Some Large Volume Wineries

I thought I should review some wineries that have large volume production, with the idea that these wines are found in most grocery or liquor stores.  So I went to my local grocery store which is known for their large wine selections and purchased some wines.  I would also note that I have included 2 prices- the list price and then the discount price from the grocery store when you join (for free) and get their ‘club card’.  My tasting partner was up for the task.  We tasted the wines over 3 evenings, comparing 2 at a time and then switching them up on the third night.  We compared 4 Chardonnay’s- Beringer 2009, Mondavi 2010, Krug 2009 and a Barefoot 2010.

We tasted a Beringer Chardonnay 2009, $16.00 (14.1% alcohol) from Napa Valley.  It was a pale yellow in the glass with hints of citrus on the nose, and white fruits on the palate.  It was weak and had a very short finish.

Beringer Chardonnay 2009 Napa Valley    $16.99 ($12.99)        87 pts

Next was Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay, 2010, $10.49 (13.5% alcohol) also from Napa Valley.  It had a lovely golden color in the glass and little nose to speak of.   It was smooth in the mouth and a medium finish on the palate.  It had crisp flavors of citrus and white fruits and was quite enjoyable.  My tasting partner and I thought it was a very good deal.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay 2010  $10.49 ($6.99)  91 pts

The next night we tasted a Charles Krug Chardonnay, 2009, $18.99 (14.5% alcohol) from the Carneros area of California, which is north of San Pablo bay and includes both Sonoma and Napa Valley.  The cooler climate is more amenable to varietals like chardonnay and pinot noirs.  An interesting point about the Charles Krug Winery- it is the oldest winery in California and the owner, Peter Mondavi, is the brother of Robert Mondavi.  
You can read more about the Mondavi family feud here:  http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2005/04/01/8256045/index.htm

Back to the wine.  The Krug Chardonnay was pale yellow, with citrus notes.  It was austere on the palate without much fruit.  It did exhibit a mineral taste that turned mildly bitter in the end.  It was medium bodied and with an average finish.  It tasted like the Mondavi, but not quite as good.   It lacked the smoothness in the mouth feel. 

Charles Krug Chardonnay, 2009, Carneros    $18.99 ($15.99)    89 pts

Finally, we tasted a Barefoot Chardonnay from California, $7.00 (13% alcohol) that did not have a date, but did have a Gold Medal from the 2010 San Antonio Express News Wine Competition.  It was soft and delicate on the palate, pleasant with a fruity sweetness. 

Barefoot Chardonnay (with the Gold Medal, 2010)  $7.00       88 pts

So in summary, we thought the Robert Mondavi Chardonnay was the best, followed by the Krug, Barefoot and then the Beringer. 

2 Big Box Wines

My tasting partner and I happened to be in our local big box store and he just can not pass up an opportunity to buy and try a new wine.  We did not ask for recommendations, but decided to go on our instincts and to use the reviews that were posted.  We bought 2 wines and tried them both recently.  Both were a bit of a disappointment.

First, Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola IGT Sicilia,  2008 (13.5% alcohol) which had a rating of 92 from a well known wine taster.  We took a chance on this one, since neither one of us had heard of this wine or grape.  This wine is 100% Nero d’Avola grape, which is indigenous in Sicily, Italy.   It has been compared to New World Shirazes in taste, with sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavors.  My tasting partner and I thought it was uninteresting.  I suggested that it might be a good showing for that particular grape, but as a wine, it was just okay.

 Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola IGT Sicilia,  2008       $16.99  90 pts

Next we tried Jean Rijckaert Monthélie Pinot Noir Vielles Vignes, 2009 (13% alcohol).  Interestingly, it is labeled as a Pinot Noir even though it is made in Southern Burgundy, France.  Again, it was slightly acidic and uninteresting. 

 Jean Rijckaert Monthélie Pinot Noir Vielles Vignes, 2009    $17.99  88-90 pts

Marques de Caceres

My tasting partner and I have a fondness for the winery Marques de Caceres.  We spent a year in Spain outside of Madrid in the mid 90’s and began our wine tasting experience in earnest that year.  I would go to the Hipercor (which was a very large store much like a Target or Walmart) a few miles away and pick out red wines within our price range to try.  After a few weeks of this, we decided on a wine we really liked: Marques de Caceres.  We even went to the Rioja area of Spain, north of Madrid, to tour the winery on one of our trips.  What we found in Marques de Caceres then still holds true now: a reliable wine, with oak on the nose, hints of vanilla and leather in the taste, mild tannins and balanced. 

Rioja red wines are classified into 4 categories: ‘Rioja’ which is the youngest wine spending less than a year in oak barrels, ‘Crianza’ which in aged for at least 2 years, some of that time in oak barrels,  ‘Rioja Reserva' aged at least 3 years, with at least one of those years in oak barrels and finally ‘Rioja Gran Reserva’ wines which are aged at least 2 years in oak and 3 years in bottle.  ‘Reserva’ and ‘Gran Reserva’ may not be produced each year.  It depends on the grapes.  And the grapes used in Rioja wines are predominately tempranillo, with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo varietals used in blending.

The other night I opened a Marques de Caceres, Crianza, 2009, 13.5% alcohol about $15.00 and my tasting partner declared once again, his fondness for that particular wine.  I thought it was a good wine for the circumstances- a picnic at the beach at sunset.  It went well with our dinner and did not require much thought.  Sometimes a reliable, dependable wine is just what you are looking for and the Marques de Caceres label is one of those wines. 

Marques de Caceres, Crianza, 2009                 88-90 pts

Napa Valley Tasting

My tasting partner and I recently had the opportunity to visit Napa valley with 2 of our sons and their girl friends.  We had a lovely weekend- I should have taken notes but did not. Next time.  We did, however, buy some wines from Mondavi and recently tried them.

The 2008 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve had hints of oak, red fruits and a lovely finish.  The tannins were not overpowering, especially since this is a fairly young wine.  It is higher than the price point I have set at $135.00 (or $94.50 for club members) but still worth noting.

The 2008 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay Reserve was also a treat.  It had a nice nose, pale fruit tastes, and just enough acidity to make it interesting.  Not your typical buttery chardonnay.  It also had a lovely finish.  It sells for $40.00 ($28.00 for club members).

2008  Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 
                                                (15.5% alcohol) $135.00           94 pts


2008 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay Reserve 
                                                (14.5% alcohol) $40.00            93-4 pts