Some Cool Red Picks

Next up on the first Wine Tour of 2006 is Amphora Winery at 4791 Dry Creek Road. Amphora, like the other three wineries that share a block of nondescript buildings within the Family Vineyards compound, is nothing to look at from the outside. There's also nothing under $20 among their current batch of wine, so for our purposes, I won't cover any of them here. Their wines run between $24 for a 2004 Zin to $45 for a 2003 bottle of Jacob's Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, which won an SF Chronicle gold medal award. I did luck out though and get a few recommendations from Brigette, who poured during our tasting, for a few bottles that ARE under $20. I am starting to believe that anyone you ask up here has a few affordable favorites to share. Here they are and I hope to try and review them soon:
1) Noceto Sangiovese. I love Sangiovese, so this is definitely on the shopping list.
Here's something from the website about this wine.
2003 Noceto Sangiovese Shenandoah Valley, CA ($9 to $14)
The twelfth vintage, this is a fruit-packed, pleasant, easy-drinking Sangiovese. As usual, it’s 100% Sangiovese, with medium body, cherry-red color, and dark cherry flavors throughout, accented by subtle oak and a dash of peppery spice. Drink now to several years.

2) Moulin de la Gardette Cuvee Tradition, Gigondas, France. Here's one place where you can buy this wine online. K&L Wine Merchants also sells it. The Meunier family has been making wine for five generations on the upper garrigue slopes of Les Dentelles. This place sounds SO pretty, but please don't ask me where on earth it is. I am sure there are many castles there. A Cuvee Tradition wine, which the winemakers describe as elegant with ripe cherry and raspberry flavours, soft tannins and a long finish, costs under $20. It is composed of 80% Grenache, 10% Mouvedre and 10% Cinsault grapes.
And while we're at it with the French wine, I read this interesting article about French wines for under $10. Even though I studied French for seven (long) years (and still don't speak the damn language very well) I hardly ever drink French wine so this might be a place to start. At least I've tried Red Bicyclette, (Watch it, the website barks and tweets) for no good reason other than its cute name. After all,I am Scottish.

February 27, 2006

Some Cool Red Picks

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