March 12, 2008

A few of these wines will have screw-cap tops instead of corks. Don’t be put off; more wines, even surprisingly expensive ones, are being produced this way to prevent the product from being ruined by tainted corks, a problem affecting two or three percent of the world’s wines (certainly not the nine or 10 percent cited by some wine publications)..

Anyway, the principle with these refrigerator door wines is pure enjoyment, but if we’re lucky they’ll be more complicated and provide more personality than their station in life and price would imply.

The order is white followed by red, arranged, where possible, by ascending price..

Gazela Vinho Verde  (non-vintage) Loureiro, trajadura, azal, pedernä Vinho Verde, Portugal About $8 Good+ There’s not a damned thing wrong with a wine rated Good+. It means it’s better than just Good and not quite as good as Very Good. In other words a slightly better than decent quaff, something with just enough character and personality to make it worth drinking and going back for. That’s the case with this charming Vinho Verde (“green wine”) from the Vinho Verde region in the northwest of Portugal. A blend of local grapes, this is bright, clean and fresh, bone-dry, scintillating with acid and minerals; hints of jasmine float to the top over lemon and lime peel flavors. A great sipper for porch, patio and picnic through the end of this summer. Good value. Imported by Evaton Inc., Stamford, Ct.

Print Review: Gazela Vinho Verde  (non-vintage)

Placido Pinot Grigio 2006 100% pinot grigio Veneto I.G.T., Italy About $10 Good+ And here’s another very pleasant dry white wine for quaffing this summer. No great depth here, just attractive lemon and lemon balm scents and flavors with touches of almond and almond blossom laid over spicy, minerally elements. Ineffably crisp and lively. Drink and enjoy. VB Imports, Old Brookville, N.Y.

Print Review: Placido Pinot Grigio 2006

Harlow Ridge Chardonnay 2006 100% chardonnay Lodi, California About $10 Good+ This chardonnay from Bronco Wine Company’s Harlow Ridge label – created for the wines that couldn’t go into the Napa Ridge line because the grapes weren’t from, you know, Napa – is simple and direct yet well-made, tasty and reasonably authentic. Typical pineapple-grapefruit flavors are nicely off-set by spice, a hint of oak and enough acid and minerals to keep the wine balanced. Well-made for the price.

Print Review: Harlow Ridge Chardonnay 2006

Napa Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2006 100% sauvignon blanc Napa Valley, California About $12 Very good Napa Ridge’s sauvignon blanc has for many years been one of the most reliable sauvignon blancs in its price range, and it’s often discounted to $9 or $10. For 2006, the wine offers a nose-grabbing grapefruit and lime peel bouquet with a powerful limestone component. Juicy flavors of lemon and pineapple with a leafy tinge are zinged by crisp acid; the finish is all spicy grapefruit and limestone. Drink through the end of 2008.

Print Review: Napa Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Placido Chianti 2005 Sangiovese 90% with small amounts of cabernet sauvignon and canaiolo nero Tuscany, Italy About $10 Very good Here’s a pleasant and drinkable Chianti with enough dimension to make it Good Value for the price. It’s fresh, grapey and spicy, with a nose of black cherries and plums and whiffs of leather and potpourri. Black cherries with notes of dried currents are cushioned by surprising heft for the price; the whole package is tied together with vibrant acid and chewy tannins. A great burger, pizza and pasta wine, through the end of 2008. VB Imports, Old Brookville, N.Y.

Print Review: Placido Chianti 2005

Hey Mambo Sultry Red 2006 Barbera, zinfandel, syrah, petite sirah, carignane, alicante bouchet California About $13 Very good This smorgasbord of grapes produces a robust and rustic red wine perfectly suited for ladling down the hatch when you’re stoking the flames of life with burgers and steaks. Intense and concentrated black currant, black cherry and blueberry flavors are permeated by licorice, potpourri, bitter chocolate and minerals. A few minutes in the glass bring up smoke and ash, briers and brambles and shaggy tannins. It’s a tasty wine with a dark, quirky personality. Drink through 2009. Produced by The Other Guys division of Don Sebastiani and Sons. Visit donandsons.com

Print Review: Hey Mambo Sultry Red 2006

Greg Norman Zinfandel 2005 100% zinfandel Lake County, California About $15 Very good+ Whoa, here’s a ripe, rich, warm, spicy zinfandel for fans of the smacky-face style. Tons of blackberry, blueberry and black current scents and flavors teem in a glassful of this smoky, peppery stuff. The wine is laid on a framework of briers and brambles, bitter chocolate, oak and minerals with a slight charcoal edge and encompassing tannins that dominate the finish. At 15 percent alcohol, it comes close to being a blockbuster, yet it’s nicely proportioned and balanced. Drink through the end of 2009. Visit shark.com to see an overview of all of Greg Norman's enterprises, including his wine properties in California and Australia.

Print Review: Greg Norman Zinfandel 2005

Bodegas Castaño Hécula 2004 100% monastrell (mourvèdre) Yecla, Spain About $15 Very good+ It’s gratifying to encounter a wine that reveals not just personality but individuality, and Castaño’s Hécula from Yecla is such a one. (I love the name, like a princess in a musical comedy about Atlantis.) The wine is dark in every respect, beginning with its purple-black robe and going on to the darkness of its fruit and its spicy nature. This is very earthy, mossy and minerally, profoundly dense and chewy. Black currant, blackberry and black cherry flavors (with hints of blueberry and rhubarb) are deeply imbued with exotic spice, potpourri and bittersweet chocolate, all bolstered by slightly dusty oak (50 percent of the wine goes in barrels) and plush yet fairly astringent tannins. Drink with the heartiest red meat dishes available, preferably from animals you have killed with bare hands (and suffered a few scratches and nips yourself in the doing), through 2009 or ‘10. An Eric Solomon Selection for European Cellars, Charlotte, N.C.

Print Review: Bodegas Castaño Hécula 2004