Petit Grealo 2004 Costers del Segre “Sero Subzona Artesa”

The label is a mouthful, and varietally oriented consumers may be put off by it.  More’s the pity. Situated north of Priorat and Montsant in Catalonia, there are good wines coming from Costers del Segre at reasonable prices.  If you find it, this is a great opportunity to taste a good, mature red wine with some character.

A great opportunity to sample a mature red wine, Petit Greal (“Little Grail”) is produced by Vinya l’Hereu.  Their website describes Petit Greal as an organically farmed blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot, aged in stainless steel.  I can’t say whether 2004 is the current vintage or not.

My notes call this “California style from Spain.”  Even at seven years old, it started with a good lashing of alcohol and tannin.  Over 30 minutes in the glass, the heat dropped away and the wine changed markedly.  This will benefit from decanting.

Is this label easy to understand or confusing? Please leave a comment with your opinion.

My notes read, mature nose with a California vibe, earthy, stewed red fruit, tobacco and leather.  On the palate, mature, rounded and balanced fruit flavors framed by smooth tannins.

Pricing:  in my local store it was priced at $10.99, on sale from $19.99.  If you find this at $10.99, it’s a steal.  Buy up and enjoy it.  Imported by C & P Wines, NYC.

Chateau de Pena Cuvée de Pena 2009

This stylish red wine is from the Rousillon district in the eastern French Pyrenees, near the city of Perpignan.  Cuvee de Peña’s designation is VDP des Pyrenees Orientales rather than Cotes de Rousillon.  Co-op wine.

The dusty red fruit and garrigue nose leads to a medium-bodied palate, with cherries, tobacco and soft tannins.  Balanced, decent finish,  At $7.99 retail, this is a great value.

Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton VA.

Cellars Baronia del Montsant: Great Value from Spain

Located in northeast Spain, the Montsant DO was carved out of the Tarragona appellation only in 2001.  It surrounds the more famous Priorat, sharing Priorat’s climate but with a different soil type.  Both appellations permit a wide variety of grapes.  I’m not aware of any requirements regarding how they’re blended.  If you know of them, please leave a comment.

Cellars Baronia’s Flor d’Englora Roure 2009 is a grenache-dominated blend from Montsant.  Whether it’s the soil, the climate, or the winemaking approach, what we think of as “French varietals” – grenache, carignan, basically everything but ull de llebre – produce a much different glass of wine here than in Languedoc or the Rhone.  For those who wish to know such things, here is the varietal composition of Flor d’Englora Roure.  Grenache 63%, carignan 32%, Merlot 2%, syrah 2%, ull de llebre 3%  (local name for tempranillo)

Nose earthy, compelling black fruit, herbs.

Palate.  Medium to full body, blackberries framed by racy acidity.  Good finish.  This is terrific of its type and worth an effort to find.  Compared to some of the pricy wines coming from Priorat, it’s a great value.  Strongly recommended.

Imported by Vintage Imports Inc Bristol PA.  Approximately $12.99 retail.

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz – Great Values

On an unseasonably cool summer evening, I had a chance to sample a couple of great red wines from South Africa.  Excelsior are the first South African wines I’ve had in a few years, and I was quite impressed.  The Cabernet especially has a stylish flavor profile I haven’t encountered in many wines at this price.

From South Africa ,wine of origin Robertson

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon:

Nose:  spicy, herbs, stone fruits, very European

Palate balanced, red fruit, full bodied, centered.

Distinctive nose and flavors set this apart from anything else in this price range.  Retail: $8.99

Excelsior Shiraz

Bouquet:  blackberry, chocolate, tobacco.

Palate: bright fruit flavors, spice nuances, good balance and focus.  Nice fruit finish.

Note that this isn’t the cloying style of many CA red wines at this price.  Standout in this price range.  RETAIL:  $8.99

Both imported by Cape Classics, NY, NY

Italian White Wines: Pinot Grigio and a Blend for the Summer

These two wines couldn’t be more different.

From Feudo di Santa Tresa, Pura Sicilia Purato 2010 is a Sicilian white wine blended from the autochthonous Catarratto (60%) and Pinot Grigio (40%).  Striving to be a green winery, the label states that the bottle is from 85% recycled glass and the cardboard carton and wine label are 100% recycled content with vegetable ink.  Additionally, they “use only ‘natural’ methods of pest control and fertilization.”  The web site states that they’ve applied to be certified as fully organic.

The fresh, floral, springlike bouquet is followed by a light-to-medium bodied palate with bright flavors leaning slightly to the acidic side.  Good summer wine.

Retails between $8.75 – $10.95.  Imported by Vias Imports, NY, NY.

From Venezia comes Tiziano Pinot Grigio.  The bouquet is innocuous and neutral.  The much better palate is dominated by lemon/citrus flavors with an allspice or nutmeg component.  There’s a bit of residual sugar, which I find disappointing.  Medium body, decent, nice but undistinguished.

Of the two, I’d return for the Purato.

$8.99 retail.  Imported by Total Beverage Solutions, Mount Pleasant, SC.