New Year's tasting

On special occasions I like to break open a plethora of different wines to continue to understand the differences in grapes and further home in on my preferences.

This year's New Year's tasting included some wines that I have had many times before and others that were new to my palate:

1998 Argyle Extended Tirage (my fourth tasting)
Duval Leroy Non Vintage Brut (my last bottle of a half-case)
Gary Farrell 2007 Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc (first tasting)
2007 Ancien Napa Valley Chardonnay (first tasting)
2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah (first tasting)
2007 Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz (first tasting but part of a vertical I am building so I wanted to taste to ensure I want to continue building!)

We started with the Gary Farrell and the Ancien. The Gary Farrell garnered 90 points from Wine Enthusiast, who also denoted it as an Editor's Choice. Let me just say that I am a HUGE fan of the sauvignon blanc grape. I find it extremely food friendly, crisp and refreshing. I drink a lot of the New Zealand and French versions for that very reason. This version was crisp, don't get me wrong, but also very tart. The wine was TOO citrusy for me and I like citrus in a sauvi. I think the acidity was too strong for this wine and as such I found it out of balance. For $20 or so, you can find much better sauvis on the market and I would continue to focus on New Zealand right now. I'd give this wine an 87 and a PASS.
As for the Ancien chard, it was a buttery smooth California chard. For me, California chards that can walk the fine line of having hints of oak without overtaking the beauty of the grape are impressive and this one fit the bill. As for fruits, it was dominated by green apple flavors. I didn't buy this one but it looks like it retails around $30 so it is priced right for the value. I'd give it a 90 and a TRY.
Unfortunately, I am going to pass on giving numerical ratings for either the petite sirah or the shiraz because the wines were too young and we didn't have a chance to properly decant. In fact, I went back and forth on which one I liked better because the grapes were both a little green. With that analysis, however, comes a strong lesson for me. Checking the ageability of the wine is of utmost importance especially as you escalate the price tag. Most wines are meant to be drunk young but most higher priced wines are meant for aging, especially red wines, because they have a strong backbone of tannins which allow the wines to grow with age instead of falling apart. I generally do this but I was a little greedy this year on the shiraz because, as I mentioned, it's part of a vertical I am building on a wine that I have not tasted before. This also is an unconventional move on my part but I have had many other shirazes from Two Hands which I really enjoyed and Bella's Garden is generally considered their best bottling every year. I still think this wine will turn out great but definitely not in the next few years!
Onto the bubblies which I have tasted several times before. Argyle, located in Dundee in the heart of the Willamette Valley, is the best sparkling wine producer in Oregon. They consistently produce top notch sparkling wine for various price ranges. The Extended Tirage is their best, and most expensive, bottling at around $55-$60 per bottle. This wine continues to bat 1,000.00 for me. It is rich, dry, nutty and complex. You would be hard pressed to find a champagne for this price anywhere. I am considering buying a case of it- I give it a 96.
The Duval Leroy Non Vintage Brut is an elegant value. Slightly sweeter than the Argyle, this wine is also dry in nature. It was not as complex or full bodied as the Argyle but it is a tremendous value at $30/bottle. I'd give it a 93. This is a great food wine, which brings me to another topic on champagne/sparkling wine- if you like it, drink it more! It doesn't have to be a special occasion wine, although a bottle of Dom, Krug or La Grand Dame probably are not in your everyday budget. There are values in the $20-$30 range that are perfect compliments to various types of food- ie seafood/sushi, cheese and certain desserts. In my opinion, champagne is one of the most under-utilized grapes with meals.