TN: 5 under 20

[Florida Jim]

Continuing to impress, the 2004 Tissot, Chardonnay Arbois was delicious with smoked salmon spread and later, with tomato and mozzarella salad. Above all else, this wine shows impeccable balance; ripe fruit, focus, acidity, minerality and length all as though made of a single thread; and even better, less than $20. Glorious!

A bottle of the 2005 Perrin & Fils, Côtes du Rhône Villages was adequate, I suppose; nothing wrong with it but certainly nothing to make me want more. Whereas, a recent 2006 Côtes du Rhône Reserve from the same house was delicious and character driven (and cheaper).

Oh well, there’s half a bottle left; maybe tomorrow it will be different.

One of the better values I’ve had of late is the 2006 René Barbier, Tempranillo Penedès with its bright yet rich fruit, good balance and enough complexity to make it clear that this variety is grown in the right place and made well. A whopping $4; very, very hard to beat.

Another nice bottle of the 2005 Filipa Pato, Ensaios with dinner of pork tenderloin and chick pea curry was a great foil; its smoky, earthy and full of dark fruit with decent complexity and good length. A Portuguese beauty for $15.

And on a postcard perfect winter afternoon here on the west coast of Florida (70 degrees, light breeze, low-humidity, crystal blue sky and lots of sun) a glass of the 2006 Edmunds St. John, Gamay Rosé Bone-Jolly made the day even better; clean, crisp strawberry, raspberry fruit, good acidity, more depth than one usually hopes for in rosé all underlain with a savory mineral component – ‘makes my mouth water. And under screw-cap it’s easy to have a glass now and then.

Best, Jim