Top 15 Wines one would want to buy.
By David Dobbs owner of Red Carpet Wine, a respected California sommelier.
With all of the choices for dining around that you will find in our
annual food and wine edition, we thought that it might be a good idea to include
some subjective reviews on top wine buys that may complement your meals.
The following list is an annual roundup of the year’s most exciting wines that
you can still reasonably purchase. As in previous years, we tasted well over
three thousand wines and less than 3% of them make it to the shelves of Red
Carpet.
While you may disagree with some of these selections, remember that tasting wine
is always subjective and supposed to be fun. Also keep in, “what good is a list
if you can't purchase the things that sound interesting?”
ORIN SWIFT 2005 THE PRISONER
$31.95
A rich, fruit forward wine with the ripe berry characteristics of the 2003 and
the balanced structure of the 2004. Aromatically it may be the most complex and
evolved vintage at this stage. The nose of this delicious wine is sweet, ripe,
quietly smoky and very attractively fruity, as hints of licorice root, black
tea, vanilla and coffee toffee meld seamlessly with dark cherry, plum and
blackberry scents in a forward and engaging mix. The wine is every bit as
charming on the palate, where the creamy vanilla, toffee and black tea notes are
reprised while the flavors shift toward pomegranate and red raspberry. The
finish is lingering and never less than silky, and those savory tea/toast notes
keep the wines fruitiness from overstating itself. With airing, a more Zin-like
personality emerges and black pepper, red raspberry, plum and pomegranate take
center stage. Lovely already, it will serve brilliantly with many dishes, from
rich roasts to bread and cheese picnics. The blend has similar characteristics
as past vintages with 48% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 10%
Petite Sirah and 2% Charbono. Feel free to check our math, but that should make
100%. We hope that you enjoy finding treasures with our list.
2001 Arcturus
$29.99
This wine tastes precisely like what it claims to be: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon,
21% Merlot, 15% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. (Of course we can taste the
Petite Verdot - we're professionals!). It has the elegance, structure and
classic Bordeaux-style flavors of Cab Sauv; perfume and softness imparted by the
Merlot and the spicy, blueberry-and-orange-rind fruit lent by the Cab Franc. The
whole comes together just like a Meritage is supposed to - com
2003 Masi Campofiorin Ripasso $11.97
Masi is one of the three or four top producers of Amarone, one of Italy 's most
profound wines. Sandro Boscaini, a guiding light for Veneto wine for decades,
has both an understanding of the long traditions of winemaking in the region and
passion for excellence. Basically a miniature Amarone, this wine displays ripe,
complex aromas and flavors of dark cherries, plums, licorice, tar, vanilla and
nutmeg.
2004 Querciabella
Chianti Classico
$23.28
Querciabella is one of the top three producers in all of Chianti, and this
stunning '04 shows why. Rich and firmly structured but sumptuous and accessible
with loads of Sangiovese spice and tobacco. It outclasses most other producers'
Riservas and Super Tuscans for half the price. Sebastiano Castiglioni and his
team are well aware that they are trend setters in the region. The best of the
old and the new.
2002 Twomey Merlot
$58.49
Owned by the Duncan Family (Silver Oak), Twomey Cellars originates in the Soda
Canyon Ranch, where Merlot grows with extraordinary complexity. An intense,
concentrated wine that combines power and finesse in beautiful balance. It
displays a very dark ruby color and a complex nose of black cherry jam, roasting
coffee, dark chocolate and cloves. It has a velvety, voluptuous mouth-feel with
flavors of cherries covered in dark chocolate.
2003 Pavie St Emilion
$194.23
Closest in style to the 2000, but slightly more evolved and exotic. Its dense
plum/purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of charcoal, creme
de cassis, melted licorice, espresso roast, and blackberries. The wine hits the
palate with a dramatic minerality intermixed with black and red fruits. With
massive depth, richness and body, you'll enjoy it over the next four decades.
The integration of acidity, tannin and wood is flawless, and the wine is
incredibly pure, rich, and intense.
2004 Eden Canyon Cabernet
$27.93
Eden Canyon is a small production winery that specializes in making enticing and
seductive Cabernet Sauvignon. Their 2004 Estate is especially remarkable —
aromatics in high-def. Clean and pure, exotic and rich. Full of black cherry,
plum, fig, cassis and rich spice; this inspiring wine lingers on the finish with
a wellintegrated mouth-feel and structure. Big and fruit-forward, this wine will
appeal to even the most die-hard Napa Valley Cabernet drinker.
2004 Tres Ojos Garnacha
$7.77
One of the most consistently excellent and delightfully drinkable inexpensive
reds we've ever carried, this is our third vintage of this little gem. Loads of
ripe Garnacha fruit from central Spain , packed with soft raspberry and cherry
fruit, leather, spice and classic terroir. As easy as it is to drink on its own,
it is remarkably substantial, standing up to all manner of flavorful dishes,
from roasted chicken to grilled steaks and sausages to the classic Spanish
slow-roasted leg of lamb.
2003 Cloud View
$64.95
This is the third year in a row that this wine has made our top 100. Winemaker
Karen Turjanis, formerly of Cardinale, Lokoya and Paul Hobbs has done it again.
This wine has a complex nose of plum, black cherry and currant. On the palate it
reveals a wonderful richness and roundness that only great wines achieve. I love
this wine!
2004 Caymus Conundrum
$21.99
If you’ve never had Conundrum, you are missing out on one of California 's best
kept secrets. That is to say that although they do give hints of what is in it,
they never quite say exactly. Blending grapes from all over California ,
Conundrum combines a blend of at least Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Viognier
and Chardonnay. This wine shows good versatility and will accompany anything
from salad to desert.
2004 Girard Old Vine Zinfandel
$20.62
Girard Old Vine Zinfandel can not make its way off our list. The primary
vineyard source for the 2004 Old Vine Zinfandel is the Blue Ridge vineyard on
top of Mt. Vaca , which forms the Eastern border of the Napa Valley . The 2004
vintage is fullerbodied than previous vintages and presents a dark crimson
color. The aroma offers dark cherries, lush blueberries and ripe plums. The
palate is bursting with lush fruit and spices with hints of coffee and cocoa.
2004 Vincent Girardin
Pinot Emotion
$19.29
Nowadays it is difficult to find a refined bottle of Burgundy for less than
twenty bucks…until now! Welcome to my little friend, the Girardin Pint Noir
“Emotion”. Spicy black cherries and hints of cedar in this medium- bodied,
velvety-textured offering. Vincent Girardin has been producing outstanding wines
at all price point for almost 3 decades. If you haven’t tried the wines of
Vincent Girardin now would be a good time to explore.
2005 Casa da la Cruz Pinot
$14.95
This '05 Casa de la Cruz Pinot Noir offers more bang for the buck than any other
Pinot out there. Unlike so many other inexpensive Pinots, the Casa de la Cruz is
unmistakably Pinot Noir, from the first scents of cherries and smoky cranberries
to the cocoa and bacon on the finish. In between there are sweet vanilla,
minerals and hints of tangy orange rind. Whether it's for a small dinner or a
party for the masses, this Pinot is a real crowd pleaser.
2004 Terraces Zinfandel
$24.95
This is the second wine that made our list this year from Terraces. This
property dates back to 1881 when it was planted to the "Werle" Clone. In the mid
70's Charlie Wagner, owner of Caymus, was purchasing these Zinfandel grape and
considered them to be the finest in the Napa Valley. Ask any grower or winemaker
- they will tell you that the "Werle" clone is the finest for Zinfandel. Very,
very limited.
2005 Alamos Chardonnay
$9.97
Wow, this seems to come from a lot closer to Los Alamos than Mendoza, Argentina
- the Bien Nacido vineyard in Santa Barbara, to be exact. A dead ringer for
Chards from Au Bon Climat, Qupe and countless other great wineries on the
Central Coast who use fruit from that famous vineyard but for one-third to
one-fifth the price. Same classic tropical fruit and citrus aromas and flavors,
same patented lush texture and minerality on the palate.
About The Author
Back in 1964, when Robert Mondavi was still planning and dreaming of his own
winery, Red Carpet opened in Glendale. In the spirit of numerous California
wineries, they are a family run business with a vast selection of wines and
spirits covering the best areas and producers in the world.
A key to their success has been to help a novice wine-lover through the maze of
names and styles of wine, or assisting with the needs for a family get-together.
Now into their 4th decade, you can look them up online at www.redcarpetwine.com
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