WINE OF THE WEEK IS BACK

A month has passed since I've been to a regular wine tasting.  December was very busy, and then we had nasty weather last weekend.  I did manage to get to the pre-New Year's champagne/brut sabering, but it has been a long time since I've sipped a variety of reds and whites.  So long, as a matter of fact, that my wine rack is woefully empty.

Today there are two tastings.  One is a Grand Tasting later this evening that runs right up until the Patriots' game, so I figure I'd better write about the first tasting, which claims to have twelve bottles open but really has thirteen.  Believe me, I am not complaining.

Except ... it makes my choices more difficult. 

I go into the tastings today knowing that I have two reds left, but I am flat out of whites.  I could convince myself to bring a red home, but I truly need a white wine for balance.  So, I'll tell you what I discover at tasting #1 of 2017.

Reds = I find three I really like, all $12. 

The first is a 2013 Colle Secco Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, and Italian red that apparently is mostly distributed in Italy and Germany.  It's a fruity red yet mild and earthy on the palate.  Absolutely delicious, I have to fight with myself not to bring it home because the next red is even better.

Bodegas Eco Fuerza, a 2011 vintage from Spain, is a well-balanced red.  It's not too forceful on the palate, and it is drinkable all by itself (as opposed to needing food, as is the case with so many robust reds).  This is a young winery, and the main grapes of the region are Monastrell.  A medium-bodied wine, this is a steal at $12.  But, still, not yet do I pick a wine for my wine rack.

There's also a terrific Washington state Cabernet Sauvignon by Grace Lane.  This 2013 vintage from the Columbia Valley has a nice start, not too robust, and a smooth finish.  The best thing I can say about this $12 red is that it has a pleasant and likeable personality, like my daughter, a serious cab sauv drinker, who would love this one.

In the end, though, I get what I come in for -- a fabulous white, also $12.  If you like Sauvignon Blanc, I can definitely recommend the Patrick Ladoucette Les Du Tour Sauv Blanc (2015) as a pale but complex and extremely drinkable wine.  Close, though, this is not the one I covet.

The winner today is the Nora Albarino, a 2015 Spanish white.  This wine is bright in color, fresh, fun, and has character and texture.  I taste it twice before heading to the reds, then I eat a bunch of cheese and come back for another go-round with the Nora just to make sure.  I almost cannnot believe how much I like it, as if my opinion might change, which it does sometimes. 

Go for the Nora Albarino.  For $12, it's a damn steal.  Actually, all of these are steals.  Get them all.