Oxford Landing Winery

• October 2009

  I wasn't going to post anything but since this thread is still going . . . You ... is still OK w the whites, Oxford Landing, Two Hands (the Lucky Country is their only low-end red and the new imnporter is raising prices), Mollydooker (the new label from Sparky Marquis who used to... Read moreI wasn't going to post anything but since this thread is still going . . . You ... is still OK w the whites, Oxford Landing, Two Hands (the Lucky Country is their only low-end red and the new imnporter is raising prices), Mollydooker (the new label from Sparky Marquis who used to make Marquis Phillips), Grant Burge, Jacobs Creek, Lindemanns, Penfolds and Peter Lehman all make a range of wines and their low ends are good. They tend to be fruity and also very "clean", in that you don't get funky, leathery notes on the nose for the most part. Also in Australia, don't ignore the whites. They make some of the best value riesling and semillon on the planet - usually very dry. I'd say just pick up what you find and if you don't like it, try something else. Not much from Napa or Sonoma but if you go to somewhere else in California, you can do well - Fess Parker from Santa Barbara makes a number of wines, Michael Phillips from Lodi makes big, fruity, brawny zins and syrah and cab and petite sirah. And Cline, as mentioned makes pretty good stuff, especially their zin and syrah that come in at your price point. Ravenswoods lower end isn't great - some people like it but go for their better stuff - they've really come back after a few off years. BV is sometimes OK w the Coastal label, but spend a little more - I think their Rutherford cab may be one of the best values in Napa - you can find it for as low as $17 sometimes and worth it. Washington has good values - the Chat St Michelle companies which also include Villa Mt Eden from CA, and Columbia Crest, among others. All of their whites are solid values. The Eroica from Chat St Michelle wins awards every year - it's a riesling that's got a touch of residual sugar, like many kabinett wines from the Mosel these days, but it's always a nice wine and around $18. But if you spend less on the basic riesling, you won't be disappointed and you'll have a few bucks extra for a red. The Reserve cab and syrah from Columbia Crest lists over $25 but can often be found for much less and like I said, if you average out the price of the white and the red, you hit your price point. Italy is easy if you stay south - Sicily has decent wines made from Nero d'Avola like Morgante, with dark fruit flavors and great balance, as well as from other local grapes but their prices are inching up. A-Mano is a primitivo (zinfandel) that is made in Puglia by Chris Shannon from California - it goes for around $8 and is a great value every year. May be the best primitivo from Italy, although Appolonio is good too. Usually they have a little more acidity than some of the CA versions and for the price, a lot more complexity. Monte Antico is from Tuscany and is a pretty good value, as is Gabbiano - a Chianti. If you're looking at a cheap Chianti, you could do a lot worse. Hungary has a few interesting wines - Craftsman is a label that was created to develop good, inexpensive wines as an intro to their grapes and wine. All of them are decent values if you can find them. You can learn about grapes that most people have never heard of and enjoy yourself at the same time. I've had all of these many times and in general, the whites tend to be fruity and have a touch of residual sugar, but they're not sweet. And don't forget Argentina, maybe the best place for the US right now, given the currency rates and how we are suffering against the Euro. You can get any number of malbecs and cabs - Sur, Ox, Gascon, Altos las Hormigas, Altos de las Terrazas, Norton, Dona Paula, etc. All are actually nice. And if you spend a few bucks more for the reservas, you will have excellent wine. The Terrazas for example, makes a reserva that I get for $14.99 and it can hold its own with wines costing much more. These all tend to be fairly big wines with a good shot of oak and spice. Chile makes low-cost wines, but I find them frequently rather green and rarely buy them. They are quite different as a rule than the wines of Argentina, which are more lush and softer. Those from Chile, when ripe, still end to have a bit more in the way of herbal notes, but they also have less opulent fruit and a leaner profile. Can be quite nice in some cases if that's your thing. France remains a strange place. Of its most famous wine, some is the most overpriced on the planet and some represents outstanding value for the money. Beaujolais has a bad rap because people tired of the fashion for the cheap, young wine. As a result, there is little demand for the cru beaujolais and they represent outstanding values. Moreover, some of them are quite ageworthy and for the price of a bottle of Burgundy, you can get a case to lay down. In ten years you'll have a wine that will make your Burgundy drinking friends envious. Brun and Vissoux are 2 that I am happy to own. Syrah from the Northern Rhone is as expensive as Burgundy or Bordeaux, but syrah grows elsewhere and can be delicious. Garnacha, or as they call it, grenache, can be an even better value. There is a lot of swill produced but also a lot of great wine. Chapelle St Arnoux produces my favorite bottle of wine from the South Rhone in the Ventoux region. It's under $10 and drinks wonderfully and is a blend of garnacha and other "Rhone" grapes. It's worth remembering that except for syrah, the most important grapes in the Rhone cam from Spain, so look for the same grapes I mentioned for Spain - grenache, monastrell (which they call mourvedre) and carinena (which they call carignan). These are frequently blended together and in fact, most wines from the south of France are probably blends, so you won’t generally see a bottle that states the grape variety. Doesn’t matter - try them anyway. In the same way that the co-op wines produced in the millions can still represent value in Spain, those of France can also represent value. Many Cote du Rhones are surprisingly good and they have similar profiles to the Spanish wines I described earlier - earthy, strawberry/cherry fruit, spice. Most of the wines I've mentioned from France, Spain and Italy are made with little or no new oak. The cost of a French barrel is around $800 these days, so it can be a great savings to the winery if they use old, used barrels or cement tanks. France also has regions that are frequently ignored. The Loire for example produces great cabernet franc. It tends to have a green and herbal note to it, VERY unlike the wines from the south which are generally much fruitier and more pleasant up front, but if you like that quality, it's hard to find better values anywhere. The whites from the Loire, especially the far west, are outstanding values if you like super lean, crisp, minimalist whites. It's also the home of sauvignon blanc, and while I'm not a huge fan of the grape, the wines from that region can be exceptional. Lesser known areas like Jura, Savoie, Madiran, and others can be sources of value but as it's unlikely you'll find much, I'll not say anything about them. At any rate, if you buy a handful of wines from each of the areas I mentioned, you'll get a good overview and have enough to keep you busy for a long time.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What is your favorite wine... by GregT

  
  
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  October 2009

  Oxford Landing Shiraz 2007

  Snoothrank: Starting at $6^.99

  No written review

  Wine review by twostepp111

  
  
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  September 2009

  Oxford Landing Gsm 2004

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by kit1512

  
  

• August 2009

  You need to provide more information. What kinds of wines have you liked so ... Lindemans, Jacob's Creek, Oxford Landing, Tyrells, Penfolds all make wine that's really not bad. Spain also has some really good values out but you need to look at what's in your area. In the US,... Read moreYou need to provide more information. What kinds of wines have you liked so ... Lindemans, Jacob's Creek, Oxford Landing, Tyrells, Penfolds all make wine that's really not bad. Spain also has some really good values out but you need to look at what's in your area. In the US, Chateau St Michelle in Washington produces some of the better values on the market. Their little brother Columbia Crest does too, but I think their whites are better than their reds. Try all of them -- they'll give you a pretty good idea of the grape type and if you like one or another, you can explore that particular grape. Don't worry about pairing. IMHO, there are very few complete disasters. And many things are OK with many other things. For example, It's hard to think of a wine that doesn't go well with simple roast chicken. Whites, reds, rosado, sherry, almost everything works. Some better but none are disasters. If you put some herbs on it or some fruit then you change the dish slightly and help define which wine you should be drinking. If the dish doesn't seem to work well, that's OK. Just eat some of the food, chat for a while, and sip the wine. Don't mix them in your mouth and you're OK. You'll know for sure when you've got a good match because you'll just stop in your tracks to enjoy it. Last night I had lamb and I made a mint chimichurri with scallions and lime. That would kill most wines and kind of killed the wine I selected but hey, you live and learn    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Help - Advice for a Beginner by GregT

  
  
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  June 2009

  Oxford Landing Gsm Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2006

  Snoothrank:

  This wine did not thrill me. Something about the finish left me feeling like I should rinse my mouth.

  Wine review by kat3260

  
  
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  June 2009

  Oxford Landing Gsm Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2006

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by chrs7446

  
  
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  May 2009

  Oxford Landing Shiraz 2007

  Snoothrank:

  not bad; $8.99 (i think) in manorville. tannins indeed, but also rather peppery at open. better without prolonged decanting.

  Wine review by cczura

  
  
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  March 2009

  Oxford Landing Gsm 2004

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by sara223

  
  
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  March 2009

  Oxford Landing Shiraz 2007

  Snoothrank:

  all i taste is off-balance bitter tannins. This is still decanting after 4+ hours and it SUCKS. stay away form this at all costs.

  Wine review by aronowm2

  
  
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  January 2009

  Yalumba Oxford Landing Grenache Syrah Mourvedre Gsm 2006

  Snoothrank:

  solid qpr. needs an hour of decanting. great with chili.

  Wine review by aronowm2

  
  

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