo by bohman)

Many of us have heard the phrase, but I'm always surprised at how few know what the term means or how it came into being.

Today's post provides you with a little bit of history, and a tasting note for one of the more reasonable Super Tuscans in the market. Super Tuscans are not usually found under $20, and this one is no exception. But if you're looking for a special red wine for the holidays it may fit the bill and your budget. See what you think.

In addition, I posted another gift guide for wine lovers there. Yesterday, I posted my roundup of recommended wine books for this holiday season here on GWU$20. If you are looking for something that isn't a book, you will find five recommendations under $25 that might be just perfect for someone on your list.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #51: Baked Goods

Today is the 51st Wine Blogging Wednesday. Today's theme was picked by the #1 Wine Dude Joe Roberts. He asked us to drink something "baked." What Joe meant by this was he wanted us to pick a wine that had been deliberately heated and oxidized (otherwise known as Madeirized after the classic Madeira wines from Portugal).

Wisely, Joe realized that these might be hard to locate. So he gave us the option of tasting Port or Sherry instead.

Because life is fairly nuts right now with relatives stopping by and the semester winding to a close, I decided to write today about rare sherries. I had the opportunity to taste some when I was a guest of Osborne in May, and one of the reasons I wanted to highlight them today is because they are not only great wines, they represent excellent QPR if you are looking for a single dessert wine that you can have on hand during the holidays and serve over several weeks without them going off or tasting stale.

The reason why this is possible is because they have been fortified with Brandy. This means that if you stopper them up and keep them in a cool dark place you can drink them over weeks, and in some cases months. It also means that they pack a serious punch, so tiny glasses are in order.

N.V. Osborne Rare Sherry Pedro Ximénez Viejo ($100)
Quite simply, this is the best wine I have ever tasted. It opened to a thick blackish brown. At first, I tasted coffee, dark chocolate, and burnt sugar. As it opened, there was an increasing lift of candied lemon and orange peel, some molasses, and even coconut oil. Every time you took a sip, it tasted different--but every sip was delicious.

N.V. Osborne Rare Sherry Solera BC 200 (sorry--couldn't find this anywhere!)
This sherry was drawn from the famous “ABC” solera. The “A” barrels were sold to the Tsar of Russia, leaving 200 “BC” barrels. If you can get your hands on some (lucky you!) you will smell aromas and taste flavors of citrus, toffee, and a little black tea and a brandied cherry aftertaste. This wine was complex, fine, and unforgettable.

N.V. Osborne Rare India Oloroso ($78-$90)
The wine in this bottling is an average of 35-50 years old. This wine was all about caramel aromas and flavors. I tasted not only caramels but sea salt, toast, and burnt sugar. Another fantastic wine.

N.V. Osborne Rare Sherry Palo Cortado Solera PAP ($100)
A stunning sweet wine, with candied orange and toffee aromas. The flavors were a bit less sweet than the aromas suggested, turning to orange marmalade and brown sugar. Dessert in a glass.

N.V. Osborne Sherry 1827 Sweet Sherry ($11-$24)
A budget-friendly and more widely available version of the rare wine listed first, this is nothing like what you would expect. It is coffee-colored, with molasses and cherry cola aromas and flavors. It's so syrupy that I believe the people who told me that they serve it over vanilla ice cream in place of chocolate syrup. Sounds like a perfect dessert to me!

For those of you who think I've lost my mind to label a $100 wine "excellent QPR," fear not. I haven't lost my mind. For $100, you get the perfect ending to every holiday meal from late November all the way through late December. And if you are looking for a special gift for a wine-loving friend? This is it. Those of you on tighter budgets (like me) can get their hands on that 1827 Sweet Sherry and a pint of Häagen-Dazs and check "desserts" off your to-do list.

Thanks to Joe for a great theme, and one that brought back many happy memories of my time in Spain this spring. As usual, I'll have the roundup and the theme for next month's WBW for you when they're available.

The River of Skulls: A Halloween Tradition, Since 2008

I've started a new, grown-up Halloween tradition.

I took a tasty journey down the River of Skulls, the latest special bottling from Twisted Oak. Yes, that's the label. See why it's perfect for Halloween?

The 2006 Twisted Oak River of Skulls is made from 90% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah. If you've found Mourvedre to be dusty and muddy in its flavors and texture, you clearly haven't tried this wine. This is a big red that's surprisingly light on its feet. It starts out with a bright ruby color. When you swirl it in the glass and then sip it, you will find it has a decadent, silky texture. I smelled cherry jam, cinnamon and baking spice--which gives it a very autumnal feeling. The flavors reminded me of cherry pie, allspice, and clove. Then I got a deliciously dark and smoky aftertaste that is in beautiful balance with all the fruit. But the best thing about this wine is the gorgeous, lip-smacking acidity. This is a wine with structure, and has the acidity that will make it age nicely over the next three to five years. If you can resist its considerable young charms right now, that is. Excellent QPR, even though it's a bit more than you might be used to spending on Mourvedre at around $35. But I can say without hesitation that it is also the best Mourvedre I've ever had, so it's well worth its price tag.

What to have with your River of Skulls? I tried a dish that is fast, and can reasonably fit a Halloween theme: a whole wheat spaghetti dish sauced with a lamb and cumin-spiked tomato version of the more traditional Spaghetti Bolognese. This pasta was robust, nutty, and aromatic--and therefore the perfect pairing for this bright, well-structured wine. The wine helped to keep the dusty cumin taste from getting to heavy, and the wine's acidity made it an ideal partner for the tomatoes. And Mourvedre and lamb is a match made in heaven. Try it when you get home from taking your kids trick-or-treating, or make a big batch and have your friends over for some River of Skulls and bowls of pasta to celebrate the night when witches and ghosts come out to frolic.

I received this bottle as a sample. If you want some, head over to the Twisted Oak website immediately and sign up for the allocation since there is limited availability due to the small number of cases produced. It will set you back between $28 (if you're in the Twisted Few wine club) and $35 a bottle (the regular price). As allocations go, this is a reasonable splurge. I'd suggest buying it in multiples now, while you can, so that you can have some this Halloween, and the next, and the next. I'm going to be really interested to see how this wine ages.

Why should the kids have all the fun? This is way better than a Twix bar. Trust me.

Finding a Wine You Love? Priceless.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I don't think it's necessary to pay high prices for good wine. There's plenty of good, food-friendly wine out there to quench your thirst, engage your intellect, and pair beautifully with dinner.

That doesn't mean that you should never spend more than $20 on a bottle of wine. One of the reasons to be budget-conscious most days is precisely so that you can afford to splurge every now and then on a wine that you absolutely love, even if it carries a relatively hefty price tag.

Finding a bottle of wine that you love, that astounds you, that leaves you tingling and wanting more is something you should do at least once in your life. For me, and for many other Americans, that wine often turns out to be Cabernet Sauvignon. I have never regretted a single penny I've spent on a pricier Cabernet--which cannot be said for the runner up in my list of expensive reds, Pinot Noir. With the latter I often discover I've paid more than I think a wine is actually worth when get around to drinking it.

What makes me plunk down more than $30 for a Cabernet Sauvignon? First, it has to taste great and be balanced between fruit and acidity. It also has to have a complexity of sensations and textures that I simply don't find in less expensive, everyday wines. In my experience, what gives a Cab that kind of complexity is an attentiveness in the vineyard to growing and selecting the fruit, and an equal measure of attentiveness and experience when it comes to managing the winemaking process. Neither good fruit nor good experience comes cheap--and I find that I'm happy to pay for both as long as I can taste the difference in the glass.

If you are interested in trying and buying some more expensive Cabernet, I've got two domestic offerings that you should consider. Both are from the 2005 vintage, and both are available for $75. Though both will benefit from a rest in your wine cellar, they are perfectly drinkable now if they spend a little time with the cork pulled or in a decanter. I didn't pay for either bottle of wine--but I'll tell you right now that I would pay for them without a second thought if I was looking for an excellent, memorable Cabernet Sauvignon.

The first wine that I'm recommending is the 2005 Rodney Strong Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon. Made from fruit grown in a single vineyard in Sonoma's Alexander Valley, this bottle represents Rodney Strong's entry into high-end wines. The current owner, Tom Klein, wanted to dedicate some of his efforts to making small production wines that were selected from particular places, like the Rockaway Vineyard. The importance of place in this bottle of wine finds expression in the latitude and longitude coordinates for the vineyard that are on the back of the bottle. Like Rodney Strong before him, Klein believes that Sonoma County has the potential to produce world-class wines. This wine certainly proves that the confidence in Sonoma expressed by Strong and Klein was not an error in judgment. If this is what Sonoma County can do in terms of Cabernet, then we are in for some wonderful wine.

The wine opened to a dark, dark color somewhere between garnet and aubergine. Initial aromas of plums, currant, and pepper were touched with green herbs and whiffs of smoke. As it opened up, the spiciness increased, and lots of cassis came forward along with some licorice aromas. The whole experience was like drinking in the aromas of a dark bar with jazz playing in the back room. Flavors of blackberry and pure cassis provided the perfect foreground notes for that persistent, dark smokiness of a backbeat that never left the wine even through the peppery aftertaste. Even though it was fruity, this wine was not flabby and had a good core of acidity to give the wine its structure. The wine was surprisingly approachable for a young Cabernet, and had that glycerin texture that I simply adore and which gives wine such a beautiful feeling in your mouth. It took about three days for the wine to knit completely together into a perfect balance of soft tannins, fruit, spice, and licorice aromas and flavors. I think it will age well and continue to develop over the next five to ten years. If you want to get in on this wine before the frenzy begins, you can sign up for the mailing list here. The initial offering will take place on September 1, 2008. After that, good luck because I think this wine will develop quite a following, and deservedly so.

Another wine that deserves a following is the 2005 Phifer Pavitt "Date Night" Cabernet Sauvignon. The husband and wife team of Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and Shane Pavitt decided to take no half measures when they got into the wine business. They hired Ted Osborne to be their winemaker, and selected the very best organic Napa Valley fruit from Arthur Spencer's Temple Family Vineyards. Together they wanted to make a wine that was worthy of being shared on a special night with someone you love--even if that special night involves sitting at home and eating In 'n Out burgers. The important thing for Phifer Pavitt is that you enjoy their wine as it's meant to be enjoyed: with family, friends, and food. They even have a place on their site where you can tell them how you enjoyed their wine--and yes, they do read the submissions. I assure you that you will not need the lasso that the lady on the label carries to get someone to share this wine with you, if you are lucky enough to have a bottle.

The wine's first impressions are wrapped up in its enticing aromas. It has beautiful, floral aromatics of plum and cherry blossom along with some darker notes of ripe plum and leather. The next impression is all about texture: it's got the texture of silk velvet. If you've never felt silk velvet it's magical stuff. My great grandmother's turn of the century opera coat was made from it, and it has a kind of plush, warm glide that's like nothing else on this earth. When I sipped this wine in Suzanne Phifer Pavitt's kitchen, I immediately thought of that opera coat. Once you get past the floral aromas and the feeling of the wine in your mouth, you will notice blackberry, red currant, and cassis flavors along with a strong core of tobacco, earth, and black tea notes running through it that give it great depth and complexity. The aftertaste is rich and juicy, with a bright acidity that keeps the wine from ever feeling heavy. Proof positive of this fact is that Suzanne served the wine with some farm-fresh tomatoes and a veggie quiche. If you had told me that either of these dishes would go well with a Napa Cab I would have bet you good money that you were wrong. The 2005 Phifer Pavitt Date Night has many good years ahead of it, and I imagine that it will continue to evolve and grow over the next five years. If you open yours up this year or the next, I'd recommend opening it a few hours before serving and giving it a good swirl in the glass, or just decant it to bring out its full potential. As with the previous wine, if you want some Date Night you need to get on the mailing list and see if you can snag some from their initial offering, or pray to the gods you get there in time for the 2006 release later this fall.

$75 is a lot to spend on wine every day--but in the market, it's not that expensive for Cabernet Sauvignon of this quality. I'm not sure I agree with Mr. Laube that if you find a Napa Cabernet of distinction for under $75 you should consider it a bargain, but I do think that if you find one that you enjoy for around this price it is worth celebrating, given that the median price for deluxe California cabs is around $115. If you find two bottles you love, as I did this summer, then you are doubly fortunate because when you need a splurge, have a special occasion, or want to make a special occasion out of some takeout and a set of old birthday candles, you will know just which bottle of wine to open. That knowledge may not constitute a bargain, but it is priceless.

Feel free to share the wines that you absolutely love and are willing to purchase--despite their cost--below. And don't be afraid to sign up for the mailing lists for these two great wines while you still can. They're worth it--and I don't tell you that about $75 wine often.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #48: Roots

The theme for today's 4th anniversary/ 48th Wine Blogging Wednesday is "Roots." Our founder and host, Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours, asked us to dig down into our wine memories and taste a wine that helped to make us the wine drinker we are today.

For the occasion I opened my last cherished bottle of 2002 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. ($38.69, Costco way back in March of 2006 before this blog was a gleam in my eye; expect to pay $50-$60 in today's market)

The reason why I chose this wine is not because it's what I drank in college, nor was it my first fine wine.

The reason why I chose this wine is because I first came to understand that wine had roots--that it came from grapes that were grown somewhere and then made into wine by somebody--at Polly Solari's sprawling ranch house on Larkmead Lane in the summer of 1987 when I was a mere 22. It was here, with Polly and Larry Solari, that Larkmead Vineyards began. I was visiting the house with a close friend that I met in Oxford who, it turned out, had a grandmother who lived in the wine country. Mrs. Solari was warm, hospitable, and pulled together fabulous meals out of some amazing produce grown right there. To this day I can remember the taste of the warm white peaches that we ate with vanilla ice cream in her backyard overlooking the grape vines. My friend Geoff and I walked out into the vineyards--my first touch of the vine!--and there were discussions of wind towers, pruning, grape varieties, and more. It would take me another ten years to return to Napa and take up wine with a passion, but I think that the roots of that passion go back to those warm summer days and the extended Solari family's generosity and friendliness.

Today, the Solari wine making tradition (which began with Mrs. Solari's husband who came to the US from Tuscany in 1920) is in the hands of Kate Solari Baker and her husband Cam Baker, wine maker Andy Smith, and winery manager Colin MacPhail. Larry Solari was president of United Vintners (think: Inglenook and Beaulieu), chairman of the Wine Institute, and bought the Larkmead properties in 1948. Larry Solari believed in the potential that the property had to produce exceptional wine, and the bottle I tasted certainly lived up to that promise.

The 2002 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning example of a Napa red wine. It was rich, dark purple in color and had pure aromas of blackberry, plum, cassis, and some herbal notes. The flavors came forward in lovely layers of black currant, blackberry, graphite, and eucalyptus. The aftertaste lingered, with smoke and herbs catching in the back of your throat. At a time when critics are pronouncing any Napa Cab a bargain if it is $75, this one delivers excellent QPR for its complexity and its elegance, as well as its price point.

This is not a monstrous Cab that you will have a hard time matching with food, but to really make the wine shine I'd serve it with some grilled London broil, some Fingerling potatoes sliced in half the long way, tossed with olive oil, rosemary, and salt, and roasted in the oven for about 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Toss a salad, slice some farmstand tomatoes, and cut yourself some crusty bread and you have a meal that Mrs. Solari would have approved which will also complement the wine beautifully.

If you ever get the chance to try some Larkmead wine, I urge you to do so. Not only do they make red wines, they also make Tocai Friulano from some of the oldest plantings in Napa (1893!), and have a second label called Meadowlark. The Cabernet is currently by allocation only, through the Firebelle List (named after Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who was an early owner of the Larkmead properties and also known as "Firebelle Lil").

Thanks to Lenn for a great theme, and this is one of those WBWs where I'm really looking forward to reading the other posts.

Learning About Grower Champagne

One of my 2008 resolutions was to get to know a bit more about Champagne, and specifically grower Champagne--the kind of bubbly that is made by growers rather than big Champagne houses such as Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon. If you are interested in grower Champagne, the De Long Wine Moment has a terrific article that will explain the difference between the big brands and the small producers, as well as give you an overview of how Champagne is made.

The Agraparts are a family of growers who have been cultivating the grapes, making the wine, and bottling their own Champagne since 1894. When the second winemaker in the family, August, died in 1996 at the age of 96, he attributed his long life to drinking a bottle of Champagne a day. Today the fourth generation is doing just what their predecessors did, and all of the grapes produced on the domaine go into their own Champagne.

The Champagne region is an area of small villages where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier are grown. The grapes for this wine come from vineyards in seven different villages (hence the name "Les 7 Crus"): Avize, Oger, Oiry, Cramant, Avenay Val d'Or, Bergeres-les- Vertus, and Mardeuil. Each of these areas is known for particular characteristics, and the blending of grapes from each helps to make the wine complex and distinctive. Avize, for example, is known for the delicacy of its Chardonnay, while Cramant is known for producing wines with fabulous aromas and a caramel taste.

The NV Agrapart & Fils Les 7 Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs was a very good QPR example to start my adventures into grower Champagne. ($34.99, domaine547--but the new bottle has gone up a bit in price to $37.99). Made from 100% Chardonnay, the wine was pale straw in color, with lots of mousse or froth and abundant bead or bubbles when it is first opened. The aromas of warm brioche just out of the oven, fresh lemon zest, and apple welcome you into the glass, where your first sips reveal an open, almost lacy, texture. It was at this moment that I felt I could taste the grapes from Avize and Cramant. The yeasty, bready aromas become more concentrated in the flavors, where the apple turns towards tarter Granny Smith. I did get a slightly caramel, nutty edge to the aftertaste, as well. This wine had great complexity for a Champagne at this price point, and I found it far less assertive and lemony than most of the house style Champagnes I've been able to afford. That complexity may come from the fact that the Agraparts age their Champagne on the lees in the bottle for three years prior to disgorging, which takes place 2 months before the bottles are shipped.

I would definitely buy more of this Champagne, and keep it on hand for special occasions. Those special occasions would include days like today, i.e. Fridays. Yes, you're worth the splurge (especially if you filed taxes this week!)

If you have any other suggestions of grower Champagnes for me to try, please let me know in the comments section. I've got a lot to learn.

Tasting Room: Anderson Valley Sparklers

Last month a few friends and I drove through the old redwoods on Highway 128 in Mendocino County, and visited two tasting rooms that specialized in sparkling wine. It was a beautiful day, and we had a terrific time with our hosts at the wineries. (image from Roederer Estate)

It was also an educational day, because at Roederer Estate we were able to taste two sparkling multi-vintage wines bottled at the same time in two different formats: 750mls and magnums. Just a few days ago, Dr. Vino reported that a student asked whether the size of the bottle effected the wine inside. He wrote to Terry Thiese, the well-known importer of champagne, to see what he thought--and the answer was yes, it does make a difference! As you will see from the notes below, that was certainly our experience, too.

Enjoy, and here's hoping that you have something to celebrate soon that will cause you to bring out some bubbly. I've arranged them from excellent QPR to poor QPR, rather than alphabetically.

M.V. Roederer Estate Brut (750ml from $15-$26; magnums from $39) Tasted in 750 ml and magnum bottles on same day. The 750ml bottle was very lively in the mouth, with aromas and flavors of yellow delicious apples, hazelnut, and toast. As with all Roederer sparklers we tasted, it had a creamy mousse and a fine bead. The magnum tasted very different due to longer time on the lees according to our tasting room staff, and the larger bottle size. It was much creamier and toastier, a very rich version of the brut in the smaller bottle with all the same flavor notes magnified and deepened. Excellent QPR, no matter what the size. But if you can get your hands on the magnum, it is a super wine, at a super price.

M.V. Roederer Estate Extra Dry($22) I really liked this wine with its soft character. Aromas of brown sugar preceded a mouthful of toffee apple. Typical Roederer delicacy of bead and a nicely creamy mousse. Unquestionably very good QPR.

1997 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut (750ml around $42; contact winery for more information, magnums available for around $89) Tasted in the magnum format. Just lovely--perhaps the best domestic sparkler I've ever had. Hay, apple, lemon, biscuit and mineral aromas and flavors. Super complexity with a tiny bead, creamy mousse, and a long lingering finish. Not cheap, but very French in style and substance. Undeniably pricey, but I felt like it was worth it. Very good QPR.

2000 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut ($36-$40) A terrific sparkler made with complexity and finesse. Aromas of hay lead to a palate of creamy lemon, mineral and apple. Very nicely balanced, with small bead and creamy mousse. Pricey, but it delivers. I preferred the 1997, however. Very good QPR.

M.V. Scharffenberger Crémant (around $20) I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this wine. Yeasty nose with peach and citrus notes gives way to a dry, peachy palate. Would be very good with food. Good QPR.

M.V. Scharffenberger "Extra Dry" ($20) A little more weight and complexity than the Brut, with 1% more residual sugar and the same blend (60% pinot, 40% chardonnay fruit). This would be a super appetizer or toasting wine, that would stand up well to sipping and having with a variety of foods. Not sweet by any means, so this is not a dessert wine. Good QPR

M.V. Scharffenberger Brut ($13-$22) Decent domestic sparkler, and worth the money if you want something simple and can get it for around $15—but I wouldn’t pay more than that for it. Aromas are more attractive than the palate, with red fruit and citrus. Vanilla cream notes enter into the flavors and I felt washed it out a bit. Short finish. Good QPR.

M.V. Roederer Estate Brut Rosé ($21-$30) 60% Pinot and 40% chard make up this very pale salmon wine--so pale it is almost transclucent. Muted and delicate flavors of citrus and toast. I felt like there was something missing here, and had I spent more than $20 on this I would have been disappointed. Poor QPR.

Best Value Pinots

Pinot Noir is a wine that people feel passionate about. And it's not all because of Sideways. These silky, elegant reds are so easy to pair with food, and so flavorful, that it's hard to imagine not being drawn to them. I was certainly drawn to the 2005 Eric Kent Stiling Vineyard Pinot Noir (pictured left). So much so that I immediately joined the wine club!

Regular readers of the blog will know that I recently attended Pinot Days in San Francisco. There I was able to taste a wide range of superb pinot noirs from all around the world. The pinot noirs I tasted ranged from $18 to nearly $60. As I mentioned in my Pinot Days Post Mortem, I therefore fear that the day of the high-quality under $20 pinot noir are over.

There are many reasons for this. Pinot Noir is fashionable, so that drives the price. But let's put that aside. Pinot Noir is a picky, fickle grape. It demands a lot of time and attention. The very best are cultivated in cool climate areas with difficult growing conditions and tricky harvests. These areas are also remote, with all kind of zoning and development restrictions. And to make distinctive pinot noirs--the kind that I'm recommending here--growers often use low-yielding vines. Scarcity + fashion = expensive. Doesn't matter if its houses, clothes, or cars. It's going to cost you.

But all is not lost. The good news is that there are excellent--and I do mean excellent--pinot noirs that cost between $18 and $40. Based on my tastings at Pinot Days and at the Family Winemakers Event in Pasadena in March, I drew together an alphabetized list of the best value pinot noirs that I tasted. In doing so I found a handful of producers that I felt made good pinots across the pricing spectrum. If you investigate them, you will find they also produce smaller-production, more expensive wines than those here. They are also excellent. But what impressed me was that I found minor differences in flavor and quality between their higher- and lower-priced bottlings. That's why I think these wines deliver so much bang for the buck: they are being made by skilled winemakers, using some of the best fruit out there.

Because of the length of the list, I've kept the notes brief, and hotlinked each wine to Wine-Searcher where you can look to see which merchants sell the wine you're looking for. The price range indicates the prices that I found on Wine-Searcher, not the suggested retail price at the winery.

2005 Ancien Pinot Noir Mink, Carneros ($34-$38) Raspberry all the way--aromas, flavors, finish. Sweet fruit, nice acidity. Very good QPR.

2005 Ancien Pinot Noir Fiddlestix, Santa Rita Hills ($36) Floral and fruity aromas give way to flavors of black raspberry, violet, and cream. My favorite wine from this maker at the tasting. Excellent QPR.

2005 Anne Amie Cuvee A, Willamette Valley ($18-$25) Fine entry-level pinot with black raspberry and toast aromas and flavors. Sour cherry note on finish adds interest. Very good QPR.

2005 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch, Russian River Valley ($26-$32) Silky wine with blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry flavors. Floral aromas add a nice approachability to the wine. Very good QPR.

2005 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Stiling, Russian River Valley. ($33-$45) Best pinot noir of the entire tasting. Absolutely outstanding in every way. Meaty with luscious berries and lovely acidity. Loads of creamy blackberry fruit and spice give it complexity. This wine is sold out at the vineyard, so I've included notes for EK wines that are not yet released. If you want them, get on the mailing list now! I could find only one merchant currently stocking it. Run if you live in LA. Excellent QPR.

2006 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Stiling, Russian River Valley (NYR) Barrel sample. Black cherry, great creaminess, nice acidity. It's another extraordinary wine. No price yet, so no QPR, but this was almost as good now as its older sister from the 2005 vintage.

2006 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Windsor Oaks, Russian River Valley (NYR) Barrel sample. Gorgeous acidity, but the wine is still so young it is hard to gauge what it will become. Ripe cherry, flowers--has lots of potential.

2004 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Fort Ross Vineyard ($29-$45) I liked this wine, which had real complexity in a restrained package. Black cherry and raspberry aromas, with a gorgeous note of rose petals. Smooth texture, and the aromas are echoed on the palate. Excellent QPR.

2003 Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir Symposium, Sonoma Coast ($27-$32) Pinotage is added to the pinot noir in this bottling. Black cherry flavors and aromas predominate with some cedar notes. Excellent QPR.

2004 Hamel Pinot Noir Campbell Ranch, Sonoma Coast ($25) Earth and truffles with cherry and black raspberry flavors. Drinking well now, but I'd wait another 9-18 months before opening. Excellent QPR. (The 2005 is just as good, but I didn't find any online sources for the wine).

2005 Handley Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley ($18-$30) Abundant cherry, raspberry, and blackberry fruits in a cascade of flavors that are accented with a very intriguing caramel note. Very nicely done, and distinctive. Best value of the tasting. Excellent QPR. If you can get this for $18, it's a steal. Do it.

2005 J Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($23-$35) Easy drinking pinot noir with raspberry, blackberry, grilled meat, and spice aromas/flavors. (88 pts.)

2005 Lost Canyon Pinot Noir Saralee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($35) Elegant smoke, cherry, black raspberry, and herb aromas and flowers. Lushest and roundest of the Lost Canyon 05 pinots I tasted. Excellent QPR.

2005 Lost Canyon Pinot Noir Las Brisas Vineyard, Carneros ($35) Spiciest of the Lost Canyon 05s I tasted. Spice, smoke, and bright red raspberry and sour cherry fruit. Very nice. Excellent QPR.

2004 Red Head Ranch Pinot Noir ($28). A silky, elegant, and balanced wine. Cherries, with notes of mushroom, earth, roast coffee and cocoa to keep the wine interesting. Excellent QPR.

2005 Row Eleven Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley ($28-$31) Nice value on this very good pinot noir. Rich black cherry and smoke flavors and aromas. Very good QPR.

2005 Row Eleven Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($36) Very nicely done. Bright cherry aromas and flavors, with added notes of roses and violets on the nose. Subtle smoke and char notes. Nice balance. Very good QPR.

To close, I wanted to remind everybody that the whole idea behind Good Wine Under $20 is that good wine doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive. But for those of us who love pinot noir, the rising prices (and the rising quality) are going to put a crimp in budgets. So how will I strategize to make sure there is money to buy one of these beauties occasionally? By drinking a wide variety of high quality, good value wines from around the world--and pocketing the savings to buy pinot. If you drink well and sensibly all the time, you can make the odd splurge purchase. For me that means budgeting my wine dollars in such a way to take advantage of all the great values coming out of California, Spain, and France so that I can afford my beloved pinot. And when I find a good pinot under $20, I will certainly tell you! And if you've found one, let us know in the comments section below.

Bordeaux Step 1: Drink Some

If you're going to start buying Bordeaux, the first thing you have to know is: do you like it? This may seem an obvious first step, but you'd be surprised how many people skip it. Don't buy wine just because a magazine tells you it's a great vintage, or because someone you know likes to collect trophy wines from top chateaux.

Since I do not have a bank account the size of Bordeaux, nor a trophy wine mentality, nor unlimited storage (and I suspect you don't either), it was important to me to actually have some of this famous wine before I took the plunge. I did so several years ago, and my first serious exposure to Bordeaux was magical in every way. I loved buying the wine, planning a meal around the wine, and of course drinking the wine.

It was the fall of 2000, and the wine in question was a 1985 Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases. I was living in London at the time, and was three years into my serious engagement with wine. While in the City, my wine shop of choice was the venerable institution Berry Bros. and Rudd. Established in 1698 by Widow Bourne just up the street from St. James' Palace, they've been selling wine there ever since.

After buying a few cases of wine and getting to know their unbelievably knowledgeable staff, I decided to buy a bottle of Bordeaux to take home for the holidays and have with a traditional English holiday meal with close friends. I went to the shop, opened the ancient wooden door, stepped down into the store alongside the ramp that was used to roll barrels from the street back in the day, and sat down at the desk with a wine merchant outfitted in a morning coat.

One thing to know about Berry Brothers then: there was no wine in sight. Now they've put a few bottles out but when I went they were still old school.

Feeling slightly disoriented as usual at not being able to browse the labels and stumble around in relative solitude and ignorance, I instead talked to him about what I liked in a red wine, when I was going to serve it, and with what.

My wine merchant disappeared down a twisting set of stairs into the cellars beneath the shop and reappeared with the 1985 Ch. Leoville-Las-Cases (and a bottle of inexpensive Riesling Kabinett that I've long since forgotten but which blunted the shock of what I had done when I sat down in my flat that evening). I paid around $125 for it when the taxes were levied and the exchange rates were figured out. It was and is the most expensive bottle of wine I have ever purchased. Not a single bottle of Bordeaux I've bought since was more than $30, but I'm glad I started with this one.

The bottle was packed up in a carrier for me to take on board the plane (pre-2001) with me in early December for serving late in the third week. (You can still get this wine from Berry Brothers, for around $236.00 plus shipping). Both of us arrived safely in San Francisco, and the wine was stowed in cool dark place for the next 3 weeks.

When the night of the dinner came, I realized I had no idea whether to decant this wine, or how early to open the wine. I signed on to a Wine Spectator forum, described my dilemma and got excellent advice (decant, yes; only about 30 mins before you sat down to eat). After glasses of champagne, we sat down to prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes--all the makings of a traditional English holiday meal. I poured the wine, and everybody's noses went straight into the glasses. Flowery, spicy, berry, and leafy aromas made us all eager to take our first sips. And what sips they were, with every note of the aromas echoed in the flavors--and then some. People ate the food, but all anyone talked about was the wine. I continued to open up and develop throughout the meal.

Harry Potter for grownups. Magic. Alchemy.

Before you consider buying Bordeaux futures and devoting some precious storage space to these wines, it's crucial that you have some Bordeaux and discover whether you find it magical, too. If at all possible, look for some aged Bordeaux that is ready to drink. K&L has some excellent wines that are ready to drink now that are under $100, and one of their recent blog posts highlighted several Bordeaux from 1996 to 2003 that are available for under $35 (and three of them are ready to drink now). Still, drinking Bordeaux you haven't aged yourself is usually an expensive proposition, and merchants seldom hold on to lots of the lower priced Bordeaux wines, so you might prefer to look in your area for Bordeaux tastings instead. Here in LA, for instance, there are several Bordeaux events in the upcoming weeks, and Local Wine Events has lists of events all over the world on its site so even if you're not in LA you can find something that will better acquaint you with the wines of these regions. I'd hoped to make it to the UGC Bordeaux Tasting sponsored by Wally's and LearnAboutWine.com on January 20, but I have a conflict so no report from that event this year--at least not from me!

Next week: Bordeaux Step 2 will focus on the varietals used in most Bordeaux blends, and the differences between Old World and New World styles of wine.