I can’t speak to the wisdom of naming your wine after Alexander Hamilton — and putting a picture of him on the label — but this Dry Creek Valley Zin is certainly worth a try. With a medium body and big fruit flavors of currant jam, the wine offers a touch of pepper and cola character, with a menthol finish. Complex but well balanced, it’s a winner.
A- / $22 / terlatowines.com
Get rid of glass and you can jam much more wine into the same amount of space.
CalNaturale uses Tetra Pak cartons to put one liter of wine into a compact and sturdy package — essentially a boxed wine, just in a much smaller box than the usual 3-liter container.
For good measure, both of the wines out of CalNaturale are made with organic grapes. Here’s how they taste.
2009 CalNaturale Chardonnay hails from Mendocino and is quite drinkable, if plain. Modestly oaked, it offers some unusual character, including banana and tart guava notes atop a pear-like core. A little metallic on the finish. B- / $13 (one-liter package)
2008 CalNaturale Cabernet Sauvignon, as many inexpensive cabs go, is not nearly as easygoing. A very young and brash cab, this Paso Robles wine needs far more time in wood to soften its strawberry-flavored jamminess, which makes it so fruity it almost comes across like children’s punch. D / $13 (one-liter package)
Both are also available in 500ml packages.
You may not realize it, but you’ve probably had wine made from Melon de Bourgogne grapes, and probably more than you realize. That’s because all wines from the Muscadet region of France’s Loire Valley are made from Melon de Bourgogne, though you will likely never find the name of the varietal on any wine label.
Today we sampled two recent-vintage Muscadets, a 2007 from L’Aubiniere and a 2008 from Michel Delhommeau (“Cuvee St. Vincent”), both from the Sèvre et Maine sub-appellation, where the bulk of Muscadet wines are produced. Both are great bargains.
2007 L’Aubiniere Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie is the more restrained of the pair, a moderately fruity wine with a moderately big body that speaks of white peaches, mango, and table grapes. The nose is virtually nonexistent, despite the ripeness on the tongue, which is odd, yet not a complete loss. B / $11
2008 Michel Delhommeau “Cuvee St. Vincent” Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie is jammier, clearly with a bit of residual sugar. Also a very mild nose, the fruit is more powerful in the Delhommeau, again with tropical mango and peach and some pineapple. The finish is off a bit, maybe a little on the sour side, though with food I expect it won’t be as noticeable. B- / $12 / creamwine.com
Islay’s Bruichladdich keeps pumping out whisky faster that I can drink it. Here’s a look at four recently-released expressions from the vaunted distillery.
Bruichladdich Organic 2003 – A young whisky — it’s unclear exactly how young since the spirit carries no age statement, but it’s 7 years old at most — this light spirit is Islay’s first organic whisky. Very light color and body, with a quietly peaty body. The whisky’s floral character is hidden below all this smoke, but it comes off as rough and a little unbalanced. I liked this far more at Whiskies of the World, and I can see that some time with air helps the Organic considerably. 92 proof. B- / $50
Bruichladdich Links 15 Years Old Valhalla - One of many expressions in the Links series, this ruddy whisky is aged in bourbon barrels and Barsac wine casks. A very traditional whisky, with light smoke, sweet vanilla, and a citrus and caramel finish. A solid choice for an everyday whisky, though on the expensive side. 92 proof. B+ / $75
Bruichladdich Oloroso Sherry Edition 10 Years Old 1998 - To give you an idea of how much whisky Bruichladdich is putting out, it has released four different whiskys aged in four different types of sherry casks. This one is from old Oloroso sherry casks, where it spent 10 long years. The color is extremely dark, and the spirit has a rich, obviously sherried, character. It’s probably too much, with big wood notes, a light peat tonality, and a deep, raisin-inflected orange citrus finish. It veers pretty far away from Scotch, to be honest, but it’s a unique experience to be sure. 92 proof. B+ / $110
Bruichladdich Peat - I expect the name is a giveaway. Bruichladdich doesn’t normally do big peat. Here, it does. Big time. This is a whisky that tastes like you smell after you come home from a barbecue. It’s heavily smoky, and with an oily sweetness, not a phenolic one a la Laphroaig. No age statement, and it probably wouldn’t matter if it had one. This is a whisky for the peat lover, one who doesn’t mind how far over the top the spirit goes. B- / $55
This new tequila hails from fields near the town of Amatitan in Jalisco. Available in all three traditional expressions, we sampled Azuñia Platinum Blanco. 100 percent blue agave of course, this tequila is twice distilled and unaged, then bottled at 80 proof.
The nose is full of agave, a blast of herbal character that leaves no mistake about what you’re drinking. The body is big, again relying on agave but also infused with a huge minty menthol character. Traditional, on the whole. A little rough around the edges, it’s got a lasting finish that unfortunately turns a little bitter.
Not a bad mixing tequila but a little crazily priced for what it delivers.
B / $46 / azuniatequila.com
Polish potato vodka, what could be more classic? This triple-distilled vodka is far smoother than its budget price tag would indicate, offering a light sweetness, a light to moderate medicinal body, and a touch of vanilla on the finish. There’s some charcoal in the nose — a by-product of the filtering, to be sure — but otherwise Luksusowa (Polish for “luxury”) doesn’t ring a false note. A traditional vodka with some modern flair, this spirit is perfect as a mixer and can work straight, too.
B+ / $15 / luksusowa.net
As a longtime Austin resident, I cut my teeth on Mexican Martinis, a variant on the Margarita which uses a little more tequila, a little more triple sec, and an olive garnish. Served on the rocks or on the stem — and typically with another drink in a small shaker placed next to your glass.
The debate will likely rage forever on whether The Cedar Door or Trudy’s, both Austin landmarks, is the true “home” of the drink — but The Cedar Door is upping the ante on the argument by releasing its own Mexican Martini mix, a 34 ounce bottle of yellow stuff to which you add tequila, triple sec, and a little lime. Change up the recipe and you’ve got a Margarita if you prefer. Both are printed on the side of the bottle.
Now I’m a skeptic who wouldn’t normally use any premade mix to make a drink, but I have to give The Cedar Door some credit here: Despite the scary color, this stuff is quite good, not too sweet like so many Margarita mixes, and not at all saccharine. The resulting drinks have the right balance of sweet and sour and they taste completely fresh (and the color of the finished drink is right, too). I daresay the Mexican Martini version, complete with a gaggle of olives, is the best way to go here. It’s like a blast from the past. Serve on a hot day. With chips and salsa, please.
Refrigerate after opening.
A- / $6 per 34-ounce bottle / cedardooraustin.com
Not knowing exactly what this Loire Valley red was made of, Jean-Maurice Raffault’s Chinon, from the Savigny-en-Véron village, “Clos de Capucins” label, generated quite the argument here at Drinkhacker HQ. Guesses ranged from Syrah to Cabernet Sauvignon. Had we known more about the Chinon AOC, we would’ve known it was all Cabernet Franc. Who would’ve guessed?
Lush and surprisingly tart, this wine is huge with cherry and ripe plum character, then ends on an herbal finish. Not overly tannic and harsh like so many Cab Francs, it is rather smooth and quite soft, an easy-drinking wine that is perfect on its own but can also stand up to bigger meals.
Great price, too.
A- / $26 / pagesperso-orange.fr
Here’s a great gift idea for Father’s Day: One each of the five expressions that the whisky legends at Johnnie Walker. You don’t actually have to buy him five full bottles (what dad is worth that kind of expense?). Instead, JW has a nice little set of 200ml bottles of four of the five expressions (all but Green Label) available for just 100 bucks. Or, if you really want to splurge, you can have a full 750ml bottle of Blue Label etched with the message of your choice for $225.
We took the opportunity to run through the full Johnnie Walker lineup and offer thoughts on all five expressions. Prices are for full 750ml bottles.
Johnnie Walker Red Label is the entry-level Johnnie, said to be the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky. Red Label carries no age statement, and it tastes young and a bit raw. Maybe that’s why people like it. Lightly peaty, it’s got a moderate burn that tends to overpower some pleasant sweetness — honey notes and a little floweriness. It’s a fine blended whisky for the price but nothing too memorable. 80 proof. B- / $23
Johnnie Walker Black Label is an easy step up, making it a popular call brand for sipping neat. Aged 12 years, it’s got virtually none of the heat that Red Label has, instead offering a distinctly sweet, fruity, and easygoing body with just a touch of peat laced throughout. Still an exceptional value and worth having a bottle for when you have company. Every Scotch drinker will drink Black Label, guaranteed. 80 proof. (You can read about my Black Label blending experiment here.) B+ / $34
Johnnie Walker Green Label is an anomaly in the JW portfolio, which is why it’s not part of the four-bottle sample kits you’ll find online. Why? Green Label isn’t a blended Scotch, it’s a vatted malt or “blended malt,” which means it uses only single malt Scotches in the mix. No (cheap) grain whiskey. I reviewed Green Label in depth here, but it’s worth revisiting. Aged 15 years, this malt is far more intense than Red and Black Label, thicker with peat smoke and layered with honey character. A distinct Islay brininess sneaks through. Worth a look but it’s out of character for Walker. 86 proof. B+ / $43
Johnnie Walker Gold Label, “The Centenary Blend,” is aged 18 years and has a lot of the charms of Black Label, just at a higher price. Often served chilled at tastings for reasons I do not understand, it’s only been on the market since the 1990s; before then it had been reserved as a product for internal use since it was first mcreated in the 1920s for the 100th anniversary of the company. The body is light for an 18-year-old, and said body has an almost oily texture. The characteristic light JW smoke fades away almost immediately leaving behind a woody spirit with less honeyed sweetness than its kid brothers. More complicated and drier than Black Label. The price upgrade is debatable. 80 proof. B+ / $85
Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the top of the Johnnie Walker line, a legendarily expensive whisky that runs $30 a shot at most bars. Blended from nine single malts, some of which even I’ve never heard of (Glen Albyn? Cambus?). No age statement, however. Heresy or not, Blue Label has always seemed a little rough around the edges to me, a rustic whisky with some charms that are unfortunately buried in smoke and wood. Less fruity and not very sweet at all, it’s more of a malty, heather-infused whisky with a thick, burly palate to it. Perfectly drinkable, but not the end-all-be-all it wants to be. B+ / $220
Black Star Lager existed from 1995 to 2003. Now, following a long hiatus, it is back on the market in Montana, San Francisco, and the Pacific Northwest (and, oddly, Virgin Airlines) for fans old and new to rediscover.
As the name promises, two types of hops (Bavarian Mittelfrüh and Czech Saaz for you beer wonks) are used in the golden-colored brew, but Black Star itself is not overly hoppy. Rather, it is fairly moderate in the hops department, and is nearly as refreshing as a lighter pilsner or simple lager. Apparently “double hops” doesn’t mean twice the amount of hops, just twice the variety of hops. The body itself has a light sweetness, but it’s on the watery side. The finish is thin. Easy to drink, but not terribly memorable.
It’s unknown if the recipe has changed at all in the near-decade it’s been off the market, although the label appears to have been updated.
Also available in cans.
B- /$8 per six-pack / blackstarbeer.com
