This month’s Premier Series Top Picks causes me a bit of consternation. Yeah, it’s the choice thing again. I’ve always been fond of Italy’s estate bottled white wines. They stand in stark contrast to the oceans of commercial Soaves and Pinot Grigios that the “industrial producers,” whose names everyone can recite, turn out. This month’s Premier Series wine, the 2010 Forchir estate bottled Pinot Grigio, is the mirror opposite of the “commercial grade” of wine that rarely excites. Hence, this month’s first Top Pick goes to Forchir’s 2010 Villa del Borgo’s Fruili Pinot Grigio – a pure, refreshing, flavorful white wine that captures the ethereal quality of Pinot Grigio without sacrificing flavor. It’s not buttery or complex, but it’s a perfect feature for the month of August and a great value, too. So, it’s the red wines this month that make my job tough. Peltier Station’s 2009 is a luscious Cabernet that rocked our tasting panel. The wine’s texture, flavor, and seamless quality put a lot of the more expensive California Cabernets we tasted to shame, so it, too, has earned a Top Pick for the month. Better value in California Cabernet is hard to find. But we have a co-recipient in Bodegas Carchelo’s 2010 Carchelo from Jumilla. Carchelo captures the power and flavor of Monastrell (Mourvedre). Although already drinking beautifully now, this wine will knock your socks off if given a few more months in bottle. It stands in testimony to the quality and variety one can expect from Spain, so it, too, deserves to be a Top Pick. A votre santé!
About Don Lahey
Don Lahey's career in the wine industry spans over 30 years as an importer, author, consultant, and educator. He leads the tasting panel that selects our wines each month.
