June 2022

LEO STEEN, EURO SENSIBILTY IN CALIFORNIA

Leo Hansen was born and raised in Denmark to a father that was a chef and hotelier. So food and wine have always been a part of his life. Leo’s first career was as a sommelier in some of Europe’s best restaurants including Kong Hans, Copenhagen’s first one-star Michelin guide restaurant. Having caught the wine bug, Leo came to the United States in 1999 to check out the food and wine scene, and never went back!

He migrated to the Sonoma wine country, and worked as a waiter and sommelier and, ultimately, a wine buyer at the wine-centric Dry Creek Kitchen and Cyrus restaurants in Healdsburg. He later began working at Stuhmuller winery in the Alexander Valley, and started making a bit of his own wine, at the Stuhlmuller facilities, in 2004.

From his years as a buyer, he noticed there was a decided lack of food-friendly, energetic wines from California. So, it was fitting that the centerpiece of Leo’s winemaking efforts was a bone-dry Chenin Blanc. Steen is also his family’s middle name and it is also what South African call Chenin Blanc.

We met Leo Hansen recently along with his latest releases. While Leo has reputation for Chenin Blanc (he makes three different bottlings), on this day those were not what got our attention. We sense vineyard selection plays a big part here. Leo has a bit of range and works with sites all over the state and we were surprised by a Chardonnay from Santa Cruz and a Grenache Rose from single biodynamic site near Kenwood that made for distinctive additions to our carefully curated lineup. Though they are food friendly, the style here isn’t the usual ‘lean and mean’, sommelier-torture ‘food’ wines. There’s depth, character, and pleasure here.

The 2019 Leo Steen Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Bruzzone Vineyard comes from a single vineyard located in the southern hills of Scotts Valley, just four miles from the town of Santa Cruz and the Pacific Ocean. The dry-farmed Chardonnay vines on this site were planted in 1998, in sandy soils rich in marine deposits. Surrounded by forests, and featuring a north-south row orientation, these vines yield small, tiny-berried clusters. While this is a very cool vineyard that produces grapes with great acidity, the fruit also achieves lovely ripeness at low sugar levels.

The resulting Chardonnay impressed us as a slightly earthier version of a white Burugundy with some notes that reminded us of something from Mount Eden. Apple, pear, spice, and finishing salinity, there was plenty of flavor but also fine delineation provided by the acidity. Leo is clearly a Euro-palate and typically so are we, so this sneaky little gem was right in our wheelhouse. Deceptive complexity here, a distinctive profile and a very fair fare made it an easy call. Only 265 cases produced.

The Leo Steen Rose of Grenache Sonoma Valley Rose Ranch 2021 comes from the Rose Vineyard at the base of Sugarloaf not far from Kenwood in Sonoma Valley. Sugarloaf is an extinct volcano and this vineyard, made up mainly of clay laced with lava, has been farmed biodynamically since the 1990s. One of our complaint about domestic rose (besides that there are way to many of them) is that they are often blowsy and alcoholic.

Here again Leo’s ‘euro’ sensibilities, and the long, cool growing season of 2021, created a distinctive combination of berries, floral notes and a touch of minerality sitting atop fresh acidity that kept everything humming along. It was a surprising effort from a California vineyard, with purity of fruit and the brightness that is imperative in good rose. It can play alone or pair well with nibbles, gilled fish, and other lighter handed fare.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW FROM THE CAPE

South Africa isn’t new to wine, having started viticulture somewhere around the 1630s. It isn’t new to us either as we started to explore the wines soon post apartheid. A lot of folks have given them a spin and it’s hard for us to know where to start. There are people out there open to the idea while others still think about the parochial bottlings with very aggressive flavors that pushed them in another direction.

It probably isn’t news for us to tell you that there are some exciting things going on down there. Current favorites include the Tania and Vincent Careme Terre Brulee Chenin Blanc Swartland 2020 from Loire maestro Vincent Careme. We’d had consistent good luck with Chenin from this part of the world and you can find some very tasty examples like this one for under $10.

Recently we were reacquainted with a high performing, well priced Sauvignon Blanc under the Bayten label. This wine achieved ‘legendary’ status under a different moniker, Buitenverwachting, as a multiple 90 point scorer and a Spectator Top 100 or 2 along the way. Classic Cape Sauvignon at a great price.

We hadn’t seen it in a while and found they had gone through a couple of changes. Now in a different shaped bottle under the name Bayten Sauvignon Blanc Constantia 2020 (with the intimidating Afrikaner name, Buitenverwachting, reduced to small, light print) it soldiers on doing exactly what it has always done…providing a sleek, delicious, well-priced option in Sauv. Blanc. Bright and lively from the get-go, it delivers a good blast of tropical fruit and grapefruit with well infused minerality. Clean, driving and a bargain at this price, like the good old days but easier to say.

Speaking of transplants, we had not seen the Topiary Chardonnay Franschhoek Valley South Africa 2019, a complex and fresh wooded Chardonnay in a Burgundian style made by Philippe Colin (yes, that Philippe Colin). The purveyor told us that Philippe was in the process of retiring and moving here permanently. If he can make things like this at this kind of price, we’re all for it.

The grapes are handpicked early in the morning to retain freshness, the must is settled and the alcoholic fermentation starts with wild yeasts in a stainless steel tank for 1 week, before to be transferred into 450L (double a traditional barrique) Rousseau Piano oaks (French). Then, the malolactic fermentation is done naturally during the following 12 months with batonnage (lees stirring) done every 2 weeks. There’s definitely a Burgundy spin to the apple, spice and toast flavors, and a more ‘old school’ (like before global warming) snap of underlying acidity.

SPECIAL PURCHASE, MACON NOSTALGIA

Like the song says, ‘every day is a winding road.’ We’re old enough to remember when it wasn’t unusual to find a knockout Macon for this kind of price. But that was a long time ago. In fact, with all of the new Premier Cru things happening in the Macon, prices are going the other way. That’s what makes this Macon buy not only special, but in a way kind of nostalgic. Meanwhile this ripping Macon deal was brought about by events.

Founded in 1989, Domaine Catherine & Didier Tripoz is located in the southern part of the Mâcon appellation, with an area of about 13 ha (about 32 acres) planted mainly with Chardonnay as you would expect. The age of the vines is between 20 and 65 years, averaging about 45 years-of-age. As of 2018, they have converted to organic farming.

Fast forward some three decades, and Catherine and Didier have decided to retire. They are selling the domaine and were liquidating their existing stocks. An importer we know was ‘johnny on the spot’ and snapped up a great portion of their remaining wines, which were predominantly from the very good 2019 and excellent 2020 vintages.

You can bet this would have been a full-blown email except that we didn’t quite have enough wine to do that because some of our shrewder buyers have been nibbling on the stocks for a while. Still, it was time to mention the Domaine Catherine & Didier Tripoz Macon Charnay Clos des Tournons 2020 (‘Clos des Tournons’ is a monopole, meaning that the Tripoz family owns the entire parcel). This will give a hint to a few new folks and be fair warning to those that have already discovered this little gem that it’s one and done.

This Macon has a real ‘old school’ feel to it. The wine shows floral notes, crisp apple, pear and citrus in the nose. The palate has bright apple, pear and a touch of citrus fruit, a surprising depth and intensity to the palate with notes of stone and faintly honeyed notes to the finish. From top to bottom the is plenty of underlying, as one taster called it ‘crackling’ acidity and a nice snap of minerality. The crisp profile, and the price ($13.98!), reminds us pleasantly of ‘days of yore’ before global warming. Right place, time, an exceptional buy…while it lasts.

FINALLY SOME PINK TALK

Yeah, we’ve talked about supply chain and all of that, but we’ve finally accumulated a lovely crop of 2021 roses. Here are some hightlights…

Mirabeau Cotes de Provence Rosé 2021-One of those made for TV type stories where Stephen and Jeany Cronk move their family from south London to Provence with the goal of establishing a successful winery. The happy ending was the Mirabeau wines, a collection of several roses that have garnered international attention. Domaine Mirabeau is a 20 hectare estate which includes 14 hectares of AOP Côtes de Provence vines plus they have established relationships with other premium growers in the region. This is the delightful entry level effort, a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, that captures the delicate nature of Provence rose with delicate but outgoing berry fruit with floral and spice tones.

Mas de Cadenet Cotes de Provence Ste. Victoire Rosé 2021-The key to Provencal rose is expressive fruit that is at the same time delicate. This wine reflects the calcerous soils of the area of Ste. Victoire. Inviting pale pink, nose of both berry and white stone fruits, crisp lift to the finish, this is another complete version of the genre that’s engaging but supremely light on its feet. A blend of 45% Grenache, 45% Cinsault, and 10% Syrah.

Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Rosé Tentations 2021-A new (to us) version from this long time favorite Clos Cibonne whose rose based on the rare Tibouren grape is a consistent favorite around here. That botting is, like Domaine Tempier (in quality not necessarily style), is now in the $40+ range (well worth it we might add), making this more ‘popularly price’ effort a welcome addition. While featuring younger vined Tibouren (15%), Tentations also has 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 15% Syrah in the mix grown by farmers with whom the Deforges family has long-standing relationships, working in prime spots in the villages of La Crau and Carqueiranne. Bottled with a screw cap, this is a fresh, delicate, tasty rose where the flavor range is expanded a bit by the mineral/earthy Tibouren. Very food friendly and also vegan friendly.

Cavalchina Bardolino Chiaretto Rosato 2021– The Cavalchina folks are shining stars in a region that is largely uninspired. The Chiaretto (key-ar-et-to) is what they call their rosé and it here it is made as a rosé rather than as a ‘bleed’ from the red wine. That helps retain this juicy wine’s its vibrant acidity. Made from the classic grapes of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara (some as Valpolicella) this is full of lively berry and citrus flavors. This is a winery that has been around since 1948 and Vinous Media’s Ian D’Agata calls them, “…a recognized master in the making of Chiarettos.” This is also the fourth vintage in a row we have carried this delightful, crowd pleasing pink.

Raul Perez Leon Rosado Arrotos del Pendon 2021– Made from 100% Prieto Picudo from very old vines in stony clay at high altitude (800m ASL). The grapes were macerated for two days on the skins before bleeding off, fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, raised on the fine lees for four months in tank, bottled without fining or filtration. The extended maceration would explain the deeper color and give you a clue that this is a ‘pink’ with an attitude more of a red wine. Dark berries, some minerality, more ‘vinuous’ than most roses, if there was a rose on the shelf that could stand up to grilled meats, this is it. Distinctive and delicious.

Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé 2021-Bargemone is another label that has been with us for many seasons, and the 2021 is on point again as one of the best values from this region. Definitely more of a red berry feel to the profile here, a bit more midpalate weight (as pinks go) and . Older vines (30 year average) and a different mix of grapes (40% Grenache, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cinsault…Cabernet not a common ingredient around these parts). Organic farming here, this one shows dark berries and yellow melon, a little spice, pepper, and florality in the nose and always a really palatable price.

THE SUPER DELUXE CHATEAUNEUF SHOPPER, OH MY!

Another day, another lagging boat showed up bearing treasures acquired at what now seems like long ago. Supply chain issues are real. This particular bateau (ship) bore a number of absolute jewels from the southern Rhone which prompted us to look over our current stocks of Chateauneuf du Pape from the gorgeous 2019 vintage. We realized we had accumulated quite the selection.

It was altogether too massive to present in its entirety. So we settled on presentation only elite, top-of-the-heap bottlings that had scored 96 points and above. Even at that, our cup almost ranneth over. Even with our long history presenting Chateauneufs in virtually every conceivable way over the years, this collection has to be some sort of high water mark.

Yes, it has been a grand period for the southern Rhone since 1998. But 2019 is a top-notch harvest within that lofty string of hit vintages. As we have presented in past offerings, while 2019 is not quite as fool proof from top to bottom as, say, 2016, the best of the 2019s are on par with top efforts in any vintage. This group represents those high achievers. What we have put together here is a ‘Super Deluxe Chateauneuf Shopper’. In this lineup, every wine scored a minimum of 96 points or more. Ne Plus Ultra, Crème de la Crème, call it what you want, this is an embarrassment of riches or the definition of “too much good stuff.”

These would all qualify as the ‘cherries on top’ of whatever you may have acquired thus far from this exceptional vintage. If you haven’t done much yet, you could put together a broad and enviable collection of top fight Chateauneufs in one fell swoop. We sent these as an email, took a pretty good hit, reshuffled and are presenting it again. We can honestly say that the numbers and the reviews here speak for themselves. It’s a lot to digest, but we’re confident you folks can handle it. That’s why we put it in a format you can revisit any time you want. Good hunting to all…

VIEILLE JULIENNE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES HAUTS LIEUX 2019– from Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux includes slightly more Mourvèdre and comes from a cooler parcel in the northern part of the appellation. It has another level of purity and precision compared to the Trois Sources and has extraordinary notes of blueberries, cassis, black licorice, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Incredibly concentrated, massive, and yet perfectly balanced, it has no hard edges and is just an incredible tasting experience. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years….98+ points.”

VIEILLE JULIENNE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES TROIS SOURCES 2019-from Jeb Dunnuck, “More cassis, morello cherry, Asian spice, and a beautiful sense of minerality and loamy earth emerge from the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources, a full-bodied, concentrated blend of 60% Grenache, 15% each of Cinsault and Syrah, and the balance Mourvèdre. Coming all from the estate’s sandy soils in the northern part of the appellation, this incredibly concentrated, textured wine has perfect balance, building tannins, and a great finish. Give this beauty another 4-5 years in the cellar and drink it over the following two decades or more…96+ points.”

LA BASTIDE SAINT DOMINIQUE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES HESPERIDES 2019– from Jeb Dunnuck , “An even split of Grenache and Mourvèdre brought up mostly in tank (20% in demi-muids), the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hesperides is a dense, meaty, powerful wine offering a monster bouquet of black cherry and blackberry fruits as well as roasted meats, chocolate, bouquet garni, and spice. Beautifully textured on the palate, it’s full-bodied and powerful yet stays light and graceful, with building tannins and a great finish. It’s another head-turning good wine from this estate…97 points.”

CRISTIA CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES 2019-from Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes (100% Grenache) brings more opulence and sexiness, with a more unevolved vibe in its ripe black fruits, violets, toasted spice, and Provençal garrigue-like aromas and flavors. Brought up in equal parts used barrels, new French oak, and demi-muids, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, incredibly elegant texture, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is a Grenache lover’s dream, and it should continue drinking brilliantly for another 10-15 years…97 points.” (Also Wine Spectator 96)

CLOS SAINT-JEAN CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE LA COMBE DES FOUS 2019-From Jeb Dunnuck, “Sensationally pure cassis and blackberry fruits as well as complex notes of lavender, Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, and flowers all define this full-bodied 2019, which displays the vintage’s ripe, perfumed style while bringing more finesse, elegant, and purity than just about every other wine out there. It’s the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted and has another 15-20 years of prime drinking ahead of it…100 Points.”

DOMAINE PIERRE USSEGLIO ET FILS CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE RESERVE DES DEUX FRERES 2019–From Jeb Dunnuck, “While the 2020 will include a splash of Syrah, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Réserve Des Deux Frères is its normal 100% Grenache and is a selection made in the cellar. In 2019, it ended up being roughly 30% new oak, and I think there were some stems included as well. It’s another magical wine from this estate, boasting a dense purple hue as well as a perfume of black raspberries, cassis, blueberry liqueur, spring flowers, toasted bread, and lavender. Full-bodied on the palate, with an incredible mouthfeel, riveting purity, and ultra-fine tannins, it’s unquestionably one of the all-time greats of this cuvée. Give bottles 3-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more…100 points.” Also Wine Advocate 98)

ROGER SABON CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE CUVEE PRESTIGE 2019-From Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, “One of the top vintages for this cuvée, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Prestige features intense aromas of black cherries and purple raspberries, without the dark chocolate nuances that appear in the other 2019s at this address. It’s full-bodied, dense and concentrated, big but also silky and fine, with a long, elegant finish. It’s a Grenache-led assemblage of lots from the lieux-dits of les Brusquières and Cabrières…97 points.” (Also Jeb Dunnuck 96, Decanter 95, Wine Advocate 96)

LE CLOS DU CAILLOU “LES QUARTZ” CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2019– From Jeb Dunnuck, “Moving to the tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz, which is mostly Grenache with around 25% or so of Syrah, it has a rich, full-bodied, dense, and almost backward style to go with powerful black fruits, ground pepper, and violet aromas and flavors. I love its purity of fruit, and it builds nicely with time in the glass, showing more mid-palate depth as well as ripe tannins. It’s a stunning bottle of wine, but patience will be required. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades…97+ points.” (Also Decanter 96)

SAINT PREFERT CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE COLLECTION CHARLES GIRAUD 2019– From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Collection Charles Giraud includes a big chunk of Mourvèdre and is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre that was partially destemmed and brought up in demi-muids. If offers a deep ruby/plum color as well as a rich, savory, complex bouquet of black raspberries, cassis, toasted spice, cured meats, and graphite. The Mourvèdre really shows in this beauty, and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and structured, yet never loses its seamless, flawlessly balanced profile. It’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age but will have 20-25 years of ultimate longevity. It’s another thrilling wine from this estate…99 points.” (Also Wine Advocate 96)

DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIERE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES HAUTES BRUSQUIERES 2019–From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Les Hautes Brusquières (60/40 Grenache and Syrah) comes from a cooler terroir near the Mount Redon plateau and was brought up in oak tronconique tanks and demi-muids. Its dense purple, almost opaque hue is followed by a brilliant perfume of mulled red and black fruits, peppery herbs, crushed stone, violets, and licorice. With full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and just about perfect tannins, it’s another superstar wine from this estate that’s up with the finest vintages to date…97 points.” (Also Wine Advocate 95)

CHARVIN CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE 2019 – From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Laurent is the usual blend of 82% Grenache and the rest nearly equal parts Syrah, Mourvèdre, Vaccarèse, and Counoise that was brought up all in concrete tank. It shows the sunny, spicy, Provençal style of the vintage beautifully while still having incredible freshness in its red and black fruits as well as garrigue, ground pepper, spring flowers, and incense aromas and flavors. Gorgeous on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape is balanced and has terrific tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. Rhône lovers need to have this beauty in their cellar, and it’s going to offer pleasure for a solid two decades…96 points.”

SERIOUSLY GOOD CABERNET

We taste a lot of Cabernets always with the intent of finding the best and the brightest as well as striking values when the opportunity presents itself. It is rare for us to get ‘wowed’. But in the case of The Setting Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2019, we were impressed in a way that rarely happens around here.

We’ll give you the winery spiel first, “Known for his ability to extract the deepest expression of each vineyard into his wines, Jesse uses extended barrel time in new and neutral oak, as well as minimal intervention to produce unfined, unfiltered wines that delicately balance purity of fruit with the distinct characters of each site.”

While that sounds like a pretty lofty profile for winemaker/partner Jesse Katz, son of famous photographer Andy Katz, in our experience nothing is overstated. Having spent time a Petrus, Screaming Eagle, Robert Foley, and Vina Cobos, he had the opportunity to work with top of the heap talent and clearly learned his craft well. He was the founding winemaker at Lancaster, and has been getting accolades for his current work at Aperture, and this project is his own. The expectations were high and they have been met if not exceeded.

The 2018 version of this wine were pretty spectacular and collected a number of impressive scores including a 97 from Wine Advocate. There have been no reviews we have seen on this wine yet, but we suspect it will get its due. What is interesting here is that the review on the 2018 from Jeb Dunnuck is pretty much interchangeable with our impressions of The Setting Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2019:

“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley is stunning stuff, offering up a dense purple color as well as both black and blue fruits, notes of lead pencil, crushed stone, graphite, and tobacco, full-bodied richness, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This powerful, sexy, seamless Cabernet will keep for two decades or more. “

Like the winery press release says, this wine really does deeply express the dark red fruits and spice, layered with chocolate and coffee tones, that is the Alexander Valley at its best. The depth of fruit, power, poise and balance are at a level that few producers achieve at any price. It is one of the most impressive Cabs we have tasted in a very long time and actually represents a value at a price under $100. As you know, we don’t spend a lot of time trying to sell California wines in this kind of price range. But this one is well worth the experience.

SIMPLY A GREAT, GO-TO, VALUE RED

We’ve been pretty open about how we go about things here and, most relevant to this discussion, my friends, are things that concern us in the big picture. One of them is ‘noise’. We were among the first in the wine biz to do extensive e-marketing, but these days there are lots of establishments trying their hand at it. Our concern is that, with everyone feeling they need to say whatever they are offering is the greatest ever, perspective goes out the window.

On top of that, the ‘score inflation’ we alluded to years ago has only gotten worse. As more critics are coming online and dishing out ever higher scores so they can be noticed and, more importantly, quoted, the solid, perfectly respectable low-90s reviews on value wines seem to have considerably less impact than they did a few years ago. It seems at times even $10 wines are expected to generate mid-90s reviews or the consumer is unmoved. That is the result of score inflation.

We’ve have always tried to temper our rhetoric to fit the situation. Eventually, we feel, if you say everything is the greatest of all time, you will eventually lose your credibility. So forgive us if we are going to simply say that this is a delicious, imminently quaffable, well constructed red that is versatile with a wide array of foods but can be enjoyed by itself for its charming, fruit driven demeanor and it’s a particularly palatable value as well.

The wine we are talking about in this case is the Petra IGT Toscana Zingari 2018. We did a larger scaled offering on the on the Zingari 2017 replete with email and dueling 93 point scores from Wine Spectator and James Suckling. Truth be told, the 2018 might be a little juicier and certainly fills the role of well-priced, go-to red quite nicely.

Petra has their whole range of high-end gear as well, anchored by their flagship $90 bottling. But what has captured the fancy of the wine-buying public is this exceptional value from their estate vineyards, what was once an experiment has turned into something altogether different.

Petra is considered one of the more progressive wineries in Tuscany. It was founded in 1997 in Suvereto’s Val di Cornia (Maremma) by Vittorio Moretti and his daughter Francesca, encompassing a 700+ acre estate, a third of which is planted with vineyards. The winery sits hundreds of feet underground with a tunnel-like wine cellar.

What started as an experiment has turned into one of the better red wine values you will find. Zingari was originally proposed as a fun, experimental wine to see how Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot all worked together in their younger estate vineyards (now 16 years old). The results were promising and the wine was officially commercialized. The rest is history. The 2015 garnered a 92 from Wine Spectator and the 2017 was the double-93 ‘coming out party’.

But as we know, scores can come and go, as can reviewers. On any given day, the same wine can get a different score from the same source based on a broad array of unrelated factors. But the folks at Petra are still doing outstanding work in the value arena and with think this 2018 is at least as good as last year’s version, maybe better.

The blend in 2018 is again Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Petit Verdot aged in a combination of larger barrels and smaller French barriques prior to bottling. The wine is joyful, exuberant, bright, and captures both the ripeness of the harvest as well as lift from the nighttime cooling coastal breezes.

We can provide a score and a nice review on the Petra IGT Toscano Zingari 2018 from James Suckling, “A fresh, vivid red with cherries, currants and hints of hazelnuts and chocolate. Medium body. Racy finish. Like the vivid acidity that runs through this. Drink or hold…92 Points.”

But at $14.98, value plays in somewhere and, in this case, on virtually ‘any given day’, this wine will deliver plenty of personality and play nicely alongside most anything you have in mind. Ultimately that is the point. At this kind of price there aren’t a lot of choices beyond soulless, mass marketed juice. This one has some flair and personality. Easy choice.