Surdyk’s Winter Sale

I miss the big Sparkling tasting they used to do every year but they do have two tastings this weekend.

Friday, November 26 (4-7 pm)

Saturday, November 27 (1-4 pm)

Dates: Now until December 12

I will be updating my wine picks throughout the next two weeks of the sale. Very similar wines and pricing from their Fall Sale.

My picks. Note I buy all my own samples so all of my reviews are 100% accurate for each wine and I don’t work for the industry so please support my website and share it with others that enjoy quality wine!!!

Top 5 Picks:

NUMBER 1

2017 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (11/19/2021) $24.99

Day 1: Red berries, spice, mint, mild wood and rustic elements. Very flavorful and having 2 bottles already this is drinking great on a pop and pour. Very enjoyable over the 3 day process and this will age nicely for five/eight years. Would not do long term aging on this one however. 92 points

Day 2: Red berries, earth, mild wood, spice, floral and stone. Rustic edge to the wine which is always something I enjoy about Rioja wines. 92 points

Day 2.5: Holly cow! In my lifetime I have never had two better 2.5 tastings of two wines. The 2016 L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee Estate Seven Hills Vineyard was left in a glass all day and rocked but this Muga later in the day is maybe even better. I love the funk and this is the first time I have gotten it on this 2017 Muga. Delivers red currants, earth, minerals, exotic spices, dust, gravel and sweet floral notes. Medium plus and complex finish. This will probably be top 3 wine of the year especially considering the value element. 94 points

Day 3: Still great but not as good as day 2.5. Hit that at the peak moment. Blueberries, sour cherry, dust, minerals, earth and spices. Medium plus finish. 93 points

Recommendation: Buy! I need to get at least another case of this wine. Hard to tell how long to age them as they are so great with proper decant or day 2/3 right now. 2030 probably is safe and maybe beyond. (94 points)

NUMBER 2

• 2019 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (10/8/2021)
  Day 1: Stones, lemon rind, orange peel, spice, minerals and floral notes. Medium to long finish nice acidity. This is a back the truck up wine. 94 points
  Day 2: Still vibrant. Amazing how good this is and not even two years in bottle. Floral, white peaches, lemon rind, orange peel, mild spice and minerals. What a refreshing wine on an 80 degree, October day in MN. 93 points
  Day 3: Certainly not as good as day 1 or 2. Not surprised.
  Recommendation: Drink now to 2028. This is an absolute Rockstar wine on sale for $23.99. (94 points)
• Another Great Bottle
• 2019 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (12/5/2021)
• Day 1: Very rich and intense offering. Honey, minerals, sour apple, wafer, exotic spices and stone orchard fruits. Medium plus finish and nice acidity. What a great wine for $25.00. 93 points
• Day 1.5: This wine is even more rich and intense at room temperature. Love the fact that Minneapolis does not gravitate to these wines and there is a ton left for me at less than $25.00.
• Day 2: This is almost a shoe in for wine of the year. $23.99 a bottle. Orange marmalade, honey, floral, spices, orchard fruit, sour apple, and minerals for a mile. Medium plus finish and super complex. Back up the truck and get a case and be happy you did!  (94 points)

NUMBER 3

• 2020 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (11/10/2021)
  Day 1: Raspberries, pepper, spices, floral and perfume. Pleasant wine and great value as always. This bottle is open for business on a pop and pour. 89 points
  Day 2: Better. More fragrant and fruit is more present featuring raspberries, strawberries and cherry. Picks up spice, floral and pepper on the finish. Need to grab a case of these great everyday drinkers. 90+ points
  Day 3: Really nice on day 3. Pepper, floral, raspberries, cherry, spice and stone. This wine is a tremendous value and will age for five/seven years without a doubt. 91 points
  Recommendation: You can enjoy this now but drink it on day 2/3 and be amazed. (91 points)

NUMBER 4

• 2018 Marietta Cellars Christo – USA, California, Sonoma County (10/15/2021)
  Day 1: What a difference the vintage makes. The 2017 Christo is in the category for worst wine of the year but this wine on a pop and pour is delicious. Dark purple. Dark chocolate, blackberries, plum, spices, coffee beans and minerals. In your face wine done right. Medium to long finish and just tasty. Excellent QPR. 92 points
  Day 2: Less intensity but still very nice. Underbrush, pepper, blackberries, spice and minerals. I like this wine much better on the pop and pour. This wine is ready to drink now. 90 points
  Day 3: Again lost some of the luster of day 1. While young this wine should be consumed within the next five years.
  Recommendation: Buy and pop, pour and enjoy. Drink 2021 to 2026. (92 points)

NUMBER 5

• 2016 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (10/23/2021)
  Day 1: A benchmark Rioja wine for $20.00. Wood influence but in a good way. Mild dill, raspberries, dried cherries, minerals and fragrant herbs. This is one of the more drinkable Alberdi’s in recent memory. Drink now to 2028. 91 points
  Day 2: Even more integrated on day 2. Wonder if they used older oak barrels on this vintage. Dried herbs, dried cherries, minerals, mild dill, oak and forest floor. Medium finish and good acidity. A very nice wine paired with beef stew. 91 points
  Day 3: Very nice with raspberries, cherry, floral, minerals, spices and wood. All 3 days this wine changed but was always a solid. 91 points
  Recommendation: One of my favorite under $20 Rioja wines. Drink now to 2030. (91 points)

OTHER PICKS

MAYBE THE BEST WINE???

Just opened this Sunday night and it is amazing. Might be top wine.

• 2016 Powers Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Champoux Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills (11/28/2021)
  Day 1: Medium purple. Full bodied effort featuring blackberries, dark cherry, smoke, wood, spice box, minerals and rose petals. This is one of the better Cabernet Sauvignon’s I have tasted from Washington State for the money in a long time. $25.00 on sale, more please. 93 points
  Day 2: Less intense than day 1 but equally delicious. Spices, cassis, smoke, cigar, minerals, earth and dark plums. Medium plus finish and really nice wine. Hard to find this quality of Cabernet anywhere for under $25.00. 93 points
  Day 3: Still very good but consume this on day 1 or 2 for maximum enjoyment.
  Recommendation: A stellar but for the money and better than many much more expensive Washington State Cabs. (93 points)

• 2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken – Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (11/25/2021)
  Day 1: The aroma is the star here floral, slate and pear. The palate is very thin and lacks fruit, maybe a bit of pear. Floral and dust on this short finish. Not sure why I bought this wine to be honest as the cellar tracker average is low overall and now just got even lower with my review. 84 points
  Day 2: Better on day 2 especially the palate. Slate, pear, sour apple and orange peel. Nice acidity and longer finish. It was almost in a dumb phase on day 1 but in a much better place now. 88 points
  Day 2.5: Had success with this last week. More peach which I love in German wines along with honeysuckles, slate, minerals, sour apple and wafer. Certainly even better than day 2.0. 90 points
  Day 3: Delicious featuring peach, slate, sour apple, minerals, orange peel, lime and touch of sweetness on the finish. Nice acidity overall. What an evolution on this wine. 91 points
  Recommendation: Again never judge a wine based on day 1. This wine had nothing going on day 1 but blossomed into a very nice wine for under $20.00. (91 points)

• 2019 Ridge Zinfandel Paso Robles – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (11/26/2021)
  Day 1: Spices, dust, green peppers, bramble, dark fruits, pepper and floral notes. Medium finish and enjoyable wine on the pop and pour. This should improve with some air. 90 points
  Day 2: Showing some nice tiny berries, mild spices, bramble, green peppers, black pepper, dust and floral notes. Enjoyable but this needs to be cellared for a while. 90+ points
  Day 3: Sour berries, bramble, green peppers, spice, dust and floral notes. Good overall but not a wine I would purchase again for $30.00. 90 points
  Recommendation: For sure not a big Zin and needs at least 5 years in the cellar. Hard to tell where this is going in terms of improvement. (90 points)

• 2018 Cultusboni Chianti Classico RS – Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (11/27/2021)
  Day 1: Rustic in character featuring earth, black olives, twigs, leather and dark fruits. A bigger style Chianti and flavorful. Medium plus finish. Nice wine for $15. 88 points
  Day 2: A bit better. A little funk along with red fruits, green olives, leather, twigs and earth. Day 1 was a little bigger wine but this has mellowed out nicely into a more balanced effort. 89 points
  Recommendation: Good value for $15.00. (89 points)

• 

NV Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley – USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (11/25/2021)
This bottle is stellar. Bright acidity featuring lemon, lime, chalk, baked pie crust and floral notes. This might be one of the best bottles of this wine. 92 points $21.99

• 2014 Powers Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Kiona Vineyards – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (12/7/2021)
  Day 1: Holy Oak Batman! As much as I liked the 2016 Champoux this is currently undrinkable. Other than oak there is some spice and fruit hiding. Will revisit day 2, 3 and 4. Gut impression 80 points
  Day 1.25: Much better now and if you are consuming this in one day do a 3 hour plus decant. Spice, cherry, dark chocolate, oak, vanilla and blueberries. So much better after a few hours. 88 points
  Day 1.5: Bell pepper, blueberries, cherry, spice, mild oak, dark chocolate and tobacco. So as hoping for this wine is open for business. This is not a pop and pour. While note quite the 16 Champoux this has potential. 90 points
  Day 2: Pretty intense wine with spice, oak, cherry, plum, tobacco and minerals. Medium to long finish. Lacks acidity. Not as good as day 1.5. 88 points
  Day 3: Certainly day 3 has done well for this wine. Christmas spice, cherry, blueberries, mild oak, chocolate and earth. Medium finish. 90 points
  Recommendation: Hold these for a few more years. (90 points)

Six Wines Tasted on Saturday

• 2018 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg – France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (11/27/2021)
  Really nice wine featuring floral, minerals, granny smith apples, mild spice and honeysuckles. Good acidity and medium finish. (91 points) $31.99 (Best price in the country)
• 2020 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough (11/27/2021)
• Really need to buy more Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. A nice balance between grassy notes and grapefruit. Good acidity and medium finish. (88 points) $13.99
• NV J. Laurens Crémant de Limoux Les Graimenous Tête de Cuvée – France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Crémant de Limoux (11/27/2021)
• Decant sparkler with dust, floral and orchard fruit. Lacks the acidity I enjoy from sparkling wines but drinkable. (84 points) $14.99

• 2020 Broc Cellars Love Red – USA, California (11/27/2021)
  One of the more unusal bottles I have seen in some time. Not bad. Blend of Syrah and Carignan. Bright fruit, floral and earth. Short finish but this is a crowd pleaser wine. (86 points)
• 2015 Bodegas Hermanos Peciña Rioja Señorío de P. Peciña Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (11/27/2021)
• Oak is the main feature here. This needs some time in the cellar. There is fruit underneath that oak and other elements but hold this wine for another five plus years. (87 points) $15.99
• 2019 Shannon Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, North Coast, Lake County (11/27/2021)
• This is average to below average Cabernet Sauvignon. Not much oak but also not much fruit. Drinkable but nothing to get excited about. (84 points) $10.99

Avoid this wine:

• 2019 J. Lohr Chardonnay Riverstone – USA, California, Central Coast, Arroyo Seco (11/28/2021)
  Not a fan of this style of Chardonnay. Lacks personality and offers apple, wafer and some pear. Very simple wine and not complex at all. Poorly made. (81 points)

One of the Worst Wines of the Year Candidates!

• 2018 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva – Italy, Sardinia, Cannonau di Sardegna (12/4/2021)
  Day 1: Manufactured wine with no sole. Tastes cheap. Dust, muted fruit and spices. Horrible finish, disjointed finish with little to offer. One of the worst wines I have tasted this year.
  Day 2: Even worse on day 2. Thin, cheap, manufactured, candied and muted finish. This is not a flawed bottle but a poorly made wine. Avoid! 70 points
  Day 2.5: This wine is terrible and I can’t believe the scores on this wine. Again this is not flawed and I have tasted well over 10,000 wines. The fact a pro critic gave this 90 and 91 points is concerning. I would rather press Sunkist raisins into liquid form and drink. 65 points
  Day 3: Raisins, water and earth. A bit better but not much. This is aweful. 71 points
  Day 4: Paint thinner, water and damp earth. 62 points
  Recommendation: NO!!!!! Won’t give up on Cannonau (Grenache) but this is not a good start to Italian Grenache. (71 points)