TN: Four wines under $12

[Florida Jim]

2005 F. Giachino, Abymes Tradition:

Beautiful Vin de Savoie from the jacquère grape; scents of sarsaparilla and poached pear with hints of fresh air, flowers, resin, lime leaves and stones – a light but nuanced nose; much the same in the mouth with some sour cherry and bright acidity added to the mix yet its still textured like satin; medium length, integrated finish. Weightless in the mouth, 11% alcohol, fabulous with crackers and goat cheese, and, about $10; this is where I live. Imported by Eric Solomon; I’d buy it again.

2005 Dom. de la Janasse, Côtes du Rhône:

55% grenache, 25% syrah, 10% carignan, 5% cinsault and 5% mourvèdre; Expansive nose of meat, red fruit, herbs du Provenance and mineral – all beautifully integrated; rich and deep in the mouth without weight, balanced, flavors follow the nose, excellent concentration and harmony, finely textured, and fully ready to drink; long, integrated finish. I am not usually a fan of grenache or Châteauneuf (which is what this tastes like), but this is just delicious. 14% alcohol, imported by Eric Solomon and about $11; stealing at that price.

2005 Dom. de la Fruitière, Muscadet Petit M:

Entry level Muscadet that sacrifices little to the single vineyard bottlings from this producer; ripe, full flavored, fresh and juicy, texturally smooth and plenty of cut with a long finish – what more could one want? Excellent with goat cheese and crackers. 12% alcohol, a Jon-David Headrick Selection and about $8; I’d buy it again.

2005 Louis Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages:

Lacking the concentration and purity of the crus, this still has plenty of flavor and is quite representative of the vintage. Fully ready to drink now and delicious with a pasta dish sauced with a purée of almonds, garlic, basil and fresh tomatoes. 12.5% alcohol, imported by Korbrand and about $9; I’d buy it again.

Best, Jim