Seasonal perfection and value pricing mark these four recommendations.
Two Argentine wines, a torrontes and a malbec from Mendoza, earnpraise. So did an intriguing new white from southwestern France and a domestic offering, Duckhorn’s Migration Chardonnay, from the Russian River Valley. What they share in common is seasonal
2012 Trivento Torrontés Reserve
Overall score: 18.7 (8.7 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9. “Spicy and floral with tropical fruit flavors. Clean, oily finish.”
My score: 8.9. My visceral reaction at first was “too sweet!” But a second taste, then a third, revealed surprising complexity — chardonnay and viognier make up 20 percent of the blend — and refreshing peach notes. Loved the floral nose, too, which you expect from a torrontés. If you’re grilling a fatty fish, this seems the perfect pairing. Alcohol: 13 percent.
Buy it: $8.89
2011 Trapiche Broquel Malbec
Overall score: 18.8 (8.8 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with two scores of 9 or higher. “Lots of fruit and oak with some cinnamon and Asian spice. Yummy.”
My score: 8.9. This is a classically big, juicy Mendoza malbec with sufficient acidity to be taken seriously. I tasted blackberries and raspberries and a dollop of chocolate. The wine spent 15 months in new French and American oak, so there’s some wood in the mix, too, but it’s not overdone. If the torrontes is just right for fatty fish, the Broquel will match up just as splendidly with fatty red meat. Alcohol: 14.5 percent.
Buy it: $12.39
2012 Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum
Overall score: 18.8 (8.8 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Missed a unanimous recommendation by one-tenth of a point but received two scores of 9. “Crisp and lemony with a nice, long finish.”
My score: 8.8. From a respected Cahors producer, it’s a blend of ugni blanc and colombard from the Côtes de Gasgogne, an ancient and sometimes overlooked wine region that’s coming into its own as more serious vintners explore the terroir and bring better cellars practices into play. (Historically Gascony has been best known for the famous brandy Armagnac.) Pale gold r with aromas of green apples and a hint of melon, this is an ideal aperitif for August in Houston, being refreshing and low in alcohol, which comes in at only 11 percent.
Buy it:
$9.99
2012 Duckhorn Migration Chardonnay
Overall score: 17.8 (8.8 for quality, 9 for value)
Our tasters: Missed a unanimous recommendations by two-tenths of a point but received two scores of 9. “Ripe red apples and vanilla. Rich, elegant and fruity.”
My score: 8.8. The fruit came from classic Russian River Valley terroir, with its sandy loam soil and cooling ocean fog. The wine was barrel-fermented in French oak (35 percent new), then spent 10 months aging in the barrel. The outstanding 2012 vintage profited from nearly perfect conditions that allowed the grapes to ripen slowly with no undue stress. Crisp fall temperatures prolonged the ripening process, never a bad thing. Alcohol: 14.1 percent.
Buy it:
$28.29