BEST BUYS: California/USA

Best Buys Main

Cabernet/Merlot/Blends

• Piccolo Cru (Paoletti) $9 (May 2003)
• 1999 Cabernet Reserve (Clos du Bois) (April 2004) $20
• Castle Rock Cab, $10 (April, 2003)

   Let's face it: cab and meritage wines are PRICEY in California. They can be great, but it's not where the value is. In Northern California, cheap, palatable Cabernet or meritage or merlot often means $20 or so. Castle Rock at the moment is a winery on the roll in terms of making well priced wines that have flavor and are attractive. Paoletti's Piccolo Cru may not show up often--it was made to dispose of juice they didn't want to bottle in the grand vin. Too bad--this is the type of wine Northern California badly needs. Cliff Lede--wow! What a deal. There aren't many!

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  Pinot Noir

• Fleur de Carneros (Carneros Creek) 
• BV Pinot Noir Carneros ($15) Aug 2001-02
• Castle Rock Pinot Noir (April, 2003)
• Saintsbury "Garnet" Pinot Noir ($11)

  It's SO hard to find inexpensive pinot noir that has flavor, although oddly, in Northern California, you may have found one place where the pinots are cheaper than the cabs. The bottling from Saintsbury usually hits the mark, although it doesn't age and needs to be drunk just about immediately. The Fleur de Carneros is less fruity, a bit more focused, more acidic. I think it usually is not as good, but those that like their wines on the more restrained side may prefer it. Unfortunately, for pinot noir, you may have to resign yourself to playing in the $20 field more or less before you being to get really nice stuff, but for the occasional exception. For instance, for not a lot of money, try the Oregon Panther Creek Regular bottling or the Chelahem 3 Vineyards.

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  Chardonnay 

• 2001 Chardonnay "Estate Barrel Fermented" (Clos Pepe) (March 2005) For $15, a graceful, perfectly constructed Chard.
• 1999 Chardonnay “Family Selection” (Gallo of Sonoma) (March 2003)

• 1995 Rosso (Coppola) (1998 inclusion)
• Trentadue Old Patch Red
• NV Marietta Cellars "Old Vine Red" Lot No. 18
• Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare Rosé
• Gewurztraminer from Ch. St. Jean, $15 (May, 2003)
• Martin Brothers Allegro Moscato--not as sweet as the Italian real thing, charming summer wine
• 1997 Riesling Vineyard Select (Chateau Ste. Michelle)(Washington State)($12 as of 6/2000) Reviewed at July Tasting Notes, 2000
• Shenandoah Zinfandel

• 2005 Syrah "Saisons des Vins L'Hiver" (Copain) (August 2006) Under $20, and typical, tasty USA syrah

• 2000 Viognier (McDowell) At about $13, it seems to me that this is a heckuva deal from this well known Rhone clone producer.(April 2004)

• 2005 Gewurztraminer "Resonance Vineyard--Willamette Valley" (Sineann) (August 2006) A serious new world Gewurz, under $20

• Castle Rock Zin "Dry Creek" (April, 2003)
• 2002 Rock Rabbit Syrah (May 2004) $10--pretty nice for the price
• 2000 "Alluvium White" (Beringer)  This is a tremendous deal for the price, just under $15, opulent and impeccably balanced. (Sept 2003)
• Bonny Doon "Big House Red"

  I've seen the Trentadue hold up well next to powerful, famous zins. The Marietta is much along the same lines as the Trentadue, but perhaps more reminiscent of a Rhone than a Zin.  

  The Bonny Doon vin gris may be America's best rosé, and while it doesn't match a Tempier Bandol it often is available for half the price. If you've been drinking white zins, try a drier rosé for a change.  It and the fragrant, slightly sweet, slightly pétillant Martin Brothers Moscato make lovely summer wines in particular.  Shenandoah makes a lot of things, and they  almost all seem to be fair values for the bucks. Chateau St. Jean's Gewurztraminer is well priced and well made--a rarity in New World gewurz. Sineann's is probably even better.

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