Again, the entire wine-making operation at the estate has been revamped since 1996. In 2005, they completely changed how they select grapes, how they age them, and who is in charge of the process. So my personal taste experience is probably not truly applicable.
However, I would say that 2009 Pontet-Canet is probably about as close to a "can't miss" bottle of Bordeaux as you can get. Among major reviewers and on Cellar Tracker there is pretty much universal agreement that the 2010 vintage is one of the best the estate has ever made and rivals (or exceeds) the first-growths that year. Assuming the provenance is good on the bottle you're buying, it's probably a dynamite wine. Ten years from vintage, give it an hour or two in a decanter, and you'll probably have a great experience.
Another shot in the dark- anyone had a 2010 Chateau D’Issan?
I enjoy a good vinho verde.
Gazela is my favorite.
A nice bargain easy sipping white with just a kiss of effervescence.
Some can tend sweeter than I like.
Nobilis is ok.
In general, tough to complain about quality wines that are generally less than $10/bottle.
I really like the vineyard, although Pontet-Canet is traditionally a wine that needs a lot of cellaring. I'd advise decanting the 2010 3-4 hours ahead of time. Enjoy! BTW, I like the tasting notes on cellartracker.com; it's somewhat random who posts, but everything in Bordeaux has comments -- some quite valuable.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Looking for some inexpensive enjoyable wine?
Here are some suggestions:
https://vinepair.com/articles/20-best-cheap-wines-2020/
https://officialquarantinewine.com/
Thought I would share this. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are selling a Pinot Noir and donating 100% of the proceeds to COVID-19 relief. 2 bottles for $50. We have ordered ours.
Cheers.
My wife drank white Zinfandel from a box when got married so it was easy to pick her up some wine at the grocery store. Then she graduated to cupcake Sauvignon Blanc which is always available. Then my English neighbor moved next door 15-years ago and now I have a full blown wine snob on my hands. She still prefers a Sauvignon Blanc but it can’t be more than a year old and inevitably the bottle of choice isn’t on the shelf at whatever grocery store I’m scouring. She’ll settle for a bottle of Kim Crawford in a pinch so I’ll take some suggestions for comparable wine so I can have more options.
I’m not much of a wine drinker myself but I got turned in to Michael David 3-4 years ago so I always pick up a bottle of Freakshow or Petite Petit when I’m cooking steaks or marinara. A friend who drinks a lot more red wine than I do likes black box Cab Sauvignon.
Quarantine favorite: Kirkland Malbec at Costco. That is a REALLY drinkable wine at less than $7/bottle. Picking up a case at a time seems the socially responsible thing to do.
Caveat: I am generally more of a beer / brown liquor fan. Like wines on the dry not sweet side.
Don’t sleep on Blenheim Vineyards Painted White. 59% Sauvignon Blanc. 31% Viognier. 10% Chardonnay. Delicious fruit flavors, with sneaky depth.
"Amazing what a minute can do."
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Lion Tamer, a Napa red blend. Hess Collection.
10% Malbec
27% Zin
21% Petite Syrah
8% Cab Sauv.
2% Mourvèdre
1% Petit Verdot
1% Merlot
Big wine, for big steak.