Wine: Filling your cellar with bargain bottles By Mark Criden Wine bargains? In the “collectibles” issue? Isn’t this like doing a piece on Chinet for Hummel Quarterly? Or a paean to Gumby in the Journal of Netsuke? Well, no, actually, for the term “Wine Collection” is actually an oxymoron. Bottles of wine are not paintings, sculptures, Wedgwood, first editions, World War II memorabilia, Caruso 78s, or whatever else we accumulate. Wine isn’t a prize, an object to be admired with awe from afar. It’s a beverage, a liquid made from grapes to be drunk. While many would believe otherwise, wine’s only a trophy in the way cupcakes or hot dogs are trophies.There are better gateaux and finer sausages, but at bottom they’re all chow with an all-too-real expiration date. A Chippendale armoire may take on the patina of age, but wine ultimately acquires the smell of vinegar. By all means, if you’ve got the space and the inclination, cellar wine. Lay in a stock of stuff you like to drink. But unless you’ve got a frosty, humid basement, don’t buy more than you’re going to consume over the next few years. There’s always another vintage, and God made wine merchants specifically to store your future purchases for you. Let them own, especially, the expensive stuff, until you’ve worked up that special hankering for Lafite you can no longer resist. Bargains, though, are irresistible at any time. Whether you’re rooting around the flea market for early issues of Batman or scouring garage sales for underpriced Tiffany, there’s nothing like a find. The following wines are all true finds, in that they’re each (a) delicious, (b) chock full of flavor, (c) seductive, (d) under $20. I’d be happy to drink any one of them. You will be, too. 1. Everybody wants it, but no one knows where to find it: the refreshing, inexpensive white that’s marries well with salads, fish, and other light foods, and exhibits more complexity and flavor than Listerine. Well, I’ve got a beauty for you. The Touraine Sauvignon from Clos Roche Blanche, 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire (home of the more expensive, but only rarely better Sancerre and Pouilly Fume), is aromatic, penetrating, luscious, and 100% organic to boot. At under $9, it’s practically a give-away. Tell your retailer it’s imported by Louis/Dressner out of New York, and you want it. 2. Riccardo Cotarello may be the hottest consulting winemaker in Italy, but he saves much of his winemaking genius for his home estate. His most celebrated wine, called Montiano, is hard to find under $50, but he also produces a pure Merlot that’s like liquid silk for about $15 and the astonishing 2000 Falesco Vitiano, an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese (the classic grape of Chianti) for under $10/bottle. This wine, seamless, concentrated, and delicious with a wide range of foods, is just plain spectacular. 3. I admit a blind spot for Chardonnay. It’s supporters are endless, I know, but I find most examples too oaky, ponderous, expensive, or just plain tiring to drink. Yet there’s a wine from the northern part of Burgundy that’s not only luscious and complex, it provides tremendous bang for your Chardonnay buck: the 2000 Henry de Vezelay Bourgogne Blanc. This is stupendous, intense, delicious stuff, and blows every under-$20 Chard I’ve ever had right out the door, down the street, and clear into the next county. 4. As we recounted several months ago, Bordeaux is back in a big way, and not just in the top price categories. Many modestly priced bottles provide boundless joy for those seeking the crisp charms of Cabernet and Merlot based reds. The 2000’s — the so-called vintage of the century—are arriving now, and though you’ll need a second mortgage for the top-rated wines, quality is high up and down the hierarchy. An excellent bet for short to mid-term drinking: Chateaux Marjosse, a classic Bordeaux blend, is full of rich cassis flavors and aromas, and will provide delicious, classy drinking over the next five years. It’s astonishing how much wine you can have for under $12. 5. Pinot Noir is increasingly popular because of its soft flavor profile; it’s this year’s Merlot: the red for people who don’t like red wines. But the best examples are pinnacles of sexy flavor intensity and sensual aromas. It’s hard to have this much fun under $20 — pinot noir is a particularly difficult cat to herd — but your best bet is a lower-level wine from a top grower; picture Faith Hill’s slightly plainer sister. It’s hard to imagine a better example than Michel Lafarge’s 2000 Bourgogne Rouge, my pick for its breed, its lusciousness, and, of course, its frank eroticism. 6. For a country that raised Twinkies and Pop Tarts to the culinary pantheon, there are an awful lot of folks who claim they don’t like—and won’t try—sweet wine. This is a pity, for Moscato, a honeyed, slightly fizzy white from northern Italy that is joy in a bottle. It’s perfection with light fruit desserts and bliss as an aperitif. Hell, with only 5-6% alcohol, it’s the perfect breakfast wine. Try the Clarte, La Spinetta, and Perrone and stick with the 2001 or 2002; unlike savings bonds, these wines are not worth more the longer you keep them. 7. While Australian wines have skyrocketed in quality over the past decade, their value offerings have largely lagged. They’re tasty, but not especially compelling; only the promise of a buzz brings you back for a second glass. But those who believe the bargain sun rises and sets on Rosemount Shiraz, pay attention, for a new value producer has burst onto the scene: Marquis Phillips, whose 2001 Shiraz, Cabernet and Sarah’s Blend red are all intense, opulent, complex and seamless. These major mouthfuls were all slated to sell for about $35, so at their $15 retail prices, they’re deals. Don’t miss them! 8. It’s impossible to overlook some of the delicious bargains that come from the Southern Rhone Valley. After four consecutive top-flight vintages, the renowned reds from Chateauneuf du Pape are all north of $20, but take a detour to the Cotes du Rhone where Chateau de Segries has shot out the lights in recent years with its Lirac Cuvee Reservee. A Grenache/syrah blend, both the 1999 and 2000 are positively bursting with gobs of juicy black cherry fruit and a creamy, dreamy finish. It’s soft and succulent, and it’s hard to do better than this for ten bucks. 9. Further south along the Mediterranean, French producers from the Languedoc are turning out an ocean of complex, ripe, and succulent reds. For a fabulous example, check out 2000 La Roque Cuvee Mouvedre Vielles Vignes, an astonishingly complex wine for about $12. It’s full-bodied and velvety, but light on its feet, packed and stacked with layers of fruit, and brimming with a long, lively finish. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant out of Berkeley, CA imports it. 10. I can hear the Homeland Security types now: Where’s the American wine? Look, I salute the flag as snappily as the next oenophile, but it’s my sad duty to report that the Europeans — and increasingly, the South Africans and South Americans — have eaten America’s lunch in the affordability department. American winemakers have largely been seduced by the lure of world-class prices, and those who inhabit the basement normally turn out boring, unremarkable plonk. One major exception to this is California’s Marietta Estates, who regularly bottles a non-vintage blend called “Old Vine Red.” The latest iteration —number 28 — is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Gamay, and Cabernet Sauvignon, from vineyards throughout California. OVR is full-bodied and loaded with delicious berry flavor and a long, lingering finish. Yours for about $12, it’s worth saluting. 11. Okay, you’re sick of hearing me say this, but here it is again: Riesling from Germany is the greatest white wine around, offering astonishing value for its relatively modest tab. After a string of remarkable vintages, the weather tanked in 2000, but 2001 produced a dream vintage and many growers produced wines of uncommon breed and class. You’ll get change from a twenty for the Loosen Dr “L”, but if you can find it, don’t miss the Leitz Rudesheimer Klosterlay QbA, a charming, lush, creamy package that’ll make Riesling converts out of anyone who tastes it. 12. For an area where tablecloths are often stained red from tomato sauce, barbera should be in everyone’s larder. Often relegated to servant status by its Piedmontese stepsister, nebbiolo— which makes the noble Barolos and Barbarescos — barbera is serious wine. The best examples are lush and ripe, but with an acidic spine that will stand up to Marinara like nothing else. In a cool growing season, this acidity can rake the enamel right off your teeth, but Barbera has been blessed with a succession of warm vintages (buy the 1998’s, 1999’s and 2000’s). Look especially for wine from one of the vanguard producers who know how to smooth out any rough edges with a bit of oak aging. My favorite is La Spinetta’s Ca de Pian, about $19, a wonderful dinner companion that will set your lasagna or manicotti to music. 13. Spain has become a treasure trove of exciting wines, from the painfully expensive (a couple of days pay will put a bottle of L’Hermita in your cellar) to the unbelievably reasonable. Hard-working importers like Buffalo native Eric Solomon have discovered astonishing values from little-heralded regions. I’ve previously touted the 2001 Borsao and its bigger brother, the Tres Picos, which both offer tremendous punch for a song. But, dollar for dollar, there’s no greater steal in Spain — or in the wine world for that matter — than Castano Solanera. A blend of mouvedre and cabernet sauvignon, this is everything a complex country wine should be: a thrill in every sip, with extraordinary layers of flavor and concentration. It spanks most wines selling for many times its modest $12 price. The rich 1999 is still around, but watch for the mind-blowing 2001. It’s not only the world’s greatest wine bargain, it’s my favorite wine from the past twelve months, period. Mark Criden, the former chair of the Buffalo Branch of the International Wine & Food Society, frequently reviews wine and otherwise haunts Internet wine boards. He is also a private wine cellar consultant. 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