January/February 2012  
Case of the Month - $105

Once again we offer the January/February ne plus ultra case of the month: Greatest Hits of 2011. We've picked some of last year's best-sellers and most talked-about wines and brought them back for a lip-smacking' encore. New comments are in italics, with the original review following. Happy New Year!

FYI: The case contains 1 bottle each of the 12 selections at a discounted price. You are also welcome to purchase the wines individually, as part of a custom mixed case (10% discount), or by the whole case (20% discount). 

Arbor Crest Cliff House Red NV
Bad label, good wine. This under-the-radar Washington red blend is a value winner, offering much more drinking pleasure than the label or its non-vintage status might suggest. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Sirah and Malbec that was aged 18 months in French oak, it is full-bodied, dark and deep with spicy oak notes accenting the ripe berry and cassis fruit. An interesting blend that works as the Cab Franc savory aromatics and Merlot fruitiness nicely balance the Petit Sirah beefiness. $8.99

Lafleur de Haute-Serre Cahors 2008
A perfect cold weather red, might as well keep drinking this December favorite for a while. This wine is full of surprises; not only is it a great buy (regular price is $18), it's really classy, which is not a term often used to describe this southern French appellation at any price. Although true to type, there is an elegance and sense of restraint to its brooding dark fruit and wet earth aromatics. 100% Malbec. $11.99

Legado Munoz Tempranillo 2010
Spanish enough for Spanish fans, modern enough for everyone else. Unabashedly modern in style, this offers a blast of peppery blackberry fruit, juicy and creamily textured, followed by a long finish where the flavors echo and echo and echo and echo. $9.99

Ique Malbec 2010
New vintage yet surprisingly consistent in taste. A new-to-us version of that grape folks can't seem to get enough of, this isn't icky at all. With a plush entry and taut mid-section, this sports a fruit-driven style that narrowly avoids driving into too much fruit. Floral, fresh and brimming with baking spice aromatics, the palate is clean with red/black fruit and a little wood, trailing boysenberries on the finish. $9.99

Lorelle Pinot Grigio 2010
This bargain local white sold well all year. Although labeled Grigio, this is 100%Willamette Valley from local producer J. Albin. Definitely dry but with an intriguing powdered sugar note, the fruit bounces from pear to honeydew to lemon before sealing the deal with a slightly yeasty zesty kiss on the finish. $9.99

La Celestiere Vdp Vaucluse 2009
Can't go wrong with this favorite from the great 2009 vintage. This Rhone red is pure country wine, slightly rustic and unvarnished; One whiff transports you to the vineyard and all its accompanying scents: lavender, thyme, marjoram, dusty earth ... happily the palate doesn't quash these with overripe fruit. Rather it accentuates the aromatics by staying high-toned and offering its own red vermouth botanical notes to the bright red berry fruit. Chewy yet medium-bodied, this is versatile enough to pair with many a dish. $9.99

La Quercia Montepulciano 2010
A great Italian red to beat the winter blues. A new vintage of a Small Vineyards favorite, this delivers full-flavored fruit running the gamut from black cherry to high-toned cranberry, with plenty of spice and a plush inviting mouth-feel. A classic "pasta wine" but works well with much more. $9.99

Beretta Bianco di Custoza 2010
Turn up the heat, close the curtains and pretend it's spring. A charming northern Italian white that delights with aromas of fresh hay, citrus zest and the salty spray of an ocean breeze. The just-ripe white peach fruit is a lovely backdrop for this sensory mélange and the lemon crème finish is tangy and refreshing. Pretty darn good for just $8.50

La Croix Belle Chardonnay 2010
Probably our best-selling bargain Chard of 2011, we had to include this. Despite the overall profile leaning French (mild mineral notes, good acidity, dry finish), there's a punch of richly-flavored spiced apple fruit and the creamy texture lends an easy-going party vibe. $10.99

Benegas Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
I think the following says it all: a burly sultry beast of a wine that seems tailor-made for meats hung over an open flame, this starts sexy and finishes firm. Choclately oaky spice aromatics give way to a load of concentrated blackberry and red cassis fruit before tightening up on the smoky back-end. $9.99

Pico Maccario Barbera d'Asti 2009
Surprisingly classy for the money. An easy pick after little discussion. From its lovely nose to its clean gentle finish, this is quite the class act. The candied red cherry fruit is medium-bodied, smooth and round with enough cinnamon spice and bright acidity to keep it fresh and zesty. $9.99

Zilliken Dry Riesling Butterfly 2007
A distributor-switch deal makes this an easy choice as the one traditional newbie for 2012. Bursting aromatics of lime zest, cardamom and white pepper lead to mild pear fruit, softening slightly but held tight but a beam of acidity before finishing dry and stony. Regularly $17, now $9.99.
 
Curious about wines we’ve included in previous Cases of the Month?
Click here to see our previous choices.