An everyday red perfect for January
2009 BenMarco Malbec
Regularly $20, but
here now at $14.99 per bottle (25% off)
I'll be the first to admit that a Malbec isn't always my first or even second choice for wine to drink after work. Similar to the popularity explosion that Shiraz or especially Merlot had about eight years ago, 
(until the movie Sideways came out) too many wineries have tried to cash in on the Malbec wave and end up making mass produced, over oaked, candied fruit tasting wine. Blah...not good stuff.
But here is one that somehow stands out in the swath of Malbecs out there that run under $20. BenMarco is made by Susana Balbo (of Crios fame) and is the most balanced (fruit, acidity and tannin are all in harmony) Malbec I've tasted for under $20. 
(Susana discussing her wines)
Susana's BenMarco label started in 1999 when she wanted to craft a line of wines to showcase the ripe fruit expression of her sustainably-farmed Mendoza vineyards. Susana and her husband (vineyard manager) Pedro Marchevsky's philosophy is a simple one: grow great grapes and make wines that are true to their place.
Like many of the wines we like to feature here at West Concord, Susana and Pedro employ minimal chemical intervention during the growing season and through harvest which allows the true fruit character to develop. Combine that with a winemaker who KNOWS how to make delicious wines and the result is BenMarco.
(The Dream Team! Susana and Pedro in the vineyard)
The name BenMarco means "son of Marcos" in Hebrew. Susana and Pedro produce their wines as a homage to Pedro's father, Marcos who taught him how to plant, tend, and love the vineyards.
And it just so happens that the "professional" wine critics enjoy BenMarco as well. The 2009 vintage garnered some great press:
"Blended with 10% Bonarda; spice box, incense, lavender, black cherry; rich, plush palate."
91 Points The Wine Advocate
"An international style of red, this gracefully 
combines ripe red fruit and the toasty flavors of oak. Impressively balanced, this has a kind of tannic energy that extends the fruit flavor and keeps it fresh through a juicy, lightly spiced finish."
90 Points Wine & Spirits
"Good bright ruby. Aromatic nose combines blueberry, licorice pastille, violet and sexy oak. Supple, sweet and perfumed on the palate, offering good breadth and finishing with suave tannins. This juicy, persistent wine offers early appeal."
89 Points Stephen Tanzer
Pair it with a burger!
There was one wine in particular that I enjoyed because it was so unique and you never see it in the US. It was a white wine from the Vacqueyras region. Vacqueyras sits just east of the famous Chateauneuf-Du-Pape region and south of Gigondas. Almost the entire production from Vacqueyras is red wine, so trying their white was a treat. Unfortunately, the production of that Vacqueras Blanc was so small none of it made it to the USA.
After we finished tasting all the wines our host said to us, "Now you are going to eat lunch." And he guided us downstairs to a very fancy dining room. Our itinerary and the handbook we were given called for a "Tasting and Lunch." "Sweet," I thought. I was feeling good from the tasting and ready to eat a nice meal. And the fact that this was going to be a free meal was even better since by this point in the trip our funds were running low from eating too many three course lunches. 
maitre d' and gave him (what I thought) was a heads up that some VIP's (aka customers) who didn't speak French well were about to sit down to dine and to take special care of us. I witnessed the conversation and was feeling good about showing my new wife what special treatment was all about!
We sat down and proceeded to eat a five course lunch. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! Our server didn't speak any English at all but we managed to get by and eat a fantastic lunch. They even brought out a couple glasses of new my favorite Vacqueyras Blanc that I had tasted earlier to go with my fish. At the end of the meal, I was waiting to see some sort of comped bill, so I could at least know how much tip to give. 
at the check. Oh, crap! Yes, I was sort of shocked and thought that our guide would valiantly return to save us from this damage. But no such luck. I'm sure I was just being a typical American but everything had led me to believe the lunch was on the house. But it was ok even though it turned out to be our most expensive meal of the trip. Oh well I thought, "at least I got to taste that special Vacqueyras Blanc." 
is decided, a panel of four prominent wine folks taste all the wines BLIND (bottles are stored in paper bags) and decide which ones are the best. The whole process has become an exciting annual event and is called Plonk-a-Palooza. 
Last week when the list was released, I hustled to read the Globe and call in orders to make sure we got some of the wines in stock for you to try. The wines usually sell out quickly. I only buy the wines that the tasters agreed were the top wines, runner-up, or wines that have been popular at the shop.
2008 Poggio Romita “Fiorino’’ Chianti 
2010 Vignarco Orvieto Classico
Bila-Haut is planted to old vines that Chapoutier farms organically with biodynamic techniques. It is planted to Grenache, Carignan and Syrah. The cool winters, hot summers, low rainfall, and the local 'Mistral' (drying breeze), combine to make a perfect climate for these grapes. All of the grapes are hand picked in the vineyards. What do you serve with this wine? It will pair beautifully with roasted and grilled meats, beef stew, bean soups and PUMPKIN inspired dishes.
Customer Favorites - A Couple of American Beauties
It's very rare that I'll recommend two wines from the same producer because it's tough for any producer to make two top-notch wines like it's tough for me to multi-task. But these folks (on the left) did it. 
Wind Gap (Sonoma Coast) and one from Russian River Valley. This Sonoma County is a complex pinot with dark cherry fruit and sweet earthen minerality held together by bright acidity and long, rich and ripe tannins. I think this is a Cab lovers Pinot because it's so big and juicy. On sale for $17.99
This is the kind of wine you drink a few glasses of without realizing it. I've been tasting a lot of heavier wines lately so it was refreshing to drink something so light with so much flavor. It has nice cherry, smoke and spice smell, with a light and fresh mouth feel that's still very round and concentrated. The tannins on the finish are smooth and enjoyable. I would recommend opening this at least an hour before drinking it. It was almost better on the second day of being open.
I drank this wine the other night and agree with the review. For me it's style falls somewhere between Burgundy and Napa. It has the elegance and liveliness of Chardonnay from Burgundy but it also has those rich and creamy flavors that you expect from higher quality Napa Chardonnays. It's almost too perfect! And like any good Chardonnay, it also goes down too easy. It's great wine to serve to guests because "old world" a.k.a European wine lovers can enjoy the elegance while those who prefer US Chardonnay like Sonoma Cutrer, Ferrari-Carrano or Cupcake will like it's creaminess.
Elvio Tintero Grangia - 11.5% alcohol
We drank some of this delicious Cab last night. Again, the review is spot-on. The biggest thing for me with this wine is that it tastes like real Cabernet. Many of the Napa Cabs I try at this price point taste too oaky, have gobs of fruit and zero varietal character. Sure, it's kind of a generic label and we don't know which winery the grapes are from but if you can get past that and just enjoy what's in the glass this wine is a great value. I tried it again this afternoon and I have to say that on day two, this wine is even better. You could easily lay this wine down for a couple years, but why wait? It's delicious now with and even better with a little air. And again it's a great wine to serve to guests. Just like a good Chardonnay, who doesn't like a quality Napa Cab? 
The ride west from Provence was thankfully uneventful. We didn't get stuck in any tollbooths or gas stations like we did on the previous day. We stopped at our first winery, Chateau Laroque, (a Kermit Lynch import) toured the vineyards, met the winemaker and sampled some unfinished wine out of the barrel. The folks at Laroque were very gracious and our visit there was a real treat. Our next stops were going to be the wineries St. Martin de la Garrigue and Domaine Lafage. The winemaker at Laroque recommended we take the highway to save time.
was a big overhanging sign that read:
Domaine Lafage to us. Jean Marc and Eliane LaFage's 2010 white blend labeled "Cote Est" reflect the pioneering spirit you still see in Southern France. Breaking tradition for this wine, they have blended grapes you don't usually see together and somehow they make an amazingly fresh and tasty blend at even better price. The quality makes one think this style of wine had been perfected over centuries rather then a decade. 
an enticing bouquet of underbrush, damp earth, mineral, incense, black currant and black cherry. This is followed by a full-bodied, dense, savory wine with layers of spicy fruit and a lengthy, pure finish." If you like Napa Cabs, I think you'll like this wine. That black currant they mention in the review really shines through and reminds me a of a Cab from Oakville. But it still has that minerality that only comes from places like Priorat where the vines are grown on steep hillsides on rocky soil. Find this wine at the front counter or "highly rated" bins. 
Wines available to taste now:
You can't find wine from anywhere else in the world that tastes like this. But if you like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Grenache/Garnacha based wines from Spain or the Rhone Valley, I think you'll enjoy this style. For under $10, it's exactly what I'm looking for; it's light, fresh, has plenty of fruit and doesn't taste like someone modified it with phony tactics to make it taste like a more expensive, complex wine. 
Lake County is located just north of Napa Valley along the Mayacamas Mountains. For years Lake County grapes were being sold and used to make Napa and Sonoma wines that we see labeled as "North Coast." But with wine drinkers looking for a little extra bang for their buck these days, the region is producing it's own wines and finally garnering a degree of recognition from the wine press.
grape (Barbera) being grown in a lesser known area of California. But after one sip, you'll taste why this wine has the best of both worlds - the fruity punch and crispness you get from an Italian Barbera, but also the guts, power and rich fruit you expect from grapes grown until the California sun. When we tried it at the shop without knowing the price, we all thought it was a $35+ bottle. It's a great value at half that price. 
Last night I spoke on the phone with the wine maker and I asked him how he got so much of the rich fruit flavors out of the grapes but managed to have the wine maintain it's crispness. He told me Lake County has slightly warmer days and cooler nights then Napa, and that they picked the Barbera extra late which reduced the acidity and cranked up the fruit. Even with so much fruit, this wine tastes very fresh and it retained plenty of acidity. 
does the press. They consistently get 93+ point scores. But what about their white wines? Robert Parker loves those as well. They also typically get 93+ point scores. So how the heck can I sell Anderson's 2006 Chard at over 50% off? 
read his Wine Advocate religiously, but you can see just how powerful this man is when he writes something remotely negative about a wine. He can make the fortune or failure of a given wine with a less then outstanding review.
layman's terms, when a wine goes through malolactic fermentation it gets that "buttery" taste. Without malolactic fermentation, the wine retains more of a crisp, refreshing taste. 
