Bordeaux under $12

For many people, “Bordeaux” (region) conjures up images of expensive, out-of-reach wine. But we found one under $12 (under $11, in fact) that is quite nice:

• Terra Burdigala Causse Rouge 2005 $11 (AOC – Bordeaux)
  

This wine is 95% Merlot (grape variety) & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (grape variety). This wine has at most a whisper of oak, allowing the Merlot character to shine through. If you’d like to experience somewhat lighter grape tannins in relatively pure form, then this wine is for you!

We first had it at one of our favorite restaurants in Ausin, TX – Chez Nous. The simplicity of their website should reassure you of the quality of their food. Fancy websites, like large automobiles, are suspect…

In any case, I just took my last sip of a lovely wine. Ripe, dark berries on the nose. Think: raspberries & strawberries & blackberries. On the tongue, grape tannins galore, or at least as much as one can expect from Merlot. As Jacques at Chez Nous described it: “skeenz and peets and all.” Exactly. The lovely aromas offer more than the flavors, making it a perfect wine for pairing with food. When we had this wine at Chez Nous, I had lamb, and my husband had steak. The wine stood up well, though those foods could have handled a more tannic wine! Tonight we had sausage & peppers in a delicious fennel, garlic, basil sauce over penne pasta (Barilla Plus is the best – more on that later) topped with shaved Parmesan. The wine was perfect. I love wines that perform for less than $12! Try this one!

Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival

The Twenty-Third Annual Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival was held this weekend. I volunteered at the Stars Across Texas wine & food grand tasting event at the Hilton on Friday night and also at the Zen Nation after party at Action Figure Studies on Saturday night.

It was the first year for the Saturday night after party, and though people had fun thanks to the free-flowing booze, the event was rather incongruous – “Modern Asian” hors d’oeuvre were passed, Latino-rock music was blared, Japanese anime was projected, inventive cocktails were mixed, Lexus vehicles were parked, suburbanites were mingled. And all of this took place in übercool East Austin film studios, from which no one could get a cab to go home. The place and the party had lots of potential – maybe they’ll get the kinks worked out for next year. Number one recommended change: a DJ to set the hipster vibe they were trying for rather than a loud band that overpowered all conversation.

The Stars Across Texas grand tasting was, by contrast, fabulous. I poured for Jordan Winery, a venerable winemaker since 1976 in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley in California. They are known for their classically styled Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays. Many people made the Jordan table one of their first stops at the event, reminiscing about visits to the vineyard. One couple had even given their daughter the middle name “Jordan” to commemorate her conception at the vineyard!

WINE NOTES: I poured Jordan’s 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blend and 2005 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. I found both the Cab and the Chard to be solid, quality wines. They have no obvious faults, all the characteristics of the varieties one would expect. These wines satisfy. But they also do not surprise, both a pro and a con, depending on one’s preferences in wine. In short, the Jordan wines made me think of a pair of high-quality, hand-made, fine leather, classic dress shoes – always comfortable, never out of style, but also not especially stylish. Reliably completes and even improves a wow outfit, but doesn’t itself wow. Still, I would highly recommend both of these wines for their loyalty to taste, tradition, and quality.

Primitivo – 3 Bottles Under $12 Compared

We compared three bottles of Primitivo (grape variety) under $12 each:

Boccantino Primitivo del Salento – 2006 – IGT – $

Vendemmia Fuedo Monaci Primitivo – 2000 – IGT – $

A•Mano Primitivo – 2005 – IGT – $

Montepulciano – 3 Bottles Under $12 Compared

We compared three bottles of Montepulciano (region) under $12 each:

Masciarelli Montepulciano – 2004 – DOC – $11

Boccantino Montepulciano – 2006 – DOC – $10

Dario d’Angelo Montepulciano – 2006 – DOC – $8