It’s well known at this point that some of the best values in the world are coming out of Argentina.  Argentine Malbec (or is it Argentinian? I never really know) and, to an increasing extent, their Cabernet over deliver in a major way especially when compared to what’s happening in Napa and France.  But, in the under $30 price range, I’ve found many of the wines to be somewhat one dimensional, with some of the Cabernet having some green notes.

That all changed with Finca Decero’s Cabernet Sauvignon Remolinos Vineyard.  When I took the first sip after splashing it into a decanter, all I could think about is how much it reminds of the 2005 Chateau La Vieille Cure, the 93 point Bordeaux I wrote up last month.  The complexity and rich mouthfeel are impressive, and while ripe, it avoids the sweetness of a California Cabernet, tasting more like a Bordeaux.  I could really taste a sense of place with this wine as well.  It’s from a single vineyard sitting at 3500 feet in the foothills of the Andes.  I had to include this spectacular picture of the winery because I think it will make drinking this wine that much more enjoyable.

Decero means ‘from scratch’ and this handpicked, handmade wine, aged in 30% new French Oak would cost 3-4x if produced in the United States.  It sells for over $20 at many retailers, but LA Wine Company has it for $13.95, which appears to be the lowest price in the country.  How a wine of this quality can be made at that price is beyond me, but drink up while it’s available!

Buy Here: 2007 Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon Remolinos Vineyard

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Rock-solid, with a juicy, muscular core of blackberry, black currant and fig fruit pushed by bacony toast and a lush, hoisin sauce-tinged finish. Has heft, but balanced too. Drink now through 2011. 1,500 cases imported.”

Wine Advocate 90 points

“Aromas of Asian spices, violets, black currants, and blackberry; smooth-textured, some elegance.”

Tonight was the second attempt with my new pasta maker, and this time called for a white wine pairing.  I’ve long been impressed with Syrah bottlings from Qupé so I picked up a bottle of their 2009  Bien Nacido Vineyard “Y” Block to drink with Sicilian fettuccine with roasted tomatoes.

It’s exceptionally rare to find a single vineyard Chardonnay made with this precision and cost (25% new oak barrels) for under $20.  Plus, Qupé clearly takes pride in their wines and I like supporting wineries like that.  After all, with a few exceptions, wineries are just small businesses trying to put a great product in front of customers while making a profit.  The majority fail at both points, and while I can’t speak to their profitability, I can tell you  Qupé has a great product.

As previously mentioned on Nickel and Dime Wine, the central coast and specifically Santa Barbara County is a breeding ground for Chardonnay values.  The source of this wine’s grapes,  Bien Nacido Vineyard, is world renowned for growing super premium cool climate grapes like Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  That vineyard, combined with expert winemaking produces a full bodied Chardonnay that’s both rich and buttery yet focused and clean at the same time.  Oak is present, but it’s perfectly in balance with nice acid.

This wine sells for between $15 and $20 most places and, according to Google shopping, LA Wine Co. has the lowest price by far.  Today’s takeaway: good grapes + good winemaking + good pricing = a perfect Thursday night.  Now when mom asks you what you learned today, you have an answer.

Buy Here: 2009 Qupe “Bien Nacido – Y Block” Santa Maria Chardonnay $12.95

Most of the grapes grown in Napa, or any region for that matter, aren’t planted, maintained, and harvested by the company that ultimately brings the wine you drink to market.  Rather, most grapes are grown and then sold, by the ton, to producers large and small.  Markets actually exist for grapes just like corn, soybeans or pork bellies.  In fact, some of the most famous and popular wines in the country, names like Silver Oak, Cakebread and Caymus, use purchased grapes for at least a portion of their wines.

Those wines carry generic appellation names (Napa) which allows the wineries to source grapes from anywhere in the county.  But a growing trend is single vineyard designated wines, whether they be from an estate’s own vineyards, or as in this case, from a vineyard managed by a third party.  Some of the most famous and high quality vineyards in the country are independently owned and managed, selling all of their grapes to high-end producers like Levendi (think Stagecoach, To-Kalon, Hyde and many others).

Levendi purchased the grapes for this fantastic 2008 Chardonnay from one of the Laird Family’s vineyards called Red Hen.  It’s located in the Oak Knoll AVA where cool winds make for a perfect climate for Chardonnay.  This is textbook Napa Chardonnay- rich, buttery but with a nice acid balance that keeps it crisp.  Single vineyard wines possess a uniqueness that blends can’t achieve, and that’s what I really like about this Chardonnay.  At $20 it’s in an odd price point, higher than a daily drinker (at least for me), but below splurge territory.  Put that aside and give this one a try.  I think you will find that it’s an incredible value and you will enjoy tasting the uniqueness of Red Hen Vineyard.

Buy Here: 2008 Levendi Chardonnay Red Hen Vineyard

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.

Nothing starts off a spring or summer evening better than a cool, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.   I think the best Sauvignon Blancs, especially for the value-focused consumer, are coming out of New Zealand’s Marlborough region.  In a way, Sauvignon Blanc is a pure expression of wine, uninfluenced by oak, with all the focus on the grape.  This makes it the perfect wine to open an evening.

Barker’s Marque’s version is particularly rich, compared to many Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, but it’s a perfect expression of the varietal.  This wine is produced from a single vineyard and it really shows.  It starts with the signature bright, citrus notes that jump out of the glass.  The rich mouthfeel and tart acid would make this wine a perfect pairing to a rich, fatty fish like salmon, Chilean seabass or trout.   That said, the wine really stands on its own and doesn’t need food to be enjoyed.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is still relatively inexpensive, with great values to be had for well under $15.  At $11.95, this is one of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve had.  It’s a perfect way to kick off the spring with some fish on the grill, or maybe just sitting outside enjoying the weather!

Barker’s Marque 3 Brooms Sauvignon Blanc 2009- $11.95

One of my top wine tips is to look for the reserve wines from the big producers.  Many of the big producers make solid high volume wines, but their real pride and joy is their reserve and single vineyard wines.  Case in point is the Belle Terre Vineyard Chardonnay from Chateau St. Jean, known as the king of Sonoma.  Famous for their Cinq Cepages Cabernet, they also produce some great single vineyard Chardonnays every year.

Robert Parker gave this one 93 points and I’ll stand firmly behind him on that rating.  The Belle Terre Vineyard Chardonnay pours a straw colored gold and has great aromas of smoke, oak and sweet honey.  Speaking of honey, it has a great honey-butter mouthfeel that’s both flashy and refined at the same time.  It finishes with a crisp, lingering fruit that rounds out a fantastic package.

There are some great Chardonnay values in the $18-25 right now and, on the lower end of this scale at under $20, this is high end wine at a mid range price.  This will last a few years, so stock up for special occasions!

Robert Parker 93 points

“The 2007 Chardonnay Belle Terre Vineyard was put through full malolactic fermentation, making it the most showy, flamboyant wine of this quartet. It also possesses impressive minerality as well as attractive notes of apricots, tropical fruits, mangoes, honeysuckle, and a subtle touch of hazelnuts. This delicious, medium to full-bodied 2007 should drink well for 2-4 years.

This winery produces some exceptional bargain-priced wines and consistently does an enviable job with Sauvignon Blanc, or as they call it, Fume Blanc. There has been a long legacy of top-notch Fume Blancs produced ever since veteran winemaker Richard Arrowood was fashioning the wines at Chateau St.-Jean in the 1970s. Chateau St. Jean produces four distinctive styles of Chardonnay. My favorites tend to vary with the vintage, and in 2007, the Belle Terre Vineyard came out on top.” (WA)

Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Chardonnay- $19.95