Oh, the sacrifices I make for you, dear readers. Last Thursday, I "forced myself" to go to not one but two wine tastings. At both of them, I found some wines that I can recommend without hesitation, bottles that I would (and will) buy for myself. Here they are, by price range:
$10-$15: The Lorgoril Carcassone Pennatier Cabardes Blanc ($12), made from white Rhone grapes (it's 40-percent bourboulenc), has a massive viognier-like floral/honey nose that belies the dry beauty that follows. The fruit is subtle but plenty substantial, and the finish is lovely. I also really liked the vibrant, minerally 2009 Calia Torrontes ($12) and the 2008 Les Cognettes Muscadet ($13), a bone-dry wonder that created an immediate craving for a platter of oysters on the half shell.
$15-$20: I thoroughly enjoyed three gorgeous wines from Italy. The 2008 Dal Maso Gamberella ($16), crafted from the garganega grape that made Soave famous, has beams of mineral and fruit in perfect balance. The understated but not wimpy 2008 Regaleli Bianco ($16) offers up wonderful citrus flavors that linger for a full minute or more. And the 2007 Vietti Barbera d'Asti 07 ($20) screams "cherry" and "food wine."
$20-$30: Almost certainly the best nero'd'Avola I've ever tasted, the 2007 Gulfi Chiaramonte Nero d'Avola Rossojbleo ($23) combines the rustic, dark profile typical of this varietal with uncommon purity and balance; it's grown in a very hot area near the town of Avola and aged in all stainless steel, and might have the best quality-price ratio of any wine on this list. I also rather enjoyed the wild-herb nature of a 2007 Domaine des Lises Crozes Hermitage ($30), whose dark fruit lingered on the palate almost endlessly.
Over $30: Tasting nothing like most of its Aussie counterparts, the 2006 John Duval Plexus ($48) was flat-out delicious, stout and smooth. A pair of offerings from the same winery -- a tropical, non-yeasty sparkling Ca Rugate Brut Fulvio Beo ($45) and the huge, rich red Ca Rugate Valpolicella Superiore Campo Lavei ($42) – were classics of their genres. Another Italian red, the 2005 Poggio Romita Tavernelle val di pesa Chianti Classico Riserva Frimaio ($38) had none of the astringency of its peers, offering up soft, lush flavors and textures. If I were a rich man, I would seriously stock up on my two Wines of the Day. The 2006 Clos Mogodor ($120) had gobs of smoke and blackberry fruit and a finish that went on for days. And one need look no further than the Francseco Rinaldi Barolo ($70) to realize that all the talk about 2004 being the best Barolo vintage ever might not be hype. I've never tasted a young Barolo with such elegance and balance. A true "wow" wine.
