In a city where a glass of wine may cost $15, it’s a treat to find a bottle that not only falls into that price point, but that is also pleasant to drink. Last night I participated in a “Selecting Your House Wine” tasting dinner, where all of the wines cost $15 or less per bottle.
There were eight wines paired with the five-course meal, and only one was truly disappointing: The 2007, Thorn-Clarke, Terra Barossa, Shiraz. The wine was not very well balanced and had too much oak on the palate, overpowering any fruit.
Upon arriving at the dinner, we were greeted with a glass of Mionetto, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Brut, NV. A bottle costs around $12, and where other Proseccos in this range taste somewhat off-dry generally, this one truly was a dry and delightful.
The first course featured a Pinot Grigio and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Zenato Pinot Grigio della Venezie, 2008, was a standard dry Pinot Grigio from Italy, with a short finish. It benefited from the sole with crab stuffing and lemon-parsley couscous that it was paired with, which brought out some of the flavor. For $10, it is a good accompaniment to food, and offers far better value than the standard Santa Margherita that is more than double the price.
The Cupcake Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, NZ, 2009, was a definite standout, however. The varietal and region have achieved cult status, and command premium prices for names such as Cloudy Bay. The Cupcake can be purchased for nearly a third of the price, and truthfully, my friends and I thought we could enjoy it as a stand alone. It paired pretty well with the food, also.
Next up was the Red Bicyclette, Chardonnay, Vin de Pays D’Oc. I’ve seen the Red Bicyclette on shop shelves, and have always steered clear from it. What a mistake. At $10 a bottle, this Chardonnay was extremely pleasing, had no oak on the palate, which is what I find most off-putting from many Chardonnays, and was very well balanced.
The Perrin & Fils, Cotes du Rhone, Reserve, 2007 was another good find. The Grenache/ Syrah/Mourvedre blend was light to medium bodied with a delicious contrast of red fruit and pepper on the palate. This was another wine that could easily stand alone, and again, it retails for roughly $10.
The 2005 Peter Lehman Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley was among the favorites of the crowd. The wine was extremely well balanced, and had some black cherry and blackberry notes along with chocolate and clove. The finish was medium to long.
The night ended with a Taylor-Fladgate, Ruby Port, NV. It was a fairly weak expression of a Port and lacked complexity. Still, to find a Port that falls into a $15 category is a challenge in itself, and for non-Port drinkers, this might be a good entry point.
Ironically, it was only a few nights ago that my cousin and I were out and ended our night with a glass of Churchill’s Tawny Port. With tax and tip we wound up spending around $20 apiece.
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