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THE WINE TASTER
By Robin Garr
The Courier-Journal, Jan. 10, 1990
     On the left, we have a sleek, green bottle of 1982 Salon Blanc de
Blancs Le Mesnil, a champagne so rare and desirable that its makers can
command -- and get -- $120 for it. At DISCOUNT.

     On the right, let's assemble a collection of the simple but honest
table wines that grace many a dinner table and usually can be found on sale
for $5 or less.

     What's the difference here?

     What in the world does big money buy at the wine shop? Can a $120 wine
possibly be 24 times as good as a $5 bottle?

     These aren't easy questions to answer, and I don't have a definitive
answer here.

     It's worth noting in this context, however, that some people insist on
investing in Mercedes-Benz automobiles, Rolex timepieces and Calvin Klein
apparel, while others take reverse pride in driving jalopies, sporting
discount-store watches and wearing blue jeans.

     Most of us make the affordable choices -- sensible Toyotas and
Timexes -- most of the time but enjoy the special (and maybe irresponsible)
feeling that attends an occasional splurge; and that's the way I feel about
wine.

     Even in a market that's seen substantial inflation over the past
decade, there is plenty of first-rate wine in the $10 range and a surprising
collection of bargains -- if you take the time to sort them out -- for
$5. I frequently find and report on such wines in this column; a selection,
including a few real finds, is included in the tasting notes below.

     What do you get in a good $5 wine? Fresh, clean aromas and flavors and
a proper balance between fruit and acid on the palate is enough.
Unfortunately, far too many wines -- even some that sell for more than $5
-- fail to meet this simple standard.

     What do you get when you spend a lot more?

     First, a high-rent tag should be a virtual guarantee that the wine is
made with talent and care, perhaps in tiny quantities, from the
highest-quality grapes.

     Moreover (and perhaps as a direct result), a top-flight wine that
merits a lofty price should offer subtleness and complexity -- terms better
demonstrated with examples than defined: As a prize-winning novel is to a
comic book, as a great painting is to a cartoon or as a classical symphony is
to an advertising jingle, so is -- or should be -- a $100 wine to a $5
jug of table red or white.

     A $5 bottle serves well at the dinner table.

     A $120 bottle announces a special occasion.

     Is it worth the difference?

     Ask Larry Pearson, a principal of the California firm that imports
Salon:

     "Some people question the high price of Salon. In response I can only
say that it is fairly priced. Salon is an anomaly today. It is made in a way
that is so expensive that its existence is not economically justified.
... It is expensive to buy because it is expensive to make," he
wrote.

     I opened a bottle for New Year's Eve and found it impressive, although
the price tag did inspire a certain reverence.

     It was a flawless wine, with restrained, almost austere flavors and a
piercing acidity that suggests it will continue to improve for several years
in the bottle. It does not show the bold, almost "Technicolor" flavors that
give a wine quick, easy accessibility; but its pastel subtleties are as
appealing as the quiet beauty of impressionist art.


(5 stars) Champagne Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut,
1982. A brilliant pale-gold color and mounting streams of extremely tiny
bubbles lure the eye to this truly exceptional sparkling wine. Its delicate
aroma mingles fresh yeast and a scent of apples. Crisp, tingling acidity
makes the first impression on the taster's tongue, quickly followed by a
silken, almost creamy texture. An impression of toast and an elusive sense of
something like dark chocolate or bitter coffee play in its long, lingering
aftertaste. ($120)



(4 stars) Quaff Sonoma County Gewurztraminer, 1988.
(Ge-VERTZ-tram-me-ner.) This clear, pale greenish-gold wine offers an
appetizing aroma of musky melons and grapefruit. It flavor lives up to its
promise with juicy fruit, light sweetness and crisp acid in good balance and
a pleasant touch of bitterness in the aftertaste. ($4.99)



(4 stars) Chateau Launay Entre-Deux-Mers, 1987. (Awn-tray
Duh Mair.) This clear, light brass-colored wine has a strong but
appealing scent of damp grass, the hallmark of Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Tart
acidity balances mouth-filling fruit in a fully dry flavor that's made to go
with fish. It's a quality white Bordeaux at a bargain price. ($4.99)



(4 stars) The Monterey Vineyard (California) Classic Cabernet
Sauvignon, 1985. (Cab-air-nay So-veen-yawn.) There's a cedary quality in
the attractive aroma of this hazy, light ruby-colored wine, with overtones of
dark chocolate, cherries and vanilla. Its robust flavor is crisp and fruity,
flawed only by a faint, odd hint of green beans that develops after the wine
has had time to "breathe" in the glass. ($4.99)



(3 stars) Frescobaldi Chianti, 1988. (Key-AHNT-tee.)
This clear, pale-red wine shows an orange glint in the glass. Its aroma of
wine grapes is faint but pleasant, and there's abundant fresh fruit in its
simple, refreshing flavor. It's an excellent match with pizza or spaghetti,
just as an inexpensive Chianti should be. ($4.99)



(3 stars) Torres Sangre de Toro Penedes (Spain) red wine, 1987.
(Sahn-gray day TOE-roe.) This clear, light-garnet wine offers a
light, perfumed scent and a mellow flavor that mingles raisin-like fruit,
fragrant black pepper and a spicy, slightly sweet sense of cinnamon candy in
the aftertaste. ($4.99)



(3 stars) Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley (Washington)
Johannisberg Riesling, 1988. (Reece-ling.) Fresh peaches and a touch of
musk mingle in the aroma of this pale brass-colored wine. A slight sweetness
is not at all cloying in its crisp, mouth-filling taste. ($4.99)



(3 stars) Fetzer California Chenin Blanc, 1987. (Shay-nan
Blawnc.) A delicious scent of pears and a hint of pineapple distinguishes
this light-gold wine, and its sugary-sweet flavor is saved from excess by a
touch of steely acidity. ($5.19)



(2 1/2 stars) Folonari Venezie (Italy) Chardonnay, 1987.
(Shar-doe-nay.) This is a clear, pale straw-colored wine with a whiff of
apples in its neutral scent. There's clean fruit, appropriate acidity and a
hint of oak in its slightly sweet, unexceptional flavor. ($4.49)



     "The Wine Taster" appears every other Wednesday in The Louisville
Courier-Journal Food Section. Wine and Food Critic Robin Garr rates table
wines available in the Louisville area, using a one- to five-star scale
determined by quality and value. Send suggestions or questions in care of The
Courier-Journal, 525 W. Broadway, Louisville, Ky. 40202; call [phone];
or leave a message for 76702,764.