 
FINALLY It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a Best Buys update, due mainly to the fact that it’s been hard to find a solid red around here for under $10. Oh sure, the usual suspects are nice enough, like the Jaboulet Paralelle 45 and the Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz, but they’ve both lost something over the last few years, and after a while, they get old. And the terrific Marietta Old Vine Red comes in under cost with a case discount, but I needed those notes for a companion feature. I was resigned to putting off the Best Buys page yet again, when I had the opportunity to taste something just last week (10/26/99) that really turned my head around, not only because it was very good, but it was also a California Zinfandel! The Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend and the Rabbit Ridge California have never blown my hair back, and beyond them, there’s not much that checks in at the magic price in our neighborhood. But this one is different, treading where only Languedocs usually dare to go, and it has both retailers and consumers abuzz in Day-twah. (My favorite shop got five cases and they were gone in a day.) Here it is . . .
It’s about time! House White We’ve had no problem finding a white wine to fit our everyday budget; in fact we continue to revisit this old friend again and again.
And remember Bastardo’s Rules of Wine Acquisition; Rule # 1. ALWAYS buy by the case!
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A Chat with J.C. Mathes of J et R Selections More Red Wings Red Wings & Red Rhones '02-'03
Playoff Diary '02 A Dandy Rhône and a Night at the Joe
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1997 Zabaco Sonoma County Zinfandel Sonoma Heritage Vines
$8.99; 14.5
% alc.: Typically dark garnet, this has a fragrant Zinberry bouquet of
spicy blackberry/black raspberry, shaded subtly with pretty oak/white
chocolate/aquarium and a moderate dose of menthol. Sweet oak comes out
more in the flavors, but it’s in good proportion to the fruit, and doesn’t
dominate the spice/raspberry/black raspberry that come through with
surprising intensity. Significant tannins clamp down on the finish with an
earth/tar/pepper byte, and there’s some lively acidity and a little heat
there too. And if it needs anywhere from a few months to a few years to
settle down, it’s already fun to drink. This is a Zin that pushes most
of the right buttons for us, at a price we can readily afford.
1998 Callaway Sauvignon Blanc California $7.99; 12.5 % alc.: Like
the ’97 model, this is the best bargain in white wine that we’ve
found. Medium straw, with aromas of pear/grapefruit and grass that follow
through and expand dramatically on the palate with added notes of fig and
just a hint of apple chutney, this straddles the line between the
Loire/New Zealand style with its zingy acidity and the Californian with
its bright, ripe fruit. It finishes better than one has any right to
expect from an $8 bottle ($7.20 with case discount) and is our favorite
wine under $10 period.
