Dry Riesling From the Mitten

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“I’m hard pressed to name a better dry Riesling that’s available
at this price point here in the Detroit market.”

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I used to sell a lot of Riesling in a previous life in wine retail. Many of my customers were looking for the sweeter stuff; they had no idea just how versatile the variety is, and were quite surprised when I informed them that there are plenty of dry variations of the theme to be had as well. Many of the more obvious examples come from places like Germany, Alsace and Austria, but there are also a number of great choices to be had produced everywhere from Australia to Washington, New York, Ontario and right here in Michigan.

One of my longtime favorite Michigan dry Rieslings comes from Chateau Grand Traverse, up on Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula. We first tried the CGT Whole Cluster back in 2007, and we’ve been buying successive vintages ever since. I filed a report on the 2020 model almost a year ago, and if anything, this one might even be better. Like the 2020, it still sells for $13.99 at Westborn Market on Woodward, in Berkley.
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Another Big Bertrand Red

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“If I were to taste this blind, I might even guess that it’s a good Gigondas.”

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Greetings, salutations and a very happy new year to all!

The holidays have come and gone, and like many of you, we indulged in our share of good food and fine wine. One red in particular was new to us, and fits the parameters of this blog perfectly, as it offers very good quality and affordability.

As previously mentioned, we’ve been fans of Gerard Bertrand’s wines for almost 20 years now, so whenever I find one for 20 bucks or less, I’m going to jump on that puppy to see what it has to offer. I’m happy to report that this one is a great buy, and there is a whole bin-full of the stuff at our friendly neighborhood Costco.
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A Fleurie For Zinfan

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“I’ll buy a few of these for near term drinking
and a few more to lay down in the cellar.”

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Our old Gang of Pour co-conspirator, Alan Kerr, never used to care much for Gamay, but in the last few years, he’s gotten the Zen of the stuff, and now likes it a lot. He’s in town for a visit, and this is a wine that I will make a point of opening for him, because I think it’s what we’re both looking for in a good Beaujolais.

Fleurie, of course, is the highly-regarded Beaujolais cru appellation. While one bottling I’ve had recently is more in the deep, dark Morgon-like spectrum, most have been a little lighter and more fruit forward, like several of the Coudert Clos de la Roilette offerings we’ve enjoyed. This one falls more in the latter category.
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Good Buys in Red Wine

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“These two are both good wines at very good prices.”

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I ran across a couple of good buys in red wines this weekend that I would submit for your consideration. Both were in full bins (there was at least a case of each on Saturday) and those Costco prices are always attractive.

It’s been a few years since I’ve last had any Palazzo della Torre. I used to sell a lot of it, and we drank a fair amount of it as well, going back to at least vintage 1999. When I saw this one, it was another one of those “how bad can it be” purchasing decisions, and I’m happy to report that it is in fact very good indeed.
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Sancerre Rosé

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“…both of these offer excellent value for their respective price tags…”

When casual wine drinkers think of wine from Sancerre, they are almost always considering Sauvignon Blanc, because that’s what is in the majority of bottles with “Sancerre” on the label. However, this small Loire Valley district also produces Pinot Noir, some of which is vinified to make rosé, and that’s what I found in my most recent visit to (where else?) our friendly neighborhood Costco.

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These two have been in the bins of the wine department for the last few weeks, and after looking at them during preceding visits, I decided to give them both a try. I couldn’t find any background information on either of these producers, not even on the importer’s website, but, happily, the wines themselves tell me all I need to know about them. Continue reading →

Two More Dry Rosés

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“It’s always open season on dry rose at our house…”

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I keep finding more good specimens of dry rosé at our friendly neighborhood Costco, and last week, I brought these two home. Both are follow ups on previous wines featured in this blog, and offer good bang for your buck.

When I like a wine from a particular producer, say Domaine Lafage, I’m often inclined to try another bottling from that same producer. Because we enjoyed the Lafage red blend so much a few months ago, it wasn’t a difficult choice to give this one a try. 

Domaine Lafage is located in Cotes Catalanes, in the Roussillon region of southwestern France. This is only the third wine I’ve had from this area as of late, and all three have been much to my liking. The QPR (quality-price-ratio) of the three is even more to my liking, as they are quite pocketbook friendly.
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Two More from Wapisa

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“I’m still looking for another Pinot Noir as good as or better than this
at a similar price point, and I have yet to find one.”

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I’ve really been looking forward to trying the new vintage of Wapisa Pinot Noir, having enjoyed the 2020 so well. My reasoning was that, if I liked the 2021 Wapisa Malbec as much if not more than the previous model, I might expect at least the same from the Pinot, right? I also expected to find this new vintage at Costco for around $15, but instead, it was purchased at Holiday Market in Royal Oak, for a few bucks more. Holiday also stocks the Wapisa Sauvignon Blanc, which I had yet to try, so I picked up a bottle of that as well. My impressions of both are as follows. Continue reading →

A Solid 8 Dollar Red

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“There’s nothing flashy here, and it won’t make you say ‘Wow.’ It just does what it’s supposed to, delivering an honest, food friendly glass of wine…”

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It’s not so easy to find a good red wine for $8 these days, but that’s exactly what I happened upon during my last visit to our friendly neighborhood Costco a few days ago. Like the last two selections reviewed in these pages (here and here), this is another one of those “off-the-beaten-path” wines from one of the last bastions of Malbec in France, Cahors. Comprised mostly of said Malbec, with a good dollop of Merlot to boot, this will serve in much the same way as a good Bordeaux, in that it plays well with a variety of red meat dishes, especially those that are beef-centric. Continue reading →

Make Mine Minervois

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“I’m always game for another good Minervois,
and this is very good Minervois indeed.”

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Minervois isn’t exactly a household name, even in the world of wine. As I said in my last report, “It’s off-the-beaten-path wines and wineries like this that keep my interest and add excitement these days,” and Minervois is certainly off the beaten path. Located in the western Languedoc region of France, Minervois is known for producing red and rosé wines, derived mainly from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignane.

My appreciation for Minervois began with Chateau d’Oupia, going back to at least their 1995 bottling. I loved a certain black olive component that characterized successive vintages, and we went through a lot of the stuff. It’s been a while since I’ve had anything from this producer, because I just don’t see it around the Detroit market these days. I DID find this one last week on the shelf at Westborn Market in Berkley, and was reminded that I had enjoyed it sometime in the past, but couldn’t place it. A quick search on the old Gang of Pour site took me right to a post from 2009, and it’s clear why I have favorable, if somewhat vague, memories. The wine was very good then, and it’s very good now. Continue reading →

Malbec from Wapisa

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“It’s off-the-beaten-path wines and wineries like this that
keep my interest and add excitement these days…”

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Wapisa” is the indigenous Patagonian word for “whale.” Not only do whales frequent the nearby coast of our vineyards, but a local legend talks of a Wapisa that actually lived on land. Our wines, like the Wapisa, are an expression not just of their soils but of the nearby ocean as well.

My first encounter with the wines of Wapisa was just this past March, when our friendly neighborhood Costco briefly carried both the 2020 Pinot Noir and 2020 Malbec. They sold out fairly quickly, but I have seen both around town for a few bucks a bottle more, and frankly, they are worth the extra money if you should happen upon them.

I found the new vintage of Wapisa Malbec at the same Costco a few weeks ago, and immediately brought one home to try. I liked it so well, I went back a few days later, but the bin was empty. A few days after that, there was what looked like another case available, but that was last Thursday, so I don’t know if there is still any left. Like I said, this stuff sells quickly, and there’s a reason for that. It’s really quite good. Continue reading →