Golden Oldies: Always There, (almost) and Always Satisfying

Keeping the wine section stocked with five or six hundred high quality, reasonably priced wines probably sounds easy, and it is...But, only if the universe plays along, and it doesn’t always listen. Fortunately, there is a pretty good sized core of wines we manage to stock on close to a year-round basis. These wines may be something you take for granted, like that comfortable pair of slippers under your bed. When you can’t find them, there is a brief panic, and a sense of relief when they show up, a little dusty, but still your best friend. That’s our golden oldies, and here are a few that you folks have welcomed into your homes, time and again. Since every new vintage begins a fresh adventure, like a recipe you keep tweaking over the years, it’s always fun to see what they’re up to.

Last year I got reacquainted with a wine importer called Masciarelli, based in Boston. They specialize in Italian wines, but have a heavy French portfolio, too. One of the best dry French white values we’ve ever sold is their Monmousseau Sauvignon Blanc, from the town of Touraine, in the Loire Valley, just south of Paris. Because we buy it in bulk, by the pallet, (56 cases) the usual 13.99 price becomes 9.99, and you save a bundle. (Masciarelli had told us that the 2005 vintage was sold out, but we cried loud and long, and one last pallet appeared.) The wine is a teriffic example of the crisp, clean tasting whites that the Loire is famous for. The flavor is strong, but not overpowering. Upfront, we taste flavors and catch aromas reminiscent of grapefruit, peaches, apple, and pineapple. A “steely” taste surrounds all this, and finishes with a touch of what wineguys and gals call residual sugar, a hint of sweetness, which rounds out the flavor. This lovely white can be paired with spicy Thai food, or enjoyed with a fresh baguette and a gooey, room-temperature dollop of Quercy, my favorite “stinky cheese.” It also makes a natural partner with turkey or goose.

Another favorite, this time from Sonoma, California, is Cline Viognier. It’s usually 10.99, unless it’s on sale for 9.99. If you never tried a Viognier (vee-awn-yay), this is your chance. Cline just gets better at honing this varietal, originally from France, and makes it in a style that is immensely pleasing. Think of Sauvignon Blanc, but without all the angularity. Add a touch of honeydew, and honeysuckle, with some Granny Smith for texture, and voila! Viognier. It can be a bit higher in alcohol, sometimess approaching 15%, but the plus side is that the wine becomes even smoother. For contrast, try a French Viognier, such as Ch. Lascaux, from the Languedoc, deep in the south of France. It’s blended with some Marsanne and Rousanne, which add weight and some smoothness, and a light dusting of residual sugar on the finish. Viognier loves strong cheeses of all stripes, and has an affinity for apricot infused pork. (Now, a few words about something we usually don’t stock, but an amazing wine experience.) There is nothing to compare to true-blue Condrieu, the ultimate expression of the Viognier grape. Think of it as you would a really good single-malt. It’s no-nonsense, take-it-or-leave-it wine, firing on all cylinders. The flavors are ramped up, yet there is a sublime, nuanced side that cries out for reflection. The best Condrieu are superb balancing acts between sweetness and acidity. Some Condrieu is closer to dessert wine than a true dinner wine. To be sure, ask the experts. PS. It’s expensive, but worth it.

From Italy comes one of my favorite organic whites, San Quirico, a Vernaccia made in Tuscany, not far from the hill town of San Gimignano. (San Gimignano is famous for it’s leather goods. Haggle with the merchants, as they expect it, and you’ll probably get a better deal. I did.) For 12.99, you get a lot of wine. It’s medium-bodied, pleasantly viscous, coating your tongue with flavor. I find a nutty, almost Macadamia aroma and flavor, right up front. There is a flowery feeling going on, and a overall dryness, but your mouth feels refreshed, not parched. Try some pasta with garlic and olive oil, capers and sundried tomatoes, (anchovies, too, if you love the salt), and a cool glass of this organic white. By the way, the owner of the vineyard is a sweeheart of a guy, who looks sixty, but is probably seventy-five. He ran up and down the hillsides like a mountain goat, leaving this Vermonter in the dust.

Yet another of my favorite organic whites is from a producer called Argiolas. The grape is Vermentino, and the wine is called Costamolino. At 10.99, it’s a steal. Lighter and more aromatic than the San Quirico, it’s made for fish. I love it with scallops. The minerality comes through clean and crisp, with a faint scent that trails eucalyptus and sea roses across your palate. These two Italian wines are imported by a great company called Winebow, run by a fellow named Leonardo Locascio. I won a sales contest a few years ago, and traveled to Tuscany with a group of thirteen wine professionals. We had quite the time, and you can read about it in another blogsection.