2007 Domaine de la Guicharde, Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône Valley, France 9.99/107.00
The march of incredible 2007 Southern Rhônes continues with one of our consistently favorite selections, the superb Côtes du Rhône rouge from Domaine de la Guicharde. Domaine de la Guicharde’s Grenache and Syrah beauty returns with a vengeance in 2007 with a deep plum color and a bright core of raspberry-inflected Grenache fruit. Swirl and sniff and you’re greeted with healthy, vibrant aromas of tree-ripened plums, licorice, star anise, tar and stony earth. Bright on the palate and bursting with energy, vibrancy and stony minerality, this is again the best value going in authentic, old-school Southern Rhône rouge. You can’t afford not to take home a bottle to enjoy with grilled eggplant, lamb, burgers and anything scented with rosemary, garlic or anchovies. We’re fairly certain you’ll call back the next morning for a case to enjoy over the next five years. The 2005 vintage of this lusty rouge turned many a head, and we sold out pronto. Don’t delay on this even spicier and more character-filled 2007. Utterly delicious wine!

2007 Pierre et Jean-Baptiste Lebreuil, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France 16.99/181.50
The father and son team of Pierre and Jean-Baptiste Lebreuil is on many a Burgundy insider’s short list of domaines to follow. The domaine’s Bourgogne rouge comes from 40-year-old vines located in the upper part of the village of Savigny. A deep ruby color in the glass, the wine casts lovely aromas of red raspberries laced with Savigny’s earthy soil signature. On the palate, the bright red fruit character comes to the fore and then segues to a broad, lush fruit impression accented by dissolved limestone soil, supple tannins, hints of dried orange peel and cinnamon bark. Brisk acidity segues the wine from the palate to its long red-fruited and earthy limestone finish. This is authentic Burgundy of exemplary depth and character, offered at a most affordable price. Pair with roast chicken, duck, salmon and hearty vegetarian casseroles, and enjoy over the coming three years.

2005 Ramos-Pinto, Adriano, Douro Valley, Portugal 11.99/128.00
The Douro Valley is best known for its incomparable Ports, but it also has a long and storied history of producing excellent dry red and white wines. From the Port house of Ramos-Pinto, we’re blessed with this distinctive red that marries the Douro’s four most important red varietals: Touriga Francesa for structure and fruit, Tinta Roriz for tannin and spice, Tinta Barroca for color and smooth tannins, and an accent of Touriga Nacional for finesse and floral aromas. A deep plum color, the Adriano is ripe and ready with up-front wild cherry and boysenberry fruit coupled with notes of black pepper, allspice and smoky earth. Superbly balanced and transparent from start to finish, the Adriano frames its ebullient red and black fruit expressions with firm, round tannins. A great introduction to the dry red wines of the Douro, the Adriano is also a terrific value. Versatile at the table, it will complement everyday fare like pastas, pizzas, casseroles and hamburgers. Enjoy now and over the coming five years.
Wine Spectator – 87 points

2007 Birgit Eichinger, Grüner Veltliner, Hasel, Kamptal, Austria 13.50/144.50
In a country dominated by a patriarchal wine tradition, Birgit Eichinger is a luminary in Austria’s growing female vintner movement. Her estate is spread over nine hectares of the finest sites around the village of Strass in the Kamptal. From deep loess soils, renowned for growing much of Austria’s finest Veltliner, Eichinger has crafted a beautiful and very affordable Grüner from her Hasel vineyard. A limpid green-gold in the glass, Eichinger’s Hasel opens with lilting aromas of passion fruit, green beans, white pepper and smoky minerals. Brisk and bracing on the attack, the Hasel broadens mid-palate to reveal pure notes of Williams pear, grapefruit and golden delicious apple. Smoky and minerally on the finish, the Hasel is clean, dry, transparent, brisk and ideal for pairing with roast pork, duck, catfish, ling cod and the myriad of summer green vegetables. Enjoy now and over the next five years.

2007 Clos Lapeyre, Jurançon Sec, Southwest France 12.99/139.00
Jean-Bernard Larrieu farms ten hectares in the Jurançon appellation in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Larrieu produces the full range of Jurançon wines, including this minerally dry white produced entirely from the indigenous Gros Manseng grape. A gorgeous lemon-gold color accented by green glints, Lapeyre’s Jurançon Sec casts notes of grapefruit, chamomile, apricot, white flowers and limestone minerals on the nose. The palate begins with brisk citrus fruit, but then opens to show Chenin Blanc-like waxy texture and suggestions of gooseberries, lemon pith, menthol and a persistent mineral undercurrent. The finish lasts forever, reprising the wine’s citrus fruit, the wine’s core of apricot, and its urgent minerality. This is a superb introduction to the fascinating and oft-overlooked wines of Jurançon. Buy a case and enjoy over the next three years with duck confit, freshwater fish dishes, roast chicken and vegetarian fare featuring porcini mushrooms, potatoes, artichokes, celeriac or eggplant. Superb wine!

2007 Cantina Valpantena, Falasco, Garganega, Veronese IGT, Italy 9.50/101.50
Garganega is the noble and distinctive grape of Soave. Often it’s blended with Trebbiano and other varietals, but the finest Soaves always include a predominance of Garganega or employ it exclusively. The Falasco Garganega IGT is 100% Garganega grown around the city of Verona. The result is superb: a medium-gold-colored bianco with the weight of a fine white Burgundy and the honeyed complexity and almond notes of the Garganega. This is a rich, creamy wine that walks the tightrope between its barrel-aged richness and complexity yet retains enough acidity to lift the wine and keep it fresh on the palate. Almond, hazelnut, honeycomb and cinnamon notes play with yellow plum and quince fruit. A lovely smoky soil note emerges on the finish and prepares the palate for a bite of roast chicken, duck, semi-firm cheese, or grilled squash.

NV Maison Vergnes / Domaine de Martinolles, Le Berceau, Blanquette de Limoux 11.99/128.00
We were thrilled by the elegance and class of this bubbly from Maison Vergnes. A lovely gold color in the flute, the Berceau shows persistent effervescence and a flinty bouquet of lemon peel and crushed apples. The palate is creamy and assertive, with lemon and apple fruit playing with an underpinning of smoky minerals. The wine grows and blossoms in the glass, becoming richer and creamier with aeration. The Berceau’s finish shows notes of apple peel and wheat toast. This is a lovely, satisfying bubbly that offers tons of character and quality for its most affordable tariff. Enjoy now as a festive apéritif, as a wonderful wine for toasts and celebrations, and also as a match for roast chicken, broiled white-fleshed fish dishes or roasted root vegetables.

2008 Gioacchino Garofoli, Guelfo Verde Frizzante, Marches, Italy 8.99/96.00
Here’s the spring wedding and summer sparkler value of the year! This lightly sparkling (frizzante) white from central Italy’s Marches region is our vote for the best value, most charming party sparkling wine on the market. Made from a blend of Verdicchio, Trebbiano, and Chardonnay, the Guelfo Verde opens with a pale straw-yellow color and aromas of honeydew melon, minerals and sugar snap peas. Dry, crisp and irresistibly quaffable, the natural sparkle lifts the wine’s pear and melon fruit and makes it super refreshing and zippy. One sip and one glance at the price tag will have you buying this wine by the case for quaffing over the coming warm weather months. Enjoy at spring and summer celebrations, or pair it with light fish dishes and mild semi-firm cheeses.