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Every fall The Boston Globe asks a panel of professional tasters to try 50 wines in a blind tasting to pick the Globe's best plonk, wines under $12.
I have not tasted this year's wines but do know the excellent palates of the tasters and have had other wines from the same wineries. In the past Globe plonks have proved excellent values in interesting wines. We have put together a selection made up of two bottles each of the six favorite.
The wines will arrive Thursday, except the Montepulciano which will come on Friday. They may be ordered individually at our standard case and mixed case discounts.
This year they are:
White
| Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, France:
Lush mouth feel with lots of stone fruit and nice acid structure. |
$10.99 |
$9.89 |
$9.34 |
| 2007 Falesco, EST! EST!! EST!!! di Montefiascone from Italy :
Pleasantly crisp pear-like fruit; juicy, fresh, appealing. |
$9.99 |
$8.99 |
$8.49 |
| 2007 The Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay from Australia:
Not too assertive but refreshing and likable with simple, honest flavors . |
$11.99 |
$10.79 |
$10.19 |
Red
| 2007 Cave de Cairanne "Secret de Campane" from France :
Light, but with great fruit and beautiful acidity; hints of cherry and dark strawberry. Perfect early fall wine. |
$9.99 |
$8.99 |
$8.49 |
| 2006 Velenosi "Quattro Mani" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Italy:
Meaty; vibrant blueberry and autumn leaves; nice complexity; balanced. |
$11.99 |
$10.79 |
$10.19 |
| 2005 Chateau de Calce Cotes du Roussillon from France :
Appetizing, medium-weight red with inviting, roundish flavors. Easy to picture as a casual food wine. |
$10.99 |
$9.89 |
$9.34 |
The Globe Plonk Case $119
John Platter's Guide to South African Wines called it "an attractive savoury mouthful" in a difficult vintage. The wine certainly was an ugly duckling when it was young, showing mostly ungainly tannins and awkward vegetal notes. The importer got tired of repeated rejections and forgot about the wine. Nobody bothered to retaste an obvious loser.
But, as sometimes happens with better wines, four year of sleep in the warehouse did this cabernet a palate's worth of good. Although no heavyweight, it has become a sleek and pretty, sweet-fruited swan. Gone are the graceless tannins, there is only a soupcon of pepper. On first taste, I took all there was. Drink this one over the next year. Eleven cases only
| 2002 Paul Cluver Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
Color: very dark black; Aroma: very herbal, green pepper notes, cedar, sweet high toned spice; Mouth: fine clean sweet spicy, light fine tannic structure, firm, fine acids;
Very Good Plus
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Was $20
Now$12.99 |
$11.69 |
$9.92 |
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