I realized after my last piece that I tend to write about the wines that were, well, crap. Many of you out there probably think either that I have some of the worst luck in the world, keep wine way too long in the cellar, or have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.  I guess I tend to write about my misfortunes more than the positive experiences since I have it in my mind that more people are interested in schadenfreude than are interested in reading the ramblings of some pedantic jerk going on and on about what a brilliant wine guy he is.  Well, for those of you in the latter group, rest assured that I do have a few good bottles hanging about and occasionally even drink some of them.  This was one of those weeks when we went through a a couple bottles that were, while maybe not head turners, certainly very tasty (and spectacular deals, to boot!).

2007 Cosentino Sangiovese Il Chiaretto: Retail ~$20.  Cosentino Winery holds a special place in my wine education/development. Back in the mid 90’s when I was living in Marin County, a friend took me to a wine dinner sponsored by Cosentino.  Without getting to much into it, I was very much a wine neophyte then and I was so impressed with the wine, I signed up on the spot for their wine club. My first such endeavor. So I guess it is a bit like never forgetting your first kiss (Monica Farhat outside the Superbowl), signing up for your first wine club is momentous.  We have visited the winery countless times over the years, since my in-laws live in the Bay Area and we are out there frequently.  Recently, after some tough economic times, Cosentino changed hands and is now a part of a larger group of wineries.  The last time we were there they had some screaming deals on several of the wines made before the change over.  This was certainly one of them.  I pulled this to pair with my Spaghetti Carbonara with Cauliflower.  Tasting note: Popped and poured. This wine was a very pleasant surprise. Big fleshy fruit, but also some nice complexity and a very good finish. I can’t believe that I did not buy more. Very Good. 88 points.

2007 Domaine de la Perrière Sancerre: Retail ~$20. I paid $3.17. OK, I have to start of with the ridiculous: $3.17 for a bottle of Sancerre. For those of you that are not familiar, Sancerre is considered by some to make the best Sauvignon Blanc on the planet.  I tend to agree, but then we all know about my French wine obsession, so I may be am biased.  This wine was offered as part of a mixed case of wines (six bottles of the Sancerre and another six of a 2007 Rosé from Provence) that many would consider a risk (since they are a bit on the old side for whites and certainly for rosés), but at $60 delivered and  I had a $22 credit; I figured it was worth the risk.  The company offering the ridiculous deal was Last Bottle, a flash site that I really like a lot.  They have a similar idea as Wines Til Sold Out (WTSO), another company from which I have bought a fair amount of wine. I prefer Last Bottle for no other reason than Jonathan Newman seems to be associated with WTSO.  He was formerly the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) which basically makes my life difficult on several different levels (for example see THIS). Add that Newman and I share an undergrad alma mater (Bowdoin College) and his brother was the roommate of a very good friend of mine.  Why is that pertinent? Well, said friend and I met Newman at a PLCB sponsored wine dinner and voiced all these connections to him.  We might as well have been lepers (or had gone to Colby College, same thing).  He mumbled something and then walked away. There is an unwritten rule about our alma mater: you take care of one another (I guess that is true about many colleges, but we like to think we invented it or something).  Period.  Or at least not act like a complete jack rabbit. Instead, he acted like a complete jack rabbit.  So he is dead to me.  WTSO is great, actually, but there is just a bad taste. I should get over it, though, when I see their next great deal…. Back to the wine. Tasting Note:  A little dark in color, which caused a little concern, but on the nose, no signs of trouble just some lemon zest and ‘minerality’ (you know what I mean). On the palate, a rich, unctuous feel but also plenty of acidity. Nice finish. Not your typical Sancerre, but a very nice quaff (and $3.17?!?). Very good as an apéritif (which is what we did) or with seafood, particularly a white fish or even oysters. Very Good. 88 points.