The Cellar: Undiscovered Classics for Under $20
Friday, January 21, 2011
You know how Rhode Island is famous for its clam chowder, coffeemilk and hot wieners? Well, in the world of wine things are similar. While Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown all over the world, there are a bunch of grape varietals that are only grown in specific countries, making these wines unique to the region. Limited production and commercial exposure has kept these delicious wines off our dinner tables, but thankfully this is changing. Join us this week as we continue to expand our palates and explore the delicious wines of South America and beyond.
2009 Crios de Susana Balbo, Torrontes - $13
The backstory: If one of your New Years resolutions for 2011 is to try out-of-the-box type of wines, the 2009 Crios Torrontes is something for you. The Domino del Plata winery, which is behind the label, is considered one of the top value producers in Argentina. The winery is dedicated to the principles of sustainable agriculture and harvests all its grapes by hand. Torrontes is one of those interesting grapes varietals I hope you will try. Pick one up and serve it at your next wine night with friends. It is unique and only produced commercially in Argentina.
The wine: I do not promise that you will fall in love with this wine. Unlike Chardonnay, whose typical vanilla, toast, tropical fruit and green apple notes are difficult not to at least find palatable, Torrontes comes across with very pungent and distinct aromas and flavors that are not for everyone. It is extremely floral on the nose, almost to the point where you think you are smelling a strong perfume. This theme continues on the palate where the flavors turn more tropical. Very importantly, this medium-bodied wine has nice acidity, which cuts the fruit and makes it for a nicely balanced experience.
2008 Santa Rita ‘Medalla Real’ Carmenere, Chile - $15
The backstory: I sometimes use the phrase ‘great QPR’ about the wines I review (QPR stands for Quality to Price Ratio). Chile’s Santa Rita Winery was voted the top value brand for 2010 by Wine & Spirits Magazine and a lot of the praise the winery received in the past year was because of its ‘Medalla Real’ series which features high quality wines at very reasonable prices. The Carmenere grape has a very interesting backstory. I did a story on Carmenere on December 28th, and a head-to-head Carmenere tasting on the 29th which you should check out (GoLocalProv’s Wine Cellar Facebook Page).
The wine: The 2008 Santa Rita ‘Medalla Real’ Carmenere is an intense wine with a lot of the characteristics of a high quality Carmenere. On the nose it displays multiple layers of dark jammy fruits, along with coffee and chocolate. It is a complex nose, meaning you detect different aromas every time you sniff it. With a residual sugar rate of 2.5% it comes across a little sweet on the palate with heavy thick dark berry flavors, along with spices. But it is not a ‘regular fruit bomb’ in that it has depth and a concentration of flavors that rushes over your palate and makes you go back for that all-important second sip. It lacks acidity, in my opinion, and could use some bottle-age to mellow its sweetness. It’s a heavy hitter, my friends. Let it aerate for a few hours.
2009 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc ‘Petit’ - $12
The backstory: Chenin Blanc is originally from the Loire Valley in France. It is a naturally high-acid grape and can therefore make many types of wine; dry, sweet and sparkling. Outside of France Chenin Blanc is grown in South Africa, where the grape is known as ‘Steen’ and is the countries most widely planted grape varietal accounting for more than 20% of all plantings. Ken Forrester winery is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, in the heart of Stellenbosch, South Africa's largest and most famous wine region.
The wine: The ‘Petit’ series is Ken Forrester’s entry level wine, and while many wines in this series are mediocre, the Chenin Blanc is worth trying. Currently on the shelves is the 2009 vintage. The nose is floral, almost like a bucket of flowers with a squirt of lime juice. On the palate it turns into green apple, but also significant notes of tangy grapefruit. Refreshing and with a clean finish.
Enjoy.
Besides from writing about wine Steffen Rasch also consults, hosts lessons, tastings and other types of wine events privately, as well as for businesses. If you are interested in knowing more please contact [email protected], and follow him on Facebook, here.
Related Articles
- The Cellar: Top Wines of 2010
- The Cellar: Three Crowd-Pleasers for Under $20
- The Cellar: Reds for a Cozy Weekend
- The Cellar: 3 Must-Haves for Under $20
