Recommended Late-Summer Sippers <$25

Earlier this summer, I posted some recommendations for summer sipping wines from my personal collection. Well, since it's Labor Day and summer is winding down, here's one last bunch of wine recommendations.
All of these wines came from my personal collection.

In the summer, I love seeking out inexpensive but exciting wines that I can pop without thinking, pour for friends and family at gatherings. I look for wines that are delicious but also capable of tossing a cup into the pan of veggies I'm sautéing without worry.

All of these wines fit the bill.  

2016 Matthiasson Rosé - USA, California, Napa Valley
$25
Pale copper color. Aromas of nettle, dandelion, crushed shells, wild strawberry, raspberry leaf, watermelon – I love this stuff. Crisp and light but packed with flavors of strawberry, white cherry, raspberry, mixed well with chalk dust, white pepper, saline, crushed shells, mint, some arugula and bell pepper notes, but they don’t dominate. Long, zesty, spicy finish. A perennial favorite of mine, and 2016 comes through. (91 points) 

2017 Cape Original Chenin Blanc - South Africa, Western Cape

$8
Pale lemon color. Aromas of white and yellow flowers, dandelion, chalk dust and white tea on top of lemon and orange. Crisp and zesty, super brisk but not light on flavor. Lemons, white peaches, mixes with chalk, saline, honey and oyster shell notes. Light and refreshing but so delicious, and this is a stellar deal at $8. South Africa delivers in that category yet again. (87 points) 

2016 Cephalonia Cooperative Robola of Cephalonia - Greece
$12
Pale straw color. Super zesty aromatic white wine with baby’s breath, dandelion, lilies, lemons, limes and oranges. Zesty and bright on the palate but surprising, pleasant creaminess. Lemon, nectarine, some white peach, juicy and fresh and mixed with floral perfume, cucumber water and sea salt notes. A lovely, fresh, crowd-pleasing summer white wine. (87 points) 

2015 Louis Latour Montagny 1er Cru La Grande Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Montagny 1er Cru
$18
Medium yellow color. A juicy yellow apple mixes with baked pear, some honey, cinnamon, some white flowers, lovely stuff. Pretty texture, a pleasantly creamy/waxy element, with fresh acidity. Plump apple and pear fruit is delicious, and mixed nicely with nougat, cinnamon and honeybutter along with white flowers and a slight flinty/chalky note. So much  Chard for less than $20. (88 points) 

2014 Béres Furmint Tokaji Száraz-Dry - Hungary, Tokaji 

$18
Light gold color. Aromas of lemons, white peaches, white flowers, impressive chalky, limestone, quinine and mineral notes. Brisk acidity on the palate but plump fruit (lemon, white peach, apricot), but there’s a lovely salinity and chalk dustiness to it, and I love it. Some honeyed tea, mint, quinine and nettle notes. Lovely stuff, very pretty with simple sautéed veggies and penne. (89 points) 

2014 Philippe Jouan Bourgogne Passetoutgrains - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains
$20
Loved this stuff on a warm summer evening. Deep rose petal color. Nose shows roses, rhubarb, sour cherries, wild raspberry. Dusty, light tannins, crisp acidity, vibrant and fresh, with chilled raspberries, red apples and bright cherries. Notes of rose petal, rhubarb, spiced tea, tobacco. Lovely stuff, slightly chilled, on a hot day with some grilled veggies. Pinot Noir and Gamay, this is a serious contender for hot weather red of the year. (88 points)

Wine Reviews: International Grab Bag

This week I have a hodgepodge of wines from all around the world.

I recently tasted a Chenin and a red blend from a new project called Lubanzi. These are South African wines brought in by two young Americans, Charles Brain and Walker Brown, who fell in love with South African wines (as I did) while traveling around Cape Town. There are so many great winemakers and old vines in South Africa, but we don’t get nearly enough of them in the States, so it’s awesome to see folks like those behind Lubanzi bringing in some high-quality, value-driven South African vino.

We also have a Locations wines from Dave Phinney and two different Sauvignon Blanc’s from New Zealand’s Nobilo. Lastly, I really liked a zesty, complex dry Furmint from Oremus.

N.V. Locations Corse - France, Corsica, Corse

SRP: $19

Medium yellow color. Interesting nose, it seriously smells like new tennis balls and Lego sets mixed with lychee, white peach and cherry blossom. Light-bodied, moderate acidity, a smooth presence on the palate with more nuance than bombast. Lemon, white peach and lychee fruit blends nicely with floral perfume and new tennis balls. Fun stuff. Made from Vermentino. (85 points) 

2015 Oremus Furmint Tokaji Dry Mandolás - Hungary, Tokaji

SRP: $25

Medium straw color. Pretty aromatic complexity based around apricot, nectarine, lime, topped in chamomile, yellow flowers and a dusty/chalky minerality. Bright and vigorous with precise acidity but plenty of body and texture. Clean and zesty with orange, limes and apricots, mixed with chalk dust, white flowers, dandelion, honeycomb, some nougat and candle wax elements. Rich and complex but also bright and vibrant. An exciting dry Furmint. (90 points)

2016 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Regional Collection Marlborough - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

SRP: $13

Pale straw color. Nose of bitter lemon, ruby red grapefruit, sliced jalapeno and onion grass. Zesty and fresh style on the palate with lime and grapefruit backed up by green onion, sliced jalapeno, some honeysuckle and yellow flower notes hang on the finish. Crisp, clean, this is a reliable standard-bearer for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at this price point. (86 points)

2016 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Icon - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

SRP: $22

Pale straw/lime peel colored. Strongly grassy on the nose with sliced bell pepper, dandelion, cucumber water, on top of lemons and grapefruit. More texture on the palate with bright acidity. More green herb notes (rosemary, basil), with cut grass and jalapeno, on top of fresh limes and grapefruit. Lip-smacking stuff for fans of the Marlborough greenies. (87 points)

2016 Lubanzi Wines Chenin Blanc Leeuwenkuil Vineyard - South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

SRP: $18

Medium yellow color. Nose of lemon curd, orange peel, apricot, chalk dust, crushed shells, honeysuckle and raw almond. Fresh and vibrant on the palate with medium-body, brisk acidity and a juicy fruit presence (white peach, apricot and nectarine, green melon) with notes of white tea, honey and chalk. Vibrant minerality, a bright white flower, honeysuckle and dandelion aspect. So lively and, crisp, so food-friendly, long, deep finish. Very pretty stuff with surprising depth and complexity. (90 points)

2015 Lubanzi Wines Red Blend - South Africa, Coastal Region

SRP: $18

Light purple color. Smells of sweet plums and juicy red cherries topped with leather, pepper, sage and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity and moderate tannins. Red plums and raspberry mixes with a host of roasted herbs, eucalyptus, pine smoke and roses. Complex but accessible with a fresh, vibrant finish. 46% Shiraz, 31% Cinsault, 20% Mourvedre, 3% Grenache. (88 points) 

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.

Hungary's Mythical Bull’s Blood Wine

Egri Bikavér, or “bull’s blood,” is a Hungarian red wine seeped in history and myth. The name of the red blend supposedly dates back to the 16^th Century invasion of Suleiman the Magnificent. The invading Turks thought the hard-fighting Hungarians must’ve been getting some sort of strength from the dark red wine they drank. According to legend, the Turks suspected that this Hungarian wine was blended with the blood of bulls. No bulls are actually slaughtered in the making of Egri Bikavér, but it’s a dark, brooding and somewhat scary wine nonetheless.

According to Hungarian wine laws passed in the 1990s, Egri Bikavér must contain at least three of the following 13 grapes varieties: kadarka, blaufränkisch, blauer portugieser, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, menoire, pinot noir, syrah, turán, bíborkadarka and the modern Austrian hybrids blauburger and zweigelt. The blend that makes up bull’s blood has varied over the years, although it is rooted in the ancient kadarka variety. Kadarka is a tough grape to work with, and over the past few decades many vintners have replanted with the blaufränkisch variety, known as kékfrankos in Hungary.

I don’t drink much bull’s blood, mainly because these wines are difficult to find in the United States. But I pulled the cork on a bottle over the weekend and it piqued my interest again in this strange red wine. The wine I tasted is labeled simply “bull’s blood of Eger” and “Bottled by Vitavin Co.” The whole package seems a bit shady, and the label looks like some sort of combination of a Soviet propaganda poster and a Norwegian black metal album cover. 

I poured the wine into a decanter and drank it over the course of two days. The color reminds me of a farm-fresh cherry juice. The wine smells like cherry juice as well, with an herbal-toasty kick to it. On the palate, this wine shows high acid and astringent tannins. With time this wine became more balanced. Sour cherry fruit leads the way to a dusty and earthy flavor. This bull’s blood isn’t corked or faulty, but it’s definitely funky. It’s not just the name, but this wine really does have a meaty aspect to it. The taste and mouthfeel also remind me of fruit compote I used to drink when I lived in Ukraine. There’s also some herbal liqueur and some wild raspberry flavors that are interesting. By the second day the fruit started to taste creamier. A sweet and tangy flavor on the finish reminds me of southern style rhubarb pie. This wine is actually well-made, and because it’s fun and unique, I rated it 83 points.

To be honest, I don’t remember where I picked up this crazy red wine, or how much it cost. But I’m thinking I may need to track down some more Egri Bikavér for a proper tasting.

For some reason now I’m craving a big burger... medium-rare of course.