Category Archives: Red Wines

Red Wine Review: San Fabiano Chianti

Fattoria San Fabiano Chianti Putto 2004

Fattoria San Fabiano Chianti Chianti has been, and remains, one of my favorite “fall back” wines — a bottle I can open with almost anything, and because of the relatively inexpensive cost, not feel guilty about uncorking to match with a simple everyday meal.

That said, I’m constantly on the lookout for a reasonably priced ($10-$15), quality Chianti. Notice I didn’t say “Chianti Riserva” or “single vineyard” Chianti — these tend to cost upwards of twenty to thirty dollars or more, and deserve to be contemplated over a hunk of grana or a Tuscan-grilled steak or homemade meatballs and marinara. What I’m referring to here is a simple, easy drinking Chianti that will be enjoyable with, say, a slice of pizza or pasta with jar-made sauce.

As usual, my favorite Italian importer Vias comes through with a good bang-for-the-buck bottle, San Fabiano Chianti “Putto”. It’s made from a somewhat traditional Chianti blend — 60% Sangiovese, 20% Malvasia Nera, 10% Cannaiolo, 10% Ciliegiolo 20% Malvasia Toscana — something we’re seeing less and less of since the Consorzio began allowing up to 100% Sangiovese in Chianti Classico DOCG.

San Fabiano Tasting Notes

Good black cherry character, good acidity, well balanced, smooth enough texture, easy going finish. Matches well with all types of food. For about ten bucks, you can’t go wrong. Added bonus: it passed the “two night test” ; it drank nearly as well after being recorked (half bottle left, no carbonation) and poured again the next evening. Match it with pizza, pasta and marinara, mac and cheese, cured meats (i.e., antipasti plate), and similarly simple dishes.

a-7 t-7 b-8 fc-9 v-7 ~ 88 Points

Importer: Vias Wine

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Red Wine Review: Silver Spur Pinot Noir

Silver Spur Pinot Noir 2002

Silver Spur Pinot Noir wine bottleI have to admit, I was expecting very little from this wine. Silver Spur was completely unknown to me, as I’d never seen the winery name in a retail shop, on a restaurant list, nor read in a wine magazine. It was sent to me by MyWinesDirect, an internet-only retailer that specializes in introducing unknown wines to ignorant palates such as mine.

With such low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine, immediately apparent after being poured into the glass. The nose is forward, and open, and exudes a fresh, ripe aroma of strawberries, black cherry, earth, and a distinctive smokiness. Though this wine hails from California (specifically, Carneros in Napa Valley), it is more “old world” in style – one of the few American Pinot Noirs that remind me of red Burgundy. Unlike the jammy, over-the-top Pinots typically produced in the West Coast heat, this wine is ripe but not overwhelming, and retains both a rustic character and a tie to its terroir (soil).

In the mouth it has a silky smooth texture, and fills the mouth with ripe black cherry, red raspberry, ripe strawberry, some vanilla spice, and a touch of earth and leather. Acidity is appropriately medium, and tannins are likewise. Alcohol is there but subdued, so the finish is barely warm. All in all, an elegant, polished wine that is well balanced, full of fruit, and has an appealing finish. It is enjoyable alone, but will be better with lean dishes, such as turkey, fish, chicken, vegetarian. Or have it with a mild cheese or simple appetizer.

a-9 t-9 b-9 fc-8 v-8 ~ 93 Points

Silver Spur Winery website

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Red Wine Review: Powers Merlot

Powers Merlot 2004 Columbia Valley

Powers Merlot wine bottleReal deal price: 12.99

Ho-hum you say … a California Merlot review. Well … not really.

Actually, Powers Merlot is from Washington State — but that’s a giveaway for anyone who took the time to read the label and knows where Columbia Valley is situated. Powers is a “sister” label to Badger Mountain, a 100% organic vineyard also in Columbia Valley (in fact, it was the FIRST vineyard in Washington to be Certified Organic, back in 1990). In 1992, Badger Mountain founders Bill and Greg Powers (a father and son team) decided to make non-organic wines as well, from grapes sourced from well-respected vineyards throughout Columbia Valley — and thus the “Powers” label was born. Though Powers is best known as a Cabernet producer, their Merlot is pretty tasty as well — and a fine value.

Powers Merlot: The Tasting Notes

Open, forward nose of ripe raspberry, black cherry, green earth, black pepper, bell pepper, tar, tea leaves, and a minty herb (anise?) aroma. In the mouth it has super-ripe, juicy raspberry fruit, earth, mild sweet tobacco, black cherry, plum, bell pepper, and hints of chocolate and tar. Texture is smooth. Acidity is somewhere between mild and medium. Tannins are medium, and most noticeable in the midpalate. The finish is a bit hot – the wine’s only significant negative – but also offers some raspberry fruit, black pepper, and earth. This is a good match for burgers, skirt steak, cheeses, braises and stews. At about $12.99, this is a very good to great value.

a-8 t-9 b-7 fc-7 v-9 ~ 90 Points

Powers Winery Website

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Malbec Review: Elsa Bianchi

Bodegas Famiglia Valentin Bianchi “Elsa” Malbec 2004

Elsa Bianchi Malbec wine bottleProof that there are still good values to be had in Argentina. In fact, at a price between eight and eleven bucks (depending on the retailer), this is a super value.

Valentin Famiglia Bianchi has been making a range of consistent, quality wines from their vineyards in San Rafael for about 70 years — in my opinion, some of the best-for-your-buck Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon coming out of Argentina, year in and year out. Their style is clean, full of ripe fruit, round, and warm, with luscious, silky texture. Most of their wines go through some kind of barrel aging to add a nice vanilla spice component — but not so much to overpower the fruit, which is always the focus in their winemaking. Though they have some outstanding high-end bottlings, they also have a range of “entry level” wines labeled as “Elsa” — which is the Malbec we’re reviewing today. If there’s a negative to Valentin Bianchi’s wines, it’s finding them in the US — though they are supposed to be distributed throughout most of the 50 states, they’re about as easy to find as a needle in a haystack. However, they’re worth the effort of seeking out.

The Tasting Notes

Rich, vibrant, surprisingly complex aromas: ripe, fresh raspberry, plum, blackberry, vanilla spice, boysenberry, earth, hint of tar. Smooth as glass on the palate, showing excellent jammy fruit upfront, but not so much that it is overwhelming (the way an Aussie Shiraz might). Rather, the flavors pleasantly and slowly mellow into a well balanced finish, where mild to medium tannins and sufficient acidity appear and hold things together. The taste of the wine is a mirror of the nose: lots of ripe red and black fruits with spicy notes and hints of earth. Match this with a wide variety of foods, from blackened chicken to pork / veal chop to hamburgers to, of course, skirt steak grilled Argentine style.

Life would be truly wonderful if all bottles under nine bucks packed this much punch. Get a case and count on it as your daily drinker.

a-8 t-8 b-9 fc-10 v-10 ~ 95 Points

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Malbec Review: El Portillo

Bodegas Salentein El Portillo Malbec Estate Bottled 2005

Bodegas Salentein Finca El Portillo Malbec wine bottleThe winery is Bodegas Salentein, but you’ll have a hard time finding that on the label. It’s more easily recognized as “El Portillo” (or technically, “Finca El Portillo”), which is the name of the vineyard estate from which the grapes are grown. The vines are located more than a half-mile above sea level (3280 feet, to be exact), in the Valle de Uco (or, Uco Valley) area of Tunuyan — a municipality inside the Mendoza region. Personally, I don’t know enough about the sub-regions of Mendoza to know whether that’s important — but it does give you interesting dinner conversation.

The Tasting Notes

Nose is almost rustic, with good earthy character, ripe black fruits, and black pepper. On the palate you get muted blackberry, black raspberry, black pepper, earth. Acidity and tannins are both appropriately medium intensity, providing good backbone. Can a wine be clean and dirty? Yes it can, as this wine proves. It has that “dirty” earth character yet is well-made, well-balanced, and the fruit comes through cleanly. The finish is more old world, mostly earth, black pepper, and some black fruit. It reminds me more of Cot and traditional Argentine Malbec than the over-saturated, jammy Malbecs that have been flooding the market recently — which to me is a breath of fresh air. Not everything has to taste like Australian Shiraz or over-the-top California Zin.

I purchased this wine for the express purpose of matching with Argentine-grilled skirt steak, and it was a perfect pairing. I’d also suggest this wine with hard cheeses, cheesey dishes, other cuts of beef (grilled), roasts, and rich-flavored grilled veggies.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-7 ~ 89 Points

Importer: San Francisco Wine Exchange

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