Jose Maria da Fonseca Anticiclone Peninsula de Setubal Red, 2022

If you are looking for good wine at rock bottom prices, Portugal is the place to look. I paid about $6 at Costco for this gem from Fonseca, and while it is now gone from the shelves, I saw two or three excellent red wines there today for $50 to $60 a case.

Fonseca produces a number of excellent vintage and tawny ports. Anticiclone is decidedly dry. It received 90 points from Wine Spectator and was included in the publication's top 100 wines of 2024.

Deep red with slight bluish tints. Black berries, dark chocolate, coffee. Comes on with bold strokes then settles into an elegant mid-palate and a spicy, peppery finish that is far from simple.

 

Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Villages, 2024

 

Kirkland Signature, of course, refers to wines sold by Costco, with the producer rarely mentioned. I have seen this CDR Villages on the shelves, selling for about $7 a bottle, but this is my first purchase and first taste. It will not be my last.

Deep, dark red. May have had some new oak aging but, if so, it has not been to the detriment of the wine. Still has a traditional profile. Upfront smells and flavors of fresh red and black berries and spice. Medium bodied (despite 15% alcohol content). Actually, it carries 15% quite well. No heat, no heaviness. Classic Southern Rhone pepper and spice.. Long, delicious finish. The best value in CDR that I have seen in many years.

Second night: The oak and the alcohol are clearly showing tonight. If you are a hard core Southern Rhone traditionalist, as I claim to be, you might want to try a bottle before you load up the trunk. But it's an enjoyable wine at a good price that might suit your non-traditionalist friends and family better than an old-timey CDR.

Domaine de L'Oratoire Saint Martin Cairanne Reserve des Seigneurs, 2015

I have been buying and enjoying Cairanne wines from Domaine de L'Oratoire Saint Martin since the early 1990s. Since the price was only $8 to $10 a bottle, I usually bought a case of the Reserve des Seigneurs and a case of the Prestige (now called Douye) each year and drank them all too early--mainly because of drinking guidelines from Robert Parker. Both wines come from very old vines on well situated slopes. The Reserve des Seigneurs comes from vines lower on the slope and ages well for 10 to 12 years. From vines higher on the slope, Douye can go much longer.

Dark red. A high percentage of Mourvedre was included in this vintage and it shows. Scents of violets, more black than red fruits. Firm on the mid-palate. Deep fruit under the tannins.  After a couple of hours of aeration, Grenache red fruits start to appear. Long, peppery finish. At 10 plus years of age, I think this could go even longer.
 

Pelassa Nebbiolo d'Alba Sot, 2013

This is a Piedmont Nebbiolo from the very good 2013 vintage. It is drinking well but may still have some growth to come.

Deep brilliant ruby shading to garnet. The wine was aged in large vats--traditional Slavonian oak and not so traditional French oak. Enchanting floral/fruity smells but a bit laid back at the moment. On the palate, dark cherries, red berries, balsamic and a bit of licorice on the tail end. Very dry, Barolo dry, on the mid-palate. Has a lot to offer, either mid week or for a special occasion.
 

Careglio Roero, 2011

Careglio's Roero is 100% Nebbiolo from vineyards just across the Tanaro River from Barolo and Barbaresco. Yet Nebbiolo doesn't even appear on the label. Locals know the quality, of course, but it often gets overlooked on American wine shelves even though it often sells for $15 to $20.

Fairly deep ruby for Nebbiolo but some garnet at edges. Opens with beautiful scents of rose petals, violets and fresh fruit. Dark cherry compote expands on the mid-palate, takes on some licorice tones and then slinks into a finely textured finish. Softer tannins than a Barolo or Barbaresco but the fruit flavors are just as intense and profound.
 

Decoy by Duckhorn California Merlot, 2923

Duckhorn and Leonetti are two of the big names in New World Merlot. This Decoy by Duckhorn does not have the class of these wines, either in cost or quality. But it has the rich, luxurious profile associated with Duckhorn wines It was served to accompany a superb chocolate creme brulee with strawberries at Carrabba's wine dinner.

Color may be a tad lighter than that of the Cabernet but still dark and bluish. Dark cherries,  mocha and sweet spices. Silky texture, good acid, delicious fruit flavors.This wine suffers mainly by comparison to the luscious chocolate creme brulee. It has been a long night and a lot of food and wine. I would like to try this wine again with a less fatigued palate.

Greenwing by Duckhorn Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023

Carrabba's wood grilled sirloin steak, topped with spinach, grilled tomatoes, garlic, basil and a five-cheese blend, deserves a good Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Greenwing by Duckhorn  was a perfect fit.

Deep and dark color. More black than red fruit tones but fresh and vibrant. Blackberries, pomegranates, plums. Tastes sweet next to the Goldeneye Pinot Noir but sleek and elegant. Silky texture. Perfect companion to the steak.

Greenwing is considerably less exensive ($15 to $20) than Duckhorn Cabs from Napa, and, though I am not a big Cabernet fan, it is now on my buy list.

Goldeneye by Duckhorn Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2022

Served with Shrimp Fra Diavolo, this was the second wine of Carrabba's wine dinner. Since I am allergic to shrimp, I had just the linguine with a hot and spicy (and delicious) Calabrian marinara sauce.

Donna and I were introduced to Goldeneye Pinot Noir by our good friends, Dave and Nancy Randall, who live in Redding, CA, withing driving distance of the Anderson Valley. Goldeneye is usually priced a bit high  ($50 a bottle) for my wine budget, but the enjoyment I got from those early bottles lured us into a satisfying relationship with other Anderson Valley Pinot Noirs such as those from Toulouse, Couloir, Mary Elke and Phillips Hill. I was anticipating good things from this Goldeneye Pinot, and I was not disappointed.

Medium light ruby shading to garnet. The lightest color of all of the Duckhorn reds... and rightly so. Haunting smells and flavors: raspberry, cherry, red currants, black tea and a hint of mushrooms. Great acidity to match the spicy marinara sauce. Long, intriguing finish.

Duckhorn California Sauvignon Blanc, 2023

This was the introductory wine, to accompnny spinach arancini, at an excellent Carrabba"s wine dinner in Kalamazoo.

Very light in color, could be mistaken for water. Not your typical Sauvignon Blanc if you are used to drinking inexpensive Sauvignons from New Zealand. Subtle aromas and flavors of lime, lemon zest and melons. Nothing assertive. An elegant white that works well with appetizers or on its own...but not my style of Sauvignon Blanc.

Sokol Blosser Winery Evolution Lucky Number 9 White, 2023

Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser bought prime vineyard land in the Dundee Hills in 1971, long before Oregon Pinot Noir became fashionable. Their wines were a labor of love, and the second generation Sokol Blossers continue to produce top level Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and other wines from their estate and other vineyards they now own in the Yamhill-Carlton area. For income and cash flow, they have also created the Evolution line--lower priced and more suited for every day drinking. 

The 2023 Lucky 9 White wine is a blend of nine varietals--Muller Thurgau (25%), Chardonnay (24%), Gewurztraminer (19%), Sauvignon Blanc (15%), Riesling (11%) and Early Muscat (5%), not to mention Pinot Gris, Semillon and Muscat Canelli. Grapes are not necessarily from the estate or even the Willamette Valley but purchased from other areas of Oregon, Washington and California.

Light, bright straw color. Very forward fruity nose. Apples, lime zest, melon--fresh and lively. If I had to guess (and I did before researching the wine), I would have identified Riesling as the dominant grape, and it does have some petrol tones associated with Riesling. The blend works well, producing a wine of substance and interest that drinks well with just about any meal. Lucky 9 White sells for about $15 but if you are on the Sokol Blosser mailing list, you often qualify for discounts. I have enjoyed the Evolution Pinot Noir and the Evolution Sparkling Pinot Noir. The bottles of single vineyard Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir and Estate Chardonnay I had were spectacular.

 

Les Vignerones d'Estezargues Domaine d'Andezon Cotes DU Rhone, 2020

 I had this Cotes du Rhone at the American Wine Society Tasting Project in the Summer of 2023 and was impressed. It is a coop wine and not very expensive ($15) but it was difficult to find in my area. It has a high percentage of Syrah (90 to 95%) which is unusual for a Cotes du Rhone. The soil in this particular part of Sinargues apparently has a sandy/chalky soil that is favorable for Syrah.

Medium deep ruby, bright and clear with good saturation. Smells and tastes like Syrah: black fruits, cassis, black olives and some herbal tones. A bit more stand-offish than it was in 2023, but I think that augurs well for it. Should be even better in a couple of years.

Kirkland Signature Vacqueyras, 2022

 

I am a long-term Southern Rhone enthusiast; as a result, I am a bit reluctant to buy a Southern Rhone at Costco unless I know who produced It. There is no indication on the label, but when I pulled the cork I saw the name :"Guillaume Gonnet." Guillaume and his Australian wife have taken over at Domaine Font de Michelle, a good producer of Chateauneuf du Pape. And the Gonnets are now also producing wines from Gigondas, Lirac, Rasteau and Vacqueyras--all priced much higher than this $11.49 number from Costco.

Medium ruby, clear and bright 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre. The first smells I get are thyme and rosemary, classic garrigue! Also black fruits, fresh berries and plums rather than the strawberries I expect from 80% Grenache. Medium bodied and smooth. Easy to drink but still has some tannins to lose. I bought this in July of 2024; wish I had bought more.