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Peter Wagner |
White wines:
2005 Yellowtail Southeastern Australia Chardonnay ($5 - $7). Don’t knock
this one until you have tried it, well chilled, these hot days.
Available in megaquantities, this is seriously good summer wine for the
price. Lovely, very clean, with forward, melon and lemon fruit. Light
and spicy vanilla oak is quite apparent but not dominant. It is buttery
with nice viscosity from the malolactic fermentation. It finishes with
a very nice lemony kick that gives it crispness, good length and
balance. While not complex or ageworthy, it is delightful and what a
bargain.
2005 Firestone Riesling ($7-$9). Here is another widely available
bargain standard that should be tried every year. This vintage is marked
by lush ripe fruit with a touch of sweetness. There is a very appealing
element of green olive that takes the edge off the sweetness. The
critical part - acidity - is excellent. This wine should be drunk quite
cold - as it warms in the glass, the sweetness takes over. The wine does
not see oak, and is very clean, straightforward and refreshing when
chilled.
Red wines:
2003 J. Lohr “Seven Oaks” Cabernet ($10-$12). Also widely available
(Costco in San Diego has it), this vintage of this bargain standard is
better than most (and a tad better than the 2004). Rich dark berry and
spice, a quite big wine but not too extracted and certainly not too
tannic. It is devoid of the herbacious flavors that sometimes weigh down
this wine in other years. Nice length and balance.
2004 Hahn Cabernet ($9-11). Hahn is on a roll - I have recommended their
Meritage previously. This vintage, better than their 2003 version, has
lovely vanilla that integrates with very forward black cherry fruit on
both the nose and palate. It is soft, ripe and rich on the palate and
the combination of ripeness, vanilla and alcohol make it seem almost a
touch sweet, but it does not have significant residual sugar and is
therefore dry. It is very approachable right now with soft tannins and
good acid balance, and will do well for perhaps 2-3 years. But why age
it when it is so nice right now?
Special tip:
2004 Marquis Philips McLaren Vale Shiraz “9” ($30). Available at Costco
San Diego at least, who knows elsewhere, this is a blockbuster and
well-worth the higher price. If you like deep, rich, in your face
blackberry fruit with apparent but not intrusive American oak (dill,
vanilla, anise), velvety mouthfeel, just the right acidity and soft
tannins that make it hard to put the glass down, this is for you. The
wine is opaque but not hard, forced or overextracted, hence the great
balance and richness of fruit. A hint is the 16.5% alcohol level,
meaning the grapes were very, very ripe when picked. This wine should
age, but time will tell. |
