2008 Domaine Huet Vouvray, Le Mont, demi-sec

I believe Domaine Huet makes the finest of all Vouvrays, and this estate has been cranking out these beautiful chenin blancs for many decades. In good vintages they usually make a simi-sweet version, such as this one, and a dry or almost dry version. Please don't pass on this one because it has some residual sugar. The supporting acidity takes the edge off the sweetness, making for a table wine that pairs perfectly with Chinese and Thai dishes. Or drink it on its own as your dessert course.

The apricot and peach aromas (no new oak used here) leads to mouth-coating flavors of green apples and marzipan (probably a bit of botrytis here). The zesty acidity keeps in all in balance and this same acidity will see this wine through 10 or more years of ageing.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gaston Huet in the fall of 1999 at his home situated adjacent to his beloved vinyards (Le Mont is one of three.) Mr. Huet passed away in 2002, a sad moment for lovers of his wine. But Mr. Huet had turned over winemaking to his son-in-law, Noel Pinguet, many years ago and Pinguet has carried on Mr. Huet's work, including making the vineyard management and winemaking completely biodynamic.

I purchased this wine from the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. The price, $33, is a bargain for a wine of this quality.

2008 Guarachi Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

"Wine Spectator" magazine recently gave this wine a 94, so I expected it to be a good performer. I was not disappointed. This lovely pinot delivers the same rich, ripe, seamless style I always find (and love) in pinots from Martinelli and Rochioli. This is a nicely focused and harmonious wine with the signature pinot aromas of black cherry, cola and hints of wet earth. The finish is satisfyingly long.
The only question I have is on the "Sonoma Coast" AVA designation. That AVA is really a joke since it encompasses parts of Sonoma County that are many miles from the Pacific coast. But no matter, the wine has many of the superb qualities you can find in pinots from the "true" Sonoma Coast - those ridge lines (islands in the fog) just a few miles inland from the ocean. These vineyard sites deserve an AVA of their own.
I purchased it from the Costco store in Kansas City (off Main Street). The cost, $40, is very reasonable for a pinot of this quality

2008 Rio Vaca Vineyards Chardonnay, "small lot reserve"

This wine is a prime example of the incredible wine bargains that can be found today. It's modest "California" AVA designation tells you it has no special pedigree. It originates from a vineyard to the east of the Vaca Mountains (which in turn are to the east of Napa Valley.) Looking at my California map shows the vineyard is actually on the edge of California's Central Valley. But no matter, the proof is in the pudding. The back label claims it was barrel fermented in 100% French oak. I don't know about that, but this is one tasty little Chardonnay that appears to have been intended for a more upscale market. This wine has good structure and focused aromas and flavors.

The price - an unbelievable $7 at the Kansas City Lukas store (135th and State Line on the Missouri side). Lukas seems to have purchased a big load of this so you may not be able to find it elsewhere.

2007 Pellehaut, Cotes de Gascogne, "Ampelomeryx"

The 2007 vintage in the southern regions of France continues to pump out interesting and tasty wines at bargain prices. This white wine is from the relatively obscure southwest region (south of Bordeaux). It is an unlikely blend of chardonnay and petite manseng, a grape that is normally used in this region to make sweet wines. It reportedly sees some oak but that element is far in the background. This is a completely dry, clean, fragrant wine that has an interesting flavor complexity.
Like the red Faugeres posted below, this wine came from the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA (800-76-WINEX). The price is a very reasonable $11. The perfect summer sipper.

2007 Faugeres, Leon Barral

Here is yet another delicious Languedoc red from the exemplary 2007 vintage. Faugeres' schist soil plays a big role here, as does the fact that the vines are 40 to 70 years old and are tended by a quality-driven fanatic.
This wine is a blend of grenache, syrah, mourvedre, cinsault and carignan. The purity and focus of the fruit-driven aromas and flavors are impressive. Fully ripe tannins mean there are no rough edges to be found. An altogether satisfying wine that is delicious now but it will handle a few years in your cellar with ease.
The Wine Exchange in Orange, CA (800-76-WINEX) carries this wine. It is bargain-priced at $16.

2005 Saint Jean du Barroux Cotes du Ventoux, "Oligocene"

This is another remarkable bargain-priced wine from the south of France. The Ventoux appellation is not on most wine drinkers' radar so good quality producers like Philippe Gimel seldom get what their wines are worth. This wine is a blend of 75% grenache, 15% syrah, 5% carignan and 5% cinsault. It is purple-black in color with pure plum and earth aromas. The ripe flavors and tannins completely hide the 15% alcohol. This wine is a pleasure to drink now, but I don't think there is any danger of it going over the hill if you tucked it away in your cellar for several more years.
I purchased this wine from the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA (714-974-1454). The cost was $15. I would love to taste the 2007 vintage of this wine - it should be something very special.

2007 Domaine du Mas Blanc Collioure, "Clos du Moulin"

Collioure is a tiny French appellation tucked in next to the Spanish border and the Mediterranean. Domaine du Mas Blanc has for decades been the best producer of this wine. The "Clos du Moulin" is mostly mourvedre with a small percentage of counoise. This is a dense, full-bodied wine with loads of extract and ripe tannins, reflecting the fact that the 2007 vintage was one of the best vintages ever for France's Languedoc and Roussillon regions. The nose is remarkably detailed for a wine that has years of development ahead of it. This is a wine that needs another five years or more to show its best.
I bought the wine from Wine Exchange (714-974-1454) in Orange, CA for $23. Wine Advocate gave it a 93-94.

2006 Paraiso Vineyards Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands

Just when I think I am not going to buy another bottle of Chardonnay, one like this comes along (cheap and good gets my attention every time). The prestigious AVA caused me to buy this wine, but I was not disappointed when I pulled the cork. Lively, fresh pear and apple aromas are supported by just a touch of oak. The silky and supple flavors lead to a pleasing finish. This could be my favorite house white.

The Lukas store at 119th street and Metcalf in Overland Park (Kansas City) has it on sale for $14. That is a very fair price for a chardonnay of this quality.

2008 Kanu Vineyards Chenin Blanc, South Africa

This is an interesting little dry white that also happens to be dirt cheap. The winery is located in the Stellenbosch viticultural area. Chenin blanc (also locally called steen) has been cultivated in South Africa for a long time but it has generally been relegated to also-ran status. This one is not going to provide serious comoetition to the classic Loire Valley chenins, but its rounded fruit-driven flavors, spicy aromas and good overall balance results in a wine that does not have to make excuses.

The price? $9 at the World Market in Kansas City (135th and State Line). This is a perfect summer pool-side wine. I would be difficult to find a better white quaffer at this price.

2007 Luna Pinot Grigio, Napa County

Year after year, this producer can be depended on to make a satisfying California pinot grigio. This may be their best one yet. Light yellow in color, with notes of lemon and honey in the nose. Not at all watery like many pinot grigios can be. Lots of ripe flavor interest with zesty acidity complete the picture. This wine normally sells for around $16, but the World Market store in Kansas City (135th and State Line) had it last week for $10! A case of this wine gives you a good start for the summer.

1994 Kalin Cellars Chardonnay, "Cuvee W"

You might think this review should be posted in "Old Tastes." But this is actually a recent release from this winery, located in Novato, CA (northern Marin County). The fruit was sourced from the Wente Estate Vineyard located in the Livermore Valley AVA. The wine is amazingly fresh even though it is almost 16 years old. The color is a deep yellow but shows no signs of any browning. When you taste it, you can tell it has some age but, again, its freshness and vitality would lead you to guess five years rather than 16.
And this is not a one-of-a-kind offering from this producer. The web site (kalincellars.com) offers several other older wines for sale, including a 1997 sauvignon blanc (which I have had and it is amazingly well-preserved), a 1994 pinot noir and a 1988 (!) chardonnay.
The price for this 1994 chardonnay was $38 plus shipping. This is a bargain when you factor in the decade and a half of storage costs. Parker gave this wine a 94;Tanzer gave it a 91.

2007 Martinelli Pinot Noir, Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard

This wine would be in the final running for picking my desert island wine. I think all of Martinelli's pinots are delicious, but in my book this one tops them all. The grapes come from one of this producer's "true" Sonoma Coast vineyards, located two or three ridge lines in from the Pacific Ocean near the old coastal town of Fort Ross. This vineyard, just above the marine/fog layer, thrives on a diet of warm, sunny days and very cold nights. This last fall, Julianna Martinelli took my wife and I out into these mountains (SUV country indeed) to let me have a look at this magical area.
This unique terroir results in a wine that takes California pinot to new levels of excellence. It is lush but not ponderous, ripe but not thick, deep but not dumb. The intense aromas combine sweet, ripe cherries with an engaging wet earth note. The complex flavors are all about low yields of ripe fruit with careful use of oak in the cellar.
It will be interesting to see how this relatively new viticultural area develops and it certainly deserves its own separate AVA. To throw these special vineyards into the ludicrously immense "Sonoma Coast" AVA is a prime example of why the AVA system needs serious overhaul.
This particular wine is closely allocated by the winery and the cost is $95. There are very few wines for which I would pay $95 but this is one of them. Both Parker and Tanzer gave this wine 94 points.