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By The Glass Jay Kam |
2001 California
cabernets are
a great valueThere are so many interesting wines from around the world, but I thought we should refocus on our homegrown products.
It has been a couple of years, but we are seeing some great deals from California emerging recently. With the release of the great 2001 vintage, consumers should be paying close attention to some of California's steals. Here are a few that we have found already:
2001 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon ($20): The aroma of classic cassis is accompanied by a bit of candied fruit, blackberry, anise and tea. On the palate it offers understated but solid dark fruit that follows through well in the finish. There is also a bit of oak, nicely integrated.
2001 Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon ($10): The scent of ripe red berries and blueberries is followed by a hint of smokiness. The flavor is of bright red fruit, cherries, and raspberries with a slightly vegetal influence in the finish. Overall balance is good, with soft tannins.
2001 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma ($12): A fruity, robust type of California cabernet. Red cherry fruit, blackberry and cassis flavors. Firm, but not overpowering oak. This is a crowd-pleaser and one of the more exciting wines to come out of California in this price range.
While California has a stellar vintage in 2001, Oregon has some outstanding wines from 2002 just being released now.
Oregon is really known for two grape varieties: for white wine, pinot gris (known as pinot grigio in Italy); for red wines, pinot noir. While I have always thought Oregon's pinot gris are good values, the pinot noirs haven't always been priced well relative to their quality. But we are now seeing some great deals with Oregon pinot noir.
2002 Elk Cove Pinot Gris ($14): A fruit-forward, nicely balanced white wine with hints of ripe fruit, citrus and melon. This is a little more power-packed than other pinot gris, but the balance of this wine can handle the robust fruit.
2002 Elk Cove Pinot Noir Willamette ($19): A satisfying pinot noir with lots of dark bing cherry, a touch of earthiness and a tinge of spice all wrapped up in a suave and elegant mouthfeel that gently caresses your palate. Acidity and soft tannins provide balance and contribute to a smooth, medium finish.
These wines are just the beginning of great wines at moderate prices produced right here in the United States. More 2001 California and 2002 Oregon wines will be released throughout 2004. So keep an eye on America.
Jay Kam is president of Vintage Wine Cellar.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals. Write to features@starbulletin.com
