Côtes du Rhône Les Abeilles 2005

JEAN-LUC COLOMBO
Côtes du Rhône Les Abeilles 2005 (88 points, $12)Tangy up front, with grilled herb, tobacco and red plum fruit. This lets the grilled herb edge take over on the finish, which shows nice grip. Drink now. 40,000 cases made. From France.

Cheap Weeknight Thrills

(Reviewed by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg – WAPO)

 2006 Columbia Winery Cellarmaster’s Riesling ($9).
Thanks to a sun-filled summer and a cool, dry autumn, the 2006 vintage features a beautiful balance of intense, ripe peach and pear fruitiness and refreshing acidity that would go as nicely with Alsatian choucroute as with spicy Ethiopian stews.

2006 Cartlidge & Browne Pinot Noir ($13)
pleasant, gently spiced, plum- and cherry-noted.  Match it with mushroom lasagna, salmon, tuna or lamb.

2005 Cartlidge & Browne Merlot ($12) 
A  blend of grapes from three vineyards in and single vineyards in Mendocino County, Carneros, Paso Robles and Sonoma County, which contributes to its complexity. This is a wine ripe with black cherries and blackberries, with a surprisingly long and interesting mochalike finish. It’s full-bodied enough to stand up to grilled meats or poultry, or even the spiced lamb in a gyro.

2006 Cartlidge & Browne Chardonnay ($12) 
A  fruit-forward, lightly oaked California chardonnay whose ripe-pear flavors and hint of smokiness make it an ideal pairing with grilled fish, chicken, pork or shrimp.

2006 Meridian Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($10)
from California.  zingy grapefruit and pineapple fruitiness .  With just a touch of oak, this wine has a creamy character that provoked a “Wow!” upon our realization that it tasted just like key lime pie. Our reaction was no less enthusiastic when we tasted it with sauteed scallops. “This is not a shy chardonnay”

 2005 Rosenblum Cellars Chateau La Paws Cote du Bone Roan ($14)
simply because of its cutesy name, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Cote du Beaune and Rhone. It’s a nod to winemaker Kent Rosenblum’s four-decade career as a veterinarian and his commitment to supporting various animal-related charities. This fruit-forward syrah blend (70 percent syrah, plus zinfandel, mourvedre and carignane) started out soft but increased in complexity as it breathed for a half-hour, bringing out notes of bacon. Pair it with a bacon cheeseburger, but this straightforward red also would match well with other simple fare, such as grilled chicken.

2006 DiSeño Malbec ($13),
With sweet cherry and plum fruitiness well balanced by acidity and tannic structure.

2006 Don Miguel Gascon Malbec ($12),
From the oldest winery in continuous operation in Mendoza, for its black cherry flavors accented by smoky, chocolaty notes. Both go beautifully with meaty dishes such as chili, roast lamb, grilled steak or sausage pizza. Full Body.

Mionetto “IL” Prosecco ($10)
“When in doubt, serve bubbly” is the maxim that always has us keep a bottle of champagne or other sparkling wine on hand to pair with virtually everything but red meat.  It is a lively, easy-drinking sparkler with fresh-pear fruitiness balanced by lemony acidity. From ’s largest producer of prosecco, it shows that quality can go hand in hand with quantity.

 Freixenet Brut de Noirs Cava ($10), made in the champagne method by one of the largest and most renowned houses in . It employs a blend of Spanish garnacha and monastrell grapes, resulting in robust strawberry, raspberry and cherry flavors with a long, dry finish. We enjoyed it with Chinese food: fried spring rolls, pork “lion’s head” meatballs and stir-fried beef.