My top 25 wines of 2016 for under $25

Here it is. The wines you should be buying right now. All of these wines should be available in Oklahoma and all of them had a profound impact on me this last year. They are all pretty fantastic. These are in no particular order. I'm not listing vintages because I have no idea what some of these are. So, buy now and get the same vintage. Ask your retailer to bring these in for you.

1. Field Recordings 'Old Potrero' Zinfandel, Arroyo Grande, California
2. Stolpman Vineyards Para Maria de los Tecolotes Syrah, Ballard Canyon, California
3. Folk Machine Charbono, Sulsun, California
4. Teutonic 'Borgo Pass Vineyard' Pinot Meunier, Willamette Valley, Oregon
5. Campo Viejo Gran Reserva Rioja, Spain
6. Faire la Fete Cremant de Limoux Brut, Languedoc, France
7. Bernableva 'Camino de Navaherreros' Garancha, Madrid, Spain
8. Pagos Familia Langa Pieza El Caidero, Calatayud, Spain
9. Madness and Cures Sanity Red, Alexander Valley, California
10. Dandelion Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling, Eden Valley, Australia
11. Podere Campriano Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
12. Planeta Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy
13. Gunderloch Trocken Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany
14. Joesph Mellot 'Les Morineres' Chinon, Loire, France
15. Ceralti 'Scire' Bolgheri, Italy
16. Domaine de la Damase Grenache, Vaucluse, France
17. Bodegas La Cigarrera Amontillado, San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain
18. Stolpman 'La Cuadrilla' Grenache, Ballard Canyon, California
19. Rock Wall 'The Palindrome' Tannat, Sonoma and Solano County, California
20. Fowles Wine 'Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch' Shiraz, Victoria, Australia
21. Lieu Dit Cabernet Franc, Santa Ynez Valley, California
22. Domaine Puydeval Red, Pays d' Oc, France
23. El Maestro Sierra Fino, Jerez Spain
24. Montgras 'Antu' Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo, Chile
25. Chateau Musar Jeune Rouge, Lebanon

My Top 25 Wines of 2014 Under $25

Back again by popular demand, I once again made a list of the best wines I had this year under $25. Every one of these wines should be available in the Oklahoma market and certainly worth the effort to find. I recommend showing this list to your local retailer and they can find them for you. It's worked out to be an Italian heavy list this year, but lots of wine from around the world. Also, it seems to be a nice mix of both red and white and sparkling. Let me know if you find a favorite. Again, these are in no particular order. Message me with any questions.

1. La Gioiosa Valdobbiadine Prosecco Superiore, Italy DOCG
2. Peter Zemmer Suditrol Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy DOC
3. Donelli Lambrusco di Castelvetro Amabile, Italy DOC
4. Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla, Jerez, Spain (500mL)
5. Macedon Pinot Noir, Macedonia
6. Domaine Doulafakis Dafnios Liatiko Red, Greece
7. Georg Albrecht Schneider Dornfelder, Germany
8. Brancott Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
9. Palazzo Mafei Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
10. Giovanni Viberti Chardonnay, Piedmont, Italy
11. Jean Claude Boisset Les Ursilinas Bourgogne Pinot Noir, France
12. Pierre Boniface Les Rocailles Apremont Vin de Savoie, France
13. Louis Guntrum Rheinhessen Dry Riesling, Germany
14. The Dirty Pure Project, 'G Spot' White Blend, California
15. Lucien Albrecht Cremant d' Alsace Brut Rose, France
16. Bonny Doon Contra, California
17. Biohof Pratsch Gruner Veltliner, Austria (1.0L)
18. Conte Zecca Donna Maria Negroamaro, Italy
19. Villa Rosa Gavi di Gavi, Italy
20. Tintero Langhe Arneis, Italy
21. Martinsancho Rueda Verdejo, Spain
22. Vespres Montsant, Spain
23. Monopole Rioja White, Spain
24. Ad Lucem Proprietary Red, Columbia Valley, Washington
25. Monte Faliesi Aglianico, Campania, Italy

My Top 25 Wines Under $25 for 2013

Thought I'd throw together a list of the top 25 wines I tried during 2013 that are $25 or less. I did not include vintages, roughly, these are all currently what I am drinking right now, so whatever vintage you find should be delicious. They should all be readily available here in Oklahoma, so you just have to ask your shop to carry them. These are in no particular order. Drink well.

1. Cormons Collio Sauvignon; Friuli, Italy
2. Petra Zingari; Tuscany, Italy
3. Santa Ema Reserve Merlot; Chile
4. Pazo de Arribi Mencia; Bierzo, Spain
5. Ken Forrester Petit Pinotage; South Africa
6. Hahn GSM; California
7. Terra Cara Riesling; Pechstein, Germany
8. Castillo de Perelada 5 Fincas; Emporda, Spain
9. Chateau du Valmer Vouvray; Loire, France
10. Corte Gardoni Pradica Bardelino; Veneto, Italy
11. Evohe Garnacha Blanca; Bajo Aragon, Spain
12. Tortoise Creek Carignan; Pays d' Herault, France
13. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend; Swartland, South Africa
14. Casa Ferreira Esteva Douro; Portugal
15. St Cosme Cotes du Rhone; France
16. Milbrandt Traditions Merlot; Columbia, Washington
17. Liquid Geography Rose; Bullas, Spain
18. Clos Reginu Corse Calvi; Corsica, France
19. Broadbent Vinho Verde; Portugal
20. La Miranda de Secastilla; Somontado, Spain
21. Montes Classic Malbec; Chile
22. The Ned Pinot Gris; New Zealand
23. Ventana Pinot Noir; Monterey, California
24. Mont Marcal Brut Reserva Cava; Spain
25. Domaines Les Hautes Noellles Gamay; Loire, France

My Gluwein recipe

After researching multiple Gluwein & mulled wine recipes, this is the best I could come up with. I tended towards the ones that came from Germany, passed down through generations. In general, do not buy the Gluwein in stores, it is very one dimensional and tastes like it was made in a factory (which it probably was).

Ingredients

2 750mL of red wine
1 orange
20 cloves
3-4 whole allspice
3-4 cinnamon sticks broke in 1/2's or 1/3's
10-12 cardamon pods
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup port (or brandy or dessert sherry) **this is totally optional**


Start with 2 bottles of wine (think about Germany, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Cabernet Franc all work well.) I chose a Cotes du Rhone this go around. Grenache is light in tannins and has good alcohol levels and is not as dry. A lot of the recipes on the web called for Cabernet Sauvignon, this sounds like a horrible proposition, these recipes were usually accompanied by vast amounts of sugar. Stay away from Cabernet. Remember, the quality of the wine will only increase the quality of the beverage you are serving.

Pour wine into large pot and turn on medium low heat. The key is to heat the wine, but never let it boil (you don't want to lose the alcohol or change the chemical composition of the wine in anyway.)

Cut an orange into round slices and press about 4-5 cloves in each slice.

Place the oranges into the wine and let them steep for about 7-10 minutes.

Add the other spices and let them steep for about 7-10 minutes.

Add the orange juice and port.

Add the sugar and slowly stir it in.

Let the entire mixture simmer on low for about 30 more minutes always stirring so the wine does not come to a boil. Strain into a crockpot and set the crockpot on low. Ladle and serve at will. Pour into your favorite holiday mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or orange slice. Enjoy.

Day 5-Beaujolais-Cotes de Brouilly

Chateau Thivin (Tay vahn)

Our next stop was at Chateau Thivin and we paused here after trying the wines and had lunch. Claude Geoffray is the winemaker and Evelyne Geoffray is considered to be one of the best cooks in the region. Truly spectacular food. The best lentils I have ever had. This is not the Beaujolais that you buy in November or that plonk that Louis Jadot puts out. This is grown in Cote de Brouilly, an ancient volcano that exists on the Beaujolais valley floor. One side of the slope is pink granite and the other side is blue stone. The winery has been in existence since the 15th century and Claude is a sixth generation winemaker. All organic & 100% Gamay. Gamay is a descendent of Pinot Noir and Goais. A small parcel of Goais still exists in Switzerland. Claude is trying to plant some on the hill.

Tasting order:

2008 Brouilly - Ruby red, really light nose, good minerality and acidity. Lively fruit. Slight bit of tang that I don't like about Gamay in this wine.
2008 Cotes de Brouilly - Bright and ruby red as well, but much deeper in color. Slight hint of pepper and spice.
2008 Cuvee Zachary Cotes de Brouilly - Cuvee Zachary is aged in small barrels and made from the best grapes selected from the different parcels. This was really exceptional.
2009 Brouilly - I love being able to tell how good a wine is going to be from tasting the barrel sample. 2009 is going to be a good year.
2009 Cotes de Brouilly - Also a nice surprise
2000 Cuvee Zachary - Great legs, not much color variation for a 10 year old Gamay.
1991 Something he used to make similar to Cuvee Zachary...really well done considering I'm drinking a 20yr old Beaujolais






An old wine press


Claude Geoffray




Crystalized wine scraped from inside the barrels


An old basket press


1991 and 2000 Thivin


The spread


The spread





Pink Granite


Evelyne Geoffray



Blue Rock





Nicole Chanrion

Nicole Chanrion was our next stop and perhaps the sweetest woman I have ever met. How can we not sell her wines? Not only were they exceptional examples of Gamay, but made from such a gentle soul. Even though we had just eaten lunch at the previous stop and were stuffed with meats, cheeses and lentils, Nicole had prepared some snacks for us and we couldn't turn them down because she had made them herself and was just too sweet to refuse.

Tasting order:
N/V Cotes de Brouilly (sparkling)
2008 Cotes de Brouilly - Much deeper in color than Thivin, great structure and body...really good stuff. Minerally and pepper
2009 Cotes de Brouilly - she pulled this right out of the barrel while we were standing there....great stuff. I love '09!







Look how cute she is!!!

Day 5-The south of Burgundy

Sorry I've been lax in posting....it's been a busy week of selling French wine! Today was a little easier on the palate, mostly because we had about a three and a half hour drive to Avignon. Still a long day though, nonetheless. Our first stop was a small producer from Savigny-les-Beaune. Only two wines from this winery and then we tasted Guillemot. Very good, very inexpensive wines. I liked the Macon Farges better, but it will be easier to sell the Macon Village and it's cheaper.

Tasting order:
2008 Domaine Henri Perrusset Macon Village-easy drinkability, nice minerality, nice label, hand harvested, no pesticides, low yields, natural compost, natural yeast, a year on the lees in stainless.
2008 Domaine Henri Perrusset Macon Farges-same as above, but with a much better nose


2008 Domaine Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc-70% Pinot Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 10% used barrel. Lush, white flowers, tropical...fermented in 600L barrels, 3x the size of normal barrels
2008 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Bourgogne Rouge-Really light in color, high acidity, smoky wood and strawberries, bright fruit in the mouth
2008 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune Rouge-single vineyard, super dry and meaty
2008 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune 'Narbantons' 1er Cru-More depth and color than previous wines, much deeper and more complex
2008 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune 'Jarrons' 1er Cru-Really, really tannic
2008 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune 'Serpentieres' 1er Cru-Named Serpentieres either because of snakes or because of a certain kind of limestone named Serpentiere. This was super elegant and refined...incredible structure.
2008 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Corton Grand Cru-Really, really pretty nose
1974 Dom. Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune 'Serpentieres' 1er Cru-plenty of tannins left...tea like nose.


Domaine Robert-Denogent in the Maconnaise

I tasted this domaine in San Francisco in May and hung out with Nicolas for a bit. Really like him and his wines. We tasted their wines in their home and that didn't hurt, but I really liked his wines in San Francisco as well. They make a lot of Pouilly-Fuisse in the Maconnaise and own the vineyards they make the wine from. Pouilly-Fuisse is allowed around 4 tons an acre yield. These guys crop at 2 tons an acre...however, '07 & '08 were cropped at around a ton an acre. Miniscule quantities. Barrel ageing is done for two years. Long barrel ageing helps the wine settle naturally. They have a one year cellar and a two year cellar. The cellars are at 40 degrees, which slow fermentation and help clarify the wine slowly.

Tasting order:
2007 Macon-Solutre 'Clos des Bertillonnes' - Reminiscent of Neyers Carneros Chardonnay which Nicolas helped out with. Really good minerality. There was more minerality in '07 all around.
2007 St. Veran 'Les Pommards' - 45yr old vines-clay soil-20mos. in full oak barrel-much rounder and fuller than previous...honey butter
2007 Macon-Fuisse 'Les Taches'-15yr old vines-soil is strong-apricot nectar, caramel and butter. Round and lush in mouth.
2007 Pouilly-Fuisse 'La Croix'-Blue Schiste, very unusual in soil-finally moved away from the butter-much more crispness and acidity. Lighter in body han the last few. Does have caramel qualities.
2007 Pouilly-Fuisse 'Les Reisses'-a ton and a half/acre yield...75 yr old vines-limestone, clay soil...beautiful nose. Just drank the 2004 yesterday and it was beautiful...ages very well
2007 Pouilly-Fuisse 'Cuvee Claude Denogent'-80-85yr old vines-really juicy fruit on this wine...love it
2007 Pouilly-Fuisse 'Les Carrons'-more than 90yr old vines-very small parcel...very, very honeyed wines with butterscotch
2008 Macon-Village 'Les Taches'-definitely a fruitier vintage-lots of ripe orchard fruits
2008 Pouilly-Fuisse-no sulfur added...apples and pears
2008 Pouilly-Fuisse 'Cuvee Claude Denogent'-more pineapple than previous




Nicolas Denogent


Robert Denogent



Upstairs

Cool Bookcase

Day 4-Burgundy-Overview

We tried a staggering 82 wines before dinner and if you include dinner, a whopping total of 94 different wines for the day. Wow. I mean, wow. Not as bad a day as yesterday. Jet lag was mostly gone and I got to try some incredible wines today. Chevillon was one of my favorite producers, simply because his wines were powerful and dark and I felt, really outdid some of my favorite Oregon producers. Berthau was one of my favorites because of the incredible grace and elegance his wines put forth. Just like with Jobard the previous day, I have never smelled anything like that in a wine in my life. Such perfume and elegance and balance. Truly amazing stuff. Finally, I was really impressed with Gachot-Minot, because not only is he making affordable Pinot's, but they're really well done and I want to sell his wine.