Found a wine

[ratcheer]

Yesterday, in Costco, I was looking for a selection of red wines to try to take more advantage of the health benefits, the list of which seems to grow with each week. One that I picked up was Robert Mondavi 2006 "Private Reserve" cabernet sauvignon.

When we got home, we had a simple supper of barbecued ribs and French bread. I opened the Mondavi. It wasn't just good, it was easily among the very best wines I have ever tasted. It had that buttery deliciousness that I usually find only in the best French wines. I found myself just drinking it down it was so good.

I will return to Costco and buy several more bottles. :cool:

Tim

[Jono]

Mondavi has always had a good reputation...glad you found a good one and thanks for sharing.

[Sijan]

Tim, are you referring to the Mondavi "Private Selection" Cabernet?

While you're at Costco, you might want to check to see if yours has any of the 2007 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel in stock. It got 93 pts from Wine Spectator, and was just named Wine of the Year. If you can find it, Costco has a great price on the wine - $16.99 up here in Northern Virginia. I picked up a case.

I like it quite a bit - very fruit forward & heavy & high alcohol. Lots of dark fruit and blueberry. Almost port-like on the finish. Pretty young now and benefits from aeration. I gave it 91 pts on CellarTrcker.

[SBOmarc]

Heading to Costco this morning and will keep an eye out for both of these. This time of year wife and I start drinking more red wine. The value at places such as Costco is welcomed also.

[Vange]

While you're at Costco, you might want to check to see if yours has any of the 2007 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel in stock. It got 93 pts from Wine Spectator, and was just named Wine of the Year.

It was in the Top 5 this year but not the Wine of the Year which was a Chilean wine if I am not mistaken. Sorry, not trying to be nitpicky or a jerk.

Mondavi winery does make great wine. I recently tried the Oakville estate cab from Mondavi at a wine tasting and I think it retails for $37, WOW, what a wine! I tired Mondavi reserve as well ($100+) and although obviously good it just doesnt justify the price. The Oakville, on the other hand, did justify the price!

[pepcycle]

Not to be Nitpicky, it was #10.

Still one of my all time favoritos.

[texascarl]

Tim, sounds like a tasty red. Robert Mondavi - the winemaker - always gets a tip of the hat from this old drinking man.

[Damon]

When you're at Costco, check to see if they ahve any Cameron Hughes wines.

He is a negociant- meaning he buys other people's juice and crafts his own wines. And he does it at an extremely good value. He will typically buy surplus ultra premium grapes from vineyards and make wines as good as better as teh original vineyard and sell them at substantially lower prices.

I know he currently has a cab at Texas Costcos for $14 that scored 93 at Wine Spectator. That's a super deal. I have been fond of about everything he has released, especially his Meritage blends.

[Slob]

I wish I had seen this thread here yesterday, before I went to Costco. I walked out of there basically empty-handed, save for a bottle of vermouth and I now find myself in need a wine fore tonight's dinner.

[SBOmarc]

Neither were there this AM at the location in Corona Ca. Delayed my wine purchases for another time.

[Sijan]

It was in the Top 5 this year but not the Wine of the Year which was a Chilean wine if I am not mistaken. Sorry, not trying to be nitpicky or a jerk.

Sorry, my mistake. I must have mistyped or accidentally deleted something. I certainly knew it wasn't the #1 Wine of the Year.

I meant to say that the 2007 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel was named #10 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year for 2008 (and is by far the best value in the top 10).

http://top100.winespectator.com/wine-10-08.html

The #1 Wine of the Year went to the 2005 Clos Apalta http://top100.winespectator.com/wineOfTheYear-2008.html

[Vange]

Dan,

I knew you probably meant it I just didnt want someone to think it was THE wine of the year and go out and buy cases of it. Again, I want trying to be a jerk or anything.

The more I look at these WS Top 100s the more I wonder about their rules for making these rankings year to year. With the lack of 05 Burgundies and 05 Bordeuax (I know there are some, but for a potential vintage of the century I expected more) on the list. Is this really more of a QPR top 100 than an actual top 100? It seems it would have to be because the expensive big boy wines never make it so I assume that is the unwritten situation here OR to bring light to wines under the radar? Does anyone know more about this? I should probably check the WS forum.

Personal Note: I am happy to see that Pontet-Canet is on the list since it's a 5th class Bordeaux that should be 2nd class as far as quality goes. This has always been one of my favorite Bordeaux producers, I guess there goes its "affordability". The 05 was 100+ so I know thats crazy, but former vintages were sub $50 for its always high quality production.

[Vange]

I was thinking, it would be nice to have a thread with wine recommendations that are great for $20 and under.

[ratcheer]

Tim, are you referring to the Mondavi "Private Selection" Cabernet?

Probably. All these names start sounding the same to me.

Tim

[ratcheer]

I was thinking, it would be nice to have a thread with wine recommendations that are great for $20 and under.

I am glad to see this thread has finally taken off. I make posts like this, occasionally when I come across some wine that is either exceptionally tasty or seems to be an exceptional value (or both). But usually, these threads just lay there.

Tim

[Sijan]

I was thinking, it would be nice to have a thread with wine recommendations that are great for $20 and under.

I have a number of recommendations that fit this criterion and would love to see others contributions to such a thread

[Sijan]

Dan,

I knew you probably meant it I just didnt want someone to think it was THE wine of the year and go out and buy cases of it. Again, I want trying to be a jerk or anything.

The more I look at these WS Top 100s the more I wonder about their rules for making these rankings year to year. With the lack of 05 Burgundies and 05 Bordeuax (I know there are some, but for a potential vintage of the century I expected more) on the list. Is this really more of a QPR top 100 than an actual top 100? It seems it would have to be because the expensive big boy wines never make it so I assume that is the unwritten situation here OR to bring light to wines under the radar? Does anyone know more about this? I should probably check the WS forum.

They note on their website that there are four criteria:

http://top100.winespectator.com/

In 2008, we reviewed more than 19,500 wines from around the world in blind tastings. More than 5,300 of them earned outstanding ratings (90 points or higher on our 100-point scale). We then narrowed the list down based on four criteria: quality (represented by score); value (reflected by release price); availability (measured by case production or cases imported); and an X-factor we call excitement. But no equation determines the final selections: These choices reflect our editors' judgment and passion about the wines we tasted.

They also do a blind group tasting of the final 20-25 or so to narrow down to the top 10.

[Vange]

Dan thanks for that. That is very interesting criteria.

Speaking of ratings and the like I read a very enlightening article on Robert Parker yesterday. It really has changed my opinion of him from semi-warm to the utmost respect. It is a long read but so worth it. One nice tidbit in case you dont read it is that Mr Parker buys ALL the wine he rates. He refuses all freebies so as to not be accused of bias.

http://chef2chef.net/news/foodservice/Editorial-Chefs_Corner/Scoring_the_Critics.htm