Our mission - to find value that fits with personal palate

As moderate temps return, my wine selections turn to reds and big whites. In August, Sam emailed me to ask why I’d stopped touting those wonderful Right Bank Bordeaux merlot-driven softies. Frankly, in many instances, they’ve priced themselves past my value comfort zone. The abundance of excellent wine being produced allows us to find terrific product at half the prices demanded by Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa and Piedmont, to name the well-known. Our goal is to find value that fits our tasting profile. I was able to find a true value, 93 McD, 2016 Chateau Le Prieure Libourne for $58. Dark, juicy with floral, cherry and licorice aromas, still fresh with smooth tannin. It is lovely. The 2018, also 93 McD, will be easier to find, similar profile but needs time. One of 12 chateaux owned by the Janoueix family in Lilbourn since 1898. I love these folks because they keep their prices fair. 

Since we’ll be examining fall- and winter-friendly wines over the next several weeks, let’s revisit some ideas. Few, including me, have the time or opportunity to sample all of more 10,000 varietal wines. Vitis International Variety Catalogue lists all grapes of all Vitis species, including all crossings. Many of us find our comfort zone and remain. Since C-19, most large events have been deferred. Producers and marketers have been sending samples and arranging virtual meetings for those who had longtime attendance at in-person events. Whether it was time, money or opportunity, for most consumers, it has been simpler to find an advisor who recommends wine we enjoy. Keep in mind there is a range of palates, and one reviewer’s cup of aged Pu’erh tea may not please those who drink Silver Needle white or Lipton. 

Finding a local store that is helpful is very important in Delaware. We are a small market with ridiculous shipping and licensing laws that frequently deter small producers from selling in our area. Friendly, knowledgeable shopkeepers can answer your questions. When a label you would like is unavailable, they can recommend another with a similar profile. Readers may email me for options also.

At some point, large tastings will return. A sip-and-spit is an invaluable and enjoyable way to verify your palate or learn new tricks. Regarding well-known raters and ratings: from easiest graders to most stringent, Wine Enthusiast, Cellartracker, Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and my favs, Stephen Tanzer at Vinous and Jancis Robinson, voted the world's most influential wine critic in polls in the U.S., France and internationally in 2018. Within each group, there are those who are spot-on with a specific varietal or regional product. Ms. Robinson employs the traditional 20-point scale, most others 100 points. Keep in mind these ratings apply to each category’s scores of varietal wines from its region. Broad brush, Mosel Riesling to other Mosel Rieslings with their classic honey, apricot, lemon and petrol aromas, not to those of Pewsey Vale in the Eden Valley or Clare Valley of Australia, which are normally citrus-driven lemon/lime and occasionally tropical fruit. I chose Riesling because it thrives in many terroirs, expressing many profiles. After reading the entire paper, for a comprehensive look, go to Tammie Teclemariam’s Food and Wine article from 2020, foodandwine.com/wine/white-wine/riesling-wine-best. You may never say, “I love Riesling,” or any varietal name, again.

It is surprising how many people can distinguish French White Burgundy into its primary regions: Chablis; Chalonaise, Maconaise and Cote de Beune, where seven of eight white Grand Cru Climats lie. Chablis has a Separate Grand Cru structure. These only encompass 1,400 acres and produce 2.5 million bottles on average. Following are names and a brief generic description: Chablis: Dry, clean acidity, aromatic, low oak. Corton-Charlemagne: Rich, flinty, fruit-forward and intense. Bâtard-Montrachet: Complex, structured, needs long aging to attain potential. Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet: Rich, full, pronounced minerality. Chevalier-Montrachet: Structured, big, round, concentrated, needs minimum 6 years cellaring. Puligny-Montrachet: Floral, with elevated acidity and minerality. Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet: Complex, rich, aromatic, cellar, until recently order other Chardonnay regardless of region as just, “Chardonnay, please!” I mention this because varietal wine is mostly about terroir and winemaker. Finding a bargain may require as little as locating the next-door neighbor without enough cash or production to properly market their product. That’s frequently where I search.