2009 Delas Saint Esprit Cotes Du Rhone

I've found this to be a solid Cotes considering the PDI in past vintages, so I figured it was worth a gamble when it was recently restocked at my local Costco. With one glass now down I must say it has exceeded expectations, this is the Esprit to rule them all.

The winery was founded 160 years ago in the heart of the northern Côtes du Rhône, and while I don't know how the original founders of Delas would feel about seeing their lifelong dream now being sold at the worlds largest wine retailer, I do know that if I see any 190 year old's lurking in the Costco wine section I won't be sticking around to find out.

Now owned by Freres (Louis Roederer), this wine has shown a great track record over the last several vintages. This most recent vintage is slightly softer than in years past and shows black cherry and plenty of spice on the nose. It has a fairly long finish with plenty of vanilla and sweet tannins which keep popping for 30 seconds or more.

I drank this wine with a spicy Sicilian pizza and found it a perfect match (70% Syrah, 20% Grenache and the rest Carignan and Mourvedre). I'll be heading back to Costco (pending there aren't any wine zombies lurking) to buy a couple more of these for every day drinking.

$9, 90 points, 103.85 PDI

Casa Marin Lo Abarca Hills Pinot Noir 2004 - 97.14

Prior to visiting Chile, I never had the desire to seek out a Chilean Pinot Noir. Upon my return, I realized that I never had a desire because they barely exist in the US market. It's a real shame that so few are available locally, because Chile is producing some fantastic coastal climate pinot noirs that can compete with the big boys of California and Oregon.

A highlight of my Chilean wine experience included sharing the Casa Marin Litoral Pinot Noir 2006 with my fiance at Puerto Fuy, the only restaurant we visited with an English speaking waiter. His English must've enchanted me because I blindly took his wine recommendation and nervously awaited the first taste. My initial sip could only be described as pleasant surprise with disbelief; the second sip produced a reserved compliment, and subsequent tastes led me to understand why Chile keeps this wine all to themselves! It was absolutely superb.

I conducted an extensive search for Casa Marin pinot upon my return, and, fortunately, found the Lo Abarca Hills on special at a local wine shop, Pogos. Lo Abarca is the top rung of Casa Marin's pinot noirs, so I expected a heavy hitter at least on par with the Litoral. The nose was a bit closed and the flavors restrained, but after an hour, hints of smoke and cherry cola emerged. The wine was elegant, the fruit bright, and the mouthfeel silky, but complexity and length lagged my memory of the Litoral.

The second day, much of the fruit had faded, to reveal light alcohol on the nose and "burnt rubber" on the finish, a characteristic often found in Carneros pinots. Looking at the wine objectively, the Lo Abarca Hills represents Chilean pinot well, and earns 90 points, but when taking the price into consideration, a factor at the forefront of the South American wine market's success, it falls flat with a 97.14 PDI.

$50, 90 points, 97.14 PDI

Amayna Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - 100.62

On a recent trip to Santiago, I stumbled across a tiny wine shop named Baco with a fantastic selection and good prices. Like many of the Chileans, the attendant spoke little English, which required me to summon my high school spanish classes to ask the most basic questions. "Cual es tu favorito?" - I'm sure the conjugation was wrong, but she knew what I was asking - "Amayna, pero no lo tenemos". Okay, I guess I'll look for it back in the states!

A few weeks back, I asked Brooks at Veritas about his Chilean selection - a sole bottle of Perez Cruz cabernet answered the question. However, a week later, there were four Chilean choices. How this changed so quickly, I have no clue, but I was happy to see the Amayna Sauvignon Blanc.

Most Chilean Sauvignon Blancs I've enjoyed are quite similar to those from northern California - bright, floral, light, and refreshing. Amayna, I've determined, must be a winter sauvignon blanc, because it has the heft of a chardonnay coupled with the citrus flavors expected from a SB. The front end acidity was noteworthy, enveloping the mouth with rich notes of lime. The wine was highly concentrated, coating every taste bud with flavors of sourness, sweetness, and everything in-between. The finish was a respectable one full minute, but the flavors were so bold and the mouthfeel so rich that the wine left me longing for a traditional SB that would fair better in the 96 degree Texas heat.

This wine is deserving of at least a 90 point rating, for its richness and concentration are respectable, however, the timing was not right for me. I plan to explore this bottle once again come November.

$20, 90 points, 100.62 PDI

Davis Family Vineyards Barn D'or Cab/Syrah Blend 2006 - 96.42

I nabbed the Barn D'or packaged with two single vineyard Davis Family pinots that I had been itching to try after my previous experience with the Davis Family pinot (which was superb). The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (62 and 38 percent respectively) seemed like a winning combination, even though sonoma-side cabernets typically aren't as rich or well-rounded compared to what's produced on the other side of the hill.

The Barn D'or is intentionally held by the winery a year in bottle before release, after two years of barrel aging (one year the varietals are separated, the next year the final blend shares a barrel). Perhaps they should hold the bottles longer - the oak was overwhelming, both on the nose and the palette, and the wine needed hours to open up. This wine needs heavy decatnting, as after two hours of aerating in the glass, dark berries were revealed but still overshadowed by a one-note creamy vanilla flavor. I imagine at least 4 or 5 hours of decanting would be necessary for the oak-induced flavors to blow off. After consuming about a glass, I plugged up the remainder and stored it in the fridge.

Day 2 passed without a chance to sample, but on Day 3, the creamy oak overtones were removed and revealed what I would deem the typical Sonoma cabernet flavor. The tannins were soft at this point, the oak removed, and a dusty mouthfeel showed a bit of wood and muted dark berries with plum. Overall, the wine seems to have potential, but is far too uneven to show well this young. I plan to open my second bottle no sooner than 3 years.

$25, 87 points, 96.42 PDI

Claude Branger Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Terroir Les Gras Moutons 2007 - 102.63

Brooks at Veritas is the best salesman I've ever met - you would think that his passion and glowing reviews of a wine would set expectations too high, but the wine always delivers well beyond his vivid descriptions. Last week, when posed with a challenge for the perfect summer sauvignon blanc, he pulled this Muscadet from a random box.

What emerged from this bottle blew me away. I've never before tried a Muscadet, but I've loved the Loire valley sauv blancs and Sancerres, which always seem to strike that perfect balance of acidity and minerality, while producing succulent, bright flavors. The way I described this Muscadet experience to fellow Wine Index blogger, Patrick, was "Loire Sauvignon Blanc on steroids".

Sweetness and acidity on the nose indicates that bright, citrusy flavors will surface. Sure enough, the immediate flavors are lemon zest with extensive citrus tones that support playful acidity on the tongue and a long mineral finish. I even found hints of popcorn after the wine aired for some time. Though the wine is not extraordinarily complex, the flavors and mouthfeel are so welcoming and refreshing, that the overall experience is wonderful. Needless to say, I subsequently purchased a case of this wine to sustain my fiance and I through the hot Texas summer.

$16, 91 points, 102.63 PDI

Luigi Bosca DOC Single Vineyard Malbec 2007 - 100.42

The wine manager at Goody Goody recommended I try out this single vineyard Malbec from Luigi Bosca, caveating that it requires some food. He sure was right!

The Luigi Bosca is what I would call a "brawny" wine that kicks you in the butt on the first sip. Upon opening the bottle, the nose displayed heavy green and spice elements. The palette matched, showing heavy spice and powerful plum undertones. By Malbec standards, the wine was rather complex on the palette and persisted for around 15 seconds. In addition to the plum, dark berries captured the remainder of the long finish. The mouthfeel was full and the tannins soft, resulting in a perfect wine to pair with lamb, beef, or other red meat.

$21, 90 point, 100.42 PDI.

St. Supery Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc 2009 - 99.56

The Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc is the single vineyard bottling and Supery's top-of-the-line sauvignon blanc. I'm a huge fan of the standard Supery Sauv Blanc and seek it out when the price is right. I picked up a 3 pack of the Dollarhide at around $25 per bottle, which compares to the release price of $37.

I always seek out bright and floral sauvignon blancs, ideal for the hot Texas summer, and this one hits the mark. An elegant sweetness wafted from the glass, and the wine proved very well balanced. The palette experienced rich melon, with a variety of oak-induced flavors, including butter and pear. There was light minerality on the backend and a slight oaky biterness completing the finish. Overall, I enjoyed this bottle as a light summer refreshment and would seek our more if I found it at $20 or less.

$35, 91 pt, 99.56 PDI