Rotari Brut Rosé Trento Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: With 25% Chardonnay and 75% Pinot Noir, this classical method (meaning the second fermentation takes place in the bottle, as is done in Champagne) Italian sparkling wine offers extraordinary value for the money. Its lovely medium pale pink color and lifted red fruit aromas introduce a rich, elegant palate. The finish is clean, dry and crisp; the bead is small and persistent. Treat it like a Champagne, and serve chilled, 45ºF/7-8ºC in tall tulip-shaped flutes. Kept on the lees for 24 months. Steam sea bass in parchment paper along with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs and vegetables. Very good with smoked pork butt and a sweet-spicy full-bodied barbecue sauce. All manner of Asian fare, such as sushi, dim sum, shumai with Ponzu dipping sauce, teriyaki, rumaki, similar appetizers. Sunday brunch with curried fruit, smoked salmon. Georgia Distributor: Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $12.00 2006 Domaine de la Batardiere Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Sultry days like these need wines that are uplifting to the palate, with fresh, zingy acidity and clean fruit. Doesn't hurt if there's a bit of minerality to the composition, either. Such as wine is this Muscadet. Light- medium-bodied, with a lovely straw color, the wine opens with a medley of citrus aromas and flavors. As it evolves, it shows increasing complexity, and the minerality starts to intersect the fruit flavors. The grape type is Melon de Bourgogne, a variety often confused in California with Pinoc Blanc. It's ideal with summer foods: briny raw oysters with lemon; oysters Rockefeller; smoked salmon mousse or terrine; quiche with caramelized onions; shrimp or other shellfish with rémoulade sauce; king crab legs with lemon butter; chicken croquetas; walnut-sized potatoes stuffed with Boursin cheese or with sour cream and chives. This is an awesome value that simply tastes way better than its price would suggest. Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Company $8.00 2006 Henri Bourgeois Sauvignon Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France Petit Bourgeois Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 92 Tasting Note: A Sauvignon Blanc for anyone skittish about the grape comes in the form of this fruit-centered version that, while Old World and therefore restrained, nonetheless provides clearly varietal fruit. Medium-bodied, moderate in alcohol (12.5%), and pale straw I color, it opens with a refreshing, classic scent of grapefruit zest. Good acidity makes its mouthwatering presence on the palate last a long while, even as it keeps a good handle on the grapefruit zest-kissed flavors. Very good depth of flavor clearly belongs to the grape type: Sauvignon Blanc. Yet this is a vin de pays. M. Bourgeois supposedly entered the wine in a Sancerre competition, which it won and got its producer into a pack of trouble. Savor it on one of these hot days at about 50 ºF/10ºC in tulip-shaped white wine glasses. Goodness gracious, what a value! Foods: roasted or baked oysters with butter, lemon, white wine and fresh herbs; pistachio- or herb-crusted goat cheese lightly sautéed on mixed greens, lemon herb vinaigrette; garlic shrimp with rémoulade or tartar sauce; poached or baked white fish with herb butter/garlic/olive oil sauce; poached quenelles of pike or other firm white fish with beurre blanc (or anything with beurre blanc, really). Georgia Distributor: Medto Premium Wines $14.00 2006 Frogtown Cellars Vineaux Blanc Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 91 Tasting Note: Hand a glass of this North Georgia wine to anyone who considers him- herself a wine "connoisseur," and they'll be pleased but stumped as to white it is. They'll agonize over familiar grape types. Is it Chardonnay? (no). A Sauvignon Blanc? (no, despite lots of citrus). With its bright yellow color, this delightful medium-bodied dry white wine offers a range of flavors along with minerality and complexity. Who would guess Seyval and Vidal? These two French-American hybrids grapes can make tasty wines if properly vinified--that is at cold temperatures and with limited oak contact to maintain fresh fruit flavors. There's also some Viognier here, which lifts the aromas and adds some voluptuousness. You'll find Vineaux Blanc on the wine list at the new Spice Market, where it pairs very well with any shellfish dish, especially the tempura soft-shell crab. Seafood salads, poached chicken breast with light curry mayonnaise, and classic chicken salad also would be good. Georgia Distributor: Frogtown Cellars (Georgia wines may self-distribute) $14.00 2006 Willamette Valley Riesling Oregon Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 91 Tasting Note: This medium-bodied semi-sweet white wine shows a lovely pale yellow color. But this is not to be confused with simple, cloying-sweet Rieslings. This is no liquified lollipop. Instead, it opens with a complex, lifted, sweet fruit aroma that offers a touch of the scent of honey mingled with white fruits--white peaches, nectarines, pears and melon. The palate picks up these same characters, and adds a touch of citrus zest, crisp apple, and honey taste to the mix. A fine backbone of acidity keeps the sweetness from sliding off the tracks. The finish is super long, and the impression of luxurious deliciousness and the acidity hang in there to the close. In style, it clearly nods toward Germanic wines, with its voluptuous but balanced sweetness. Serve at 50-55ºF/10-13ºC). A really fine value in this genre from one of Oregon's better recent vintages. Foods: light curries (curried chicken salad with apples); pork chops with sautéed onions and apples; Asian dishes with poultry, seafood or pork; smoked pork chops with apple/jícama slaw; pork steaks or boneless chicken breasts with whole-grain mustard cream, spaetzle with ham and cream; grilled chicken apple sausages with caramelized onions. Georgia Distributor: General Wholesale $12.00 2006 A to Z Rosé Oregon Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: "Aristocratic wines at democratic prices," announces the winery's motto, and this example alone sets for a major piece of the evidence. What a value. Out of the bottle comes a wine of deep, but translucent, red color. The red fruit profile dominates the aromas--strawberry, red cherry, watermelon, red raspberry. The same flavors move to give character to the palate, with enjoys ample, fleshy fruit textures as well as intense fruit flavors. The grape is Sangiovese grown close to the California border. Of course, all was done in stainless steel to preserve that lovely fruit freshness. The crisp, snappy finish reflects that bright acidity that makes it a good food wine. Very fine value. I'd drink this in the middle of a blizzard, but it is the perfect wine for this crazy heat. Try it with grilled chicken, grilled ham steak, roasted duck, salamis and charcuterie, wings, fried chicken, muffalettas and other hearty meat-filled sandwiches with good bread. Be sure to serve cool, around 55ºF/17ºC. Georgia Distributor: Quality Wine & Spirits $13.00 2003 Greysac Medoc Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: In this tight economy, are you avoiding Bordeaux wines? Of course, the classified growths cost a t sum that would challenge your mortgage. But there are lesser known Bordeaux that can bring the tastes of the region to your table, even on a Wednesday, at a reasonable price. The château's 95 hectares/234 acres of vineyards are distributed among the classic Bordeaux varieties roughly as follows: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Vines age average 30 years, as much replanting followed its acquisition by new owners in 1972. This medium- full-bodied red wine, with a solid ruby red color, shows a classic Bordeaux nose, with notes of cedar and tobacco along with wild dark berries. On the palate, these same characters march in harmony along with elegant, fruit-expressive tannins through to a persistent finish. I've savored this château's work for several years, liking it some vintages and not in others. This is one of the best I've seen from this producer. The 2003 vintage--the hot one--produced rich, ripe fruit, but the winemaker did not let it escape into overripe jamminess. Drink now in large tulip-shaped glasses at about 60ºF/15ºC. Very fine value. Foods: terrines; meat pies; game; grilled and roasted red meat; duck; firm, aged cheeses. Georgia Distributor: National Distributing Company $19.00 2004 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: This is a lot of wine for the money, pure and simple. With its deep purple red color, this medium-bodied dry red wine shows somewhat shy aromas of dark fruit and spice, but the flavors aren't shy in the slightest. A cooler temperature, about 60-65ºF/15-17ºC., brings out the spice character. Tannins are graceful and fruit derived,assuring the likelihood of some further longevity if well cellared. Prices vary widely on this one, but it can be found below the $7 mark, making it a superb choice for outdoor grilling with a gang of friends. One taster guessed it cost $20!! After tasting this wine many times over the years, I admire its consistency vintage after vintage. Foods: peppered liver pàté; cured meats; braised short-ribs of beef over mashed potatoes, soft polenta or grits; slow-smoked pork butt; all grilled red meats, including duck and sausages; grilled chicken; blue and firm aged cheeses. Georgia Distributor: General Wholesale $8.00 2004 Bodega Hinojosa Tempranillo Mendoza Don Silvestre Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: While the aromas on this finely crafted wine aren't as generous as one might wish, the flavor profile certainly makes up for it. Spice and dark fruits--plum, dark cherry,--blend on the palate, making it difficult to stop sipping this one. Silky tannins and good acidity boost the finish, which is substantial for a wine this inexpensive or one that costs a lot more. Tempranillo, meaning the early little one because of its size and its tendency to flower early, is an important grape in Argentina, not just Spain. Powerful lot of flavor for the money. Foods: beef-filled empanadas;salamis and other cured meats; roast dark meat turkey; grilled beef and other red meats; roast duck; leg of lamb; mole poblano; blue and firm aged cheeses; dark chocolate (interesting with the Dagoba Xocolatl, an organic dark chocolate and chili nibs--available at Whole Foods and DeKalb Farmers Market). Serve slightly cool, about 65ºF/17ºC in large tulip-shaped glasses. Georgia Distributor: New World Wines $5.00 2006 Clos Otto Boxhead Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 89 Tasting Note: The world seems full of Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvigon blends, most of them--especially the less expensive ones--drilling dull. Here's an exception: This full-bodied dry red wine shows a lovely purple red color, and opens with aromas the suggestion of freshly cured tobacco and rich dark and red fruits, which come through full force on the palate. Rich fruit and round tannins make a perfectly lovely marriage. The alcohol is hefty, as is often the case with these, 14.5%, but rich foods and a reduced serving temperature (go for about 65ºF/18Cº.) temper it. Three different lots were blended from Barossa, Langhorne Creek, and Victoria contributed the fruit, which is 72% Shiraz and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Foods: barbecue (as Southerners mean the term); grilled meats, too; chicken baked under a blanket of rich tomato sauce; roast pork tenderloin with chipotle glaze; grilled fairly spicily seasoned sausages; grilled ham steak, tomato-baked meatloaf. Very fine value. Georgia Distributor: Unique World Wines $10.00 2006 Bodegas Agustin Cubero Stylo Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 87 Tasting Note: Achiving DO status in 1990, Calatayud is loated in western Aragón, the kingdom associated with famed Ferdinand. This full-bodied dry red wine is 100% old-vine Grenache, and shows a dark violet-tinged red color. Aromas are a little shy, but what's there is clean, fresh and fruit- Very fruit forward, the wine shows plums and dark fruits, while tannins are round and very well integrated. The palate is not especially complex, but certainly pleasing, and the finish is long and fruit-filled. "Cubero" is Spanish for “cooper” although these wines are unoaked. The bodega founded in 1881 on the edge of the town of Calatayud, features a state-of-the art facilitym with the best of technology and traditional family methods, Serve cool, about 65ºF/17ºC to showcase the fruit characters. Very fine value. Foods; really good with smoked purk butt and a slightly sweet/spicy tomato-based barbecue sauce (Johnny's Pride), pepper liver pàté; herb-crusted salami; grilled meats; roast duck; Korean or Chinese barbecue. Georgia Distributor: Bacco Fine Wine $12.00 2007 Bodegas Y Viñedos Tornero Jazz-Min Review Date - 8/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Fine fruit aromas and flavors bring focus to this medium-bodied dry white wine. With its medium golden color, it leads one to anticipate a more voluptuous fruit character. Not that there isn't good fruit here; there is. But what's startling is the minerality, the chalky thread that runs through it, adding unexpected complexity. The texture shows a certain fleshinss that counterweights the stony minerals. The grapes are native to Spain: 60% Macabeo (a/k/a Viura); and 40% Airén, the latter Spain's most widely planted grape and the foundation of its fortified coñac or brandy. Serve it at a cool temperature, around 50ºF/10ºC: Foods with assertive seasoning dishes with saffron; curried chicken or fish (not too hot); garlic shrimp or chicken; paella; firm aged cheeses. Georgia Distributor: Bacco Fine Wine $16.00