The deadline for filing income taxes is bearing down, so either you're about to send a check to Uncle Sam or he's about to send one to you. If you're the one who'll be licking the stamp for the check, you'll need to get a better taste into your mouth as quickly as possible. I can help with some delicious wines priced to fit your suddenly shrunken wine budget. I've also got vinous advice for those about to receive refund checks -- provided that you promise not to gloat.
Those who must pay up and tighten their belts can take consolation that some truly wonderful wines are available for $12 or less. Despite inflation and unfavorable currency exchange rates, wines priced beneath this ceiling have gotten better in the past couple of years. Thanks to the rise of global competition among producers and the worldwide diffusion of advanced technology, wines priced between $9 and $12 show fewer flaws and more flavor each year. Keep this good news in mind during the next few weeks, since nothing improves the taste of tuna casserole like good wine.
Wine lovers with refund checks on the way have an opportunity to splurge on something profound, and those of us on the casserole crew will resent you much less if we think you are learning from your splurge.
Below are recommendations that can help you explore emerging greatness from a newer region or a new benchmark from an established one. Also, since the season for graduations and weddings is approaching, you might want to buy a great wine as a gift to recruit a family member into the ranks of enthusiasts.
Today's recommendations are all reds, and I'll be back with a comparable list of whites in two weeks. Wines are listed in alphabetical rather than qualitative order. They are too dissimilar for direct comparisons. However, since each of the bargain reds is among the best of the 1,500-plus wines priced below $12 I've tasted since January, you can try any of them with confidence. Regions of origin, approximate prices and importer names are indicated in parentheses:
TAX-TIME BARGAINS
Araucano (Colchagua Chile) Carmenere 2003 ($9.50, Winesellers Ltd.): This is a lovely, inexpensive introduction to carmenere, an interesting grape virtually exclusive to Chile. It is medium-bodied with deep, intense dark fruit flavors and interesting aromas of ripe berries, coffee and dried herbs.
Bodegas Breton (Rioja, Spain) Crianza "Loriñon" 2001 ($12, Classical Wines Ltd.): With complex, appealing aromas of cherries, leather, wood smoke and spices layered atop a light but flavorful core of fruit, this is a classic Rioja from a great vintage at a surprisingly approachable price.
Casa Castillo (Jumilla, Spain) Monastrell 2002 ($10.50, Henry Wine Group): Monastrell (a grape called mourvedre by the French) is widely planted in Spain. In warm regions where it can ripen fully, it can produce powerhouse wines like this superb example, which features big blackberry flavors and lots of ripe tannins that can stand up to robust red meats.
Castelvero (Piedmont, Italy) Barbera 2003 ($9, Vias): Light and bright but full of flavor, this lovely barbera is juicy and fresh, with light tannins and just a little whiff of spicy oak. Perfect for pasta dishes with tomato sauces or for pairing with grilled fish, poultry or white meats, it will be especially useful when lightly chilled during summer.
Penfolds (southeastern Australia) Shiraz-Mourvedre "Bin 2" 2003 ($11, PWG): This delicious blend packs plenty of power to stand up to robust foods, and yet it is also classy for a moderately priced Aussie red, without any hint of over-ripe chunkiness. Deep, dark fruit is beautifully balanced against toasty oak and soft, fine-grained tannins.
Poggio le Volpe (Cesanese del Piglio, Italy) Rosso 2002 ($10.50, Siema): This is a serious and powerful wine for the money. Blended from 80 percent Cesanese, 10 percent barbera and 10 percent Montepulciano, it packs a wicked wallop of ripe fruit. The barbera adds a streak of brightness, and moderate use of oak lets the wine finish with a wonderful, rounded softness.
El Portillo (Bodegas Salentein) (Mendoza, Argentina) Merlot 2003 ($10.50, San Francisco Wine Exchange): Yes, there is a lot of gutless, insipid merlot, but there are also some excellent, faith-restoring renditions available at attractive prices. This is a medium-bodied beauty, with plush fruit recalling plums, berries and black cherries.
Viña Rey (Vinos de Madrid, Spain) "70 Barricas" 2002 ($9.50, Billington): This is a marvelous mouthful of juicy Tempranillo from Spain with substantial flavors of ripe cherries accented by notes of wood smoke and spices. Soft and smooth.
REFUND REVELRY
Bodega Catena Zapata (Mendoza, Argentina) "Catena Alta" Malbec 2001 ($50, Billington): Malbec can make lovely bargains in the front range of the Andes, but it can also make astonishing wines rivaling the world's best. This is huge but soft in feel, with great balance and a host of nuances including notes of dark berries, black licorice, cocoa, vanilla and toasty oak.
Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Les Origines" 2001 ($48, Kysela): Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous wine of southern France, yet many wine lovers have never experienced a truly great example. Made from a single site and composed of 50 percent grenache, 30 percent mourvedre and 20 percent syrah, this wine is massive in weight and flavor impact yet perfectly proportioned and soft in texture, with wonderful notes of spices and wood smoke riding through the long finish.
Bodegas Mauro (Vino de la Tierra Castilla y Leon, Spain) 2001 ($44, Europvin): This magnificent wine offers an object lesson in the greatness that can be derived from old-vine Tempranillo in north-central Spain. Packed with sweet, pure notes of crushed red and black cherries, it is medium- to full-bodied, with lovely accents of smoke, vanilla, leather and toast. Try this before the amazing 2001 vintage passes into history.
Tignanello (Tuscany, Italy) Toscana IGT 2001 ($78, Remy Amerique): This is the original "Super Tuscan," and the magnificent 2001 really lives up to that self-important term. Sourced from a single vineyard and composed of 80 percent sangiovese, 15 percent cabernet sauvignon and 5 percent cabernet franc, this melds marvelous notes of blackberries and black currants with accents of cedar, spices, tobacco and wild mushrooms. Enjoy now with food or age for up to 10 years.
Zema Estate (Coonawarra, Australia) Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 ($25, Boutique International): Coonawarra is Australia's top region for cabernet, but many bottlings disappoint due to green, weedy notes resulting from incompletely ripened fruit. By contrast, this bottling is crafted from perfectly ripened fruit that features deep, rich, intense flavors of blackberries, along with scents of spices and wood smoke. Just right for grilled steak or lamb chops.
