1997 Domaine des Baumard Savennieres "Clos du Papillon"

Although the wine probably does not belong in "New Tastes" since I bought it 11 years ago, I wanted to highlight this dry Loire Valley chenin blanc, not only for its modest price but also for its incredible ability to gracefully age. This wine cost me $18 a bottle and later vintages now on the market are perhaps double that (but still a bargain). Domaine des Baumard is a top producer, not only of Savennieres, but also several sweet Coteaux du Layon examples, culminating with the luscious Quarts de Chaume.

This wine was 14 years old when I pulled the cork. The color and fresh aroma said "new wine" and I had to look at the label a second time just to make sure I had not opened a recent vintage by mistake. This amazing longevity is mostly attributed to the bracing acidity this varietal exhibits when grown in its place of origin. I have one bottle left and I am not in any hurry to open it. If you are looking for a wine that speaks of "somewhereness" chenin blanc from the Loire Valley will give you exactly that. Baumard's wine has good national distribution so you should not have any problem finding both the dry and the sweet versions.

2005 Carlisle "Two Acres" Russian River Valley red wihe

Although this is not a recent release, I wanted to review it to give you a sense of what is being produced by this exemplary Sonoma winemaker. Although Mike Officer has not been making wine for very long, he has catapulted to near the top rung when it comes to zinfandel and syrah, He specializes in searching out ancient vineyards in need of loving care and restoration. This particular wine is neither zinfandel nor syrah based. It is a blend of 80% mourvedre, 15% petite sirah and 5% other varietals. The person that owned this abandoned vineyard told Mike it was zinfandel but research proved otherwise. The vineyard was in terrible condition but Mike eventually brought it back into production. Like all his wines, this one is full-bodied with ripe tannins and great mouth feel. All of his wines are now allocated but it would be worth your while to get on his list because his pricing philosophy means you always get your money's worth. I purchased this wine in November of 2007 for $35. I wish I had a case of it sitting in my cellar. Mike can be reached at (707) 566-7700.

2009 d'Arenberg "The Stump Jump"

D'Arenberg is a reliable Aussie producer that has been in business since 1912. Although many of their McLaren Vale wines are pricey indeed, their lower-priced reds and whites are high in quality, delivering a lot of bang for the buck. Such is the case with this tasty offering, a blend of 42% grenache, 33% shiraz and 25% mourvedre. Medium-full bodied (14% alcohol), this wine offers lots of complexity and flavor interest. Ripe tannins and medium acidity signal a wine ready to drink now, although it will not lose anything if it spends a year or two in your cellar. This wine is widely distributed and its $12 (or less) price tag should cause no heartburn.

2009 La Crema Chardonnay, Monterey

La Crema winery, now owned by Jess Jackson, is quietly increasing the quality of its various bottlings without jacking up prices. This wine is simply delicious with subtle oak accenting the solid tropical fruit aromas and flavors. A nicely balanced chardonnay with no rough edges or excessive acidity. Perfect for immediate consumption, it should not fade in your cellar for at least a couple of years. Robert Parker Jr. gives it a 90 and indicates a retail price of $20. This wine is certainly worth that, but you should be able to find it at a reduced price in your local area. I purchased my bottle from a grocery store in Tucson for $14, a price that puts it in the outstanding value category.

2009 Luigi Bosca Pinot Noir, Reserva

This interesting Argentine pinot noir is sourced from the Maipu region of Mendoza. The vineyards are located at approximately 2,500 feet elevation. Bosca is better known for its cabernets but the winery likes to experiment with other varietals. This pinot is not a blockbuster - everything is in balance including the 13.1% alcohol. The distinctive aromatics have classic cherry aromas with a few exotic notes thrown in. This wine appears ready to drink now, but sticking it in your cellar a year or two would do no harm. I purchased this wine at a Costco store in Tucson for $24. It is nice to stumble on to interesting wines like this.

2002 Domaine Huet Vouvray Petillant, Brut Reserve

I love the chenin blancs that are produced by this Loire Valley chateau. Most of the Huet wines that garner the highest accolades are their still chenins which range from bone dry to very sweet. But Domaine Huet's sparkling vouvrays are jewels in their own right. This one is their top-of-the-line sparkler from a great vintage (and alas the year the great Gaston Huet passed away). This wine would give many French Champagnes, costing twice as much, some strong competition. You will not regret tucking some of this wine into your cellar. I purchased this wine directly from Sonoma Rare Wine Company in Somoma, CA. They have a web site or they can be reached directly at (707) 996-4484. The cost per bottle was $40, a very reasonable price for wine of this quality.

2008 Breggo Cellars Pinot Noir, Savoy Vineyard, Anderson Valley

Breggo Cellars is a top notch producer of pinots and chardonnays. This relatively young winery is located in a remote valley north of Sonoma County. Like the Russian River Valley AVA, Anderson Valley receives a heavy morning dose of fog off the ocean during the summer, giving pinot noirs and chardonnays an ideal climate to produce excellent quality fruit.
This wine has beautiful aromatics with notes of black cherry and damp earth. Excellent overall balance makes for a wine that is delicious to drink now but should benefit from a couple of years in your cellar. I purchased this wine from a Costco store in Tucson - I was surprised to find it there since this is a relatively low-production wine. Breggo has a user-friendly web site (breggo.com) where you can purchase most of their wines. The Costco store price was $22, which made it a fine bargain.

2007 Henry's Drive Vignerons "Pillar Box Red" Padthaway, Australia

There are a lot of very inexpensive Aussie reds on the market, but I think this one is near the top of the heap. This shiraz (65%), cabernet sauvignon and merlot blend is an easy-drinking red. Medium-full in body with ripe flavors and soft tannins, this wine matches well with BBQ, stews and hamburgers. The price should be around $10 at your favorite store and the wine enjoys very wide distribution. By the way, according to the back label, a "pillar box" is an Australian mail posting box. Red became tne standard color in 1874.

2009 Yalumba viognier, South Australia

Although you may be up to your knees in snow right now, spring and summer surely will arrive someday, and this is the perfect pool-side sipper. Yalumba makes wines to meet all price points and the lowest priced ones (like this one) do not disappoint. Clean, fragrant, flowery aromas are followed by crisp flavors. Balanced acidity is something that is lacking in many inexpensive viogniers, but no problem here. The price ($9) makes this an easy case-purchase wine. This wine has wide distribution so you should be able to find it at any well-stocked store.

2008 Orin Swift Zinfandel, "Saldo"

Orin Swift is more well-known for his "The Prisoner" zinfandel, but this wine managed to rate #69 (scored 91) in the Wine Spectator "Top 100 wines of 2010." This wine is 88% zinfandel, with syrah and petite sirah in supporting roles. The grapes are reported to be sourced from Sonoma, Napa, Amador, Mendocino and Contra Costa counties.

This is a muscular and intriguing wine but to me it is most interesting as a complex, peppery "mystery" wine rather than a zinfandel. The wine's personality changed enormously as it warmed and aired in the glass. This is an engaging wine but don't buy it if you are expecting classic zin aromas and flavors. I bought this wine at the Total Wine store in Tucson for $25.

2007 Domaine Puig-Parahy, Cotes du Roussillon, "Georges"

OK, the devil made me do it. I just had do do one more review on an amazing wine from the 2007 vintage. This once-neglected part of southern France is now alive with dedicated vintners who are determined to get the most from vineyards containing a lot of old-vine grenache, syrah and mourvedre. And the prices for the best bottles have not gone through the roof, partly because of the global economic meltdown and partly because this area of France was once the plonk capital of Europe. It takes time to overcome a reputation like that.

This deep crimson/purple wine is all about complex fruit aromas and flavors with a touch of the underbrush that you find in wines from this region. The tannins are there but they are ripe and make only a background statement. A long finish completes the very satisfying picture. And the price blows me away - $10 at the Costco store in northern Tucson. Parker gave this wine a low-90 score. $10...amazing.

2007 Mayo Family Winery Viognier

This wine is the most expressive and flavorful dry white wine I have tasted in a very long time. The back label says the wine is "explosive and exotic" and that claim is not an exaggeration. The flavors are absolutely mouth-filling and the finish goes on and on. If the wine saw any oak it certainly is not detectable. Altogether this wine is a testimonial to what viognier can be if it is grown correctly in the right terroir and handled sensitively by the winemaker.

The grapes were sourced from Saralee's Vineyard located in the Russian River Valley AVA. Mayo wines are not distributed outside of California and most of them are sold directly from the winery. The retail cost of this wine is $35 but, if you are a member of the Mayo Cellar Club, the price drops 20% to $28. This is a lot of wine for that price. Their phone number is (707)938-9401.