Join Our Mailing List

Enter your e-mail address

Subscribe
Unsubscribe

Recessionary Reds

Seems like the “new economy” is old news these days, and the old economy is back in the headlines with its phoenix-like foe, inflation, lurking in the shadows. That’s why we chose to start the New Year on a budget and find wines perfect for a frugal, blue-plate-special entrée: meat loaf. If we have to give up finer cuts for a while, an old-fashioned meat loaf, accompanied by the king of comfort food, mashed potatoes, and the obligatory buttered peas or green beans, can at least be elevated a notch or two by a glass of a good recessionary (a.k.a. “affordable”) red wine.

Fortunately, finding real values in reds has been greatly facilitated by the renewed dedication to producing high quality wines, accompanied by large investments from established wine houses, like Rothschild and Mondavi, in regions such as France’s Languedoc-Roussillon, Italy’s far south, Spain’s La Mancha, as well as in Chile and Argentina. Indeed, chances are you’ll find better bargains--and wider variety--among the imports than among the domestic labels.

But keep in mind that you might occasionally need to adjust, albeit not lower, your expectations when tasting some of these imported wines. Many of the wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon, for example, are unfiltered and will thus have some sediment. This, however, is not necessarily a fault in wine, but rather can add character and depth of flavor. Other wines, for instance a Salice Salentino from southern Italy, may have aromas that are closer to barnyards than to berries, and flavors more similar to prunes and sour cherries than to currants and red raspberries. But these are characteristics that reflect the region and that, to an open palate, offer discovery. Indeed, many of these wines are made more for the dinner table than for the judges’ stand and are intended more to complement a meal than to dominate it. The complexity, subtlety, and elegance generally associated with more expensive wines are often replaced with simplicity, straightforwardness, and rusticity.

Tasting a new varietal or appellation for the first time is a great way to enjoy everyday fare like a burger, or a chicken breast, or in our case a meat loaf. Once in a while, it’s great to say “nay” to Cabernet or “no” to Merlot and “yes” to Syrah and “okay” to Malbec.

For this feature, we’ve selected most of the wines from abroad, but we’ve also included one domestic that we feel has a lot going for it. It’s the second label from Francis Coppola and is an example of another way to find value. Many of the leading domestic, as well as foreign, producers like Chalone, Stag’s Leap, and Trefethen offer second labels (Echelon, Hawk Crest, and Eshcol, respectively) that are considerably less expensive than their premium bottlings. These wines are usually made from grapes from younger vines or that are purchased from a variety of vineyards.

For this tasting we chose eleven wines and served them with a simple meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. We tasted them first by themselves and then judged them again with the food. The wines are listed in the order in which they were tasted.

1999 Francis Coppola, Rosso, California Red Wine ($10.00)

This blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese is deep ruby in color with good legs. It has a rich, extraordinary nose of ripe raspberries, earth, and some black pepper. Dry and full-bodied, it’s well structured with a firm backbone of tannin that supports blue plum flavors. The flavors linger, and the finish is long with black pepper notes. It enhanced our meat loaf considerably. Definitely one of the stars of the tasting.

1998 Placido, Chianti, DOCG ($8.00)

Deep ruby in color with nice legs, this Chianti has a sweet, floral nose of violets that is quite enticing. Medium bodied and dry, it delivers tart fruit and wild cherry flavors with hints of violets. It has an adequate finish with some spice notes. It was good with the meal, deferring to the food. This is a pleasant, well priced Chianti that should also please white-wine drinkers. Imported by VB Imports, Old Brookville, NY.

1998 Col-di-Sasso, Sangiovese & Cabernet Sauvignon, Toscana IGT ($9.00)

Deep purple in color, this blend of Sangiovese (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) has long, luscious legs. The nose is big with currants and cedar. There’s some heat on the nose as well. Medium bodied with dry, cherry flavors, it has a short, tart and spicy finish. Not a big wine, but quite pleasant. Imported by Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY.

1998 Dominio de Eguren, Protocolo, Vino de la Tierra de Manchuela, Spain ($5.99)

This tempranillo-based wine is ruby in color with good legs. It has a sweet nose with hints of crème brulée and vanilla, and some floral notes as well. Dry at first, it gives way to burnt sugar and Bing cherry flavors with some hints of earth. The flavors linger on the palate. It has a good finish that’s dry with plenty of spice. This wine elevated and enhanced the food. Definitely one of the stars of this tasting, this wine is a steal at under $6.00. Imported by Tempranillo, Inc., Mamaroneck, NY.

1999 Stonehaven, Shiraz Cabernet, South Eastern Australia ($8.00)

Bright ruby in color with good long legs, this wine has a big sweet nose of black cherry and caramel. “It’s a pretty nose,” remarked one taster. Full bodied and rich on the palate, the wine is well structured with mild tannins and thick with jammy cherry and currant flavors accompanied by subtle spice notes. The flavors linger with a delightful clove finish. This wine was excellent with the food; another star of this tasting. Imported by Excelsior Wine & Spirits, Old Brookville, NY.

1999 Walnut Crest, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rapel Valley, Chile ($6.00)

Deep, deep purple in color with good legs, this wine has a big green bell-pepper nose with some hints of cedar. It has good body and a silky mouthfeel, and delivers flavors of bell pepper and spice with notes of dried figs. There’s a little tartness as well. The flavors linger on the palate. It has a good finish with some spice. This wine was even better with the food. Imported by Royal Imports, Old Brookville, NY.

1998 Michel Lynch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux AC ($8.99)

Garnet in color with long, slow legs, this red Bordeaux has a classic cedar and currant nose with a little sweetness and black pepper as well. On the palate, it’s full bodied and dry, with deep flavors of black cherry, plum, and chocolate accompanied by some spice. It has a certain complexity that’s rare in this price range. The flavors linger, and the finish is long with black pepper notes. This wine complemented the food nicely. Another star of this tasting. Imported by W. J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

1999 Borsao, Campo de Borja, Spain ($4.99)

Ruby in color with long legs, this blend of Garnacha (75%) and Tempranillo (25%) has a big sweet nose of prunes and spice. There are some cherry notes as well. On the palate, it’s big and tannic with plenty of body. Its tart plum flavors linger with some nice spice flavors. It has a pleasant, long finish highlighted by hints of spice and coffee. This wine was extraordinary with the food. Definitely, a star of this tasting. Imported by Tempranillo, Inc., Mamaroneck, NY.

1996 Valentin Bianchi, “Elsa,” Malbec, San Rafael, Argentina ($6.99)

Black purple in color, this wine has a multitude of long legs. The nose is big and musty with eucalyptus and spice, as well as some leather. On the palate, it’s dry and tart with black pepper and sour cherry flavors. Not at all complex, it’s rather thick and jammy. Though a tad short on the finish, this is nonetheless a pleasant wine. Imported by Billington Distributors, Inc., Springfield, VA.

1998 Pierre Clavel, Mas de Clavel, “Terroir de la Mejanelle” Coteaux du Languedoc ($7.99)

Deep dark purple in color with good legs, this rustic wine, which I believe is made from Carignan, has a nose dominated by spice and earth, followed by some sweet berries. Dry and medium bodied on the palate, it delivers jammy black berry flavors with some hints of clove. This finish is dry. Not a big wine but quite adequate for our meal. It was good with the food. Imported by Jeffrey M. Davies “Signature Selections,” South Kearney, NJ.

1999 Chateau Valcombe, Signature, Cotes du Ventoux AC ($9.99)

This Rhone red, a classic blend of Grenache Noir (70%), Carignan (15%), Syrah (10%) and Cinsault (5%), is bright ruby in color with nice legs. It has a big nose of currants and cedar with hints of vanilla. On the palate, it’s dry and delivers jammy, black fruit and plum flavors. There are some dried fig notes, as well as a good amount of spice. It has a good long finish with sharp spice notes. A nicely priced Rhone. It was good with the food; one taster likened it to “another sauce” for the meat loaf. Imported by Jeffrey M. Davies “Signature Selections,” South Kearney, NJ.

TableWine is a personal website and does not sell any wine. However, many of the wines we review are purchased from our local wine merchant, Wine & Spirit World. Their web site may help you locate a good number of our selections. Also, if your local wine store does not carry a wine that you've read about here, don't hesitate to ask them to order a bottle or two for you. For imported wines, you may need to supply them with the name of the importer or distributor.

If you have any suggestions for future tastings, drop us a line at the address below.