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Overpriced Wines in Pennsylvania

Here are my notes on wines we had when we were in Pennsylvania (I did not have time to collect my notes for my last blog posting of September 25). As I indicated, we found wines in Pennsylvania to be highly overpriced, being in a Liquor Control state where all liquor goes through the state system of distribution. Here's what we got for our money.

2015 Louis Latour Gamay Noir ($50 at Louie Louie in Philadelphia) - Gamay Noir is the principal grape of Beaujolais. This is the first time I've seen it labeled as a varietal rather than an Appellation Controlée wine. It was a pleasant medium bodied wine with nice fruits and good depth, in the manner of a Beaujolais Villages which should cost $25 in a restaurant. 17.5/20 points.

2015 Domaine de l'Eve Pinot Noir Côte Chalonnaise ($60 at Louie Louie) - Here, again, is a varietal bottling. It had distinct Pinot Noir character and rich aromas and flavors and pleasing suppleness, but not the complexity of a Givry or a Mercurey. 18/20 points.

2015 Clos cu Bois Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($43 at Summit Inn in Farmington) - I ordered a Clos du Val Cabernet but the restaurant was out of it, so we got this. It had a modicum of varietal character, but rather direct and uncomplicated. I checked the pricing at Total Wine in Washington where it retails for $13.99. 17.5/20 points.

2016 Sean Minor Chardonnay, Central Coast, California ($40 at Tree Tops in Acme) - Tree Tops is a well regarded restaurant at the Polymath Park, home of a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house and two by Wright's apprentices. The Chardonnay was nice and easy to drink, not highly distinctive in a varietal sense, with moderate doses of oak and toast. I checked out the retail price at wine.com which was $19.99. 18/20 points.

2016 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, California ($38 at Summit Inn) - Again, we got a California bottling at a price that you would expect to pay for an AVA designated wine. It was pleasant and crisp with good varietal character and made a good accompaniment to our crab cakes. Priced at $10.99 at Total Wine. 17.5/20 points. 

2015 Alamos Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($60 at Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh) - This was the most overpriced wine of the trip, and the service was terrible - "coming in a minute," which was interminable. It was thick, generous and chewy as Argentina Malbec typically is, but straightforward. Priced at $13.99 at Total Wine. 17.5/20 points.

Recently Tasted Burgundy and Rhone Wines

This year, we have been stocking up on 2015 French wines from the greatest vintage of this century. Here are our latest discoveries.

2015 Domaine Maurice Charleux & Fils Maranges, 1er Cru, Les Clos Roussots ($32.99 - wine.com) - Maranges is situated at the southern end of Burgundy's Côte d'Or, just south of Santenay. This vintage shows a brilliant brick red color and enticing aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries, red currants, rose petals, orange peel and incense. The palate mirrors the aromatics with delicious fruit forward medium bodied flavors that are imbued with red licorice, cocoa, tea and minerals. The back picks up fraise and framboise liqueurs, creme de cassis and recurring orange peel, followed by a silky moderate tannin and acid finish. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Domaine Maurice Charleux & Fils Maranges 1er Cru, Le Clos des Rois ($31.99 - wine.com) - This is just a shade lighter in body than the Roussots, but qualitatively nearly equal. Both are delicious easy to like wines, epitomizing what the French call a vin de plaisir. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Domaine Chevillon-Chezeaux Nuits-St. Georges, Vieilles Vignes ($47.99 - Total Wine) - Brick red colored, this wine possesses a rich, smoky nose of fraises de bois, old tree cherries and wild currants, with scents of semi dried roses, tobacco leaf, orange peel and oriental incense. The flavors are rich and earthy, typical of Nuits St.-Georges, with definite old vine character, underlain with cocoa, French roast and granitic minerals. The richly textured back picks up roasted berries and nuts, recurring orange peel and dried currants, followed by a lingering, savory dryish yet smooth tannin finish. We have reordered this wine. 19/20 points. 

2016 Domaine des Rosiers Moulin-à-Vent ($21.99 - wine.com) - The 2015 vintage is considered the greatest in Beaujolais since 1947, but the 2016 is a close runner-up. This wine is a bit more robust and a bit less refined than the 2015 Rosiers. It features a ruby-garner color and a smoky nose of wild strawberries, cherries, black currants, black roses, mulberry and incense. The flavors are generous and bold, with notes of licorice, cocoa, French roast and granitic minerals. The back picks up macerated berries and roasted nuts followed by a chewy ripe moderate tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Domaine Chignard Fleurie, "Les Moriers" ($21.99 - wineexpress.com) - From one of the top crus of Beaujolais, this offers a deep ruby color and seductive aromas of fraises de bois, cherries and currants, with scents of crushed roses, violets and white incense. The flavors are pleasingly supple yet substantial, with notes of red licorice, cocoa, medium roast coffee and gravelly earth. On the back, the wine turns chewy tired with pressed fruits and bright fruit acids on the satiny tannin finish. 18.5+/20 points.

2016 Alain Jaume Gigondas, "Terrasses de Montmirial" ($37.99 - wine.com) - This South Rhone wine boasts a deep ruby-crimson color and an intense nose of wild fruits - raspberries, cherries, black currants - crushed roses, lavender and spiced incense. The flavors are full and generous, yet focused, intermixed with licorice, dark cocoa, French roast and stony minerals. The wine thickens on the back with sensations of macerated berries, grilled nuts and burnt charcoal, followed a lingering ripe tannin finish. 18.5+/20 points.

2015 Brotte Chateauneuf du Pape "Domaine Barville" ($33.99 - wine.com) - A Chateauneuf du Pape for the price of a Gigondas? Well, I had to try it. It's not the greatest CdP I've tried, but it is good value. Deep ruby colored, it possesses rich aromas of raspberry, cherry, plum, crushed roses, lavender and incense. The flavors are medium bodied but substantial, with notes of licorice, cocoa and minerals, followed by a chewy textured back and a  ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points. 

Details

On Thursday, September 15, Lynn and I flew to Newark for a trip through New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The purpose was to visit relatives and museums and Frank Lloyd Wright designed houses. Wining and dining was secondary, but there were some highlights. A favorite Cotes de Provence Rosé, Domaine Fleur de Mer, was found at the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, New Jersey, a tasty accompaniment to crab cakes. In Sykesville Maryland, the local liquor store had mostly wines under $20, but we picked up a Sparky Marquis Aussie Shiraz and some Ste. Michelle Washington Wines to share with my niece and partner.

Pennsylvania, a control state where all liquor goes through the state, was a different story. It is one of the worst states for liquor service and prices (highest in the nation, $60 for a normal $25 retail wine). We found an interesting Cote Chalonaise Pinot Noir and a Gamay Noir labeled as a vital rather than an AOC Beaujolais. Museum Cafés were mediocre, almost an afterthought, unlike the Midwest (see my blog of 16 April) where we had a delicious meal at Café Sebastienne in the Kimball in K.C. and the Gilcrease in Tulsa (white tablecloths). At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we had soup and sandwiches with beer (no wine). The Tree Tops Restaurant at the Polymath Houses near Fallingwater (mediocre café there - no alcohol) was the best with tasty chicken and salmon salads along with a rather pricey California Chardonnay ($50). We had tasty crab cakes at the Summit Inn in Farmington, near Fallingwater. along with $50 (again) California Chardonnay.

In Pittsburgh, service was mediocre to awful. A $50 Argentina Malbec at the Wyndham Grand was going to be "ready in a minute," a promise not kept. At the airport, wine service was stalled over confusion over 6 oz. vs. 9 oz. pours. One bright spot was Vino Volo with a selection of flights similar to those at SeaTac. Be forewarned: expect high wine prices and indifferent service in Pennsylvania, one of the worst states in the U.S.

It's a relief to be back in Washington State with realistic prices and good service. Enough said.

Details

This year's wine grape harvest is looking to be a steady paced once, much like 2013, a year that produced many high quality wines. A hot summer, with frequent nights of over 100 degrees has given way to moderate temperatures in in seventies, which will allow grapes to mature steadily. So far, most pickings have been white grapes, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with some Syrah and Merlot, early ripening red varieties. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon will be on their way later. Harvest should be nearly complete by the end of October.

The number of growing degree-days so far this year has been above normal, but if it were not for the hot days this summer, the numbers would have been much higher. As we discussed in the Review Blog posting of 16 August, when temperatures reach above 95 degrees, photosynthesis shuts down. So days above that level don't count as growing degree-days. Hence the 2018 grape harvest is at a normal start and is expected to proceed at a normal pace. the weather.com forecast is for continued temperatures in the 70's through early October in the Yakima and Walla Walla Valleys, so let's keep our fingers crossed. Stay tuned, more later!

No Review Blog next week. - On Thursday, we will be leaving for the East Coast, to Newark, Philadelphia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, returning from Pittsburgh on Monday, September 24. The next Blog posting will be on September 25, along with the October issue of the Review of Washington Wines.

 

Details

Everyone loves French wines, especially ones from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. But we can't afford all of them. However, there are plenty of affordable wines from these regions. Here are fine examples of exceptional wines for under $50 a bottle.

Burgundy Wines

Burgundies are among France's scarcest wines, especially those from the Côte d'Or. Here's what the various appellations cost these days.

Beaujolais - These are Burgundy's most plentiful wines. Produced from the Gamay grape, they run about $18 to $25 a bottle.

Côte Chalonnaise - The Pinot Noirs from the country around Chalon sur Saône, range in price from $30 to $45.

Côte d'Or - This is where wines get more expensive. The Villages wines of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune will run about $30 to $45. The Communal Appellations (Pommard, Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Vosne-Romanée, Morey-St. Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin and others) will cost about $50 to $100. The Premier Crus, $70 and up and the Grand Crus $250 and up a bottle.

But let's look at what we can get for $50 or less a bottle.

2016 Domaine Michel Guignier Morgon "Les Ameythestes" ($24 - The Thief, Walla Walla) - This Cru Beaujolais offers a deep ruby color and attractive aromas of raspberry, cherry and black currant, with scents of red roses, tobacco and wood smoke. The flavors are supple, yet robust, with notes of licorice, cocoa, French roast and woodsy earth. The chewy textured back picks up pressed berries, roasted nuts and toffee, followed by a persistently minerally ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Domaine Guillaume Chanudet Fleurie, "La Madone" ($26 - The Thief) - This Cru Beaujolais shows a ruby-crimson color and perfumed aromas of fraises de bois, blueberries, currants, crushed roses, violets and whiffs of incense. The flavors, as well, are alluring, with bright red and blue fruits intermixed with red licorice, cocoa, medium roast coffee and earth. The back reveals pressed berries, fraise and creme de cassis liqueurs and graphite, followed by a juicy moderate tannin and acid finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Domaine Justin Girardin Savigny-les-Beaune, "Les Gollardes" ($28.99 - wine.com) - Situated between Aloxe-Corton and Beaune, the wines of Savigny can be excellent values. This one offers a ruby-garnet color and attractive aromas of wild strawberries, red cherries, red currants, rose petals, wildflowers and whiffs of white incense. The medium bodied flavors mirror the aromatics with bright red fruits that are accented by notes of red licorice, breakfast tea and earth. The charm continues on the back with gently pressed berries, creme de cassis and fraise liqueur, followed by a soft tannin finish that is lifted by bright fruit acids. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Joseph Drouhin Chorey les Beaune ($29.99 - wine.com) - Sandwiched between Aloxe-Corton and Savigny, the wines of Chorey are also fine values. This one is a charmer, with a brick red color and floral aromas of strawberries, currants and pomegranate, with scents of red roses and sweet pea flowers. The flavors are supple and medium bodied, with notes of red licorice, cocoa powder and light dusty earth. The back picks up creme de cassis, dried pomegranate seeds and a touch of toffee, followed by a soft tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Jean-Claude Boisset Maranges 1er Cru, La Fussière ($32.99 - wine.com) - Maranges is situated at the southern end of the Côte d'Or, just past Santenay. This bottling, from a respected Nuits-St. Georges negotiant offers a deep ruby color and intense aromas of raspberries, cherries, black currants, black roses, mulberry, tobacco and incense. The flavors are robust for a Côte de Beaune, with layered red and black fruits that are intermixed with licorice, dark cocoa, French roast and minerals. The back palate is vigorous with definite Pinot Noir character. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune du Château Premier Cru ($48.99 - wine.com) - An assemblage of various Premier Crus, this wine offers a deep brick red color and a smoky nose of fraises de bois, old tree cherries, wild black currants, pipe tobacco, orange peel, cedar and wood smoke. On the palate, the flavors display typical Beaune robust and velvety characteristics, along with notes of licorice root, cocoa, French roast and goût de terroir. The back picks up pressed berries, toasted nuts, cerise and cassis liqueurs and recurring orange peel, followed by a lingering moderate tannin and acid finish. 19/20 points.

Rhone Wines 

Like Burgundy, the most prestigious appellations are the most costly. In the North Rhone, Hermitage and Côte Rotie will cost upwards of $60 a bottle. In the South Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape sells for $50 and up per bottle. But wines that are almost as good can be obtained for $50 or less.

2015 Paul Jaboulet Ainé Crozes-Hermitage, "Domaine de Thalabert" ($43.99 - wine.com) - Deep ruby colored, this wine possesses an intense nose of blackberry, blueberry, black currant with scents of crushed roses, tobacco, lavender, olive and spiced incense. The flavors are deep and penetrating, with considerable Syrah purity, infused with licorice, dark chocolate and pervasive minerality. The saturation continues on the back with sensations of macerated berries, roasted nuts, creme de cassis and finely ground charcoal, followed by a long, ripe sweet-dry tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2015 Etienne Becheras Saint-Joseph, "Tour Jouiac" ($48 - The Thief) - Saint Joseph is situated south of Côte Rotie. This one shows a deep ruby-crimson color and intense aromas of wild blackberries, blueberries, black currants, wild roses, mulberry, tobacco, lavender, violets and spiced incense. The flavors mirror the aromatics with thick, yet velvety black and blue fruits that are infused with black licorice, dark cocoa, roasted coffee beans and granitic hillside minerals. The back picks up macerated berries, sweet nuts, creme de cassis and charcoal on the way to a lingering ripe, sweetish tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2015 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas, "Les Sauteyrades" ($41 - The Thief) - This 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre combinations exhibits a deep ruby-crimson color and an intoxicating nose of wild fruits - raspberries, blueberries, black currants - with scents of black roses, tobacco, garrigue and spiced incense. On the palate, the flavors are thick and chewy, with notes of black licorice, dark cocoa, French roast and calcareous earth. The back picks up macerated berries, roasted nuts and burnt charcoal, followed by a vigorous yet elegant finish. Mouth-filling from beginning to end. 19/20 points.

See the Blog posting of 10 July below for more affordable Burgundies from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Rhone Valley, and the posting of 22 April for the Villages wines of Louis Jadot. 

 

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A week ago, Friday, August 17th and Saturday the 18th, we made an overnight excursion to Red Mountain, Kennewick and Prosser. Here are the highlights.

Our first stop was at the end of Sunset Road on Red Mountain. At Hightower, we tasted top one Estate wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Red Blend to be reviewed in the October issue of the Review of Washington Wines. At Tapteil, there were five Rhone and BDX reds. Then we went on down to Fidelitas for some fine 2015 reds and Frichette for new 2016 BDX reds, all to be in the October Review of Washington Wines.

After Red Mountain, we drove back to Kennewick to have or VW Beetle Convertible serviced while visiting the Bartholomew Winery. There, we tasted two distinctive reds that are nearly sold out. Here are the reviews.

2015 Bartholomew Malbec, Columbia Valley ($29) - Sourced from the Lawrence Vineyard, this shows an inky purplish-ruby color and seductive aromas of blackberry, blueberry, wild currants, crushed roses, sweet tobacco and violets. The flavors are velvety yet precise, with notes of licorice, cocoa, French roast and Royal Slope alluvial minerals. The back picks up pressed berries, roasted nuts and graphite, followed by a long, dryish ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Bartholomew Tannat, Rattlesnake Hills, Konnowac Vineyard ($33) - Tannat is a grape originating in Southwest France. This version shows a deep ruby color and a rich, smoky nose of raspberry, cherry, plum, rosebuds, tobacco, and spiced incense. The flavors are thick and chewy, with loads of forward dark fruits that are intermixed with licorice, cocoa powder, French roast and Rattlesnake Hills scorched earth. The intensity continues on the back with sensations of roasted berries and nuts, toffee, dried cherries and charcoal, followed by a robust yet smooth ripe tannin finish. 19/20 points.

After Kennewick, we drove back to Prosser to check in at the Best Western Inn at Horse Heaven. We had dinner at Wine O'Clock, a restaurant we highly recommend, run by Susan Bunnell, featuring wines made by her husband, Ron Bunnell. If you ever go East on I-82, be sure to get off at exit 80 into Prosser. The restaurant is fantastic, using fresh local ingredients and fine wines. The wine bar was featuring two terrific half price deals: a flight of three 2011 Syrahs for $19, from a greatly underrated vintage from three AVAs, Yakima Valley (Boushey) Horse Heaven and Red Mountain, and a 2015 Cabernet at half off from $24 to $12, a steal of a deal. 

The next morning, we drove up north of Prosser on Gap Road to visit for the first time, Barrel Springs with owner-winemaker Jim Madison and tasting room manager Annette Alfsonnett. The 2015 Chardonnay at $15 (18.5/20 points) and the 2014 Estate Syrah at $25 (18.5/20 points) are super bargains. Watch for them in the October issue of the Review of Washington Wines.

We then returned to the Winemakers' Village in Prosser to taste at Gamache Vintners (lovely 2017 Viognier and Semillon and tasty 2014 reds) and Milbrandt (outstanding 2014 Estate reds from the Northridge Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope. For lunch, we returned to Wine O'Clock for a tasty wood oven baked pear and bacon pizza, with three featured Wine O'Clock wines, a 2017 Pinot Gris, a non-vintage Snipes Creek Redd and a bargain $24 Syrah.

After lunch, we stopped at WIT Cellars for the newly released Malbec and Petit Verdot Dessert Wine and Alexandria Nicole Cellars for the 2017 Viognier, 2016 Jet Black Syrah and 2016 Little Big Man Petit Verdot. After that, we headed back to Walla Walla.

Watch for these wines in the October issue of the Review of Washington Wines which goes on line September 25. 

 

  1. More on Heat Wave and Marie-Eve Gilla
  2. Walla Walla Valley News and Events
  3. In Praise of Pink Wine - Also Merlot
  4. Visiting the Columbia Gorge