Landmark’s Overlook Chardonnay is one of those wines that’s just great every year.  It’s nice to have those bottles that, in a crunch or on a restaurant menu, you know will always be good, regardless of the vintage.  Case in point, this Chardonnay has received a 90 or higher rating from one or more of the major publications for every vintage since 2001.  At $20 it’s kind of in the middle price range that wineries avoid- the the high end of daily drinker territory but not splurge territory either.  Don’t let that hold you back.  This is better than many $40 Chardonnays out there.

The ‘07 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay strikes a nice balance between malolactic fermentation richness and acidity.  It’s a balance that many winemakers aren’t able to achieve but it’s magic when they do.  The acidity comes through on the nose with bright flavors of green apple and tangerine.  It tastes rich and buttery, if not oaky, and the acid reemerges on the finish, keeping it focused and clean.

One of the reasons Landmark Overlook is great every year is that they don’t restrict themselves to one vineyard or appellation.  This year most of the grapes come from Sonoma with 20% coming from Santa Barbara and Monterey.  Owned by the great granddaughter of John Deere, Landmark follows the same mantra as as the iconic tractor company; quality products at reasonable prices.

LA Wine Co. has the 2007 Chardonnay in half bottles and fulls.  The half bottles are actually half the price of the fulls, which is pretty rare, so pick up an assortment!

Buy Here :  2007 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay $19.95

375 ML $9.95

Wine Spectator 92 points

“Green apple, floral, lime and citrus blossom scents give this full-bodied Chardonnay a distinctive edge. Crisp and flinty, ending with wet stone. Drink now through 2012. 18,000 cases made.”

Robert Parker 90 points

“The 2007 Chardonnay Overlook (most from Sonoma County with about 20% from Santa Barbara and Monterey) offers a beautiful bouquet of peaches, pineapples, and other tropical fruits along with super-purity and focus. Medium to full-bodied, crisp, and pure, with the oak pushed to the background, this beautiful Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next several years.

The always reliable Landmark winery continues to turn out a bevy of Burgundian-styled Pinot Noirs and impressive Chardonnays. One of the best Chardonnay values in the marketplace is their Overlook.”

Well it doesn’t get much better than this!  LA Wine Co. already has the lowest prices in the country and Sunday from noon to 5 only, everything in stock is 10% off.  The catch?  This deal is only available in store.  If you are reading this from the LA area, do yourself a favor and get there early to pick up your favorite wines.  This is the only chance I know of all year to buy wines at these unheard of prices.

The line out the door says it all!

The 2007 Sean Minor Four Bears Cabernet is profoundly good for the price.  If you had asked me what I would pay for this wine, I would have said it’s worth three times its selling price.  And I only buy wines that I think are an exceptional value.  I have had $60 bottles of wine that aren’t as good.  Wine Spectator gave it 87 points which is very rare for a Napa Cabernet in this price range.  I’m not in the business of rating wines but, based on other WS ratings, I would put this at 90 points.

This wine is well put together in every way.  I could tell by the opaque deep purple color, that something special was coming.  What impresses me the most is the texture.  It’s rare… no, unheard of, to find a Napa Cabernet in this price range with this kind of rich mouthfeel.  Beyond that, the nose is sweet and expressive.  On the palate, reduced cherries and sweet dark berries come to mind, with a nice oak influence that is exceptionally rare in a wine in this price range (15% new oak).  The finish is lingering and focused.  If there is any fault in this wine, it’s that it doesn’t have the tannin structure to support extended aging.  But the reason we age wines is to relax the tannins, plus I don’t know anyone who buys $13 wine to drink 10 years from now.  That said, it will last for 6 years easily and will probably actually improve for the next 18 months.

Bottom line: this is the best Cabernet, Napa Valley or otherwise, I have ever tasted under $15 and I can only think of one other in this realm under $20.  Buy it by the case, buy it by the pallet!  I bought five cases of the 2005 Avalon Napa Cabernet which regularly sells around this price point, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is better to my taste.

Buy Here: Sean Minor Four Bears Cabernet 2007- $12.95

Wine Spectator 87 points

“Supple, graceful, complex and harmonious, this is firm and taut, with spicy plum, currant, cedar and mineral notes. Drink now through 2014. 12,000 cases made.”

You can’t get Oakville Cabernet at these prices!  Vineyard land in the Oakville appellation of Napa Valley, wedged between Yountville and Rutherford, costs well over $200,000/acre so it’s exceptionally rare to see an Oakville Cabernet under $50.  Those that do sell under that price point are often made of remnant grapes that didn’t make the cut for other top wines.  That’s why Turnbull’s 2007 Cabernet is so special.  It’s Estate grown, in their Oakville vineyards, which means that the grapes are owned and grown by Turnbull and never leave the property until the wine is bottled and sent to the distributor.

This is textbook Oakville juice- rich and sweet with a round tannin on the back of the palate.  This is a serious wine.  Fans of Groth or Plumpjack, are going to be really impressed with the latest release from Turnbull.

That crazy contraption on the top of the bottle is the Soiree Wine Decanter Aerator (available at LA Wine Co. for $19.95). It’s made of hand blown glass and aerates the wine as it’s being poured.  I think it helps to open up young wines if you don’t have time to decant for an extended amount of time.  Will it make a bad wine good?  Absolutely not.  But it will make a good wine better.  Definitely worth the $20.

The 2007 Turnbull Cabernet is drinking great right now but also has the structure for 10-15 years of aging.  For the equivalent of $36 per bottle this is one of the best values going and another prime example of the magic of the 2007 vintage in Napa Valley.

Buy Here: 2007 Turnbull Cabernet 375ml $17.95

Robert Parker 92 points

“The brilliant 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the real deal. Incense, forest flowers, black fruits, and crushed rock, jump from the glass of this inky purple-colored wine. Full-bodied, dense, and voluptuously textured, this is a beauty, a superb bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink well young but age 15-10 years. Bravo!

It’s hard to believe this winery has been in operation for 30 years, placing it among the older ones in Napa Valley. I was very impressed with their Cabernet Sauvignons, and less so with their Merlots.”

Finding any Priorat under $25 is difficult, so when I saw this 90 point example at $12.95, I had to try it.  I got hooked on Priorat after drinking the 2004 Mas Doix Salanques.  As I was drinking this Priorat for the first time, I found myself comparing it to that wine, which is quite a feat given it’s price.  So how does it compare?  It’s not as refined or flashy, but it’s also less than 1/3 the price and is easily better than any Priorat I’ve had under $25.  In other words, it’s a no brainer for $12.95 or anywhere under $20 for that matter.

I drank this wine for two nights and it was much sweeter and mouth-filling the second night.  This medium bodied wine pours a translucent ruby color.  Like many young Priorats it doesn’t have an overtly expressive nose, but what it lacks in fragrance, it makes up in flavor which is dry, yet sweet, and finishes with nice length.

If you haven’t experienced the wines of Priorat, Spain, this would be a great place to start.  If you already love Priorat, I’m confident that you will be very impressed with the value of the Bodegas la Cartuja.  Of note, the last few vintages of this wine have handily outperformed their price points, so watch for this one each year.

Buy Here: Bodegas la Cartuja La Cartuja Priorat 2008- $12.95

Robert Parker 90 points

“Bodegas La Cartuja’s 2008 La Cartuja is a blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Carinena with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from organically farmed estate fruit aged in French oak for 8 months. It offers up a reticent nose of graphite, spice box, underbrush, lavender, black cherry, and plum. This leads to a plush, sweetly-fruited, concentrated, mouth-filling wine for drinking over the next 5-6 years. It is an amazing value and a great introduction to Priorat.”

It was our 4th wedding anniversary so I needed some classy Champagne to celebrate.  You can never go wrong with Veuve Clicquot and its iconic yellow label (that curiously looks more orange to me).  We went with the half bottle because we were also opening a 15 year old bottle of Cabernet.  I love half bottles of Champagne because it’s the perfect amount for two people to share before dinner!

Veuve Clicquot might be the most popular higher-end Champagne in the United States, and for good reason.  It’s a perfect expression of what Champagne should be- dry, nutty and with lots of tiny tongue tingling (say that 3 times fast) bubbles.

You can easily pay $100 at restaurants, $60 at the grocery store and $50 at wine superstores for Veuve Yellow Label.  LA Wine Co. has it for $36.95 for full bottles, $21.95 for half and $89.95 for magnums, which is unheard of pricing.  Get it while you can because this pricing probably won’t last.

Buy Here: Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label $36.95, 375ml $21.95, 1.5L $89.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“A nice crisp structure focuses the graphite, honey and citrus flavors. This is rich, but remains smooth and elegant, with a lingering aftertaste of honey and pastry. Drink now.” (WS)

In honor of Spain’s victory in the World Cup, I decided to pop a bottle of old vine Garnacha.  Let me tell you, drinking this wine is WAY more exciting than watching 90 minutes of scoreless soccer.  Then again, so is being punched in the head, but that’s beside the point.  In all seriousness, this might be the most exciting wine I’ve had all year!  I’m not finished with the bottle, and I already can’t wait until the next time I get to drink this.

This wine pours an inky purple- so dense that the bubbles look almost as dark as the wine itself.  The nose is sweet and absolutely jumps out of the glass.  I’m not sure how the Spanish get their Garnacha (aka Grenache) so concentrated.  Blueberry syrup comes to mind.  This is muscular, firm and sweet but still manages to be refined despite its 16%(!!!) alcohol.

Chris Ringland, the man behind many of Australia’s best values (Pillar Box Red), is the mastermind of this fantastic wine.  It was rated 94 points from the Wine Advocate and 93 from Stephen Tanzer’s notoriously stingy International Wine Cellar.  This wine is drinking great today but will likely last for 10 years.  I see no reason to wait on it because it’s SO good right now.

Buy Here: Bodegas Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo $37.95

Wine Advocate 94 points

“The same can be said for the 2007 Alto Moncayo, also 100% Garnacha. It offers up a similar aromatic and flavor profile, just at a slightly higher octane level. This opulent effort is all about pleasure; give it 3-4 years of additional cellaring if you’d like it a bit more civilized.

Old vine Garnacha made under the supervision of renowned vigneron Chris Ringland is the story at Bodegas Alto Moncayo in the little known DO of Campo de Borja.

International Wine Cellar 93 points

“($45; 100% garnacha) Deep, bright ruby. Complex bouquet offers scents of blueberry, boysenberry, cola, dark chocolate and mace. Broad, sweet dark berry flavors display liqueur-like depth and power and are nicely framed by velvety tannins. A tangy mineral note gains strength with air and adds vivacity to the long, sweet, spicy finish. I’d drink this alluring wine on the young side for its exuberant fruit character.”

When we pulled up to the front gate of Nickel and Nickel’s Oakville Winery and pushed the call button to open the gates, we knew we were in for a premium experience with some premium wines.  As we walked through the front entrance (pictured above) we were greeted with a glass of Nickel & Nickel’s 2008 Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay on a silver platter (literally).  While waiting in the parlor room, we took in the vintage furnishings of the perfectly restored 1884 vineyard house.  Every structure on the property has been perfectly restored to better than original condition but with a specific effort to stay true to the original.

Originally founded by John C. Sullenger in the 1880’s, Gil Nickel purchased the property in 1998 with two goals in mind: pay tribute to John Sullenger’s farmstead vision and create a premium winery for the production of single vineyard wines.  He was successful on both fronts.  Both the property and the wines are exceptional.  Gil made his money in the nursery business (trees not children).  Every winery story starts similarly.  It seems like starting a winery is a great way to spend money but not really make money, because none of the stories feature the founder getting rich from making great wine.

The barn pictured to the right was originally built in 1770 in New Hampshire and was purchased by Gil Nickel from that original farm when it was about to be burned down, disassembled, shipped across the county, and reassembled using the original construction techniques.  The barn now contains a banquet table, kitchen and glass enclosed offices but retains the original post and beam construction.  It’s really a spectacular modern twist on the original barn.

Next we moved on through the fermentation barn, a new structure built in the ancient post and beam technique.  Nickel and Nickel has a unique challenge since they make 27 single vineyard wines, requiring many more tanks since the wine must be fermented independently.

They are also one of the very few valley wineries that feature a “cave” because there are no mountains into which the cave can be dug.  This one is actually under the barn but once down there, it’s the same as being in the side of any mountain on the perimeter of the valley.  The cave actually provides an economic benefit for the winery because air conditioning isn’t required for the extensive barrel aging.  Nickel and Nickel is 100% solar powered keeping with an admirable trend toward green winemaking in Napa Valley.

Sitting on the back porch of the winery, taking in the scenery, it’s easy to see why Gil Nickel wanted to restore this property.  It’s a stunning setting to grow, create, and drink fantastic single vineyard wines.  I’m not going to write specific notes on each of the six Cabernets we tasted but all were very good and a couple were exceptional.  The 2007 Vogt Vineyard from Howell Mountain and the 2007 John C. Sullenger Vineyard Cabernets (grown on the adjacent 30 acres) were standouts.  At $90-120 a bottle, these are not cheap or even value priced wines, but they are collectible, highly rated and ageworthy.  The tour and tasting are $40 per person, on the high end of the spectrum, but for the right occasion, it’s definitely worth the money. Make this one your splurge and you won’t be disappointed.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this but I love Santa Barbara Chardonnays.  So much so that I have six of Fess Parker’s ‘coon  skin hat engraved wine glasses- an ode to his days playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone in the ‘50′ s and ’60’s.  Sadly, we lost Fess on March 18th of this year (my dad is shedding a tear right now), but his legacy lives on in some of Santa Barbara county’s best Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

Super rich and oaky, this is the antithesis to the stainless steel, no malolactic fermentation Chardonnay that’s stylish now.  This is not what you would call subtle, but sometimes subtle is just an excuse to make boring wine.  For $13.95, this is one of the best values currently on the market.

If you live in the L.A. area make it a point to visit the Fess Parker winery on Foxen Canyon Road in Santa Barbara wine country.  Some might call it “commercial” but it’s a beautifully manicured property that has some of the best wines in the county.  On the weekends they make some killer tri-tip tacos that you can eat while walking the vineyards.  My favorite part- with your $10 tasting you get a nice crystal glass engraved with the Fess Parker logo.  Wouldn’t it be nice if they still did that in Napa?!

Buy Here: 2008 Fess Parker Chardonnay $13.95

Wine Enthusiast 93 points

“Run, don’t walk to buy up cases of this beautiful, well-priced Chardonnay. It’s rich and sumptuous in vanilla oak and lees-inspired flavors of pineapples, pears and lime tart. Easy to find, with production of 17, 496 cases.”

With the hyped 2007 vintage still on the shelves, the 2008 Rhone vintage is starting to hit the market and, in a less hyped vintage, there are often some serious values to be had.  The latest vintage of Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue might just prove to be the best value of the vintage. There’s just a special pleasure about drinking a great tasting wine for under $10.  In some respects it can be more fun than drinking a $100 bottle because it’s all pleasure with no pain.  That is unless someone else is paying for that $100 bottle of course.

The 2008 Domaine Paul Autard is juicy, smooth and delicious.  The 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Counoise blend has a nose of rock candy followed up by the signature Rhone pepper.  It tastes juicy with nice cherry flavors and a surprisingly lengthy, focused finish.  This wine is aged in vats rather than barrels, so there is no oak to distract from the pure fruit.

Vintner Jean-Paul Autard (how’s that for a French name?) makes an $85 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and, while this might not be of that pedigree, the winemaking skill shows through.  Until further notice, this will be my house Rhone- guilt free!

Buy Here: Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue $9.95

Wine Spectator- 88 points

“This has good ripeness for the vintage, with juicy plum and blackberry fruit laced with mesquite and graphite notes. Fine length. Drink now. 4,000 cases made.” (WS)