Spring Valley:
Uriah if you like Merlot
Frederick is BDX, Jean Claude Van Damme on the bottle
Nina Lee is Syrah
Katherine Corkrum is Cab Franc
Honestly I had to look at the website to remember the name of the Cab Franc wine, and learned there’s now a Derby (Cab Sauv), Mule Skinner ( Merlot), and Sharilee (Petit Verdot).
I think if you are looking for consistently very good American Made Bordeaux inspired blends (maybe not great, but always very good), Spring Valley should be right up there for bottles less than $50. Winebid has had a fair amt of cheap bottles this year, and Safeway’s Washington Wine month sales represent a pretty good deal as well in the 6 bottle mix-n-match form.
Mostly shiraz but there are a couple of other things like Chardonnay, rose, and I think a Riesling as well. It is all in the state of Victoria, which isn’t grenache heartland.
At one stage had 4 separate projects happening in Australia
There were were joint projects with Ron Laughton of Jasper Hill in the Heathcote region under the La Pleiade label and with Rick Kinzbrunner of Giaconda fame in Beechworth under the Ergo Sum label - both he and Kinzbrunner have sold out of that one (it is now known as Domenica and is run owned by Kinzbrunner’s former assistant and produces some nice wines.
Then there is Terlato & Chapoutier and Tournon are both from the (confusingly named) Pyrenees region which is about 2 1/2 hours drive north west of Melbourne.
I’m not sure what the current status is other than he no longer does Ergo Sum - there is a lot of out of date info on the net!
I still see the Tournon wines about.
It is probably worth mentioning that Remy Martin first set up vineyards in the Pyrenees region back in 1963 which later went on to become the Blue Pyrenees label, so the French must see something in the region.
That would be a fun theme for a blind tasting - new world wines of old world wineries.
Moet makes sparkling wine in northern India now, under the Moët label.
It sort of makes sense, those old world brands don’t really have room to expand production in their home regions, but if Moët can make sparkling wine in Napa and India, or Cheval Blanc can make wines in Chile, that makes sense as long as the quality is still pretty good.
Taltarni ( Pyrenees, Victoria.)
Apologies for being a pedant James but it’s Marchand. The domaine in Nuits is Marchand Tawse, in Australia Pascal Marchand has teamed up with Jeff Burch, the owner of Howard Park to have a shared “Marchand & Burch” label. Fun fact, I was told not too long ago that Jeff Burch is responsible for more than 50% of the total pinot noir production in Western Australia.
Gruet et Fils has had great success in New Mexico making value sparklers, as well as some pretty darn decent vintage champenoise.
Andrew,
Thanks. Strange, though, as I’m sure I checked it on Google. Probably forgot to corect it…
William Fevre of Chablis makes some quite respectable reds at Vina William Fevre in Chile.
Ch. Lafite has Bodegas Caros in Argentina.
Dr. Loosen of the Mosel operates Eroica in Washington State as a joint venture with Chateau Ste. Michelle.
I’m not sure whether Morocco qualifies as New World, but Alain Graillot of Crozes-Hermitage makes credible syrah there under the Syrocco label.
What about South Africa? Any European wineries doing things there? None come to my mind.
Albeit the relatively few wines made from Western Australian Pinot Noir come in for some scathing reviews from Aussie critics. I’m trying to think of a WA producer that has made a genuine commercial / critical success from the grape. This despite some of the very highest regarded producers having given it a go.
I was assuming that was part of Jerome’s reasoning in asking the question.
Blankiet is a good one
Yes it is. I probably should have clarified. I am looking for Old World Producers who are producing the same type of wine in the New World to compare them (i.e. Drouhin Burg vs Drouhin Oregon Pinot)
Blankiet? I thought that was just American?
Cool - should be an interesting tasting.
Another champagne producer branching out is Taittinger buying up land/vineyards in the UK a couple of years ago, though I’m not aware of a Taittinger UK wine, and it probably would be difficult to find in the US.
Argentina and Chile should be good hunting grounds for such wines, with French, Italians and Spanish venturing there. I’ll throw in Masi (Veneto) and Masi (Tupungato) as a useful pairing. I’d skip the lower priced passo doble, which was stunning on it’s initial vintage, but pretty poor after that (both IMO). The Corbec is made in Amarone style, but from Corvina and Malbec (hence the name). Comparing this against Masi’s standard Amarone would be a good comparison and I’m not sure the Corbec wouldn’t do well in such a head to head.
I love Jonathan Malthus’ wines. He makes Le Dome and owns Ch. Teyssier, but makes wines in Napa under “The World’s End” label. His new world stuff is nice, rich, and balanced. Stephane Derononcourt does the same thing too in Napa. His label is fantastic as well.
I will look for one of these. It seems I can find a bottle of the 2003 for around $60.
I’ve always felt that Derenoncourt’s wines bordeauxs were already very new world in style.
Piero Incisa della Rocchetta from Sassacaia family, owns Bodega Chacra in Patagonia, Argentina and produces several different old vines Pinot Noir’s.
The Rothschilds in Chile:
Almaviva, big red, debuted 1996. (not cheap on release!)
Escudo Rojo, today with a line of different lower priced bottlings. Debut red wine 2003?
-Søren.
I’ve been eye the Almaviva, but they are a bit out of my price range to just try for a tasting.