Splurge-worthy option joins wallet-kind trio
Drink Pink! feature debuts with Bollinger Rosé Champagne
Price-wise, we’re all over the map today.
We have three inexpensive, easy-drinking, made-for-spring wines costing less than $15, but we’re also throwing in the Bollinger Rosé Champagne, which will set you back a hundred bucks.
Why the latter? Well, obviously our tasters loved it, and I’m using the “Bolly” to announce — toast, too — the beginning of our “Drink Pink!” season.
Going forward, rosés will be featured prominently in this space throughout the summer because nothing kills the heat-index pain better than quaffing still or sparkling pinks — whether they’re complex, elegant offerings such as this one from one of Champagne’s most storied houses or simple, fetching little gems that hail from Provence to Petaluma.
But you’ll find this week’s Spanish albariño and the Italian pinot grigio to be no less refreshing options. And see the California zin as a bargain workhorse for adding zing to family barbecues.
The prices listed are what Spec’s charges for a cash purchase, and bottles were available at the chain’s various outlets around town at press time. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find the wines elsewhere locally.
DRINK PINK! Bollinger Rosé Champagne
Overall score: 17.7 (9.2 for quality, 8.5 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.4 and seven scores of 9 or higher. “Incredibly rich on the nose. Tart cranberries, raspberries and citrus with a whiff of brioche.” My score: 9.1. This nonvintage rosé, possessing the structure and balance the Bollinger house’s wines have long been famous for, is a blend of pinot noir (62 percent), chardonnay (24) and pinot meunier (14). Dosage is moderate at 7 to 8 grams per liter. Also, note that Bollinger is the last producer in Champagne to employ its own in-house cooper. Alcohol: 12 percent Winemaker notes: “The rich complexity with balanced acidity should come as no surprise to devotees. The color is pale copper and aromas are of strawberries, raspberries and toasty lees. It’s full-bodied with a round flavor.” Critical acclaim: Wine Spectator awarded a score of 92, saying: “Lacy in texture with bright, well-knit acidity and a streak of chalky minerality underscoring the subtle flavors of strawberry, white peach, fresh ginger and crystallized honey. A hint of salted almond lingers on the finish.” Pairings: Crayfish, lobster, salmon. Japanese or midly spiced Asian cuisine. Fruit-based desserts. Price: $99.99
2014 Alois Lageder Dolomiti Pinot Grigio
Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with three scores of 9 or higher. “Light, minerally and aromatic with flavors of yellow plum. The perfect pinot grigio!” My score: 9. The Lageder family has been making wine in Italy’s Alto Adige since the winery’s founding near the historical center of Bolzano in 1855. Under namesake Alois’ leadership in recent decades, the emphasis has been on sound, sustainable vineyard practices, and a modern cellar was opened in 1995 at the Löwengang Estate in Magrè a few miles southwest of Bolzano on the lovely South Tyrolean Wine Route. Alcohol: 12.5 percent Winemaker notes: “The wine has a brilliant straw yellow with a green shimmer. There are quite pronounced and expressive aromas of flowers with somewhat spicy notes … rich flavor in the mouth with slight smokiness at the back (palate) and a good, fresh finish.” Critical acclaim: Critic James Suckling awarded a score of 91, calling the wine “a tangy and fresh white with (flavors of) lemon, pear and green apple. Fullbodied, clean and crisp. Gorgeous mango aftertaste. Subtle.” Pairings: Grilled chicken and light seafood dishes. Price: $14.19
2014 Martin Códax Rias Baixas Albariño
Overall score: 18.8 (8.8 for quality, 10 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with three scores of 9. “Citrus notes, especially lime. Softly acidic. Clean and pleasant on the palate.” My score: 9. A relatively new producer in the Rias Baixas region of Spanish Galicia above Portugal, Martin Códax was founded by a group of serious grape-growers in 1986 and has earned a reputation for consistent high quality and wallet-friendly prices. Alcohol: 12 percent Winemaker notes: “Delicate peachy aromas with hints of spice, herbs and traces of sweet fruits, a fresh and crisp palate rounded by hints of honey, peaches and stone fruits, a medium body and with a floral finish.” Critical acclaim: English wine critic Harry Eyres wrote: “There’s a peachy richness and even fatness on the nose, then the palate is lively, fresh and quite intense.” Pairings: Grilled lobster, shrimp, crab, scallops. Or with sunset. Price: $11.39
2014 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel
Overall score: 18.8 (8.8 for quality, 10 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.2. “Jammy, ripe, sweet fruit with peppery notes. Easy drinking.” My score: 8.8. The oldest zinfandel vineyards in California were planted long before modern trellising methods evolved, so they were head-pruned, meaning the shoots that produce the grapes grow directly out of the head of the trunk. Many of the farmers around Lodi, where Gnarly Head gets its fruit — primarily from the Kramer Vineyard — are fourth-generation descendants of the Italian immigrants who settled there in the early 1900s. Alcohol: 14.5 percent Winemaker notes: “The wine is made using grapes sourced from 35- to 80-year-old headtrained vines, some of the oldest in California. The fruit produced is exceptional, both intense and full-flavored.” Pairings: Braised short ribs, brisket, burgers, chicken enchiladas. Price: $8.49