While I prefer to buy from knowledgeable merchants who are not too snooty to indulge an interested if cheap yahoo in five or ten minutes of wine chit-chat and who do not act obviously relieved when I make to leave, I'm nevertheless not averse to buying from big impersonal box stores, or anywhere else that sells wine, for that matter.
At just over eleven bucks, this Sagelands 2003 Merlot Four Corners is a great buy I've been picking up with some regularity lately from the Lihue Costco. There is a notion among some wine snobs that Merlots are flat, boring wines that the hoi polloi who don't know any better reach for first . (If you saw the film Sideways, you saw expression of this notion. There is even a wine blog called NoMerlot.com).
It reminds me of that moronically simplistic slogan popular with us rockers in the '80s: "Disco sucks." Yes, most disco sucked. But "most" every thing of a sort sucks, generally (though not as an absolute rule) and some disco was actually quite good and if you let a mindless slogan dictate what you listened to, then you robbed yourself some pretty good toonage.
This wine's rich deliciosity (yes, "deliciosity") puts the lie to the idiotically simple minded formulation that Merlot sucks. (Although, technically, it is 15% Cab, giving it some soft tannins and a little added complexity). I'm having a taste right now and I can confidently assert that this wine doesn't suck. It's actually quite good - medium body yet with a certain density to the ripe-ish fruit that itself plays against an oaky spiciness. The finish is relatively long and fruity and then suddenly dry and tannic.
2003 is a noteable vintage for Washington wines - a long hot summer gave way to a dry fall giving vintners the chance to let already huge, sugary grapes ripen an extra titch before harvest. It's tasty. It's good. I keep buying it.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Great wine value at Lihue Costco
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2 comments:
Hi Charley Foster,
Me too! I am so pleased that you have featured Sagelands 2003 Merlot Four Corners. This is a really great little wine, exemplifying all of the goodness in the expressive personable category between ten and twenty dollars that you are sharing with us. Time and again, as we enjoy a glass, the word that comes to mind is “elegant”. Nice pick.
Notes from your post “Where to eat on Kauai”.
While doing a search on Four Vines Zin, I came across a site devoted to place of origin “appellation” awareness in North America. A wonderfully useful and intriguing idea, check it out at: wine.appellationamerica.com. Very well executed web presence, as well as knowledgeable and friendly folks. Of course they love Four Vines Zins.
My evil devil troublemaker side makes me do this. Hummm Mrs. Foster enjoys chardonnay; so how about that other chardonnay - - true French Chablis? Equally nuanced, with a different approach to balance and sophistication. Quite ono you know! Unfortunately, perhaps out of our cheapskate range, more like twenty to thirty dollars for an excellent example. A time when Hawaii becomes a bit of a bugaboo; in a major metropolitan center it is a feast. Collete to the rescue; I am sure she would be happy to offer advice (got it right this time) on something worthwhile.
In the meantime give this link to an audio piece on the npr radio program “The Splendid Table” a go:
http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/souptonuts/wine_truechablis.shtml
If the link fails try a search for “true chablis splendid table”. Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the show host(ess), is a friend of Hawaii and also includes an inexpensive wine segment from time to time with guest commentator Josh Wesson from Best Cellars. If you can get into non-competitive just plain love of food cooking shows, the Splendid Table is also a weekly PodCast.
A Falesco Fallacy. Last week I mentioned Falesco, Umbria Merlot, IGT, 2005; a 90 Points - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate selection. Sorry to say the 2005 Falesco Merlot, while not a terrible wine by any means, has little to offer. Deep red ruby in color, light body, very subtle tar and tobacco nose, no distinguishing flavors, and a very pronounced tannin finish. After about forty-five minutes, including a preliminary decanting, the tannins mellowed and folded back into the body providing a bit more structure.
Well, I was shocked. So little life for a RP 90 pointer. Truthfully, I thought that my senses had gone on the blink; and was a bit ashamed for citing the Falesco in a pervious blog comment. Back to Costco for a second sample and something tried and true to perform a balanced a to b taste comparison. The tried and true, which we have been purchasing for months, was coincidentally Sagelands Merlot 2003. The second Falesco bottle was exactly the same.
What to do with a mediocre red wine? Poach a pear. Create a red wine syrup; adding port or madeira to taste, a bit of white or brown sugar, and a dribble of vanilla to the wine. Heat to a boil. Add a few peeled to the stem pears. Reduce heat to slight simmer for ~25 minutes. Best if not too soft, still a bit of crunch. Once the pears have been removed from the pan, the poaching liquid can be further reduced to a “coat the back of a spoon” syrup. Delicious as a desert with some cheese or a side for roasted root vegetables; such as parsnips, onions, and braised leeks.
Phew! Hope I have redeemed myself for suggesting such a lackluster ten dollar bottle.
Best,
Robert
Mahalo Robert, your tips, links and comments are always greatly appreciated. And you've given me an idea. I'll have to do a post soon on Mrs. Foster's (and my) fave Chardonnays.
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