Category: Tasting Notes

Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014: Pale yellow color; lemongrass, tropical fruit on the nose; very crisp, fresh lime, citrus, pink grapefruit, blades of classic Marlborough grassiness throughout; medium body, lean, dry with undercurrent of ripe-fruit sweetness; cutting, food-friendly acidity; lingering finish. New Zealand put well-priced, astonishingly food-friendly sauv blanc on the world wine map, and the three Giesen brothers—now beginning their fourth decade as major players in the effort after immigrating from Germany in 1981—consistently deliver large quality in large quantity (no easy feat). This is widely available, fairly priced, and a can’t-miss default pairing with almost any food you put on your table. Tasty, true to Marlborough terroir, another Giesen success. $14

Château Cap de Faugères Côtes de Bordeaux Castillon 2011: Dark purple color; elegant, complex nose promises baskets of dark fruit; delivers on the palate with jammy chocolate cherry, deliciously brisk black currant tang, black cherry, hint of oak, bit of balsamic; warm, rich, savory, full-bodied with gently restrained, slightly chewy, slightly sweet tannin. Made from 85% merlot, 10% cab franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon, it has superb purity, enchanting texture in the mouth, and splendid length. This is all you need to taste to be convinced about the massive value of Côtes de Bordeaux—extraordinary quality at reasonable prices. The Esquissaud family acquired  Château Cap de Faugères in 1823; in 2005 Silvio Denz purchased the renowned estate; in 2008, Robert Parker wrote: “Always one of the top Côtes de Castillons.” Imposing history, modern endorsement, it doesn’t get much better. Côtes de Castillons is one of the easternmost appellations in Bordeaux and was created in 2009 to bring together several small côtes (sides) under a single banner. This effort is sincerely worth a taste. $21-25

Kim Crawford Pinot Gris Marlborough 2014: Pale gold color; delicate nose; delivers with good fruit on the palate, peach, apple, pear, melon, honey; clean, bright pleaser, good acidity. Kim Crawford and his wife, Erica, have been meteoric trailblazers in New Zealand wines since the late 1990s, charging onto the world wine stage in the 2000s with year-after-year 90-point scores from the various panjandrums of wine scores. While KC is most noted for superb sauvignon blanc, this pinot gris has delightful fruit-forward sweetness with blade of New Zealand grass and expected food-friendly, palate-cleansing acidity. Refreshing, easy drinking, appropriate price. $16

Château Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estèphe 2010: Inky ruby-black; red fruits take time to open for the nose, then reward; muscularly flaunts power of cab-driven Saint-Estèphe with full, puckery tannin, rich blackberry, black currant, oak, smoky toast, earth on the palate. Some Saint-Estèphe are suave and reserved (usually merlot-driven), this immediately lets you know you have a robustly serious Bordeaux in your mouth—60% cab, 40% merlot. Full body; swirl-a-lot or decant-an-hour-plus to bring out its best. Saint-Estèphe is the northmost of the six communal appellations of Médoc. Serious, impressive, big-boy pour; not made for faint-of-palate newbies, but seasoned sippers will enjoy a fling with Lilian Ladouys. $35

Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend Coastal Region 2011: Inky color, pepper, smoke nose; big cherry, raspberry, plum, redcurrant tang, some white pepper and restrained oak on the palate; shiraz (64%), cinsault (26%), grenache, mourvèdre, pinotage (grapes and percentages vary with vintage); complex and well-done, supple tannin, easy drinker, easy finish. Adi Badenhorst is one of the new giants in South African winemaking, pushing Swartland region onto the world stage with his charisma, beefy rugby player body, pork chop sideburns, freewheeling conversational style, and passion for quality wine at reasonable prices. Ari asks the fruit to speak, so counterintuitively this is not bulldoze you over booze bomb, but comes in at restrained 13.5% alcohol. Most people know of the Stellenbosch and Paarl wine regions in South Africa; Swartland (30 miles north of Cape Town) is a new frontier of wine and olive production. Get a flavor of the spirit of the region and winemakers by visiting http://aabadenhorst.com and checking out their “The Swartland Revolution” poster where Adi is dressed up somewhat like Mr. T surrounded by toughs in leather and an easy-on-the-eyes lass while bombs explode and helicopters and missiles fly in the background. They may talk bad boy, but boy they make good wine. $19

Creamy, rich Abruzzo beauty; stone fruit, slice of citrus, pad of butter, bit of banana, whisper of French oak; dry, crisp with depth and clarity of flavors, exceptionally clean from largest organically farmed estate in Italy. $43