Wine Suggestions?

Spec's must have me in their face-recognition database by now.

I was killing some time today and stopped in to get another Malbec. As I was looking for the Argentina aisle, I overheard one of the Spec's guys talking to a regular. I could tell they had a familiar rapport so I lingered and listened.

He was raving about this Priorat. I feel like Rip Van Winkle, as I am learning something new every day. I've never heard of this term.

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Winery: Casa Gran Del Suriana
GR-174 (Priorat) 2007
Priorat County, Catalonia Region of Spain
Spec's Price: $19.79

The Hype: Cherry red in colour. Intense and fresh floral aromas, with a mint touch. In the mouth it is fruity, round, complex. A fine structured wine, well balanced and elegant. A blend of Garnatxa, Carinyena and Cabernet Sauvignon whose 50% was aged during nine months in French oak barrels. Garnatxa(35%), Carinyena(25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon(40%).

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Winery: Bodega Del Fin Del Mundo
Malbec Reserva 2007
Argentina (Patagonia)
Spec's Price: $15.87

The Hype: Color: Intense purple red. Aroma: Flowery notes of violets, reminiscences of plums, blackberries and currant marmalade. Notes of vanilla, chocolate and tobacco. Taste: Very fruity entry. It is kind, very balanced, well rounded and with a long finish on the palate. Elegant.

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Your price point is a little low for a really good wine.

Try red blends, in particular Orin Swift's "Prisoner", it is a Zin blend and is out of this world. Can be had for $29.99 at Spec's DT. Also I would recommend "Parradux" also a zin blend.

Orin Swift also makes a cab by the name of "Papillon" that is supposed to be out of this world (also cool label). Price on it is $50 +. Shafer makes a Cab blend called "ONE POINT FIVE" @ $70 that is great (I have 2 bottles in the cooler now) that I had at "Marks" one night, fantastic wine that even a beer drinking buddy fell in love with.

Suggest "Purple Angel" from Montes. A Chilean blend @ $46 at Specs DT. My SO's favorite and one that tastes great with a steak.

Whites, try a Viogner, I predict the next hot white (described as "The white wine for "Red Wine drinkers". Darioush makes the best but hard to find in Houston. We like the Copain and the Ebel as well as Treana (a viogner blend).

We went to Napa a year ago and $10 bottles just do not do it anymore.

Your price point is a little low for a really good wine.

Try red blends, in particular Orin Swift's "Prisoner", it is a Zin blend and is out of this world. Can be had for $29.99 at Spec's DT. Also I would recommend "Parradux" also a zin blend.

Orin Swift also makes a cab by the name of "Papillon" that is supposed to be out of this world (also cool label). Price on it is $50 +. Shafer makes a Cab blend called "ONE POINT FIVE" @ $70 that is great (I have 2 bottles in the cooler now) that I had at "Marks" one night, fantastic wine that even a beer drinking buddy fell in love with.

Suggest "Purple Angel" from Montes. A Chilean blend @ $46 at Specs DT. My SO's favorite and one that tastes great with a steak.

Whites, try a Viogner, I predict the next hot white (described as "The white wine for "Red Wine drinkers". Darioush makes the best but hard to find in Houston. We like the Copain and the Ebel as well as Treana (a viogner blend).

We went to Napa a year ago and $10 bottles just do not do it anymore. Originally Posted by Pistolpete

I partly disagree. You can find a really good wine for $20 bucks (10 bucks,a stretch). The wines you stated go well with steak, but I couldn't justify opening something that nice for pizza (a great combo). OP wanted to stay under $20.

If I handed you a $20 bill on your way into Specs Liquor downtown and asked you to pick out a decent wine, what would you pick?

I've tried more expensive wines before and I'm just not sophisticated enough to really tell the difference. I've tasted many $10 (or less) wines and been very pleased.
An idea of what I like is the Shiraz from Llano Estacado Winery.

I'm open to all suggestions. My $20 price point (or less) is just a starting point.

I'm lucky to live a few blocks from Specs and happy to try your suggestions whether it's $10 or $100. Originally Posted by ExNavyInHouston

You have stated some great wines. Shafer makes excellent wines (never tried the one point five). Haven't tried many Zin blends, yet. Added to my list. I like viogniers, next hot wine? I could see that, maybe. Thoughts on Gewürztraminers and/or Grüner Veltliners (my picks for next hot white).

OK, now on to the total Wine Snob type question?

Do you have a variety of wine glasses for the different wines, or do you keep it simple and not get that intricately involved?

If I really should have more than one type of glass, help me keep it down to the two most common. And forget Champagne glasses, I'm talking mostly drinking reds.

It looks as though I'll be mostly on Cabs, Pinots, Malbecs, etc.

I started looking at all the options and I knew some of you have worked this out without filling a cabinet with all the glassware they want you to buy.

Winery: Crios de Susana Balbo
Malbec/Mendoza 2009
Argentina
HWM Price: $15.99

I'm loving these Malbecs ... thanks for the suggestion.

There are a couple that I like that are in the inexpensive variety......

Any of the Coppola diamond label bottles (depending on what's your fancy)
My personal favorites in order of this particular vinyard:
Claret -Black label w/gold metal twine wrapped around it. -Full bodied, slightly sweet, but with a nice spicey nose overall good wine for ANYONE's pallet
Cab -White/ivory label -Fuller bodied than the above mentioned. Dryer and much spicer. Sweet wine drinkers probably won't like this, cab drinkers will.
The Lighter and White wines w/o description but in order of my preference:
Sauvingnon Blanc -yellow label
Pinot Grigio -Green Label
Chardonay -Orange label
All of which are good, but will not be of the sweater variety and the chard is not too oakey

The Diamond Collection are all good in their own right from my experience. All are very "Non offensive" one way or another, and are quality and consistant.

A few others off the top of my head:
Penfolds is another good vinyard -Shiraz in particular
Beringer Chenin Blanc -Another really tasty "non offensive" wine good for all wine drinkers
Clos du Bois is not bad either... Chardonay is a bit oakey for me... but cab is lighter and tasty


That's all I got for now..... some of my all time favs they either no longer make, or have gone up out of the $20 (some over the $100 from under $20).

Let me know if you wanna delv into the middle-upper end of some of these bottles.... It was a nasty little expensive hobby for me for a while.

Enjoy!

JaD Originally Posted by Jusanotherdude

Dude..... I'm with the Dude on the Coppola's..... Not to shabby for a Cali wine.... Reasonably priced.... Not too sweet.... I had seen a documentary about how they got into the wine making business and have been sampling them ever since....

Friday at Spec's before the rush and I picked up three more.

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Winery: Cartlidge & Browne
Zinfandel 2007
Amado County, Calif.
Spec's Price: $11.79

The Hype: The wine saw 10 months of oak aging (80% American, 20% French). The remaining 6% of the blend was split between a very dense, fruity Clarksburg Petite Sirah and an elegant, aromatic Zinfandel from the east side of the Napa Valley. Alc. by vol. 14.75% / TA 0.66g/100ml / pH 3.64

A full ruby/garnet in color, the 2007 Amador County Zinfandel offers a spot-on varietal nose of rich plum and cherry, spice cake, leather, and sweet oak. On the palate, it is firm yet without hard edges; its inviting flavors include lush red fruits highlighted by licorice, baking spices, and a bright minerality that lends juiciness to the ripe fruit impression.

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Winery: McPhearson
Sangiovese 2008
Lubbock, Texas
Spec's Price: $15.59

The Hype: The sangiovese is one of the best examples of what regional wine should be. It tastes like sangiovese, with cherry fruit, balanced acid, and soft tannins. But it is not Chianti, the sangiovese from Tuscany, and it is not sangiovese from California. McPherson takes what Texas gives him instead of forcing the wine to taste like what he thinks it should taste like.

Vinotology Wine Blog Comments

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Winery: Luigi Bosca
"D.O.C." - Malbec 2007 - Single Vineyard
Argentina
Spec's Price: $18.62

The Hype: This is a D.O.C. wine. The DOC “Luján de Cuyo” was created in 1989 with the objective of protecting and regulating the farming and production techniques of the Malbec varietal, which is native of the Luján de Cuyo region. As it happens with the most demanding Denominations of the world, a wine with DOC Lujan de Cuyo certification must comply with a strict protocol that begins at the vineyard and finishes once the wine has been produced, after obtaining the approval of the Regulating Commission.

“La Linda” Vineyard. Vistalba.
Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza.
960 m above sea level

It shows an intense violet color and displays ripe cherry and plum aromas. Spiced, with hints of mocha and blackberries, this is a delicately perfumed wine with elegant sweetness.

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Winery: Casa Gran Del Suriana
GR-174 (Priorat) 2007
Priorat County, Catalonia Region of Spain
Spec's Price: $19.79

Dad ... This is the first one that I've encountered where I hoped you my give it a go and tell me what you think.

This goes for everyone too. I just don't feel right asking you all to spend $20 to verify if I have any wine sensibilities.

But this one is really nice. It's not exactly what I'm looking for, and might even be too rich for me to drink the whole bottle in one sitting.

Alright, another observation and question. I apologize up front for not knowing exactly how to convey my thoughts.

But here goes: I notice as I experiment and taste these different wines, some have more of an alcohol taste or sense of vapors. I notice this difference among the same types of wines, and is not relative to the alcohol content.

So what I want to know is if this "alcohol awareness" is a desired attribute or a sign of a lesser quality ... Or does it not really matter?

I was always under the impression a good wine would be more about the grapes, butto me it seems the less alcohol flavor the more likely the wine will be sweeter.

Please note I'm only talking about reds and among the types you've seen me purchase here (so far).

Sorry, I'm typing this on my iPhone as I wait for a friend.

OK, now on to the total Wine Snob type question?

Do you have a variety of wine glasses for the different wines, or do you keep it simple and not get that intricately involved?

If I really should have more than one type of glass, help me keep it down to the two most common. And forget Champagne glasses, I'm talking mostly drinking reds.

It looks as though I'll be mostly on Cabs, Pinots, Malbecs, etc.

I started looking at all the options and I knew some of you have worked this out without filling a cabinet with all the glassware they want you to buy. Originally Posted by ExNavyInHouston

I have two types of wine glasses. Both are for reds. One is a nice quality Cabernet glass. The other is your standard fare red wine glass. I do use the standard fare glasses if I do drink white. I used to have Pinot glasses but they exist no longer. If you are seeking two types of glasses and do not drink white wines, you cannot go wrong with a set for Cabernet and one for Pinot Noir (if you drink Pinots).

Alright, another observation and question. I apologize up front for not knowing exactly how to convey my thoughts.

But here goes: I notice as I experiment and taste these different wines, some have more of an alcohol taste or sense of vapors. I notice this difference among the same types of wines, and is not relative to the alcohol content.

So what I want to know is if this "alcohol awareness" is a desired attribute or a sign of a lesser quality ... Or does it not really matter?

I was always under the impression a good wine would be more about the grapes, butto me it seems the less alcohol flavor the more likely the wine will be sweeter.

Please note I'm only talking about reds and among the types you've seen me purchase here (so far).

Sorry, I'm typing this on my iPhone as I wait for a friend. Originally Posted by ExNavyInHouston

The "alcohol content" depends on how the juice is handled. From my understanding a balanced wine will not show this trait. Think fruit vs alcohol. The more alcohol content usually yields a less fruit content. Technical. Technical vinofactoids. Sugars into alcohol. I am sure that there are wines that are better a little "hot." As far as "does it matter?" Do you like the taste of the wine.

Do you like the taste of the wine.

Oh yeah ... I started this thread admitting my ignorance. And I said I would grade wine on two characteristics: does it taste good?, and does it get my high?

I'm only asking the alcohol taste question to start educating myself, based of things I can tell right away.

I can kind of guess what they mean when they say peppery, but I can't deduce leathery, or tannins.

The alcohol or "hot" is something that, when it happens, is usually right up front and you taste it in the nose and on the tongue.

But, yeah, I'm not straying from my original intent, just yet. My "reviews" (I'm saying that tongue-in-cheek) will always let you know if I think if I think it is nasty.

Up till now, just about everything has been drinkable and not a waste of the money spent.

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Winery: McPhearson
Sangiovese 2008
Lubbock, Texas
Spec's Price: $15.59

The Hype: The sangiovese is one of the best examples of what regional wine should be. It tastes like sangiovese, with cherry fruit, balanced acid, and soft tannins. But it is not Chianti, the sangiovese from Tuscany, and it is not sangiovese from California. McPherson takes what Texas gives him instead of forcing the wine to taste like what he thinks it should taste like.

Vinotology Wine Blog Comments

------------------------------------------------ Originally Posted by ExNavyInHouston

Kim McPhearson's dad, 'Doc' was a chemistry instructor at Texas tech. He was (in)famous for inviting coed's over to try his homemade wine.


Thanks to everyone above for some great recomendations.

I have been drinking a lot of:
Educated Guess '07 cab. Its around $20. but sells out quickly.

Winery: Chamarre
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Grand Reserve
Location: France
Spec's Price: $8.78

I opened this bottle tonight. At first I wasn't impressed. It seemed a bit thin and "hot" (new term I now know). But, after breathing about an hour it turned out to be a very nice wine.

And it's under $10.

Winery: Llano Estacado
Shiraz - Vintner's Selection 2008
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Spec's Price: $8.99

I've mentioned this one before. It still reigns my favorite. I opened another bottle last night. I ask all of guys who drink wine regularly and please review this. Maybe I'm a natural

I just bought 4 new bottles at Spec's today ... I'll have a pic and listing up in a few minutes.

There was a theme today in that I went for Malbecs and Shiraz.

Winery: d'Arenberg
Stump Jump Shiraz 2008
Location: McLaren Vale, Australia
Spec's Price: $8.45

The Hype: Inviting fresh plum aromas leap out of the glass with raspberry and pretty pot-pourri notes providing more complexity. The palate is juicy and spicy with an abundance of red fruits that are fresh and vibrant. Licorice and rose petals come through on the mid palate and an under-lying earthy complexity is evident all the way through. The tannins are powdery and subtle on this juicy ready to drink red.

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Winery: Alberti
154 Malbec 2009
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Spec's Price: $10.39

The Hype: A tasty wine over all in need of a little time to mature. It also requires more "air" time than usual, even with aeration.

It's a deep purple colored wine with nice berry notes for your nose if a little less for your taste buds. It has a moderate dryness that yields a lingering finish and nice well rounded tannins. The dryness tends to skew the balance, however. As good as this is, it actually comes off as a bit green, and as the bottle was consumed (and remained open longer) actually got better. This indicates a long setup time before drinking (30 minutes?) And another couple of years might be a good thing for this wine.

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Winery: Gemtree
2008 Bloodstone Shiraz Viognier
Location: Mclaren Vale, Australia
Spec's Price: $12.99

The Hype: The 2008 vintage continues a remarkably strong decade of harvests in Mclaren Vale, joining 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. An almost perfect growing season paved the way for a remarkably strong vintage where all the strongest parcels of fruit were picked in ideal conditions prior to the onset of a record heatwave in March. The resultant wines have great concentration and flavour yet continue with the Gemtree trademark of fine acid and tannin lines. We have sourced Bloodstone Shiraz from a combination of our oldest vineyard on Tatachilla Road and from Gemtree's home block. We co-fermented 5% of Viognier to enhance the aromatics, sweetness and tannin profile of the wine. Bloodstone is open fermented for 10 days then gently pressed into French oak for 14 months.

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Winery: Altos Las Hormigas
Malbec 2007
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Spec's Price: $23.59

The Hype: This wine actually made the Houston Press Wine of the Week, no great feat, but still nice to have a local angle:

Houston Press Reviews Altos Las Hormigas

Altos las Hormigas Vineyard Selection Reserva Malbec is an powerful, captivating red that is at once bold and layered. Hearty and just plain delicious, this wine is bottled without filtration to preserve every nuance of the rich plum, cherry, and complex spice notes.