Price and quality not necessarily the same thing

By By Stan Torgerson / wine columnist
Feb. 4, 2004
The 2002 Chateau La Paws has arrived in Meridian and is now available at our leading wine stores. We tasted it with friends Monday evening, and in my opinion it is even better than the 2001.
Made by a veterinarian as a hobby, this wine has a beautiful aroma, deep color and a rich taste that is seldom found in a wine in the $14 price class.
Local stores bought into it heavily but it is only a matter of time before it is gone. This wine is a product of a small San Francisco Winery named Rosenblum the 2003 winery of the year in California. It has limited production and, therefore, limited distribution.
Fortunately, one of the places in which it has become available is Mississippi. Distributor Norm Rush managed to get 60 cases into the state warehouse instead of the 28 he was originally promised. But 31 of those cases were then ordered locally. That should give you an idea of its potential.
We think it will age nicely for perhaps six or eight years and recommend it highly. Chateau La Paws represents an unusual combination of a bargain price and outstanding quality.
Merlot tasting results
Last week's tasting of seven California merlots proved again that price and quality are not necessarily the same thing. The door wine, Pepperwood Grove ($7.50), was juicy, easy and pleasant to drink but without any memorable personality.
But the next lowest priced wine, the Selby merlot ($22.70), was something else again. It had pronounced cherry flavor, had little or no tannin and was a joy to drink. The crowd loved it and so, I must confess, did I.
The Kirkland Ranch which was tasted about a week ago, was perfect for my pallet with it's full spicy flavor but it was a wine with no in between. You either loved it or couldn't stand it because of its intensity and we had a number of comments both ways. I liked it, but then I lean toward intense wines, zinfandels, syrahs, and big cabernet sauvignons. If you like soft, feminine-type wines, this one is not for you.
Both of the most expensive wines were well received. Pine Ridge ($32.10) is a complex wine, yet well balanced. I suspect if it were evaluated by professional tasters it would likely be the highest rated wine of the evening.
Saddleback was the highest priced wine of the group ($38.25) and was probably worthy of the honor. Big and intense, this is a well made blend that could almost compete head-to-head with a syrah or even a nice, but lesser, cabernet sauvignon. It had many fans in the audience.
The others, Freemark Abbey ($27.10) and Ferrari-Carona ($23.20) were excellent wines but rather non-competitive to the power and richness of the others.
Frankly there wasn't a below-average wine in the lot and any of them would be welcome at my dinner table.
What the tasting did is to prove that merlot is becoming less and less a lady's wine and more and more a wine offering something for every one. While these seven wines did not change my affection for the zinfandels, syrahs and cabernets, it did prove there is something else wonderfully pleasant out there that may be worthy of your consideration.
Smart buy tips
The bible of the wine industry, The Wine Spectator, is out with its smart buys of the year, wines that offer outstanding quality for $30 or less. It's sort of a who who's who of moderately priced wines.
Among recognizable labels recommended, we noted Acacia, Wolf Blass, Chateau Souverain, Cline, Chateau Potensac, Qupe, Quinta Do Crasto, Sebastiani, Steele, Talley and Villa Maria. There are others but most of those did not appear on the state wine list and there is no point in teasing you with wines you'll find impossible to buy.
Some are reds, some are whites. All are highly rated, that is 85 or above, and all are considered bargains in the $12 to $30 class. Look for the labels and give them a try.
I particularly recommend Quinta Do Crasto red from Portugal and Villa Maria whites from New Zealand. Both are distributed in Meridian but are not necessary available in every store.
They, and the others, are proof that it is not necessary to spend a fortune to get good wine, if you have some idea of what good wine is and what it can be. Look for them on your next wine buying expedition. You may be surprised at how much pleasure you'll enjoy for your money.