Wine of The Week - Chateau de Bel 2009

Chateau de Bel 2009 Bordeaux, France ($19.99 reduced to $15.99)

Anyone with an elementary knowledge of wine knows that purchasing anything from Bordeaux can be an expensive undertaking. Unfortunately for most people, that often means that Bordeaux is enjoyed only on special occasions. It’s for this reason that I was anxious to try Chateau de Bel, a modestly priced red which retails for only $15.99.

Beautiful dark-cherry red in the glass, the wine was rather closed upon opening but after a few minutes it’s fragrance opened, displaying notes of ripe plum and oak. Upon my first sip, I noticed tastes of dark blueberry, plum, and modest amounts of oak manifested by cedar and warm sweet spice notes. Tannins were bold but not overpowering and overall I thought Chateau de Bel is an amazingly well structured, balanced wine. Considering it is under $20, it makes for an excellent everyday drinking wine for any Bordeaux lover. This is a great wine for those cooler nights curled up on the sofa, and though it would work well with grilled meats and hearty pasta dishes, I enjoyed a couple of glasses with a mouthwatering wedge of sharp cheddar.

Kevin Ross

Wine of The Week - Bodegas Olivares Panarroz 2009 Jumilla, Spain

Panarroz 2009 Jumilla, Spain $9.99

It might start looking like we are being subsidized by the Spanish wine industry, given the number of wines I’ve featured from Spain in the last couple of months. But the answer is really down to the fact that I keep finding a growing number of very pleasurable and relatively inexpensive delights. This week’s pick is a case in point. Panarroz is a delicious blend of Monastrell (Mourvedre) 60%, Garnacha (Grenache) 20% and Syrah 20%. I’m not quite sure where the name rice bread comes from, but the delightful fresh fruit on the nose and palate seem to make more sense especially given the astounding price, coming in at under $10. I recommend picking up a bottle to try and I would be surprised if you didn’t come back to grab a case, as I think it makes a great standby, week night wine. It’s direct and youthful character, partly due to the absence of any oak ageing, means it is very versatile. Great for quaffing on its own, it would also work well with pasta, chicken, and even some meaty fish.

Felix Milner

Wine of The Week - El Agosto Mencia 2010, Bierzo, Spain

El Agosto Mencia 2010, Bierzo, Spain ($24.99)

After taking stock of Gines Fernandez’s Mencia for the first time and with an interest in try something a little different, I decided to take home to try.

Due to its similarities, the Mencia variety was long thought to have been Spain’s cousin strain to Cabernet Franc, but recent DNA profiling has established the two are not linked. The grape is enjoying a gradual resurgence in popularity as young winemakers discover old vines and their potential to produce truly excellent wines, which is fuelling the development of a number of styles in this region. Some of the biggest examples see extended oak aging and need the best part of a decade to mature before reaching their prime. Others, like El Agosto, are made for near term drinking.

A dedicated and meticulous team hand harvest low yielding, old bush trained vines which are carefully cultivated on the hillsides of the sub region of Bierzo, in North West Spain. The grapes are fermented in small, plot specific tanks as they reach optimum maturity. Eight months in French oak has given backbone to this wine’s supple and delicious fruity quality. On the nose there is a display of soft plum and raspberry with a hint of mint. The palate takes on a burst of fruit, expressing a raspberry and blackberry compote with depth and somewhat grippy tannins.

Felix Milner