Wine Review: Summer brings wine favorites

It is finally here. We waited months for it hoping that it would come earlier, but Mother Nature has her own timetable and there is no rushing her. At last, it’s summer.

With summer comes the most pleasant of outdoor activities, mowing the lawn or, for the brave of heart, clearing the winter junk that has built up in the car and in the garage. Once those problems have been solved, the time has come to relax – not in front of the television as you did all winter, but on the front porch or on a lawn.

Nothing goes better while relaxing in a lawn chair than a cool glass of wine. A question does arise. We know what wine goes with the foods we enjoyed all winter, but what wine is the best wine with loafing? To fill that void, I have recently sampled some wines that should make for an enjoyable and refreshing summer.

Crocus L'Atelier 2021 Malbec de Cahors ($24)
I started with this wine because it has made a liar out of me. I have often made reference to the French malbec wines of the Cahors district of France as a super tannic wine that can take forever to become drinkable as my experience had taught me. The Crocus L'Atelier 2021 Malbec de Cahors not only proved me wrong, but it also opened a new vista for me. The dark, almost black color of the wine may give the impression of fierceness, but the exact opposite is true. This wine presents the aroma of violets and an obvious mineral element along with those of coffee, licorice and tobacco, as well as a softness rarely found in French wines. This wine proves beyond any doubt that there are still great buys in the marketplace. To aid the reader, this wine, as well as all the wines that I write about, are available on the internet and often at exceptional prices that will easily cover the cost of shipping.

Sonoma-Cutrer 2022 Rose of Pinot Noir ($20)
An excellent California rose made from pinot noir grapes that sells for an affordable price is either a marketing mistake or a real bargain. I will tell the reader that this wine is a real bargain. This wine opens up to aromas of tangerine, wild strawberry, raspberry, a suggestion of watermelon and rose petals. The flavor mirrors the aroma and will remain on the palate and in the memory for a long time. This is not only a wine that can accompany almost any meal except for the spiciest,; it is also a fine choice as a sipping wine, indoors or out.

Albert Bichot 2022 Petit-Chablis ($16)
This wine is indeed a rarity, an excellent French wine selling for an affordable price and readily available on the internet. The Albert Bichot Petit-Chablis is a white wine that displays a pale-yellow color and a citrus aroma with notes of apple, lemon and a noticeable minerality. That’s all reprised in the flavor, with an enjoyable finish. This wine is a perfect choice as a summer sipping wine or as an accompaniment to poultry or seafood dishes, spicy or not.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.