8 pours our tasting panel recommends
Houston Chronicle tasting-panel members have been evaluating wines on your behalf in recent weeks. The recommendations that follow — half of which can be had for less than $20 — are from individual tasters and are ranked according to their overall scores, based on a 20-point scale that factors in value, as determined by me.
2017 CHÂTEAU DE ST. COSME GIGONDAS (19.4)
Taster’s notes: “Earthy, peppery and spicy with savory dark and red-fruit notes. Soft tannins.”
Winery: Louis Barruol, whose family has owned the property in Gigondas since the 16th century, took over for his father in 1992 and has since become one of France’s greatest winemakers. The blend of biodynamically grown grapes is 70 percent grenache with mourvèdre (15), syrah (14) and cinsault (1) accounting for the rest. Barruol did the fermentation in concrete with indigenous yeasts, then aged the wine in both barrels and concrete. Alcohol: 15.5 percent.
Winemaker’s notes: “The palate offers ample freshness, sweet tannins, and a full bodied, lingering texture. Perfect with meat loaf and roasted fingerling potatoes.”
Critical acclaim: Five major critics scored it at least a 92. Price: $55.79 at Spec’s
2018 PRIEST RANCH GRENACHE BLANC (19)
Taster’s notes: “Loved the aromatics and the bright acidity/minerality.”
Winery: Priest Ranch is now part of the Somerston Estate near St. Helena, a property that covers 1,615 acres. The grenache blanc, a grape best known for being the backbone of white Châteauneuf-duPapes, grows on hillsides at about 1,250 feet. The wine spent eight months in
stainless steel before bottling. Alcohol: 13.1 percent. Winemaker’s notes:
“Bright aromas of white peach, melons, and honeysuckle. The palate is sharp with good acidity and minerality and a touch of tannins. Hints of bright stone fruits, Asian pears and citrus make it the perfect pairing for Thai cuisine or to serve with triple cream cheese.”
Price: $22 at priestranchwines.com
2019 TAFT STREET SAUVIGNON BLANC RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY (19)
Taster’s notes: “An apple, citrus and stone-fruit salad. Most refreshing.”
Winery: The winery was launched out of a Berkeley, Calif., garage in 1979. Mike Martini, a former mayor of Santa Rosa, was among the founders and oversees Taft Street’s business operations today. The grapes are from two Russian River Valley vineyards. Winemaker Melissa Kuhn cold-fermented the grapes separately in temperaturecontrolled stainless-steel tanks. Alcohol: 13.9 percent. Winemaker’s notes:
“Refreshingly crisp, the bouquet is perfumed with hints of green apple and white peach. A fine mineral edge frames citrus flavors of key-lime and grapefruit, while lively acidity provides a polished, lingering finish.”
Price: $16.99 at Spec’s
CLETO CHIARLI LAMBRUSCO DI SORBARA VECCHIA MODENA 2019 (19)
Taster’s notes: “Redpurple color, minerally red-berry aroma, soft effervescence on the palate with semi-sweet cherry essence through finish. Easy drinking. Perfect for a hot day in Houston.”
Winery: Modena’s Chiarli family is arguably the most important producer of red sparkling wine on the planet. The state-of-the-art 21st-century facility, which occupies a prime spot in the heart of the Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC, is run by Chiarli’s great-grandsons, Mauro and Anselmo. Alcohol: 8 percent. Winemaker’s notes:
“Deep rosé color, with clear fragrances of strawberry and brushwood. Its taste is fresh, pervasive, mineral and at the same time velvety and surprisingly dynamic.”
Price: $16.99 at wine.com
2019 ROBERTSON WINERY PINOTAGE (19)
Taster’s notes: “Vibrant red-fruit flavors. Slight under-taste of espresso and chocolate. Paired perfectly with pasta in a spicy jalapeño-cilantro sauce.”
Winery: In South Africa’s Western Cape town of Robertson, the winery was founded in 1941, originally operating out of an abandoned missionary chapel. This pinotage spent five months in neutral oak. Alcohol: 13.5 percent.
Winemaker notes: “Produced in an early drinking style with delicious flavors of ripe strawberry and rich red cherry. Enjoy with roast beef, guinea fowl, roast chicken, stews, lamb, pizza and pasta.”
Price: $10.99 at Spec’s
2019 GÉRARD BERTRAND CÔTE DES ROSES ROSÉ (19)
Taster’s notes: “An elegant yet approachable rosé. Abundant fruity aroma and flavors of grapefruit, red cherry and strawberry, accompanied by subtle notes of peppery floral and wet stone. Finishes with juicy acidity and a hint of minerality.”
Winery: Bertrand, a former Narbonne and French national rugby-team star, has built a wine empire in his native Languedoc. This pink is a classic South-ofFrance blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault grapes that are direct-pressed, then fermented for 15 to 30 days before the juice goes into the uniquely shaped bottle bearing a rose (hence the name). Alcohol: 13 percent. Winemaker’s notes:
“The bouquet releases aromas of summer fruits, cassis, and redcurrant. Floral notes of rose along with hints of grapefruit complete the picture. The finish is fresh, offering notes of candy. On the palate, the impression is fresh and full, with great aromatic persistence and balance.”
Critical acclaim: Wilfred Wong of wine.com awarded a score of 90. Price: $13.99 at Kroger
2019 TRYPHON IMPETUOUS PÉTILLANT NATUREL (18.7)
Taster’s notes: “(With a) light-amber color, it yields a welcoming, persistent mousse in the glass. The flavors and aromas build with fermentation with lychee, ginger, tangerine and citrus-blossom dominance.”
Winery: The muscat canelli grapes, harvested in the Seaton-Ferguson Texas High Plains Farmhouse Vineyard near Lubbock, are fermented using the “Method Ancestral,” or pétillant naturel, process at the Saint Tryphon winery outside Boerne. Owners Silouan, Mary Elizabeth and Anna Bradford pride themselves on being “interesting, wild and authentic.” Pet-nats tend to be more lightly frothy than fully effervescent, and this one is no exception. Winemaker’s notes:
“Fresh and highly aromatic, this wine is refreshingly bright with crisp acidity, yet rich, lingering and silky in texture.”
Price: $25 through the end of September, after which it will be $35 at sainttryphon.com.
2018 KNIGHTS BRIDGE ESTATE UNOAKED CHARDONNAY (18.1)
Taster’s notes: “Tastes of green apple, lemon and pears. A fresh and lively but also elegant wine.”
Winery: In 2006, a 20year quest for perfect wine-growing terroir led three friends to 50 acres of hillside vineyards in the warmest part of Sonoma County. Winemaker Douglas Danielak, who has been aboard since Day 1, used only estate fruit in this chardonnay. Alcohol: 13.5 percent. Winemaker’s notes:
“Crisp, bright and bracing, the wine (delivers) fresh aromas of Meyer lemon and flower blossoms, which are echoed on the palate and joined by lush flavors of pear and apples. Enjoy with everything from summer salads to spicy Asian cuisine.”
Price: $42.99 at wine.com