Wine & Spirits Bargains at the PLCB (Part 2)

[Dennis]

I picked up a few bottles of the Masi Campofiorin that's on sale for $12.99 this month. This is a good price for a great wine that goes well alone or with any red meats. It doesn't go on sale often so now is a good time to pick some up if you like the "Ripasso" style Valpolicella's. I've heard some people refer to it as a "poor man's Amarone", but I actually prefer it to the few Amarones that I've tasted.

[glepore]

Quick note on the Arrowood Grand Archer Syrah-holy cow, this is a LOT of wine for $9. I really liked the Saralee's from the past couple years at 18 bucks, but this is very close at half the price. Snag some now.

I'm not too sure about the trend towards "private cuvee" labels, though. I don't doubt for a second that Jon means well, and that these are probably great deals for the money, but there is that lingering moment of doubt - particularly given the comparison to national pricing on the winery's regular release-I don't doubt that the Silverado offered as a Chairman's Selection is a great deal, but its not the "same" wine being sold at the "normal retail" quoted, so why quote it. Who knows, it might even be better, but consumers are skeptics.

[Capaneus]

Quick note on the Arrowood Grand Archer Syrah-holy cow, this is a LOT of wine for $9. I really liked the Saralee's from the past couple years at 18 bucks, but this is very close at half the price. Snag some now.

I'm not too sure about the trend towards "private cuvee" labels, though. I don't doubt for a second that Jon means well, and that these are probably great deals for the money, but there is that lingering moment of doubt - particularly given the comparison to national pricing on the winery's regular release-I don't doubt that the Silverado offered as a Chairman's Selection is a great deal, but its not the "same" wine being sold at the "normal retail" quoted, so why quote it. Who knows, it might even be better, but consumers are skeptics.

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I spoke (on background) at some length to a Usually Reliable Source. I am told the whole Chairman's Selections program will be revamped in the (seemed to imply) near future, as part of a comprehensive reform of the system. Details will follow if I manage to nail down confirmation.

I also am given to understand that what you call the "Private Cuvee" labels, or at least the feedback thereon (from both the public and PLCB's troops on the ground), have been a hindrance to the happiness of a number of Highly Placed Individuals in the program.

[glepore]

So long as the revamp doesn't reduce the effectiveness of consoldated buying power, great.

As an example, I'm opening a gastropub. It totally galls me to pay 12.99 9or whatever it is) for Monte Antico when I can buy it for personal use at Canal's for 8 bucks, usually. I'd rather be able to sell it for 20 bucks than 30, even if it impacts my profit a bit, because its a great deal for the money and would encourage people to try new things. I know that Canal's doesn't buy in PLCB quantities, so...why am I paying 30% more in Pa? Johnstown Flood?

On the other hand, I just had the last glass of a bottle of Whitehall cab that I was totally unimpressed with upon opening, but after sitting (for a WEEK) in the fridge was downright amazing for the price. So, I'd hate to lose that as part of a revamp, but on the other hand, all that needs to be done for "intellectual honesty" is not to cite the price for the non-CS Whitehall.

[Dennis]

Picked up a bottle of the Arrowood Archer Syrah based on your suggestion for dinner tonight...I agree it is very good. I'm leaving for Atlanta in the morning, but will pick up a 1/2 case when I return.

I also picked up some more of the Masi Campofiorin and this time it came with a $1.00 instant rebate which brought the price down $2.00 below the sale price in Delaware.

[Diann]

Any Chairman's Selection recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner? My guests mostly drink red... so... a pinot noir? Grenache?

[Rich Pawlak]

Any Chairman's Selection recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner? My guests mostly drink red... so... a pinot noir? Grenache?

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If you can find any of that Kaiken Ultra Malbec, that stuff should ROCK with turkey, stuffing and cranberries.

[Capaneus]

Any Chairman's Selection recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner? My guests mostly drink red... so... a pinot noir? Grenache?

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The Rizzi Barbaresco is a great food wine. There isn't any in Philly right now, but you get around, so there might be some not too far.

The Ricasoli and the Terriccio also sound like good bets for the price, though I haven't tasted them.

I think I must be on an Italian kick. All the others sound either too expensive or too heavy for bird 'n' trimmings. Maybe the Burgess. I loved the '01, but I haven't tried the '02 yet.

[KatieLoeb]

Agree with Rich about about the Kaiken. That should be quite tasty.

Most folks like Zinfandel with turkey. I wonder if that's more a reflection of it being an authentic American wine than a truly good match. I seem to recall that years ago they weren't as big, overblown, tannic and high in alcohol as they are now, but you'd have to find a softer example of one to match with roast turkey IMHO.

Probably not a Chairman's Selection, but a nice Scheurebe or Sylvaner is nice with turkey if you prefer a white wine.

[Lisa1349]

I had the REX HILL PINOT NOIR RESERVE 2003 with dinner tonight somewhat by accident. I had it in my car for tommorow night's dinner of Pumpkin Gnocchi with Duck confit and porcini cream. I wanted to test drive the new Target Reidel Pinot glasses that were a wedding gift. I grabbed it as I walked into my Mother in law's to have something in hand. It was terrific! Well balanced with dried apricot/black cherry finish I could drink it even without food all night long, albeit not with the $39.99 price tag. I'll report back on the glasses tomorrow.

[Jeff L]

I just tried a bottle of the Grant Burge "Chairman's Selection" Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004 last night with our dinner of center cut pork roast and was quite happy with it. Does everything a good Shiraz should and at a really great price point, $9.00

Keep em coming Mr. Chairman! In this case, I have no issue with cuvee Newman whatsoever

[KatieLoeb]

Cracked open a bottle of the Chairman's Selection Whitehall Lane Merlot 2005 tonight to enjoy with my late night dinner after work. I was eating Middle Eastern mezze style since I'd loaded up at the "Olive Bar" at the Wegman's in Cherry Hill yesterday afternoon. I had both roasted garlic and spicy hummos, whole wheat pita breads, stuffed grape leaves and some tabouli salad to accompany the wine.

This wine is tasty, but a bit thin. I suspect it might benefit from a little more time in the bottle, as it's still quite young. But again, at $12.99 a bottle, might be worthy of laying a few down in the hope that time will be kind to it, and the knowledge that it's a solid producer will shine eventually through. Certainly quite quaffable, in it's present state, if not as impressive as I'd hoped. But very drinkable, in an awkward adolescent kind of way.

Hopefully we all grow out of that geeky stage eventually, don't we?

[newsgal]

Okay - need some advice. Because I'm a crazy person, I agreed to co-host my husband's company's holiday party (well, sort of company...all of his employees... we're talking 50-60 in the house), and I need to find a red and a while to serve that's affordable yet not reminiscent of paint thinner. I'm thinking around $10 a bottle max (we'll probably get a case and a half between the red and white - already have 5 cases of beer and he always makes several martini options - these people can DRINK)... any suggestions??

[mrbigjas]

right now at the state stores they have big piles of various cheap spanish reds. i've had four or five different bottles and there was only one i didn't find totally pleasant and drinkable, especially for the $8-10 price tags.

they also have cases of cuvee de pena at the 12th & chestnut, which is $8.49 and pretty tasty. it was better when it was $5.99, but what can you do.

edited to add: oh also, what i've had a couple bottles of that i've enjoyed is this jean-luc colombo jawn from coteaux d'aix en provence called moulin de la dame cotes bleue. it's $7.99 i think, and mighty tasty for that price--medium bodied but with sort of a black cherry/violet/pencil lead-y thing going on. i know capaneus will bust my balls for promoting a colombo selection, but you know, i'll suck it up, because i like this one.

Edited December 6, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[glepore]

Okay - need some advice. 

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Newsgal-LCB stores have Monte Antico on sale at the moment for 10.99-its a very nice reliable Italian red that is flexible with food. Its my "house wine" at home.

The Arrowood Syrah was a steal at 8.99 if you can find any left anywhere.

[KatieLoeb]

The Arrowood Syrah was a steal at 8.99 if you can find any left anywhere.

A truer statement was never made, and I missed it! Maybe I'll have to go on a hunt for it...

Tried a couple of new things tonight. The Fra Guerau Rosato 2005 ($7.99) is a dark pink/pale red rose from Spain amde from Syrah, Merlot and Tempranillo. Lots of berries on the nose and a pleasant finish. Didn't match as well with my Mexican grilled shrimp, rice and beans as I'd hoped, but still a very tasty and pleasant wine. I'll finish the rest tomorrow with some hummus, pita bread, tabouli and stuffed grape leaves and I suspect that will match far better. Y'all know me by now. I loves me my pink wines!

Other bottle wasn't a CS, but also a great deal. La Yunta Torrontes 2005 from Argentina, also $7.99 a bottle. Torrontes is a delicious, fruity and aromatic white with a hint of residual sweetness much like a nice riesling with a more floral component in the nose. Pairs outrageously well with spicy food like Szechuan, but I liked it just fine with Jose's Ginger-Chicken-Lime soup that I had as my first course. Nice grapefruit and melon flavors that really made the gingery spiciness sing. A steal at eight bucks. I'm going back for more. This would pair well with a lot of things.

Both these purchases were made at the 12th & Chestnut store, both toward the back of the store. But you could always look it up online and see if there's any closer to your front door.

[mike volker]

I went to pick up my Lascombes yesterday and I couldn"t believe how many chairman selects there were in the Collegeville store. The manager said the Gloria Ferrier syrah at ten bucks was the best value of the new arrivals.

Best,

Mike

[Capaneus]

The Arrowood Syrah was a steal at 8.99 if you can find any left anywhere.

A truer statement was never made, and I missed it! Maybe I'll have to go on a hunt for it...

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Huh. Strokes and folks, I guess: I've been working through a bottle of the Arrowood Syrah for a couple of days, and I have to say, well, heh...

It's just that it's got that overripe sour cherry-plum tang hot-climate wine sometime gets, which, to me, means someone didn't trust the quality of the fruit, so they let it hang a little longer so it ripens as much as possible. People seem to be okay with that, but it doesn't really work for me.

Still, not a bad $10 bottle, I guess. If I'd paid the original price, though, I'd be a mite miffed.

[jwjon1]

I'm in the same boat with cap regarding the Saralee Syrah from Arrowood... super ripe (and by default quite high in alcohol) and super extracted makes for quite a heated fruit bomb which doesn't do it for me.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the many PNs now available. I cracked open a bottle of the 04 Rutz Dutton Ranch ($17.99!) and found it quite enjoyable. It is quite a big, powerful PN with excellent floral notes and decent fruit. It reminded me of the St. Innocent style: tannic, made for food, and made for bottle aging. Took a few hours to open up, but when it did I couldn't believe the Chairman was able to obtain this at such a killer price. The tannins were tamed on day two which made for an fabulous bottle. Based on pedigree alone, I'm more psyched about the Burnside (Martinelli!) and Windsor Gardens (one of Merry Edward's favorite but unfortunately now defunct vineyards... so you know its gotta be special), so I picked a six pack of all four Rutz single vineyards on the promise of the Dutton.

If anyone else breaks open any of the Rutz PN's, let us know how its drinking. As for the Dutton, I'd give it at least two more years of bottle age or a vigorous decant... well worth the space in your cellar at this price, though!

The Felton Road is a fun PN as well, but if you're not into new world PN, or PN that has flashes of a syrah identity crisis in the glass, this won't be up your alley.

[Capaneus]

I'm in the same boat with cap regarding the Saralee Syrah from Arrowood... super ripe (and by default quite high in alcohol) and super extracted makes for quite a heated fruit bomb which doesn't do it for me.

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Ah. That's unfortunate. I picked up a few or the Arrowood Saralee on the strength of the Beau Melange, which I thought was extraordinary - though unmistakably New World. Hopefully they will settle and maybe knit together with a little lie down...

I'll have to track down the Rutz Pinots Noirs. I was waiting for the Burgs that are supposedly hitting soon, but it can't hurt to diversify.

[jwjon1]

[i was waiting for the Burgs that are supposedly hitting soon, but it can't hurt to diversify.

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thanks for pointing me to the burgundy outlook! unfortunately, looks like there's only one PN on its way... but the 1er cru white burgs have me excited!

[Capaneus]

Well, the Latour Cotes de Beaune is likely to be a nice frequent-drinking wine at that price, likewise the Faiveley Mercurey currently in stores.

And the whites look good as well, of course. The previous batch have done yeoman's duty for me over the past year. They're just amazingly versatile wines.

Edited December 11, 2006 by Capaneus (log)

[Neuronix]

If you can find any of that Kaiken Ultra Malbec, that stuff should ROCK with turkey, stuffing and cranberries.

If you all are still looking for it for xmas, I noticed there's still many cases over at the 12th and Chestnut store.

[mike volker]

Anybody see the announcement of the new CEO of the plcb? What a CROCK. Pa politics at work again, couldn't get reelected so gov job at twice the salary. You gotta ask payback for what?

Best,

Mike

[Jeff L]

Anybody see the announcement of the new CEO of the plcb? What a CROCK. Pa politics at work again, couldn't get reelected so gov job at twice the salary. You gotta ask payback for what?

Best,

Mike

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Just finished reading the article and all I can say is that I pray he'll leave things alone in the wine department. Conti's not a bad guy and will probably reign in spending at the LCB. We used to eat at his restaurant in Doylestown often.

Jonathan, if you are reading this, I'm sure we'd all love to hear your thoughts besides what's in the paper.