Wine Sale Advice needed

[Varmint]

I just got an email from one of my favorite wine shops regarding a sale they're having on some fairly low-end wines. Any advice of what to buy:

1999 Vaquer "Cuvee Bernard Vaquer" $40 per case

Thick, heady red from the French side of Catalan

1998 Mas Viala $40 per case

Robust, earthy red from the south of France.

1996 Fellom Ranch Zinfandel $50 per case

This is what a fully mature zinfandel evolves into.  Pretty neat stuff.

1998 Domaine Decourt "Axelius Vinum" $60 per case

Deep, dark color - full, rich and spicy.

1996 Saturny's Cotes de Bourg $75 per case

Mature Claret for the more refined of us.

1999 Chateau de Lancyre Pic St. Loup $75 per case

This could pass for a good Northern Rhone Syrah.  Good stuff.

1997 Domaine Fissey Mercury Rouge $75 per  case

Good, mature Pinot Noir.

Thanks.

[MatthewB]

That Pic St. Loup might be worth a second-look.

[Craig Camp]

Looks like close-outs from old vintages that have been sitting in some warehouse for years. Beware of storage conditions and taste before you buy quantity.

I agree with Matthew - the Pic St. Loup looks the most interesting.

[Varmint]

It's from Carolina Wine Company, one of the most reputable retailers I know. I'm confident it's been at 55 degrees, as that's where they keep all their wines.

[Craig Camp]

It's from Carolina Wine Company, one of the most reputable retailers I know.  I'm confident it's been at 55 degrees, as that's where they keep all their wines.

In that case they could be promising. They are a first rate outfit. Still, taste if you can. Hopefully they were in their warehouse and not it some hot distributors warehouse.

[Fat Guy]

Fellom Ranch zin is excellent. It's an $18 bottle. I've never had anything that old from Fellom, but I had a 2000 (or maybe a 1999) and was very pleased. If it has been properly stored, how bad could it be? And, given the 14% alcohol and the general sturdiness of zin, it's a good candidate for surviving less-than-ideal storage.

[MatthewB]

Varmit,

Any idea on the grape(s) in the Mas Viala?

If it's the Syrah, that might be worth pursuing. (There a Mas Viala Merlot, too. But I'd pass on that.)

[Varmint]

I'll head over on my lunch break and report back. Thanks.

[Bux]

Most of those are wines that are generally drunk young, but the prices are tempting. I'd be quick to grab a bottle or two of any of them, but reluctant to get cases without trying them. There are those who are fans of aged zinfandel. A few years ago, a client of my wife's in the wine trade, gave her a bottle of Zinfandel that was about six years old and told her to put it away for a few more years.

[MatthewB]

Might you report on how "inky" the color of the Pic St. Loup is, too?

[Varmint]

OK, here's the scoop. These wines were given to CWC by the importer as part of a fund raising effort. They were probably stored appropriately, but all are certainly past their prime. The fruit has faded quickly, well before any tannins have had a chance to mellow. The zin was a very bold wine, but the lack of fruit couldn't allow me to spend even $50 on a case. Ultimately, I decided, none of these wines would really go with the food that I cook. The pinot wasn't too bad and neither was the Saturny, but I'd really only want to serve them with cheese.

The Pic St. Loup's color wasn't too inky, but it hadn't softened much, either.

[MatthewB]

Did you taste the Pic St. Loup? If so, comments?

[Varmint]

I'm not real good with my winespeak, but the wine was incredibly grassy -- overly so. I've never been a fan of highly herbal wines, as I can't think of what food to serve with them. It also was overly strong in the finish, like most of these wines. I think they've been stored well, but the grapes just weren't good enough to maintain the fruit and body that I'd like.

Whenever I taste a wine, I don't really think of how it tastes in the typical terms. I'm just not sufficiently educated to do so. However, I focus on the food that would go with it. Nothing lept out at me for any of these wines. They were all just a bit too harsh.

[MatthewB]

I'm not good with winespeak either.

But I've been drinking a fair amount of Mourvedre. That was probably the majority grape in that Pic St. Loup.

[Varmint]

I'm not good with winespeak either.

But I've been drinking a fair amount of Mourvedre.  That was probably the majority grape in that Pic St. Loup.

Yes it was.

[MatthewB]

IMHO, Mourvedre goes well with earthy hearty dishes. I served it in early spring with a lentil stew. (But don't follow my advice!)

[Craig Camp]

Red wines that are over the hill can go grassy as the sweeter fruit flavors drop off leaving the more aggressive herbal tones. Just yesterday I had a 1983 Girard Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve that used to be great wine - rich and round with dark fruit flavors and not a hint of herbalness. Now it is a herbal/bell pepper thing which is undrinkable. My fault I should have drunk it up.