2006 Gypsy Dancer Oregon Pinot Noir – $16

Ok, so this isn’t really a $16 Pinot, it normally sells for anywhere from $40 to $60, but again I found an end of the bin special. I was not familiar with Gypsy Dancer Pinot but how can you turn down this kind of deal. The grapes are sourced from the A & G Estate Vineyards in the Dundee Hills region of Oregon. In checking the web for information on this Pinot, I found that the Winemaker, Gary Andrus passed away Jan. 30, 2009 and this is the last vintage ever to be produced. So, that’s the reason the wine was in the cut-out bin. This is a very small volume, (480 cases produced), unfiltered wine.

The color is a dense, but see thru deep red, with brown overtones. The nose is the classic Pinot Noir aroma, mushrooms, crumples leaves, a little bit of flowers and a hint of mint, nothing else smells like a good Pinot. The flavor is delicate, not overpowering but somehow huge at the same time.  Your mouth is filled with flavor, but none of the flavors overpower, just an explosion of subtle blended tastes. There are black and blueberries in there, also some Junior Mints, this is a very balanced delicate yet full. There isn’t really a finish, it is more like the initial flavors refuse to give up, it lasts a long time. The Gypsy Dancer is more fruit forward and less earthy than some Pinots, but is is beautifully balanced and wonderfully subtle.

I spilled some of the wine for a fallen Homey, it looks like I’m a fan of Gary Andrus’s wines a little too late, he made a really good wine. The Gypsy Dancer is well worth searching out if you can find it, it was a $60 wine before he passed and now is $40 and if your lucky much much less.

2007 Ringland Ebenezer Shiraz – $18

We reviewed the 2006 Ebenezer Shiraz a few months ago and loved it, the 2007 Ebenezer is even better. This is classic Barrosa Valley Shiraz, it is the kind of wine that put Australia on the wine world map. At $17.99 it is an incredible value, I dare you to blind taste the Ebenezer with Shiraz’s selling for three or four times it’s price and see if you can identify this as the under $20 wine. The grapes are sourced from the premier Ebenezer Vineyard and Chris Ringland is a world class vintner. The color is a classy ruby red, the nose is rich dark fruit, the taste is black cherry, blueberries, plums and a touch of spice with smooth tannins, the mouth feel is lush and the finish is looooooong smooth cherry vanilla. You can pay more for a Shiraz, but the Ebenezer will hold it’s own in any company.

Get it here or call (847) 776-1000 for an awesome deal.

2006 Four Vines Old Vines Zinfandel – $12

This is another “follow the wine maker” wine. Christian Tietje (based out of Paso Robles) is something of an outlaw winemaker, he makes wine the way he wants to and does not pay a great deal of attention to tradition. He makes wines named Loco, Heretic and the Biker and he calls himself the “Zinbitch”. The Old Vines Cuvee Zinfandel is his entry level red wine and he calls it the “best” deal in red wine.

Zinfandel is the American grape, most varietals come from France, Spain or Italy, but not Zinfandel. Now, I know all about how they traced this grape back to Croatia, but as they say, use it or lose it, and when’s the last time you had a Croatian Zinfandel. So, it’s our grape now, we should be using Zinfandel for making toasts on the 4th of July!

The Four Vines Old Vines Cuvee Zinfandel is sourced from vineyards all over Northern California and was aged in small French and American oak barrels. Alcohol content is listed as 14.6%, and the alcohol and the tannins are well balanced. This is a bit of a throw back Zin, big, bold and spicy. Tastes of jammy black and blue berries upfront with that nice Zin spice cutting right into all that jammy fruit.The finish has nice vanilla notes with some cola flavors. Not a good Zinfandel for the price, but a straight up real solid Zin,period. Should be widely available for around 12 bucks.

2006 Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon – $16

I am a fan of the wines made by Charles Smith Wines.  He is doing some really cool things with wine at a affordable price. This Cab is sourced from a vineyard in Columbia Valley, Washington. 85% Cabernet, 10% Malbec and 5% Cab Franc, kind of low alcohol for a Cab, only 13.5 %.

Now this is a cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon, if you are going to measure this against a Napa or Sonoma Cab you are going to be taken aback. Not oaky and with smooth tannins, tastes of black and blueberries and chocolate covered cherries. Tastes smooth, not thick, has a nice finish that is nuanced. Charles Smith says that this is not a Bordeaux wine this is a Washington wine, which I take to mean he is turning the terroir thing around on the French.

This is a Cab that would appeal to Barossa Valley Shiraz lovers. Very fruit forward, but still has some complexity. Untwist the screw-top and your ready to go.

2007 Turn Four Cabernet Sauvignon

So Bennett Lane does some awesome wine – Maximus, etc. and an awesome $99 Cabernet Sauvignon that we tried at a recent tasting. But here’s a perfect example of “follow the winemaker” – they also have this badass Cab right here at $18 that knocked our socks off, meaning that we went through the tasting and this one still held up as a standout. And when it comes in at $18, it qualifies for a review here. Just when you thought an honest Napa Cab could not be had sub $20, here comes the Turn Four. Inky dark ruby intense red.

Black & red cherries and other berries on the nose. Twizzler! Chocolate-covered cherries and licorice passes into unobtrusive elegant tannins. Now you want it, right? Lucky for you we know a guy: get it here but you have to call (847) 776-1000 or email larry@thewinecellaronline.com to get an awesome deal. His name’s Larry – he knows what’s up.

2008 Maipe Malbec

Estate grown and bottled in Mendoza, Argentina, purchased for $7.99. The nose reminds me of a roadside fruit stand in the autumn during harvest, all fruit, flowers and green grass. The color is dark, rich and opaque. Alcohol content is a reasonable 13.7%. It tastes of dark fruit, plums and berries with a slight pull from the tannins in the back of your mouth. It thickly coats your mouth, this is no wimpy, watery wine. The finish is long and intense.

Did I say this wine sells for $7.99? A few years back, when I first tasted Argentinian wine they all had a “green stick” flavor that I wasn’t too fond of, but those days are long gone. This wine is not just good considering the cost, it is simply flat out good. This one’s going on Cheapwinefinder’s Top Ten Wines of 2009 list.

And you can get it here for < $10.

2007 Yangarra Shiraz

Man I love Australian wines! I have a hard time remembering the last time I had one I didn’t like. This one’s no exception. It has a real Goth feel to it – dark garnet – the color you wouldn’t want your daughter to wear when she goes out. Smells like you built a bonfire in a meadow – toasted wood and violets tease you into your first sip.

Then you take a taste – POW! It smacks you in the face with its intense, hearty dark fruits. Then as if you said the safe word, it backs off and finishes with a smooth mellow velvety texture.

The girl next to me took my advice and tried some too. She said, “The finish on this wine feels like silk lingerie slipping over my thighs”. You bet I gave her my card. Someone who enjoys wine as much as I do? And owns lingerie? And has thighs?

Get it HERE for $19.99.

2006 Ebenezer Shiraz Chris Ringland

Chris Ringland is the winemaker for Marquis/Phillips, R Wineries and others. He makes two wines under his own name, one costs $400.00 and the Ebenezer that clocks in at $19.99. This is a big bold classic Barossa Valley Shiraz, and this one can drink like a $100 wine. It’s still young and you can wait one or two more years till it hits its peak, but it’s tasting very good right now. It hits all its marks, great nuanced taste, nice mid-palate, long delicious finish and a lush mouth feel. Bring this one over to the friend who only drinks high-end California cabs and merlots and watch the look on his face when you tell him what you paid for it. I liked the 2005 a little better than the 2006, and I can’t wait until the 2007 is released, this  is a ripper.

The name Ebenezer comes from the Ebenezer Vineyards in Barossa Valley. It is one of the premier Shiraz vineyards in Australia, and wine made from fruit from this vineyard seldom is available for under $20.