News at $5: Rating the Pop-Premiums

Can you really get a decent bottle of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon for $5?

The interest in lower-priced Chardonnay and Cabernet, two of the most expensive grape varieties, began about 1984 when Glen Ellen developed the Proprietor’s Reserve line of wines. Today a dozen major companies and many more small ones compete in this category.

Since these wines are blended for year-to-year consistency, vintages on the bottle mean little except to tell you how old the wines are. Youth is a virtue; these wines are not meant to be aged.

There are so many of these so-called pop-premium brands on the market it’s difficult to know which wines are good values. That’s why The Times assembled a tasting panel to evaluate the pop-premiums in a double-blind tasting.

The event was staged May 15 at Meadowood Country Club in the Napa Valley. Almost all of the nearly five dozen wines were bought at major supermarkets two days before the event. None of the wines were priced at more than $6. In no case should any of these wines sell for more than $7.50; a few actually cost $3.39.

Judges included Michael Martini, wine maker for Louis Martini Winery; wine author Bob Thompson; wine industry consultant Michael Rubin, and John Thoreen, director of Meadowood’s wine center.

In general, the wines were far better than we had anticipated. The Cabernets especially represented very good value for the money. The best-scoring wines were from smaller producers; the wines of the large-volume producers seemed a little unfocused and dull.

Results are listed in groups of wines judged relatively similar in quality. They are listed in order of preference.

Chardonnays

Many of the Chardonnays showed little varietal character and many were noticeably sweet, but the level of quality was higher than just three years ago when I staged a similar event.

Excellent Wines

1989 Geyser Peak, Sonoma-- A citrus/spice aroma with hints of Golden Delicious apples; not very complex, but excellent balance and a great finish. A wine with wide appeal.

1988 Christian Bros., Napa-- A handsome, well-made wine with depth of fruit, some French oak nuances, and a creamy yet tart finish. Not a wine for beginners, but one that wine lovers will love. I paid $4.99 for the bottle we tasted.

Note: This bottling carries the old Christian Brothers label. Later bottlings (with an updated label with a color picture of vineyards) are not remotely similar to this wine.

Very Good Wines

1988 Mondavi-Woodbridge-- A bit older than I prefer, but with some fruit and oak, a tad on the coarse side. Not as fresh as I prefer, but relatively rich.

1989 Dore, California-- I preferred this to the above wine because of its spice (juniper and clove) character. A lovely, no-oak freshness with hints of pineapples and lively fruit acidity.

1989 Round Hill “House,” California-- Spicy fruit in a lighter style. There’s a trace of astringency in the aftertaste.

1989 Weibel, Mendocino-- Pineapple juice aroma, but appealing appley, buttery notes in the finish. Not totally dry; the label, refreshingly honest, says it is “off-dry.”

Bel Arbors Cask 90-- This wine is made from grapes grown in Washington, Oregon and California. It has no vintage date, though “Cask 90” indicates it was made from grapes picked in 1990. The wine is appealing, though it was marked down for lacking Chardonnay character. There is a spicy and lemony zip to a flavor more like Riesling. It is fairly soft, though it should appeal to many people.

1990 Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve, California-- A spicy quality not unlike Sauvignon Blanc with lovely fruit and an appley perfume. Nice, quaffable wine.

1989 Robert Alison, California-- Soft and simple, and quite drinkable. A hint of spritz on the tongue dissipates.

Good Wines

1989 Moceri, California-- Leafy, reminiscent of Chenin Blanc. Santa Monica, Rancagua (Chile)-- Oak, fruit and citrus tones. 1990 R.H. Phillips, California-- Muscat-like aroma, like cooked apples. 1990 Fetzer Sundial-- Tropical fruit like golden apples, dull mouth feel. 1988 Mark Swann, South Australia-- Cooked pineapple, a bit tired.

Also-Rans

1989 Eye of the Swan Cellars (Sebastiani)-- Pineappley and a hint oxidized, soft and coarse. 1989 Napa Ridge, North Coast-- Green with a trace of old Chenin character; not as fresh as we’d have preferred. 1989 Oak Ridge “Bighorn”-- Light, soft and awkward. 1989 Vendange (Sebastiani)-- dull fruit, heavy, tired. 1989 Sutter Home, California-- Apple and pear, but with a candied aroma and soapy entry; sweet. 1989 Mendocino Estate, Mendocino-- Diffuse flavors, papery finish. 1988 Montpellier-- Green, papery and thin; watery finish.

Poor Wines (listed randomly)

1989 J.W. Morris Private Reserve; 1990 Caliterra, Chile; 1988 Gallo, North Coast; 1989 Mountain View, Monterey; 1989 Romanelli Chardonnay del Veneto, Italy; 1990 Cook’s American (only in test market at present); 1989 Gallo, North Coast; 1989 Moreau (France).

Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet Sauvignon group was better in overall quality, with clearly defined varietal character in most of the wines, and sweetness levels lower than three years ago. Again, smaller producers’ wines scored well.

Excellent Wines

1988 Dore-- Dark, deep garnet color with complex cedary fruit and a cassis-like tone. A wine darker than most, with a layer of tannin that should help the wine age. Not a wine most beginners would like, but a lovely effort. Only 5,000 cases produced.

Round Hill “House Cabernet,” Lot 8-- Lovely fragrance of herbs and cherries with depth and richness. A nicely crafted wine, soft and appealing. This non-dated wine is a blend of vintages.

1987 Moceri, California-- All five judges rated this wine with identical scores and found it appealingly varietal, with nuances of tarragon and sage to complement balanced fruit. A lighter-styled wine for immediate consumption.

Very Good Wines

1988 Glen Ellen Proprietors Reserve-- Light cherry and a trace of smoke; soft, quaffable wine. A large-volume wine; it’s been my experience that the best Proprietor’s Reserve Cabernets are released earliest.

1988 Cook’s American-- Guild Winery is unveiling three companions to its successful Cook’s Champagne, and this Cabernet is one of them. It’s a bit overripe and heavy, with faint raisin and dill notes, but fairly deep flavors.

1989 Vendange (Sebastiani)-- Elegant herbal notes and decent fruit in a very drinkable wine. Not very complex (one taster called it “Cabernet with training wheels”), but tasty.

1987 Christian Brothers-- A dill/green-olive note and good varietal character; some French oak evident, a trace of vanilla and overall good depth. As with the Cabernet, seek out the old label, not the new. The 1987 Cabernet isn’t as good. I paid $4.99 for this bottle.

1988 Mark Swann Proprietor’s Reserve, South Australia-- Rich, herbal, complex notes of black cherry and mint, though two tasters felt the wine was awfully soft. Already showing bottle bouquet.

Good Wines

1988 Wente, Estate Grown, Livermore-- Decent varietal character with a trace of vegetal elements in the background; very soft. 1988 Weibel, Mendocino-- Fairly complex though relatively soft wine, fresh and uncomplicated. 1988 Mountain View, North Coast-- Soft, gentle aroma and flavor, an easy quaff with the meat loaf. 1988 Montes, Curico, Chile-- Faint green herbal notes in a wine that seems older than other ‘88s in this group, good balance and harmonious flavors. 1988 Napa Ridge, North Coast-- A cinnamon element adds interest to relatively good fruit flavors, otherwise fairly simple (bottle may have been slightly corked). 1988 Sutter Home-- Lighter color than many; herbal notes and slightly high tannins. 1989 Corbett Canyon-- Herbal, oaky notes; juicy fruit in a soft, amiable package. 1988 Montpellier, California-- Blackberry and oak with a Merlot (green tea) component, fairly simple.

Also-Rans

1988 Domaine St. George, Sonoma (two tasters ranked it high); 1988 Mondavi-Woodbridge; Nonvintage C.K. Mondavi (Charles Krug).

Poor Wines

1987 Vina del Mar, Curico, Chile; 1988 La Playa, Maipo Valley, Chile; 1983 Gallo, Northern Sonoma; 1984 Gallo, Northern Sonoma; 1985 Canterbury, Istria, Yugoslavia; 1988 Oak Ridge Hyde Park.

Not scored: Bel Arbors Cask 88 (bottle corked).

Final note: All the wines were poured from 750-milliliter bottles since some of the larger producers bottle different wines in 1.5-liter bottles.

Wine of the Week

1990 Mondavi-Woodbridge White Gamay ($5.50)-- Gorgeous rose-styled wine with wonderful spicy fruit and deep, cherry-strawberry-cranberry flavors. Mondavi used to make a Gamay Rose at his Napa Valley winery. It was a terrific wine, but when rose sales fell flat, the Gamay was replaced by thin, insipid White Zinfandel. This new wine from Mondavi resembles the former wine, but it’s a bit sweeter (with 1.5% residual sugar).

If rose wine is going to make a comeback, this is the form it will take: pink in color, called “white,” and with flavors to beat the band. Served deeply-chilled on a warm day, it should go well with barbecued chicken, pasta and fruit salads.