Around a month or so ago, I received an email from our friend Alex, who was a regular customer here before moving away recently. He’s in the process of stocking his cellar and checks in from time to time with us. He noticed that his cellar was bereft of White Bordeaux, and asked my assistance in finding him some. I told him I’d look into it and let him know. I did also say something along the lines of, “The prices are out of whack because there’s tons of demand and very little supply.” While looking through what we had available on pre-arrival, I was absolutely astonished when I saw that the price of the 2005 Haut Bergey Blanc was $33.98, when all the others are either rapidly approaching $100 or are well over it!

I’m not kidding when I say the prices are out of whack. If you don’t believe me, just check your favorite wine search engine for such names like Haut Brion Blanc, Laville Haut Brion, Pape Clement Blanc, and Pavillon Blanc de Chateau Margaux. Hundreds of dollars for a bottle of white wine doesn’t exactly get one’s heart racing enough to stock the cellar full of them.

Ah, but tasting a fine White Bordeaux can be a moving experience. Usually a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the wines have wonderful complexities that range from citrus fruit and blossoms to the minerality from the gravelly soil. And in a vintage like 2005, they are showing off their fleshy fruit, yet they are propped up by zippy acidity that tells us they will be age-worthy. The Haut Bergey is drinking beautifully now, yet it can age for 7-12 years.

We still have a few cases of this wine lying around, and I fear, when these are gone, quality White Bordeaux from Pessac-Leognan for under $40 will go the way of Supreme Unleaded for $1.45 a gallon! - Peter Zavialoff

If you know me, or if you’ve read my bio on our website, you know that I love both Bordeaux and Rhone reds. You also know that I am always in possession of and am always looking for inexpensive, any-occasion, high quality reds as well.

So while driving home last night, I answered my mobile (using my hands free device of course) and was invited to visit some friends. I wouldn’t be stopping at home, so what did I grab when I left the shop? I was perfectly content with sharing a bottle of what I was going to be drinking for the evening, the 2005 Cotes du Ventoux O’Sud by Mas Fondreche. I’ve been a fan of these wines ever since I started here. Sebastien Vincenti’s clean expression of fruit and terroir are indeed a treat for the senses.

We popped it open, had some cheese, pate and snacks available and proceeded to visit. Oh, we talked about music (the last time we got together, we had a 4-way jam session that yielded some moments of utter brilliance), we talked about literature (or about Bukowski anyway), food from the Three Stone Hearth in Berkeley (delish and good for you!), a little football (The English kind), and of course, wine. We were all in agreement that what we had in our glasses was perfectly balanced, not overbearing, and just downright pleasurable.

I then started in on Bordeaux prices and how the pricing paradigm has changed yet again. I mean come on, I used to think $300 was too much for a first growth, and nowadays, that would be a bargain. Don’t laugh, but we were able to get a small allocation of 2005 Chateau Latour on pre-arrival. I won’t share the price with you all here, but suffice it to say, it is quite out of the reach of most mere mortals. I did share the price with my friends, and their reactions were of pure astonishment. The question then arose, is it that much better than say, this fine bottle of wine we’re drinking now? They were blown away when I told them it was less than $20. More blown away when I said it was less than $15. When I told them I was going to write this email and offer a 20% discount on solid case purchases, bringing the price down to $11.19 per bottle, the first case sold.

So let’s do some math here … the price of the Latour is roughly 180 times more than the O’Sud. That means it would take 15 cases of this wine to match the price tag of one, yes one, eentsy-beentsy bottle of 2005 Latour. Can it be 180 times better? Not a chance. Am I recommending you buy 15 cases of wine? No. But one sure would do the trick.- Peter Zavialoff

Feel free to share your thoughts about 2005 Latour, quality for price wines, jam sessions, Bukowski or Football (The English kind): peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

So I got this great idea this past Thursday. Where, you might ask? Why, in my best friend’s wine cellar no less. It had been a banner day; lunch with my sister, a jam session with my pal Rob, and dinner at Picco in downtown Larkspur. As dinner was winding down, I realized that I had left my mobile back at his house. As we made the trek back to retrieve it, it became obvious that we would be playing more music. Of course that meant more wine, and off to the cellar I went. There are several newly filled slots now occupied by 2005 Bordeaux down there, and the temptation to pull one out for scientific reasons was unbearable. Somehow, discipline trumped science and the sleeping giants were spared. But come on, 2005 was such a great vintage, surely there’s something that we can enjoy now while keeping our hands out of the cookie jar, if you will.

That’s when it came to me. I got so caught up in worrying about things like which Pauillacs I can afford, or how long I could possibly hold out before cracking either of my two remaining first growths that I almost forgot why I drink Bordeaux in the first place. Because I enjoy it! What a novel concept. I enjoy it. Pure and simple.

So what’s the big idea? The 2005 Mont Perat is the big idea! Let’s see. Is it a 2005? Check. Is it drinkable now? Check. Is it reasonably priced? Check, check, checkety, check check. In all three size formats we offer, it offers amazing value. Come on, $42 for a magnum? $11 for a half bottle? These folks crushed it in 2005 (excuse the pun). It offers up delightful aromatics. Robust dark fruit, notes of earthiness, smoke and cedar. On the palate, it has plenty of weight, and sits comfortably, allowing its various complexities to dance around in harmony. I got to know Mont Perat via their 2003 offering. After enjoying that one, I pulled out my borrowed (thanks Rich) Hachette Guide of the wines of France to check up on the producer. Not only did the otherwise objective (if not sometimes downright critical) guide heap a ton of praise on Mont Perat, they even included a picture of the label. That is an honor reserved for the elite. No, really. Stuff like Haut Brion, Lafite, and DRC. I mean Leoville las Cases doesn’t have their picture in it. Yet here was little ol’ Mont Perat sporting its label in the French Wine Bible.

All in all, this is indeed a great idea. The wine is an amazing value, that makes it absolutely guilt-free to drink. While it’s not going to make you forget about Eglise Clinet or Clos Fourtet, it is going to provide plenty of good drinking starting today and lasting who knows how long? And that should keep all of us from yielding to the temptation of popping one of those cru classe Bordeaux before their time. At least, that’s what I’m banking on! - Peter Zavialoff

I really don’t want to describe this wine as “baby Chateauneuf,” and while it is made by the brothers Gonnet of esteemed Font de Michelle in Chateauneuf du Pape, the wine hails from just south of Tavel on the other side of the Rhone. Phew. Not all that close to Chateauneuf. However, there is so much in this wine that reminds me of Chateauneuf that I’m left scratching my head as to how to characterize it, with all the stoniness, garrigue, mineral character and warm, Grenache and Syrah infused fruit.

I should admit that I have a complicated relationship with Chateauneuf du Pape. (Don’t worry, I found a good wine therapist, and things are getting better). Chateauneuf played a significant role in my falling in love with wine in the first place (when an overly generous friend cracked a bottle of ’85 Pegau), but I can never figure out when to drink it and always manage to drink it in its tough, tannic youth, or after the freshness of its fruit has faded. And then there’s the fact that you have to shell out fifty bucks these days to get the rush. Or not.

However, I have found a cure with this non-Chateauneuf. (Although, of course, I don’t want to discourage you from from buying Chateauneuf-du-Pape!) But, when you need your fix of black pepper, kirsch, pungent herbs and intense black licorice without big tannins and need of a fifty dollar bill, don’t hesitate to turn to La Font du Vent Cotes du Rhone Notre Passion. At $14.02 a bottle by the case, I’ll be stocking up over the summer as its spicy, warm, but not heavyweight personality lends itself perfectly to any grilled foods enjoyed outdoors with friends. Having your own “I want Chateauneuf du Pape, but …” problem? Here’s your relief. - Patrick Mitten

The Xavier Monnot wines are relatively new to us, but we’ve already taken a shine to their verve and intricacy. Monnot’s 2005 red 1er Crus from Beaune and Volnay are notable for their depth and concentration. This is coupled with subtle tannin extraction that avoids any overwrought character brought on by carelessness in vintages of high dry extract. This Maranges is in the same mold except for the fact that it is a 1er Cru monopole for $28.04 with the case discount. Let’s look at that previous sentence. Less than $30 for a 1er Cru? True the Clos de la Fuissiere isn’t Richebourg, but the wine in this bottle is definitely high quality red Burgundy. You folks that were asking for vineyard designate Burgundy under $30 and I kept saying it doesn’t exist, well, I’m happy I’m wrong. For a few days anyway.

This is one of those wines that will slake our thirst for the reds from this vintage in 5 years. It will be hitting its stride when those broad shouldered $70 and up bottles are just beginning to peak out from their structure. It is technically drinkable now in terms of the tannin profile, in that it doesn’t tear the roof of your mouth off, but the wine is more shy now than it was 6 months ago, signaling it is heading off to sleep with the rest of the 05 reds. When we opened it one morning (yes, morning, we’re professionals and therefore allowed to open wine in the morning, it makes our palates stronger) it was reticent, but by the evening when I took it home, the aromatics had arrived, and the palate was just beginning to emerge. The next evening it started to hum, and now I have a nice stash of it in my cellar. So, if you are curious, be patient after you open it, but the best strategy is to be truly patient and wait till the two thousand teens. Besides Burgundy wants bottle bouquet, and the only way to get some of that is to age the wine in bottle.

Maranges is basically an extension of Santenay and the Clos de la Fuissiere is in the sweet spot of the appellation, half way up the hill. Though in normal vintages the wines are more delicate than the Cotes de Nuits powerhouses, 2005 finds it right where you want Burgundy: with concentration and finesse. Kind of like Chambolle Musigny at half the price. The mantra of ‘buy little wines in big vintages’ has never been so appropriate as the relatively obscure Maranges shows well ahead of it’s classification. Who knew that our best value 1er Cru from this vintage would come at the end of the campaign, but I think it is a perfect way to book end a years worth of wines from this outstanding vintage. - Ben Jordan

‘Cracked cherry’ is a tasting note term I would like to coin. In the same way cracking pepper releases the essence and flavor of the peppercorn, this wine has a snappy, essence of cherry character to it. There is also a ‘fleeting spice-rack’ aspect to the attack. It comes at you when you’re not looking and then runs off in the other direction before you have a chance to really detail it. When that happens to me I write things like ‘sandalwood’ because I don’t know what sandalwood tastes like, and I have a sneaking suspicion that no one else does either. On another level, the finish reminds me of Bordeaux. This may sound odd, but it has that lovely earthen character that sets Bordeaux apart from New World cousins. It is what I think we meant when we used to describe wines as “dry”, not in a sugar sense or in terms of the tannic interaction with the palate, but in terms of the flavor as the fruit finishes. It is both attractive and distinct. This is a sensation that always translates itself into class and poise in my notes. And that’s really what we should say about this wine. Lots of class, and lots of poise.