This “smooth, silky wine, with plenty of spicy fruit” was recommended by Dennis Sodomka writing in the Augusta Chronicle.
He said: “The first hint of what’s to come is in the nose, bursting with cherry and blackberry notes as well as some laurel and rosemary. It has a beautiful deep red color. The flavors are blackberry, plum and raspberry, with a long, dry finish. There are some nice notes of tobacco on the finish, along with some oak. The tannins are sweet, not bitter, and good acidity balances the fruit nicely.
“After the wine is opened, it will continue to develop for a long time. While it is enjoyable sipping by itself, the wine really shows itself when paired with food.”
Price: $19 to $21
“Rich, dark and earthy”, this wine was one of three “bargain wines” picked out by Dave McIntyre in The Washington Post.
He said: “It develops hints of tobacco and beef, as well as musky notes of a warm summer evening — and we can use that at this time of year. This vintage of the wine is new in the market and should have better availability soon.”
Price: $15
While Tebbiano typically yields “nondescript correct, if uninteresting, wines”, this example, dominated by the Italian grape, proved to be an exception to the rule according to McIntyre, who called it “vibrant and refreshing”.
He said: “The blend includes a grape called Pecorino, not to be confused with the cheese of the same name but great for conversation. Stock up on this one for the spring and summer.”
Price: $10
Sandra Silfven, writing for Detroit News, recommended this Kendall-Jackson Riesling which she said was “bursting with citrus, apricot, jasmine, honeysuckle and ripe pear”.
She said: “It’s produced off vineyards in cool Monterey County. It packs some power at 13% alcohol. I admit this bottle got tasted, reviewed and stashed back in my fridge and … lost in the fridge. Tasting it again many weeks later, I can verify it still held together. This is the amazing Riesling grape for you. With just a bit of sweetness and enough acidity, a bottle can stay fresh once opened and reclosed for a very long time. This one has a screw cap. Sometimes I forget just how versatile Riesling is — you can serve it with food or pour as an aperitif — or enliven savory sauces with it.”
Price: $13
“What a fresh, crisp rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon”, said Silfven of this striking bottle of South African Mulderbosch.
She said: “It’s a pale salmon color with aromas of dark berries, dark plum and pink grapefruit. Flavors — catch the pomegranate and strawberry in the midpalate — are bound with refreshing acidity. Grapes are picked early and handled like a dry white wine to capture vibrant acidity and minerality. It scores high with critics, and I’m betting online sellers and some brick-and-mortar stores will likely sell it for a lot less than $14. Mulderbosch is a rock-solid brand in South Africa.”
Price: $13.99
“It’s amazing what a few years of aging can do. Tawny ports start out like other port styles: deep, rich black fruit, sweet and high in alcohol. However, ports may spend more than 40 years in barrels, compared with the two to maybe six years of their brethren. They lose that dark red color and the rich black fruit and take on their distinctive colors and flavors.”
Price: $32.52 to $42.99
This “exceptional” unfiltered Beaujolais-Villages could easily be mistaken for one of the region’s more “prestigious names” such as Fleurie or Chiroubles, according to Michael Dresser of The Baltimore Sun.
He said: “Its wonderful floral aroma sets the stage for pure, penetrating black cherry and cassis flavors. This medium-bodied wine finishes with exceptional length and bracing acidity. It’s the epitome of elegance in this price range.”
Price: $14
Jean-Luc Colombo has achieved an international reputation for making “innovative wines that are memorable and bursting with personality”, according to Gil Lempert-Schwarz, writing for the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Of this the producer’s Les Abeilles 2011 he said: “It is profoundly soft with powerfully earth-driven crushed black and red fruit on the palate at first. Then there’s mouth filling sweetish plum juice, crushed wild cherries, strawberry stew and earthy minerals into the mid-palate, which also has young firm tannins that are not harsh, but very supple and balanced. It finishes long and complex with some smoke, pepper and slight tobacco notes, but it is classic Cotes du Rhone showing great balance between fruit and acidity on the after-mouth.”
Price: $7.99
Finally Peg Melnik, writing for the Press Democrat, recommended a selection of wines including this Sonoma County red, which she described as “striking” with a long finish.
She said: “A dense blend with snappy spice. Full throttle, mouth-filling, decadence. Aromas and flavors of cherry, currant, licorice and cracked black pepper.”
Price: $29
Another of Melnik’s recommendations was this Rodney Strong Cab from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley.
She said: “A complex cab with great intensity and yet it manages to be supple. Notes of blackberry, cocoa and vanilla. Nice length. Impressive.”
Price: $40
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