Winophilia

Why should you care? Adam Tolmach helped to kickstart California’s Central Coast wine industry when he and Jim Clendenen founded the Au Bon Climat winery in 1982. Tolmach has long been committed full-time to his own Ojai Vineyard winery, where he makes a wide range of elegant wines from some of the most renowned vineyards in the region. Most of his bottlings are hotly pursued by wine lovers who prize lively, precise renditions of New World chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. From two of those vineyards, Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills, both in Santa Barbara County, Tolmach makes this chardonnay, which is sourced from younger vines and delivers the Ojai style at a bargain price.

What does it taste like? Bright, focused and fragrant, this chardonnay offers an array of floral and citrus fruit qualities that are the hallmark of the region. Tolmach says that his aim is always to make focused, graceful wines with little excess fat, and the 2009 vintage gave him fruit that was perfectly suited to his style.

How much does it cost? $26.

Why should you care? Barbera from Italy’s Piedmont region is among the most flexible, food-friendly red wines made anywhere, complementing everything from pizzas and tomato-based pastas to richer meat dishes to salty cheeses.  This penetrating wine, which relies almost entirely on its acidity for structure (the barbera grape is low in tannins), is generally ready to enjoy on release but has the ability to mellow and gain in complexity with time in bottle, particularly the more ambitious versions made in oak casks or smaller French barrels. Many of the finest barberas come from top producers of Barolo and Barbaresco, who enjoy drinking barbera on an everyday basis while reserving their more serious and expensive nebbiolo wines for special occasions.

What does it taste like? The Grasso family’s Barbera d’Alba Vigna Martina, froma vines close their their top Barolo vineyard in Monforte d’Alba, is aged in new and once-used French barriques for 15 months, then held in bottle for at least a year before being released. The 2008 version offers highly perfumed aromas and flavors of red fruits, flowers and spicy oak. It’s fine-grained and suave, with perfectly harmonious acidity and a strong floral component giving definition to the pliant middle palate. This very stylish barbera finishes with smooth tannins and subtle lingering perfume.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $35; Sussex Wine Merchants.

Why should you care? It’s hard to find a better warm-weather thirst-quencher than crisp, minerally Chablis. But it’s in the cooler ”R” months (September through April), after the summer spawning season has ended, that oysters, clams and other shellfish are generally at their best in North America. That calls for Chablis, the classic examples of which come from soil rich in fossilized oyster shells. Village Chablis is my choice, as premier and especially grand cru bottlings can be too intense for delicate sea creatures. And village-level wines are cheap enough to enjoy on a regular basis.

What does it taste like? The village Chablis from father-and-son team Christian and Fabien Moreau is one of my perennial favorites in this category. Their bottling from the cooler 2010 growing season offers scents of lemon drop, grapefruit and mint. It’s high-pitched and vibrant on the palate, with a captivating ripeness leavened by firm acidity and soil-driven saline and crushed stone character.

How much does it cost and where can you find it? $25; Frederick Wildman & Sons.

Why should you care? Talley Vineyards has long been one of the most reliable sources for graceful—some would say “Burgundian”—chardonnays and pinot noirs from California’s Central Coast. Brian Talley, who oversees his family’s vineyards and winery, aims for power and elegance, and the winery has a loyal following of savvy sommeliers and wine lovers around the world. Talley’s entry-level line, Bishop’s Peak, displays the finesse and energy that is Talley’ house style at a remarkably fair price. In fact, these wines compare favorably to those of many of Talley’s neighbors at a fraction of the price.

What does it taste like? Two thousand ten was a cool year in the Central Coast, “a Talley vintage,” according to Brian Talley. The 2010 Bishop’s Creek chardonnay is a racy, precise, impressively complex wine that displays lively floral and citrus flavors and also possesses sneaky depth and power. It drinks well all by itself but has the stuffing to work with richer foods like roasted or grilled chicken. 

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $15.