Holiday Wine Gifts - II
Okay, Stein, get on with it! only four more days to Xmas. Enough philosophizing and comparing, what's the bottom line. What should I give my friends, associates and family. What should I give "me"? These wines are a little pricier than the last batch, but they are real bargains in their own right and more so if you are downsizing from the alternatives. Compare these to wines costing more than twice as much. They are exceptional values. Remember, an asterisk denotes a Wanderlust wine.
1) 2006 Gordon Bros. Merlot, Columbia Valley - OMG, this wine is awesome. Last year it won great kudos from the Wine Spectator. It is full of fruit, but balanced, not in your face at all. Jeff Gordon did a great job. You could pay three times as much for a right bank Pomerol (about $20 at Costco)
2) 2005 Tin Roof Merlot, California - the perfect Merlot prototype, round, soft, balanced, lots of delicious black fruit. Think St. Emilion (about $8 at Costco)
3) 2006 Bergevin Lane "Calico Red" Columbia Valley - this wine is an interesting blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah, Zin and Cab Franc and you can tell from the complexity. Medium bodied,
fruity, and tangier than a typical Bordeaux style blend. This would go with a huge range of foods, but maybe better with Italian. Think a Super-Tuscan and "save" $80 (about $20)*
4) 2006 Hawk's Flight Syrah - Is this an Arizona wine or a California wine? Based in Elgin, Arizona, Karyl Wilhelm, winemaker, sourced these grapes from Sonoma. Dark, big, lush, mouth-filling, delish, totally Syrah. Think Sonoma or even Walla Walla, but be prepared to apply the pliers to open this screwcap (about $20 at the winery)
5) 2005 Novelty Hill Merlot - More elegant and refined than the Tin Roof, this wine carries the winemaker signature of Mike Januik. Think Margaux and "save" $60 (about $16 on sale at Pete's)
6) 2006 Justin Cabernet - All of Justin's Paso Robles beauties are well made, balanced with delicious fruit. Give your man or yourself a steak with this one. Think Pauilliac and "save" another $60 (about $20 on sale at Pete's)
1) 2006 Gordon Bros. Merlot, Columbia Valley - OMG, this wine is awesome. Last year it won great kudos from the Wine Spectator. It is full of fruit, but balanced, not in your face at all. Jeff Gordon did a great job. You could pay three times as much for a right bank Pomerol (about $20 at Costco)
2) 2005 Tin Roof Merlot, California - the perfect Merlot prototype, round, soft, balanced, lots of delicious black fruit. Think St. Emilion (about $8 at Costco)
3) 2006 Bergevin Lane "Calico Red" Columbia Valley - this wine is an interesting blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah, Zin and Cab Franc and you can tell from the complexity. Medium bodied,
fruity, and tangier than a typical Bordeaux style blend. This would go with a huge range of foods, but maybe better with Italian. Think a Super-Tuscan and "save" $80 (about $20)*
4) 2006 Hawk's Flight Syrah - Is this an Arizona wine or a California wine? Based in Elgin, Arizona, Karyl Wilhelm, winemaker, sourced these grapes from Sonoma. Dark, big, lush, mouth-filling, delish, totally Syrah. Think Sonoma or even Walla Walla, but be prepared to apply the pliers to open this screwcap (about $20 at the winery)
5) 2005 Novelty Hill Merlot - More elegant and refined than the Tin Roof, this wine carries the winemaker signature of Mike Januik. Think Margaux and "save" $60 (about $16 on sale at Pete's)
6) 2006 Justin Cabernet - All of Justin's Paso Robles beauties are well made, balanced with delicious fruit. Give your man or yourself a steak with this one. Think Pauilliac and "save" another $60 (about $20 on sale at Pete's)
posted by Gene Stein, Ph.D. @ 6:19 AM
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