Wines of the Year
While we don’t rate wines on a number scale, there are clear winners from the past year based on customer purchases. As I’ve said so many times, big ratings and high praise from me won’t change a wine you don’t like into one you do. While clearly this rating system is unscientific, it is based on a far better indicator — your purchases and repeat purchases, many times by the case. The wines are listed in order of white to red and lighter bodied to fuller.
The 2006 Cava Aliguer — this great little Spanish sparkling wine was in one of our club packs, and ever since then we have not been able to keep it in stock. Folks just keep coming back over and over! A great sparkling wine at under $20 is indeed a find.
And if a great sparkling wine under $20 is news, that explains the broad and on-going appeal of the Perdrier Brut Rose and Brut Excellence Blanc. This is simply a lovely sparkling wine at an unbelievable price of $11. It is grown and produced in the Burgundy region of France, not in Champagne, which somewhat explains the pricing. The quality is simply extraordinary for the cost.
In lighter bodied whites the trend of Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel has taken firm hold. The winner in that category has been the Chehalem Inox Chardonnay from Oregon. The stainless fermentation produces a wine that is driven by fruit rather than oak and develops palate notes of green apples and a beautiful clean finish. While the Chehalem has become a staple of sorts, we have seen demand for this method increase across the board.
Bone dry, crisp Rosé is a big hit, more so in the summer but a hit none the less, and the clear winner in that category is the Elk Cove Rosé of Pinot Noir from Oregon. On a hot summer day this wine chilled down is the perfect quaffer. Showing none of the sweetness of other blush wines, this is Rosé in the true French style and a real crowd pleaser (again, under $15).
Now for the reds. While some 100 percent varietals are included, the trend is clearly toward blends. Blending is the hallmark of a great winemaker, and we have enjoyed many of them this past year. Here are the reds you have clearly favored:
The 2007 Moo Buzz Pinot Noir from California has been a hit with wine club and non-club members alike. The price clearly helps here, but the wine on its own at any dollar would be a joy to drink. An honorable mention in the Pinot Noir category must go to a couple of high-end bottlings, both the Chehalem Reserve and Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve from Oregon. When folks are celebrating a special occasion and Pinot is what they are looking for, these 2 big name bottles with big price tags are the choice.
Another light bodied red that really took off and saw strong and sustained demand from our customers is Tempranillo, specifically from Seven Hills Winery and owner/winemaker Casey McClellan. Casey is one of our favorite folks in Walla Walla, so it is great news for us to see his wine so well received.
An old vine Grenache from Spain, Viña Alarba Garnacha, was also a top seller. This is another wine that retails for under $15 and offers great quality at that price. This bottling was another included in our wine club and since then our club members have put it on the map.
The 2006 Pendulum Red Wine priced at $20 has been on the longest run of repeat customer purchases of perhaps any wine in the list. A spin-off from the Long Shadows group of wineries, it is a spectacular Cabernet-based blend, great with food and on its own. The wine is also highlighted in the book The Red Wine Diet by Roger Corder as being one that is very good for your heart — an added bonus.
The 2005 Bunnell à pic is another red blend that has been embraced by the wine buying community here. This blend is of the Rhone varietals Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre and Cinsault. The new release of this wine is set to arrive in time for Ron Bunnell’s visit to the shop for a winery sponsored tasting on Febr. 27, and our preview tasting of this bottling was impressive.
A stunning entry from our local producers has been the TimberRock Trio. A non-vintage blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah, the wine shows amazing depth and heft for a bottle priced at $15. We love so many of owner, winemaker and local Veterinarian Kevin Roger’s wines, but this one is the popular favorite.
A year end surprise for us was the runaway success of the 2006 Ehlers Merlot. When the price was dropped at the wholesale level it brought this spectacular blend of 80 percent Merlot, 17 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 3 percent Petite Verdot into many folks’ buying range and we have worked diligently to keep up with demand by buying the remainder of the vintage available in this market. While there is only a small amount left, we hope that next fall we will see a similar price adjustment.
One piece of bad news developed at the end of the year when the price of another customer favorite was raised substantially. That is the Elisio Silva Cabernet from Tagaris Winery. Last summer’s Cabernet of choice for large parties due to the quality of the wine for the price has now been moved to a price level with a lot more competition.
No doubt the coming year will see some of the same wines do well, but we can be sure that you, our customers, will embrace some of our new recommendations as well. Trying new things is always the fun part for us and based on your response for you too.
George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party a wine and table top décor shop in Coeur d’Alene. www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.