Wine Value - It's not a focus it's a way of life!

11 Euros. Jeezou. A few lucky producers aside, we make Central Valley fruit loops wine for that price in California.

I guess I am out of the loop, since I don't even know what loops wine is! OH! or did you mean fruit loops as in the kids cereal wine?

Bob: Yes.

Red colored sugar water.

When I posted on this estate's entry level cuvée (see above), I said that I would investigate its up-market brother and here it is. We popped it last night. We paired it with a flavoursome rough cut of beef (basse-côte) served with salad and a curry and cheese flavoured mayonnaise and it went very well.

2009 Domaine Valambelle Faugères Florentin Abbal - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Faugères (11/19/2014)
This is a robust, dense and flavourful Faugères with 60% Syrah in the blend with Carignan, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Colour is deep and quite opaque. The nose shows dark fruit and wet leather. The palate is quite full bodied with dense rose tinted brambly dark fruit, liquorice, dark chocolate and sprinklings of spice leading to a very firm and ripe tannic finish. This full throated wine is very enjoyable but I by no means prefer it to its entry level stable mate, Millepeyres, which is less dense and more herbal and spicy, and it lacks the great refinement which some at Faugères, e.g. Alquier, obtain in their Syrah dominated cuvées. Good+ and good QPR at €12.

Posted from CellarTracker

Always nice to see a Faugères note Tim, guess you found this when visiting one of the local caviste?

Anyhows here is a real value driven white from Hungary...the 2012 Chateau Megyer Furmint, Tokaj.
Good acidity, nectarine, white blossoms, nutty, lemon, melon I could imagine this might go well with turkey. $16 Cdn so when one looks at Alberta pricing great value.

Also this one should get a mention. 2011 Herdade do Peso Colheita Alentejo. Very distinct, blueberry, blackberry, soft tannins, will develope, little oak influence. $20 Cdn.

Bob-
I've found Furmints to be a good value in general.

WTN: 2006 Henschke Giles Lenswood Pinot Noir

Color: Vibrant red.

Nose: Burgundian-ish. Earthy cherry.

Taste: Cherry with a bit of earth and some spice. Woke up nicely in the glass over a few hours. Very nice balance if not terribly complex. The finish came up bit short. All in all an very nice little pinot.

Get this - Purchased for $11.99 at our local wine shop! The owner mentioned it to my wife when she called up looking for a "Hill of Grace." They hadn't even bothered to up it in the display yet. Went back an bought the remaining eleven bottles.

[David M. Bueker]

I'm not much for Australian wine, but I like Henschke.

2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills). From Wash. state this is a very solid Cabernet and for $12, could become our house cabernet quaffer. Needed an hour to open up but after that became most quaffable with smooth cabernet flavors, mostly black fruit and not a lot of cassis. Nice black fruit nose and very dark black/purple in color, a really nice red wine that could even use a few years to further mesh together.

The Columbia Crest H3 Merlot is a pretty decent QPR also. It might be a crowd pleaser for a non-geeky crowd at a party.

Had 3H Merlot at a tasting recently and liked it. I didn't realize it was Columbia Crest until seeing these posts.

At a tasting of Merlots several years ago, it was my second favorite against some more expensive entries.

I didn't much like Merlots after the few I tried so the H3 surprised me. But then I've been pleasantly surprised by many reds from eastern Washington.

TN: 2013 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir, Ontario VQA.

Local winestore downtown and other businesses on 104 St had a customer appreciation evening where generous discounts were offered to those mingling the area. I had a chance to try a few wines being poured by 4/5 reps but really enjoyed this new vintage from Henry of Pelham.

Deep crimson in color with black cherries, plums, smoke on the nose. Softish tannins, black cherry, brambly fruit, medium-bodied and very pleasing aftertaste. I thought it had a very nice balance but always enjoy the rustic elements. The wine continues to be quite distinct but I did have some fun pouring a few punters a sample of Black Hills Syrah from the Okanagan. That really got `em going .

2012 Siefried Pinot Gris from Nelson New Zealand. This is a very nice P.G. with lots of peach fruit on a nice balanced acidic body. Somewhat viscous, the fruit is outstanding but the acid cleanses the palate exceedingly well. My third or fourth bottle and all were excellent. Screw cap and 13% abv and about $12 USA.

Jim, I too enjoy Siefried from time to time. They used to produce a late harvest Riesling but have not seen for quite a while.

[Jenise]

Haven't opened a bottle yet, but picked up two 2013 Pieropan Soaves yesterday for just $14 locally. It was a wine I learned about on this board and when I finally lucked into a bottle, it didn't disappoint (as can happen with such high expectations). I trust I'll like the 13's as much as previous vintages. (Also, a bottle of Pieropan's 'La Rocca' though that one isn't exactly value-priced.) Also picked up a 13 Evesham Wood PG from Oregon for about the same price--Russ Rainey's whites and pinots are always so sensitive and nuanced, also incredibly good value compared to other Oregon producers. .

2013 CUPCAKE SAUVIGNON BLANC, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND This seems to be a somewhat polarizing wine. Ratings on CellarTracker range from 71 or 75 (which brings down the average) to lots of ratings in the 80's and one 92 score. Average score was 83. My brother-in-law had this on hand at Christmas and I enjoyed it. It was more citrusy and less grassy than some Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc wines and at a price of $11 or so, it does seem like a value wine to me. Zesty, crisp and refreshing in a light, citrusy way.

2011 Domaine d'Aupilhac Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux Cuvée les Truffières - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux (1/8/2015)
Aupilhac is a very reliable Languedoc estate whose wines, in my experience, age very gracefully. This medium+ bodied wine was somewhat subdued on the nose but attractive red fruit laced with herbs, anise and liquorice started coming up with exposure. The palate was rather up-front but showed some concentrated red fruit, good acidity, better aromatic expression than the nose with some added tar and liquorice towards the well supported finish. I guess that this will become more complex and harmonious with some age. Good + now with potential and good QPR at>€10.

Posted from CellarTracker

Tim, that is a winery I have heard about...frequently so nice to see this TN.

It is good to be to post a wine value TN about a Bordeaux, from a "good" appellation to boot, and it is also good to find it in a half-bottle, choice of which is extremely limited here.

2010 Château Moulin Bellegrave - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion (1/9/2015)
After several disappointments with lesser Bordeaux, this half-bottle was surprisingly good. The aromas on the nose and the medium + bodied palate showed attractive round plum like fruit with a hint of leather. There was good depth of fruit, savoury character, fleshiness, quite lively non-astringent acidity, a discreet underlying liqueur touch towards the finish and firm ripe tannins. Probably more forward in 37cl than in a standard bottle. Good+ wine and very good QPR at c.€5.

Posted from CellarTracker

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot and Cab also very good buys, a few bucks less than the H3 line..and they age surprisingly well..Lost/missplaced one of each in the cellar a while back and when rediscovered, they were still drinking quite nicely with at least 8 years on them..Wd also recommend the Col Crest Grand Estates chard, roughly $11/bottle

This estate located in the Gard on the right bank of the Rhône produced an excellent QPR CDRV Laudun, on which I have already posted a TN. Here is a simple Syrah lead CDR which is similarly excellent value.

2011 Château Courac Côtes du Rhône Empreinte - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (1/28/2015)
This is an excellent example of a modest southern Côtes du Rhône with the proviso that it should be served quite cool. At cellar temperature the dominant aroma was of fresh red fruit especially raspberry. On the medium bodied palate there was more raspberry tinged fruit, herbs, good acidity and tannic structure with a finer and more silky texture than a lot of S.Rhône, which can often be too sweetly heavy for my taste. As the wine warmed during the meal, a rather malty after-taste kicked in and I can imaging that at room temperature it might seem heavier and more alcoholic. As served, good wine and excellent QPR at €6. I'll buy more.

Posted from CellarTracker

PS - On checking the archive, I discover than I never posted here on the Laudun. Apologies. Here it is -

2010 Château Courac Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun (5/25/2014)
A previous bottle served at conventional "room temperature" was somewhat thick, heavy and alcoholic, so I served this one at about 15-16°C. The wine became much fresher and better focussed bringing out attractive dark fruit, Mediterranean herbs and liquorice on top of a quite full body. Excellent value at less than €7.

Posted from CellarTracker

Enjoying the 2013 Ernst Bretz Blanc de Noir Spatburgunder Rheinhessen, $20.00 and excellent wine value imo. No skin contact so a light lemony almost. Quite satisfying but mood will change when I have to get outside and clear another 10 cms...with a temp of minus 25 with wind chill.

Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Veronese 2010

Very nice medium bodied Italian red. I believe it is made up of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese. A fruity but not overwhelming nose. Nothing really profound but very easy to drink with any dinner that is good with a medium bodied red. My wife and I enjoy it very much as a nice everyday wine. $15.99 at the local BJ's.