I hear it at least once a week:  ” I just had this great Argentinian Malbec!”  Malbec has of course become synonymous with Argentina, though I was recently reminder that like most wine grapes, Malbec isn’t restricted to one region or country.  It has freely traveled the world, without a passport.  It’s a grape that knows no boundaries!

Argentina has embraced the Malbec grape as their own, much like Chile has done with Carmenere.  And like Carmenere, Malbec is originally from the Bordeaux region of France, primarily used as a blending grape.  It’s still grown in Bordeaux where it is known as ‘Cot’ (though in St. Emilion it’s called Pressac.)

Admittedly, I haven’t had the chance to taste many Argentinian Malbecs.  The few I’ve had were decent, and generally reasonably priced.  When my buddy Anthony told me he was opening up a bottle of Malbec this last weekend, I assumed it was from Argentina.  But it turns out this one was from the lovely Santa Lucia Highlands, just a few hours north of Los Angeles.

Anthony had recently returned from a weekend trip to Carmel, and apparently he made a few winery stops along the way.  One of those stops was at the Hahn Winery tasting room, about an hour southeast of Carmel and Monterey, and an hour and a half north of Paso Robles.

The grapes for this wine are grown at their ‘Hook Vineyard’ in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and has historically been used by Hahn as a blending grape in their Bordeaux-varietal wines.  Only in recent years has there been enough crop to make a limited-edition Malbec.

The ‘07 Hahn Estates Santa Lucia Highlands Malbec is made from 100% Malbec aged for 14 months in 70% new French oak barrels.  That oak is evident on the nose of this deep-colored wine, with hints of vanilla swirling amongst the aromas of fresh blueberry pie. The palate is big and rich, with flavors of plum and raspberry (again, I kept imagining a fresh, homemade pie!), with subtle spice and a nice, smooth finish.  This wine has a substantial, creamy mouthfeel, which will never elicit a complaint from me.  It was almost too big to drink sans food, but we’re big boys and we pulled it off.  As I said to Anthony, “this wine is a Steak Night wine”.  Seriously, this wine can handle beef all day long.

For $28, this is solid, and I’m now on the hunt for other California Malbecs to try.  The next time someone tells me about an Argentinian Malbec that they’ve tried, I’m going to tell them to check out the Hahn Estates Santa Lucia Highland Malbec as well.  Why have boundaries?

…I found this bottle of ‘05 all by itself in the Pinot Noir section at Mission Wines in South Pasadena.  It was the last one, and it was only in my possession for about twenty minutes before its contents were in my glass…

There was a time in my younger days when I mistakenly believed that all Central California Pinot Noirs were from the same place, more or less.  I assumed that Santa Maria Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Rita Hills were all sort of in the general vicinity of Santa Barbara.  Ahhh…. youth.

While Santa Barbara County is indeed home to the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills AVAs, the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is further North in Monterey County, and within the larger Monterey AVA.  All of these AVAs are within the massive Central Coast AVA.  And while each of the aforementioned regions produce noteworthy Pinot Noir, there are wide differences in character and style.

The Santa Barbara regions are often affected by fog, but usually get good and hot come the end of summer.  The resulting grapes tend to be sweet and spicy.  Further North in Monterey County, the constant coastal breeze makes for a cooler crop with thick skins and heavy, often earthier flavors.  A lot of California Pinot producers like to blend grapes from the two counties to produce blends (some even adding grapes from the Sonoma Coast or Russian River Valley in Northern California).  Personally, I get a kick out of sampling pinots from the various regions and comparing and contrasting.  Obviously there are factors other than climate (like the winemaker) that shape the final wine, but there’s no question that the terroir of each region imparts its unique influence on the wines

Which brings me back to the ‘05 De Tierra.  The Silacci vineyard is in the Monterey AVA, in the northern-most edge of the Santa Lucia Highlands mountains, just a tad North of the Santa Lucia Highland AVA’s northern border.  According to the winery, “the Silacci is the northern most Pinot Noir vineyard in Monterey and yields the more elegant and old world style of cool climate Pinot Noir.”

Elegant; if I had only one word to describe this wine, that’s the word I’d use.  Fortunately for both you and I, I can use as many words as I like.  (Ok, it may or may not be fortunate for you, but you can skip the words and just look at the pictures if you like.  I’ll never know.)

The wine has a beautiful color; deep garnet with a noticeable intensity.  A few swirls and I got a whiff of ripe red berried and a touch of red rose petals.  One sip and I knew I was in for a fantastic bottle:  the raspberry/cherry fruit was intense, yet somehow balanced by subtle earthy notes and a lush mouthfeel.  Such a substantial tasting experience, yet a real easy drinker; worth every penny at $29.99.

After researching a bit online, I’ve found a few more producers that source grapes from the same vineyard, including Ryan Cellars, Rustique, Miura Vineyards and Alcina Cellars.

After finishing the last drop and before shutting my laptop for the night, I jotted down two ideas that I wanted to pass on for future tasting experiments.  1) Pick up 4 of the aforementioned pinots that are all sourced from the same vines and taste the differences that each winemaker infuses into the wine.  2) Find a producer that makes pinot from several of the Monterey AVA vineyards, or even better, from a couple of the Monterey AVA vineyards and a vineyard or two from some of the other nearby AVAs (Santa Lucia Highlands for example), to see how each of the wines differs.

Until next time…  Cheers!

OK, this deal was so good that we’re emerging from our hibernation to tell you about it…Clos LaChance is in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, an AVA that I hold near and dear to my heart.  Owners Bill and Brenda Murphy started Clos LaChance in their Saratoga, CA backyard in the late 80’s, and have built it up to quite an operation, with three tiers of wines and a plethora of varietals offered each year.

The ‘06 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a solid California Cab…  a nice dark color, dark fruits and berries and a hint of leather on the nose.  Flavors of dark berries laced with with oakey vanilla hit the palate nicely, with a good balance and decent finish.

This wine was originally released at $35 a bottle, but apparently the ‘07 vintage is pushing the ‘06 out the door at just $12.99.  This is seriously a STEAL. It’s almost impossible to find a wine of this quality anywhere close to this price.  It’s currently available at all K&L locations as well as on their website, but at this price it won’t last.  Buy several if you can.

…just a quick post to tell you about 3 bottles of California wine that recently found themselves face to face with my corkscrew…

A few weeks back, my buddy Fernando stopped by the house, and wouldn’t you know, we opened up a couple of Central California wines that I was pleasantly surprised to have found at my local Pavillions supermarket. They’ve always had a decent wine aisle, but as of late some really interesting bottles have been popping up.

The first bottle was the 2007 Qupe ‘Central Coast’ Syrah. Qupe’s owner/winemaker Bob Lindquist always shows up with good grape juice, and this bottle was no exception. Mostly Syrah with a dash of Grenache (2%), the grapes for this wine are sourced from both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County. To quote the winery: “…The wine is essentially a blend of cool-climate Santa Barbara grapes and warm-climate Paso Robles grapes. The cool-climate fruit gives spice, acidity and balanced alcohol while the warm-climate fruit give softness, roundness, ripeness and more up-front fruit flavors and aromas.” I have to say that I definitely got the softness… several Syrahs I’ve had of late have been big and bold, and this one was much more elegant and graceful. Lots of red berry and cherry aromas and flavors, with a hint of pepper buried in there somewhere and oh-so-smooth tannins.

The second bottle that was cracked that night was from the same part of California: the 2008 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. Au Bon Climat is located on the renowned Bien Nacido Vineyard, and owner/winemaker Jim Clendenen is a contemporary of the aforementioned Mr. Lindquist (they share a wine-making facility). This Pinot is simple and tasty- strawberries and plums with a dash of spice; balanced and refreshing. Wine & Spirits gave it a 92.

Speaking of Pinot, just last week I was at my friend Doug’s house, and he popped the cork on this tasty bottle from the Anderson Valley.

The 2007 Drew “Fog Eater” Pinot Noir This little number was NO JOKE. Anderson Valley is the hot spot for Pinot these days, and Jason Drew set up his boutique winery smack dab in the middle of it. The grapes in this one are grown about 6 miles from the ocean, and the coastal qualities shine through. A floral nose of cherries and herbs is followed by layers of flavors: juicy red berries, cherry cola, and exotic spices. The mouth-feel is sublime; silky yet crisp, nice round tannins and a lingering finish. It got a 95 from Wine Enthusiast and 93 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine. We drank every drop.

By the way, you can pick up that wacky corkscrew pictured above for $12.99 from the good folks at ThinkGeek.

Here at WineExpedition, we don’t like to put too much stock in wine scores; after all, TASTING IS SUBJECTIVE… That said, I have to talk about a unique bottle that I discovered at a wine tasting not long ago, and the fact that it received a 97 from wine critic Robert Parker…You don’t see too many 97’s out there. A lot of 90’s, 92’s and maybe the occasional 93 or 94. And once you hit 94, it usually means you’re looking at a bottle of wine that fetches over $100. Which makes this 97-scoring bottle even more interesting as it has a price tag of $79. But wait there’s more…

When I think of a wine scoring a 97, I picture a first growth Bordeaux, a Grand Cru from Burgundy or some crazy Cabernet from Napa. This 97 is from none of above; rather, it’s from Australia and it’s a Shiraz…!

The 2005 Elderton “Command” Single Vineyard Shiraz hails from vines that were planted in the early 1900’s in the Barossa Valley of southern Australia. ‘Command’ is a good name for this wine, as it’s commanded respect and garnered numerous accolades every year since it’s first vintage back in 1984. Not to mention the fact that it commanded my attention from the moment I brought the glass up from the tasting table at my friendly, neighborhood K&L Wine Merchant in Hollywood.

This wine is inky purple and strong aromas of juicy blackberry, raspberry and blueberry intertwined with a smoky tinge of lavender and vanilla filled my nostrils as I admired the color. I took a generous mouthful and swirled it around… holy cow! This wine is thick and rich and chewy. It was if I had bitten into a big piece of blackberry pie; a pie with a sweet, complex filling laced with chocolate, licorice, spices and a dash of pepper. Silky tannins and a mile-long finish added to the glory of this wine; I had to ask for another taste.

Therein lies the moral of this story. I wouldn’t have known about this wine were it not for the weekly tastings at K&L. If you have a wine retailer in your town that offers a tasting program of any kind, don’t waste the opportunity… CHECK IT OUT! There’s no better way to discover new wines than to attend a wine tasting. Wine retailers like to showcase wines from a wide array of regions, grape varietals and price ranges.  Tastings are generally cheap or free and will feature several bottles, so take advantage. Who knows, you might find yourself tasting a 97….

After several months of non-participation, I was looking forward to tasting a wine for the latest WBW, hosted this month by Michelle at www.wine-girl.net. The theme this time around is Snow Day. Hmmm….Being a Los Angeles native, I don’t even know what a snow day is. I mean, I’ve read about it in books and seen it in the movies…

I guess these last three days would be LA’s version of a snow day. Dark, foreboding clouds, rain; heavy at times, gusty winds. I was forced to put on a light sweater and I found myself reaching for a raincoat. Wait, I think I just heard thunder. Someone just opened the door for a moment and a little gust of wind came in. Brrrr. The photo above should give you an idea of how rough it got yesterday afternoon.

I mean, who am I kidding, us thin-skinned Angelinos are pretty sensitive to even slight variations in temperature, so I’m probably being more sincere than you think when I say that it feels like winter time right now. So when I was compelled to open a bottle of big, comfy Priorat last night, I realized that this was the bottle that would be my snow day wine.

Admittedly, I’m big on Spanish wines right now. I feel like they deliver big for a reasonable price (this wine was under $20). But I digress…

As I said, it’s a big, comfy wine, the kind I’d curl up by the fire with; the flames warming me on the outside and the wine warming me on the inside. The wine I speak of is the 2005 Cellers Capafons Oso “Sirsell” Priorat. Just looking into the glass revealed a dark, heavy wine, and as soon as I brought it to my nose I was hit with aromas of black currant and sweet spices (the kind I smell when the kitchen is warm and my wife is baking something sweet and rich). I took a swig and my mouth was instantly warmed up by blackberries, plums and spices o-plenty. And despite my initial statement of this one being ‘big’, it also had an elegance to it; decent length and a nice finish. No surprise that this one has a lot going on: it’s a blend of 25% Grenache, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% Merlot, 15% Mazuelo and 10% Syrah… all from the slopes of Priorat.

But most important on this coldest of LA days (it’s in the low 50’s), this wine makes me feel warm inside. This most certainly is a good wine for a snow day.

…a new game I just invented. Put a map of Spanish wine regions over the dart board of your choice. Apply blindfold and throw your dart. Wherever it lands, find a bottle from the nearest region and enjoy. Last official count I got on the number of Spanish DO’s was 70, and according to our friends of the Wine Academy of Spain, a new DO could appear at any time (a new one was announced during our Spanish wine course this past summer).…so I played a little game of Spanish darts last week and swung by K&L Hollywood to grab three bottles.

The first bottle I picked up is from the Montsant region, which is known for their fantastic Grenache and Cariñena based red wines. However, this one is a white wine made from white Grenache (Garnatxa Blanca to you and me), and is from the good folks at Celler el Masroig.

This is an interesting wine. It has a sharp minerality on the nose with notes of honeydew and fennel. On the palate, there are subdued flavors of honeydew and peaches, but with the mineral backbone. It has a nice acidity and good balance. Robert Parker gave it a 91 and I got it for under twenty bucks.

Bottle #2 is the 2007 Bodegas Volver Tempranillo from the La Mancha region. This bottle is a perfect example of why ‘Tempranillo’ has become the buzz word in American wine bars and why Spanish wine in general is getting such a good rap. Solid performance at a good price.

The floral nose is big and full of fruit- blackberries and cherries, along with smoky coffee. Full-bodied and complex on the palate with lots of ripe berries with finish-o-plenty. 90 points from Robert Parker and I paid a whopping 13 greenbacks. SOLID.

Last but not least, we’ve got the 2005 Mas Estela “Quindals” from the region known as: Empordà Costa Brava. This DO which you may or may not have heard of, is in the northeastern corner of the province of Girona, on the coast of the Mediterranean and on the Southern border of France. The area is known for its Rosé wines, but this little gem of a wine made from 90% Grenache, 5% Syrah, and 5% Carinena is a bad-ass red.

The nose is dark berries and blueberries all day long with an oakey/minerally thing floating around. On the palate, it’s complex with layers of those same dark berries with a dusting of spice and oak and healthy tannins. A nice long finish and at $17 it was a steal. Robert Parker gave it a 90.

What’s the point you ask? Get out there and explore! Try a wine from a region you’ve never heard of. If you’re not sure where to start, pick Spain. There are A TON of different regions and LOTS of tasty wines at prices that won’t break the bank.

If you have a dart board and a color printer, you know what to do…

That’s right… an actual blog post! We’ve been so busy shooting video that I almost forgot how to use the keyboard. Don’t get me wrong, we love shooting video, and that’s going to continue to be our preferred means of delivering content. But I like to write every now and again, so today I’m breaking out the laptop to type a few words about three wines that have found their way into my glass recently, when the camera wasn’t rolling.

2004 Domaine La Madura “Classic”

The first bottle is from the Saint-Chinian appellation located in the Languedoc Roussillon region of Southern France. I’ts a blend of 39% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 16% Mourvedre. A great color on this wine and the nose jumped out at me- warm, complex and spicy. On the palate, lots of bright red fruit- berries and plums with a decent (but not overbearing) acidity and some of those warm, spicy notes underneath. Tasty and easy (like Sunday morn). I drank a glass with a roast chicken dinner and life was good; and it was on sale for $9.99! Going back for more…

Rosenblum Paso Robles Zinfandel 2007

Now that’s it’s finally cooling off in So Cal, I’m getting excited about drinking zesty reds again. This one is definitely zesty and the Rosenblum folks certainly know Zin (and let’s be honest, Paso Robles is where some of the best Zins come from. I’m just sayin’.). I poured the wine and was struck by the deep, dark, murky color… fully of mystery and adventure! The nose is equally dark: black cherry and blackberries with a dash of pepper. On the palate: BIG… all day long… More of the blackberries with raspberry and rhubarb (reminds me of the rhubarb pie my mom used to make. MMMMM). Gentle tannins, slow, gentle finish. 2nd glass quickly followed the first. Under $20.

Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rouge 2007

This is one that our friends at Pasternak distributors sent our way, and honestly it’s an $8 bottle of wine and I had pretty low expectations. It’s from the Corbière area of the Languedoc-Roussillon region and is a typical blend of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and Mourvedre. It had a pleasant nose of light red fruit and fairly distinct earthy notes that smelled like a red Rhône blend. A nice-bodied wine with a spoonful of berries, spice and dusty chocolate on the finish. Not crazy complex, but a very pleasant, easy drinker and a good deal for eight bucks. I was pleasantly surprised.

So there you have it. Some tasting notes conveyed the old fashioned way. Don’t worry, the camera will keep rolling and the wines will keep pouring. Cheers!

…it’s not bad at all; especially for ten bucks!

When I put the word out that I was on the hunt for good bottles for ten bucks, my friend from Pasternak Distributors came through with a couple of suggestions, and this one caught my eye. Dievole is a big producer in Tuscany, but Pinocchio is 100% Nero d’ Avola from Sicily. Nero d’ Avola is the primary wine grape grown in Sicily.

Frankly, I wasn’t expecting much from a ten dollar Italian wine, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a nice, easy-drinker with more going on than I expected. It has a nice, dark magenta tint, with lots of ripe fruit on the nose, and depending on how honest you are, maybe a lot of nose on the fruit (insert rim-shot and/or loud groan here). On the palate, it’s good and big and those fruit notes continue: blackberry and strawberry, and it gets interesting with a layer of minerals and herbs adding a complexity that I rarely find at this price point.

Try an honest taste of Sicily for a mere ten-spot.

Yes, another holiday is upon us, and God forbid I don’t find a way to associate celebration with wine (the two go hand in hand after all).  So without further ado, here is WineExpedition’s list of five wines for the Fourth of July.

2006 Rosenblum “Richard Sauret” Paso Robles Zinfandel When I think of the 4rth, I think barbecue, and when I think barbecue, I think Zinfandel.  They’re generally big, bold, zesty and fruity which is a good match for a zesty barbecue sauce.  Rosenblum has become synonymous with Zinfandel, and this one is made from fruit from Paso Robles, a wine region near and dear to my heart.   This wine is big- full of dark fruit, pepper and vanilla.  The 14% petite sirah that’s mixed in gives it a nice touch of berries.  Normally about 20 bucks, but right now on sale at K&L for for $12.99.  If spicy BBQ is on the menu, pick up this or simillar California zin and you’ll be set.

2008 Etude Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé When it’s hot outside and your at an outdoor cookout, you can’t go wrong with a bottle of  rosé to cool off and get things started.  This one is a good one; light and fresh on the nose and lots of strawberry and berries on the palate.  Crisp, dry and picnic-food friendly.  It averages $17.  Few rosés will cost you more than that, and most are less, so it’s a good call for cooling off and saving a buck at the same time.

Crisp, cold white wines are always welcome this time of year, and this one from Spain is a good call indeed:  2007 Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo.  Crisp, citrus-y, floral…  Crack a bottle before the sun goes down and enjoy.   Sixteen bucks more or less.  Verdejo grapes are grown mostly in the Rueda area of Spain, so look for another verdejo if you can’t find this one.  Another good bet for a hot day is a Sauvignon Blanc from California, Chile or New Zealand.

Another white option that I’ve been getting into lately is Gewürztraminer , particularly those grown in California.  So on that note, the 2007 Thomas Fogarty Monterey County Gewürztraminer is one that I just my open myself on the 4rth.  Slightly sweet, this one’s loaded with tropical flavors, floral notes and spices, all wrapped up in a nice crisp acidity.  Good with food or good with fireworks;  around fifteen dollars.

I think it’s safe to assume that most of us will be doing some kind of barbecue on the fourth, or at least eating hearty, summertime fare, so another wine that comes to my mind is Syrah (Shiraz if you’re down under), which brings us to the 2007 Strong Arms Shiraz.   Like a zin, syrah’s tend to be big and fruity and thus work well with some bbq’d ribs splashed with a zesty sauce.  This one has berries o’ plenty with spices and earthy notes.  A great glass to have with your burger and to keep sipping when the sky lights up.  $12.

Last but not least, I chose to mention one more white, because when it’s summer time I tend to like to cool down with a glass of white wine.  In LA, it will no doubt still be warm after the sun goes down, so I may be sipping a glass of 2007 Miner Family “Simpson Vineyard” Viognier.  Viognier is another unexpected white wine that delivers lots of interesting floral notes and pairs well with summer food.   This one from California is rich and summery with flavors of peaches and tropical fruit and subtle layers of honey and vanilla.  Again, good with food, but good to sip while watching the fireworks, and about $17.

Whichever wine you choose, enjoy your fourth of July.  May it be safe and sane…