Mando? Mongo? A Unique Spanish Blend

Eric Soloman is a wine importer who just never seems to miss the mark. A couple of my wine retailer friends just shout the praises of this New York man with a nose and palate for great wine.

Soloman is a big, big name in retail wine. He was named "Best Importer" by Food & Wine Magazine in 2006 and Robert Parker's "Wine Personality of the Year" in 2002.

Ashley at Cork & Cracker pointed me toward a Soloman import just last weekend - a 2005 Les Alcusses Spanish blend that I just "had to try." I'm such a sucker for a recommendation from those I trust.

This wine is a blend of Monastrell (check!), Tempranillo (the great Spanish grape, check!), Syrah (Okay, sounds good!), ... and Mando (huh?). All I could think of when she said Mando was Mongo from Blazing saddles! But I digress!

Mando is a varietal found primarily in the Valencia region of Spain. It is a dark grape usually high in alcohol. Valencia is in the eastern region of Spain bordering the Mediterranean. Most of my research on "mando" included words like "rare," "experimental," and well ... you get the idea.

But the wine, isn't bad. I admit though the initial nose on this wine was scary as Mongo when angry in that great Mel Brooks' classic. Often wine drinkers use the "barnyard" term in association with earthy wines and particularly with fine Pinot Noir. The nose on this wine was barnyard with the animals still hanging around!

But after a short period of time the wine calmed down and was actually pretty darn good. Robert Parker gave this juice an 89. It's a very dark wine with some vanilla and berry hints. It's soft on the finish ... but definitely has a different taste and nose!

It does have a pretty cool label! (at right)

I'd recommend giving it a try! Mando - who can resist something you've just NEVER heard of before!

In photos: Top right, wine importer Eric Soloman. Center left, Mongo - aka, Alex Karras.

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Milbrandt Vineyards Cab Very 'Drinkable'

I'm becoming convinced one of the best value Cabernet buys is Washington State. I've tried three Washington Cabernet Sauvignons in recent months and really liked them all.

Lumping a region's wine together is going to be inaccurate and unfair, but generally the Washington state Cabs are easier to drink than many of the bigger, bolder Cabernets coming out of California.

I opened a Milbrand Vineyards 2006 Traditions Cabernet Sauvignon Saturday night and enjoyed it with a great ribeye off the grill. I finished it tonight with some pasta. It was very good both nights.

The wine is made by Butch and Jerry Milbrandt. They have sold their grapes for years to many different producers but save some of their best grapes for their own wines.

It's definitely a fruit-forward Cab with a hint of the oak used in the aging ... but again, very smooth. The Traditions Cabernet is 75 percent Cab, 12 percent Merlot and some Petit Verdot.

Wine Ennthusiast gave this nice Washington wine 90 po0ints.

The Milbrandts have 1,600 acres in vineyards and make wines at several different price points. This wine is most often found at $13-$16. I bought it at Kahn's Fine Wines on Keystone Avenue in Indianapolis for $15.99. Even though I bought it at the top of the range, I'd quickly add it's a great wine at that price point!
Forget the wine geekiness, this is just a very smooth, nice and easy-to-drink Cabernet. I'm not sure there is any better compliment.

I'm trying something new here tonight - a food site that helps pairing food with wine. Check it out and send me an email if you'd like this type of feature to appear regularly!



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On the Search for Under $15 Pinot Noir

Anyone who likes Pinot Noir, knows finding a good one under $15 is like a wild animal safari ... or to lean on an old cliche' ... a needle in a haystack.

Mark West makes pretty good Pinot around $10. Chilean Cono Sur isn't bad near the same price point. Dashwood, from New Zealand, is pretty darn good for around $15. I recently tried an Argentinian Pinot that missed the mark, badly!

So I was skeptical when Liz over at Vino 100 in Columbus, Ohio, insisted a try another of Argentina's Pinot Noir wines.

I bought a bottle of Alfredo Roca 2008 Pinot Noir which sells for about $11-$12. I was pleasantly surprised. From the first sniff of the wine glass, I was sold this was better than my previous Mendoza Valley Pinot.

This wine has a bit of a sweet cherry taste and a mild finish. This isn't memorable wine but good enough to recommend you give it a try. Really good Pinot Noir, like those out of Oregon, are at a price that can't be justified for a Tuesday night. This wine, on the other hand, is one that can be justified for just $11 on a Tuesday night!

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A $20 Bottle of Dynamite Chianti Classico Reserva

I'm finding myself in an Italian "thing" lately and really enjoying it.

I've complained about Chianti before but found some nice ones in the last couple of months . I had a great Chianti Classico Reserva tonight. I opened a 2007 Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico Reserva.

Ok, here is an over-simplied overview of Chianti - Chianti is a region of Tuscany. Chianti Classico is a small region within Chianti. The standards in Italy, as with much of the Old World wine regions, are specific to amount of certain grapes used and production methods. The primary grape in all Chianti wines is Sangiovese

The Rocca Delle Macie is a great Chianti Classico. It has an intense nose of berry with a black cherry color. This wine is 90 percent Sangiovese, with five percent Cabernet and Merlot. It's rich with mild tannins but good structure.

You could enjoy this wine with meat or full-flavored pasta dishes. Wine Specator gave this particular Chianti Classico 90 points!

I bought this wine at Costco in Indianapolis. It is widely distributed at prices ranging form the high teens to $24. I paid $19.

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