Join Our Mailing List Enter your e-mail address Subscribe Unsubscribe

Picks & Pans May / April 2003

Wine of the Week reviews one or more wines each week. Most are picks; a few are pans. Please write in and let us know if you agree or disagree with our opinion. Note: The wine prices in our reviews are the prices we pay (before any discount) at our local wine stores or that are suggested by the importer or distributor. They are given solely as guidelines. We do not sell any wines.

This week's wine (5/26/03) is 2002 Vigne Regali, "L'Ardi" Dolcetto d'Acqui, DOC ($8.99)

Magenta or cranberry in color, this elegant Italian red has loads of legs and a forward, sweet nose of candied violets. Light to medium bodied, it has good concentration, supple tannins, and adequate acidity to stand up to food. On the palate, it offers dry, sweet flavors of candied violets and currants. It has good length and finishes nicely with chocolate and currants. A perfect pairing would be a chicken saute or a light pasta dish. Imported by Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY. Website Link

This week's wine (5/19/03) is 2001 Villa Giada, "Suri' Russ" Barbera D'Asti DOC ($8.99)

Deep ruby in color, this wine has an alluring nose of black cherry, with some hints of smoke. On the palate, it's medium bodied and displays good fruit concentration and acidity. It delivers loads of dry, black-cherry flavor with some tar underpinnings. It has plenty of length and finishes nicely with tar notes. A great value. Enjoy with eggplant or wild-mushroom dishes. Imported by Vin Divino, Chicago, IL.

This week's wine (5/12/03) is 2002 Walnut Crest, Shiraz, Rapel Valley ($6.00)

This Chilean Shiraz is Walnut Crest's newest wine. Deep ruby in color, it has thick legs and a forward, sweet nose of raspberry and vanilla. Medium to full bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, it's quite dry on the palate, delivering plenty of spice and plum flavors that linger. It's nicely structured, with supple tannins, good fruit concentration, and adequate acidity. There's plenty of length, and tart fruit and spice notes on the finish. This wine would go well with most grilled meats, especially sausage. An outstanding value. Imported by Royal Imports, Old Brookville, NY. Website Link

This week's wine (4/28/03) is 2002 Georges Duboeuf, Beaujolais-Villages ($7.99)

Rich purple in color, with lots of long legs, this wine has a classic Beaujolais nose of jammy raspberry, with some hints of earth. Medium bodied, it's nicely structured, with good fruit concentration and enough acidity to stand up to food. Supple tannins support rich, jammy raspberry and strawberry flavors that linger on the palate. It has a pleasant berry finish with a hint of tartness to it. A classic. Enjoy with sausages or almost any backyard-barbecue fare. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd. , White Plains, NY Website Link

This week's wine (4/21/03) is 2001 Carmen, Classic Carmenere, Valle Rapel ($7.00)

The basis for this Chilean red is Carmenere, a grape that used to be a component of Bordeaux blends, before it was wiped out in the nineteenth century by phylloxera. To my knowledge, the grape has never been replanted in France, but it has done well in Chile. Deep ruby in color, with gobs of legs, this wine has a nose of cherry, violets, and chocolate. The nose is restrained at first but eventually becomes more forward. Medium bodied, it's well structured, with supple tannins and good acidity. On the palate, it has a silky mouthfeel and initially delivers cherry flavors, followed by leather, that eventually develop into a blend of chocolate and cherry. There's some depth to this wine as well, and it finishes with vanilla and chocolate notes. It was better with food, however, than on its own and should go well with steak, grilled meats, or even a pizza. Imported by W.J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY. Website Link

This week's wine (4/14/03) is 2002 The Crossings, Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley, Marlborough ($15.99)

Pale green in color, this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has a huge, alluring, forward nose, full of herbaceous, pineapple, and tropical-fruit aromas, along with some slate underpinnings. On the palate, it's medium to full bodied, crisp on entry, and has a silky mouthfeel. It delivers loads of herbaceous, grassy flavors followed by lemon citrus. It has lots of length and a clean, lemony finish, with just a hint of slate. An excellent example of a New World Sauvignon Blanc and an excellent value. Imported by W.J Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., White Plains, NY. Website Link

This week's wine (4/9/03) is 2000 Bodegas Escorihuela, Don Miguel Gascon Malbec, Mendoza ($9.99)

Opaque ruby in color, with good legs, this Argentinean Malbec has a nose of wet earth, smoke, and black berry. Medium to full bodied, it's strikingly dry. Its firm tannins encase plenty of dry blackberry, red-cherry, and spice flavors. This wine is well structured and has good acidity for food. The dryness persists all the way to the cherry and wood finish. A great value and the perfect wine for steak or pizza. Imported by Pasternak Wine, Greenwich, CT.

Wine of the Week Archives