Cavit Pinot Grigio 2009

Norman asked me to pick up a white for cooking, so I grabbed this one. Ridiculously hungry and waiting for supper to happen, I started drinking it. I enjoyed it. (“Hunger is the best sauce,” says Norman’s mother.) The nose is aromatic and mostly citrus, honeydew melon, a bit of mineral, and a maybe a hint of cloves. The same flavours follow through on the palate, plus something like plasticine. It is medium bodied, dry, and slightly viscous, with good acidity. I find that it ends on a sour note, but I often find that with white wine. At $13.29, it’s good value.

Price: $13.29
Score: 86
Value: 4/5
Region: Venetio, Italy
Grapes: Pinot Grigio
UPC: 8007890229247

Lurton Fumées Blanches 2008

This is about what's you'd expect from New Zealand sauvignon blanc for around $20, except that it’s $13.50 and from France.  I have to admit that sauvignon blanc isn’t my favourite grape. I prefer my whites to be fruity and floral, like Gewurz or Muscat, or rich like chardonnay.  But for those of you who like the crispness of sauvignon blanc, this is excellent value at the price.

Bonterra Chardonnay 2007

For immediate purposes, this is the most useful of Iron Chef’s New Year’s wines; a good chardonnay at a reasonable price that (unlike the other New Year’s wines) is still widely available.

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Nose: Butter, Oak, Pear, Nutmeg and Cinnamon
Taste: Pear and Melon with a nice spicy edge of Nutmeg/Cinnamon and Cumin. The finish was very creamy and full.
Overall: A very dependable Lobster wine

California- Mendocino
13.5%
Price: $21.99
Value: 4/5
Score: 89
UPC: 082896780419

Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Gewürztraminer 2006

A friend brought this over recently for Norman's 48 3/4 birthday. It's a great find. The nose is particularly lovely and full, with citrus - particularly grapefruit - as well as apricot, spices,

and minerals. The wine is viscous on the palate, and very slightly sweet, and crisp and very long. The only negative is that there's a noticeable bitterness throughout. The blurb on the label advertises "full grapefruit flavours," and in fact it does taste quite a lot like grapefruit, right down to that characteristic bitter edge.

Decent Gewürztraminer isn't so easy to find at any price, and this one is great value at $16.99. Also, I patriotically like its Canadian origin; it's from the Okanagan.

Price: $16.99
Value: 4/5
Score: 89
Alcohol: 13%
Region: Canada
UPC: 778876128936

Las Moras Pinot Grigio 2008

To celebrate the two days of sun we just had, here is a review of a summer white, in the ever-popular "value" category.

--- CMacdonald's Review ---

Appearance: Medium intensity pale straw yellow with green tint.

Aroma: Pleasant. Med. Intensity dominated by non-citrus fruit. (I said peaches, my wife said pears). Overall a lot more aroma than the typical pinot grigio.

Taste: Lots of flavor for a pinot grigio. Medium bodied with moderate acidity (it held up well with soft goat cheese). Dry, short-med fruity finish. Tasty, crisp without being lean.

Price: $9.99
Value: 5/5
Score: 87
Alcohol: 12.5%
Region San Juan, Argentina
Tasted: May, June & July 2009
ANBL UPC: 7791540091193

Gallo Family Chardonnay 2007 Box wine

Sounds like this is the perfect white BBQ wine. Now if we just get a few days of summer...

— Iron Chef’s Review —

Recession, Recession - it’s Box wine time.
Colour: Pale straw to golden with green-ish tints
Nose: Buttery oaky notes. Full on Malo treatment. Very fragrant
Taste: Butter, oak, almonds, dried apricots. Some plasticine or rubber bands deep in the palate- but very slight.
Overall: Did not guess this to be a Box wine in a blind tasting, very nice wine. Enjoyed the Malo/buttery notes. Really impressed. You have got to try this.

Price: $34.48 / 3000 ml
Value 5/5
Score 86
Alcool 13.5%
Region: California
UPC: 085000012574

Undurraga Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Welcome back Chris! We haven't had a review from you in a while. This wine sounds like a perfect inexpensive summer patio wine - if the sun ever comes out again, I'll try a bottle.

--- CMacdonald's Review ---

Light straw in color. Mild to moderate pleasant aromas of lemon and lime. Nice mild taste that gets better with every sip. The wine is dry with just enough acidity to make your mouth water.

I want to try this wine again with some goat cheese.

Price: $11.99
Value: 4/5
Score: 87
Alcohol: 13%
Region: Chile, D.O Central Valley
Tasted: June 2009
UPC: 7804315010012

Concha y Toro Frontera Sauvignon Blanc 2007

This post from Michelle brings us back to the theme of value priced whites for summer:

-- Michelle's Review ---

When the weather turns a bit nicer, my palette strives for refreshment. Not the kind you can find in a butt kickin' red. So lately I have been desiring a crisp, juicy white. Something to quench my thirst. A friend brought this nicely chilled from her fridge. We were sitting at her cottage on one of our few sunny days and out comes this Sauvignon Blanc. I do like SB's but some leave that tongue smacking dryness (tannins) that I am not a fan of. In the glass, it looks exactly like the "text book" SB. Straw colored with tinge of green. First on the nose was peach, citrus as we all know a SB to have also. What I liked best was the drinkability. Nothing offensive about it at all. Ours was perfectly chilled. Crisp, clean and nothing left behind (aforementioned tannins). Not over the top fruit though..peaches, citrus and even a hint of green grass. If there was a perfect summer wine out there, this has to rank up there quite nicely. Two thumbs up…or at least an 88/100.

Price: $9.49 (but for some reason it was on for $8.49 Friday at Mountain Road)
Value: 5/5
Rating: 88
Region: Chile
UPC: 7804320043265

Zuccardi Fuzion White 2008

Here is another white value wine - and it's not just value priced, it actually delivers. I went to the ANBL for a bottle of white wine for cooking, and one of the young staff - not a consultant - pointed me to this one and said "This is a $10 wine that drinks like $14-$15 wine." He was wrong - it drink more like an $18-$20 bottle. I tested it to make sure it was fit for cooking - not something you can count on for $10 - and it was, and more. I had been intending to open something else to have while cooking, but I discovered that I was more than satisfied with the Fuzion. Crisp, very well balanced with clean citrusy fruit - a bit like a less acidic Sauv Blanc. I think 87 is about right for the score, though I liked it better than the Symphony which I also rated 87. An unquestionable 5/5 for value. This may be the first wine under $10 that I've actually enjoyed.

Price $9.99
Score: 87
Value: 5/5
Region: Argentina
Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Torrontes
UPC: 7791728017342

Dona Paula Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc 2008

This wine was recommended to us by Aaron, the wine consultant at Prospect St. It has very good Sauvignon Blanc character - Kelly recognized it right off. It is in the New Zealand style, but without excessive sharpness that you sometimes find. It doesn’t have a lot of complexity, but it has some good character, good balance, and doesn’t have what Kelly calls “that cheap wine flavour.” Outstanding value. I may even be rating it too low because I know the price.

Price: $14.49
Score: 88
Value: 5/5
Region: Argentina
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Tasted: March 2009
UPC: 836950000087

Santa Rita 120 Chardonnay 2007

Yesterday Anon posted a comment to the effect that fancy wine is all well and good, but what most people want most of the time is something quaffable at a reasonable price. I couldn't agree more, so here's a review from Iron Chef of a reasonably priced winner. Kelly will have a review of a bargain red coming up next.

But remember, THIS IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB. Anyone who drinks wine from ANBL and has an opinion is welcome to post a review in the "Make a Suggestion" thread (or comment on a wine that has already been reviewed). This is all about getting the conversation going.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Tropical Friuts of Pineapple, mango, kiwi and caramilk bars greet the nose- faint oaky aromas of vanilla. Palate was complex- lots going on. Velvety Creme- creme brulee. Mango gelato, tonnes of vanilla but without that mouth scratching woody popsicle stick stuff that sometimes goes hand in hand. The fruit was vibrant and fresh. One drawback was a touch of Anti-acid mouth finish like Tums. Liked it more than the Aresti but not as much as the Medalla.

Retail Price: $12.99
Score 89.5
Value 4.5/5
Region: chile, Maule Valley
Grape: Chardonnay
Tasted: Jan 2009
Alcohol: 14%
UPC: 089419007183

PS- Thinking about Santa Rita- I do not think there is a line-up of wines that is more solid than the Santa Rita at ANBL at this time. Of the wines that I have had, Santa Rita 120 Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay, Reserva Line of Sauv Blanc, Cabernet, Medalla level Cab and Chardonnay, and the Florestas Sauv Blanc and the Petite Syrah they have all been highly impressive. I would recommend this group of wines over any other at the appropriate price points.

Ribeauville Andante 2007

Cave de Ribeauville was one of the big 'finds' of the Wine Expo. Their Pinot Gris and Gewurz are both delicious and great value (we've tried a second bottle of the Pinot Gris and liked it as well as or better that when we initially reviewed it). The Andante is an off-dry Gewürz / Muscat blend (I think 80/20) and the powerful nose of both those grapes jumps out of the glass, followed by a round smooth mouthfeel. Maybe I wouldn't call it complex or elegant, but I would call it delicious. If you can beat this wine in a white for less than $20, let me know.

Here are Kelly's notes:

Fresh, spicy citrus on the nose, and maybe a faint undertone of grape jelly and maybe turpentine, and also minerals. Crisp and light on the palate, with good acidity, body, and length. Beautifully balanced. Delicious. Not 'over the top' with sweet fruitiness like some wines of this style.

Price: $18.79
Score: 89
Value: 5 /5
Region: France, Alsace
Grape: Gewürztraminer, Muscat
Tasted: Jan 2009
UPC: 3156099224630

Mezzomondo Pinot Grigio Chardonnay

I had a glass of this wine at Brewbaker's a couple of nights ago - it's not really enough for a real review, but I was sufficiently impressed that I couldn't resist. I'll call this a mini-review.

I picked it because it was one of the cheapest whites on the by-the-glass list - I figure nothing is good value at 100% mark-up, so you might as well go cheap. And the blend sounded intriguing. I wasn't expecting much - something innocuous and drinkable at best. But this delivered a lot more. The blend really seems to work. It had body and real interest, I think from the Chardonnay, but it was fresh and crisp at the same time, presumably from the Pinot Grigio (though Pinot Gris can make wines of real interest, as the Ribeauville Pinot Gris that I am drinking right now attests). Well, whichever grape is contributing whatever character, this is a really good wine at an unbeatable price. Great value in a casual white.

Price: $12.99
Value: 5/5
Score: 86
Alcohol: ?
Region: Italy
Tasted: Nov 2008
UPC: 8032610318918

Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Iron Chef's review:

"Next we had a Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2007. Wonderful floral and citrus bouquet- filled in with grassy aromas. The acidity was a great pairing with the Panko Coconut Scallops in cilantro chutney. Very nice seafood wine.

Price: $16.29
Value: 5/5
Score: 90
Alcohol: 13.5%
Tasted: Oct 2008
ANBL UPC: 089419007138 "