A few weeks ago Peter asked me if I knew of any red wines that were ready to drink as soon as the cork was pulled from the bottle... (or unscrew the cap) ones that didn't need breathing time or storage in a cellar for years before being able to enjoy them. I have been considering an answer to his question since then...
Based on my experience so far, I believe the choices come down to most of the wines in the $8.00 to $13.00 price range you find on shelves everywhere. These wines are made to be enjoyed immediately, without any delay. That price range is the sweet spot for retail outlets, and where most consumers feel comfortable spending their money when they just want something to have that night or the coming weekend.
The wines from WA State offer a good to great price to quality ratio in that price range, and are usually well made. I have tried some Italian wines lately that were quite good at a fair price, and within 20 minutes were ready to drink (prep time for your meal) Spanish Tempranillo bottlings usually satisfy nicely for $8.00 to $12.00 and are delicious right away.
If you want to step up a price range ($18 to $25) then for sure the Cabs and Merlot from WA State can be a very nice experience right away. Try some of the bottlings from J. Lohr, their wines have been on a roll the last few years...Two Italian reds come to mind in that price range, Palazzo della Torre by Allegrini, and Bertani - Original Vintage Edition.
I can recommend the red wines from Rodney Strong, the wine making team does a great job across the price ranges and especially the single vineyard bottlings and the reserves. The Reserve Cabernets are delicious as soon as they are released, and will gain additional nuances over 5-7 years of cellar time.
When opened, nice notes of red and black fruits with a spicy component in the nose. Matching flavors with a smooth mouthfeel, some spicy notes and lingering fruit on the finish. After 30 minutes the nose leans more towards blackberries, black plums, the spice note is still there, it has developed more of a plush mouthfeel with mixed blackberry, cherry and plum flavors with a nice lingering finish suggesting another sip... no food required to balance the wine. It's just delicious... it was like this when I first got the wine club shipment in 2014, and it's still good now at almost 7 years from the vintage date.
Available at Total wine in Natick MA for $34 per bottle, or if you buy other "pick 6" qualifying bottles you can get it for $30.59 per bottle.... worth every penny for an anniversary dinner, or some other special occasion.
Life's short, and you have only so many bottles in your life, never drink a bad one....
Cheers,
Ed
No comments:
Post a Comment