2011 gift guide: A wine for everyone on your list(2)
For: The Pinot lover who still doesn't grok that grape's economics.
The plan: Brilliant negociant bottles that overdeliver.
The details: Worthy Pinot on a budget is tough. But there remain a few brave folks willing to play in that sandbox (looking at you, Banshee). To get a peek at the light touch of last year's vintage, there's the 2010 The Forager Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($20, 14.4%), made by Jonathan and Susan Pey, the Marin team behind Pey-Marin and several other labels. With a dusty earth edge to dusky plum and roast strawberry, it's got bulk but ample subtlety and proper oak. To use the name of another of the Peys' labels, it's textbook.
For: Those who still use a yardstick.
The plan: Big bottles, preferably without a big price tag.
The details: Nothing stokes the fires of gratitude like an oversize bottle of wine. I mean, you could bring someone a regular bottle of Echezeaux and they'll be happy, but bring a magnum of anything short of Franzia and they'll get that knowing little grin. So we are, unabashedly, big believers in big bottles. And plenty come with a reasonable price tag - Prosecco, good Muscadet, Beaujolais. For a crazy deal, grab a bottle of the 2010 Leitz Rudesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Rheingau Spatlese Riesling ($54, 7.5%, Terry Theise/Michael Skurnik Wines), a perfect opening to Germany's stupendous 2010 vintage (see item at right). A top winemaker's single-vineyard bottling of one of the top vintages in memory, in magnum, for less than $60? Righteous.
For: The unrepentant old-school California red lover.
The plan: Give them a snapshot of the modern version of what they like.
The details: If there's a time for the unencumbered joys of a simple California red, it's the holidays. To keep things close to home, let's first extol the virtues of the 2010 Rock Wall Super Alamedan California Red ($20, 13.5%) from Kent Rosenblum's new Alameda winery. A mix of Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, it has a fleetness to its spicy cherry fruit and tomato-leaf aromas that's just right for the table. Even more affordable is the Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red ($11, 13.5%) from Geyserville's Bilbro family. Their Zinfandel-based blend (currently on Lot No. 56) brims with a friendly, soft fruit that tastes honest in the way so many wines at that price don't.
