Wine Reviews & Recommendations

Wines for Gift-Giving
and Holiday Entertaining

It is a festive season, and wine can play a key role in your gift-giving and/or entertaining this month. And because it is also a time when you might want to spend more than usual on wine, I recommend here this month some slightly higher priced wines as well as some wines that are decidedly off the beaten track.

Below, I first recommend three New Zealand Gewurztraminers; all are good values. The Vinoptima is one of the world’s best dry Gewurzs. Next, four California Merlots from the fine 2004 vintage. These are not innocuous Merlots, but wines with considerable character and depth.

Next, I recommend five 2005 Pinot Noirs from California. The vintage was excellent, and the 2005 Pinots are a bit finer and lighter than the rich 2004s. The final reds are top value Zinfandels from the 2005 vintage. Compared with other red wines of similar quality, these are exceptionally good values.

Lastly, we end with two top dessert wines from Hungary’s Tokaj district, whose sweet Tokaji wines are legendary for their quality and longevity. Since the Communist regime departed in 1989, investments in vineyards and facilities have resulted in the production of many remarkable wines, including the two recommended below (bottle in 500 m.l. bottles).

As usual, within each group, I have listed the wines in approximate order of their weight and flavor intensity--proceeding from lighter to fuller. Happy holidays.

New Zealand Gewurztraminer
Wine Recommendations

BIRD, 2006 GEWURZTRAMINER, MARLBOROUGH, $16-$18

Screw cap. Extremely distinct: full bodied, fragrant (rose petal, litchi nut, lime blossom), moderately intense in flavor, and long on the finish. Excellent value. 0.6% R.S. Drink through mid-2008.

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SPY VALLEY, 2006 GEWURZTRAMINER, MARLBOROUGH, $20-$22

Exceptional. Extremely intense in character (litchi nut, rose petal, mango), off dry, full bodied, fleshy, and long on the finish, with long flavor persistence. Drink through mid-2008.

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VINOPTIMA, 2004 RESERVE GEWURZTRAMINER, ORMOND, $46-$50

Floral and refined in character, this is luscious and concentrated, with intense aromas/flavors (litchi nut, rose petal, pineapple, honeysuckle), excellent balance, and tremendous length. Simply exceptional. Drink through 2008.

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Merlot Wine Recommendations

LUNA, 2004 MERLOT, HOWELL MOUNTAIN, $60-$64

Wow! Fine, medium rich, complex Merlot, in a full bodied, lightly oaky style. It tastes of blueberry, toast, cedar, spicy oak, and plum. Long aftertaste. Drink through 2012.

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SWANSON, 2004 MERLOT, OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY, $32-$35

Fleshy, full bodied, and medium rich; a Merlot with depth and structure, and a very long finish. It tastes of black currant, toasted oak, blackberry, tobacco, and roasted nut. Best Swanson Merlot, to date. Drink through 2011.

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STERLING VINEYARDS – Napa Valley
* 2004 MERLOT, THREE PALMS VINEYARD, $55-$59
* 2004 RESERVE MERLOT, $65-$68

These are intensely flavored Merlots. The Three Palm is full bodied and supple; a wine with evident richness, light oakiness, and a very long finish, tasting of black cherry, toast, spicy oak, and black currant. 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot. 6,146 cases. The Reserve Merlot is fleshy and full bodied, with good depth of fruit and evident new oak character. It tastes of blackberry, black currant, toast, spicy oak, and vanilla. 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot. 997.5 cases. Drink through 2012.

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Pinot Noir Wine Recommendations

GOLDENEYE, 2005 PINOT NOIR, MIGRATION, ANDERSON VALLEY, $30-$32

A fragrant, finely flavored Pinot Noir, that is floral in character, with fruity overtones, and oak-derived complexity. Very long finish. It tastes of rose hip, violet, raspberry, smoky oak, and nutmeg. 4,440 cases. Drink through 2008.

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DOMAINE CHANDON
* 2005 PINOT MEUNIER, CARNEROS, $30-$32
* 2005 PINOT NOIR, CARNEROS, $30-$35

Pinot Meunier is a close relative of Pinot Noir, and is largely used in making sparkling wines, in France’s Champagne district. This is one of few varietal Pinot Meuniers produced anywhere. It is delicious: a complex, supple, full bodied wine, that is moderately rich, well balanced, and very long on the finish, tasting of raspberry, nutmeg, toast, cherry, and spicy oak. The Pinot Noir is a bit richer and younger. It is firmly textured and full bodied, with evident new oak character, combined with plum, blueberry, toast, and spicy oak aromas/flavors. Long aftertaste. Drink through 2009.

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TAZ, 2005 PINOT NOIR, CUYAMA RIVER, SANTA MARIA VALLEY, $28-$30

Full bodied, supple, lightly oaky, and medium rich in flavor; an excellent good Pinot Noir, tasting of rose petal, black cherry, red currant, nutmeg, toast, vanilla, and roasted nut. Very long aftertaste. 523 cases. Drink through 2009.

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BELLE GLOS
* 2005 PINOT NOIR, TAYLOR LANE VINEYARD, SONOMA COAST, $50-$54
* 2005 PINOT NOIR, LAS ALTURAS VINEYARD, SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS, $46-$50

The Pinots from Belle Glos get better and better! The Taylor Lane bottling is fruity and complex in style; full bodied, and crisp and long on the palate, with raspberry, cherry, nutmeg, toast, and spicy oak aromas/flavors. Long aftertaste. The Las Alturas is exceptional: intensely flavored, full bodied, and long on the palate; a Pinot Noir with rich blueberry, plum, raspberry, toast, and nutmeg aromas/flavors. Very long finish. Drink through 2009.

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Zinfandel Wine Recommendations

SOBON ESTATE, 2005 ZINFANDEL, OLD VINES, AMADOR COUNTY, $14-$16

Screw cap. A ripe, somewhat oaky wine, yet with intense Zin character (berry jam, boysenberry, pepper), and a very long finish. Organically grown grapes. 4% Syrah, 2% Sangiovese, 4% Barbera, 2% Grenache. 5,014 cases. Drink through 2008.

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FROG'S LEAP, 2005 ZINFANDEL, NAPA VALLEY, $25-$27

A well balanced, full bodied, lightly oaked Zinfandel, with blackberry, cherry, plum, pepper, and spicy oak aromas/flavors. Very long finish. 17% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane, 3% Grenache. 9,400 cases. Drink through 2009.

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PELLEGRINI, 2005 ZINFANDEL, EIGHT COUSINS VINEYARD, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, $23-$25

Delicious Zin: supple, full bodied, and very ripely flavored (blackberry jam, plum, cherry), this is a lightly toasty wine, with good balance and a very long finish. Excellent value. Drink through 2009.

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Dessert Wine Recommendations

GROF DEGENFELD, 2000 TOKAJI ASZU, 6 PUTTONYOS, $70-$75/500 m.l.

Wonderful Aszu! Fragrant and very fine in character (peach, honey, toffee, orange blossom), medium bodied, supple in texture, richly flavored, and very long and persistent on the finish. Great value. 38 Brix at harvest, 17% R.S., 11% alc. Drink through 2020.

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ARVAY, 2000 TOKAJI ASZU, 6 PUTTONYOS, $90-$100/500 m.l.

A fleshy, rich Aszu, with slight toasted oak character. It is medium bodied, complex in aroma/flavor (toast, honey, roasted nut, lime blossom, and peach), and very long on the finish. Excellent. 20.6% R.S., 10.1% alc. Drink through 2020.

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-- RW

Related Wine Resources If you enjoyed these wine reviews, you might also find the following wine resources to be useful: November '07: Holiday White Wine Reviews Glossary of Wine Terms Types of Wine Around the World How to Serve Wine Choosing Wine Glasses