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Snag this juicy, French white wine for just $9
This week’s greatest value hails from Gascony in southwestern France, a source mostly for distilled spirits, but also for delicious inexpensive white wines. We also have an Alsace riesling to match hearty fall dishes, a Bordeaux to illustrate the importance of vintage, and a bubbly rosé to get the party started.
La Salette 2018: two stars; Cotes de Gascogne, France, $9 (great value)
Gascony grows most of its grapes for distillation into brandy, but the table wines can be delicious and cheap. This juicy white blend is 80 percent colombard, familiar to wine drinkers of a certain age as the mainstay grape of American chablis. The rest is gros manseng and ugni blanc. You won’t want to waste time contemplating this crowd pleaser, because you’ll want to snag another pour before it’s gone. Alcohol by volume: 12 percent.
Imported and distributed by Kysela.
Mader Riesling 2017: two-and-a-half stars; Alsace, France, $22
Mader produces consistently good riesling, and the 2017 is a delight, with ripe apricot and peach flavors and some stony mineral structure. This wine is dry, so riesling-phobes who shy away thinking it’s always sweet should feel confident enough to give it a try. ABV: 13 percent.
Imported and distributed by Elite.
Château Peynaud-Bagnac 2017: two stars; Bordeaux, France, $13
Here’s a fun exercise in vintage variation. Many Bordeaux are arriving on the market from the fabulous 2016 vintage, and here’s an early entry (the first I’ve seen), from the troublesome rainy 2017s. I encourage anyone just learning about wine, or curious about why we should pay attention to vintage, to try this against a similarly priced 2016. The 2017 Peynaud-Bagnac, a blend of 65 percent merlot, 30 percent cabernet sauvignon and 5 percent cabernet franc, is textbook Bordeaux, with black fruit flavors and a mineral note commonly called graphite or pencil shavings. It’s medium-bodied and somewhat angular, while a 2016 is likely to be riper and more mouthfilling. The 2017s will be a vintage to enjoy while waiting for the 2016s to develop in the cellar, even at this price level. ABV: 13 percent.
Imported by Tri-Vin, distributed by DMV.
Baron Maxime Brut Rosé Reserve Blend No. 5: two stars; France, $18
Here’s a simple and straightforward rosé bubbly to put you in a celebratory mood. The flavors are bright strawberry and raspberry, ideal as a pick-me-up or to splash in a cocktail. ABV: 12 percent.
Imported by G&B, distributed by Global.
Ratings: 3 stars: Exceptional; 2 stars: Excellent; 1 star: Very good. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.