Crown Wine & Spirits’ “Best of the Best” wine tasting did not fail to impress!

This year-end event featured more than 70 selections of upscale, single vineyard and “cherry” wines from all over the world. I thought it was definitely worth the higher admission price ($30 vs. the regular $15 charge), and apparently, I wasn’t alone. The store was packed with wine lovers from all over Palm Beach County.

This was definitely a wine-loving crowd, and it was fun to talk to others about what they liked and why. It was also a great opportunity to stock up the cellar, since all of the wines were specially priced for the night of the tasting (about 20 percent off the normal price). As if I need a reason to buy wine! In fact, the only problem was that the wine stations weren’t organized in any perceived order, so it was hard to navigate around the store… especially as the evening went on. Luckily, there were so many great wines to try, it didn’t seem to matter which station one tasted at.

Here are just a few of the truly excellent wines I tasted. By no means is this a complete list. There really were too many great ones to write about them all. I just picked out a few I thought were different from the norm, as well as those that were a great value for the price point. Take a look, and if you were there, please add your favorites to the list!

Piper Heidsieck Rosé Brut Savage (reg $49.95, sale $39.97)

This was the first wine I tried and it certainly left an impression. What a great alternative to champagne! This sparkling rosé was a gorgeous deep pink color in the glass. The wine had a burst of sweet strawberry up front but finished clean, fresh, and quite dry. The small, tight bubbles tickled my tongue and really got me in the mood to celebrate!

2008 Mania Verdejo (reg $14.95, sale $11.97)

I’ll admit, I tried very few whites before moving on to the reds, but this was a nice, inexpensive wine from Rueda, Spain that is worth mentioning. I’ve always been partial to Verdejo, and this was just one more good example of the varietal. The pale straw-green wine had a nose of citrus and tropical fruits. I picked out passion fruit quite clearly. On the palate, the wine was light and crisp with great acidity. The passion fruit on the nose didn’t carry through to a sweet wine at all. I got more of the citrus and herbal flavors, with a clean, dry finish. It’s a great little summer sipper for the price and would go well with or without food.

2004 St. Cosme Cote Rotie (reg $59.99, sale $39.97)

On to the reds! Well, sort of. This blend from Côte Rôtie is made from both Syrah (a red grape) and Viognier (a white). The wines of Côte Rôtie are often considered to be some of the best in the larger Cotes du Rhone region. This wine had an interesting aroma that felt more fresh and floral than most red wines. On the palate, I got more of that floral freshness, along with flavors of sweet berries. But this wasn’t a sweet wine at all. Those fresh flavors were supported by firm tannins and a lengthy dry finish. It was definitely a unique and elegant wine and something I enjoyed thoroughly.

This wine consistently scores highly with Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Keep your eyes out for the ’05 vintage, which scored especially high.

2004 Bodegas Mambrilla Alidis Expresión (reg $39.95, sale $29.97)

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a great tempranillo. This one from Mambrilla comes from the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero. The wine was a dark, almost fully opaque garnet color and had one of those jump-in-the-glass aromas that made me swoon. It had a complex nose of dark cherries, black berries, cocoa and toasted oak. On the palate it was a medium-bodied, round wine of balanced fruits and tannins, with a long and very dry finish. I thought it was an excellent value for the price (especially the sale price!) and apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought so! The wine reps had sold out by the end of the tasting. Luckily, Crown was able to order more and will honor the same sale price when I return to pick it up.

2006 Tikal Patriota (reg $25.95, sale $19.97)

This blend of Malbec and Bonarda from Mendoza falls into the category of excellent value wines. The dark purple wine is practically a bomb of lush, juicy red and dark berry fruits. But that’s not all there is to this wine. The full-bodied fruits are balanced with hints of spice and a lovely dry finish. This is a lovely wine for anytime and truly great for the price.

2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino (reg $59.95, sale $46.97)

This was one of my favorite wines of the evening. The regular price was a bit out of my budget, but the sale price was quite enticing. The wine was a beautiful deep mahogany color in the glass and had a truly heavenly aroma of dark berries, plum and smoke. On the palate, it was full-bodied and smooth with well-integrated tannins and a long, very dry finish. It was a pleasure to drink and my splurge purchase for the night.

~ Dry (J. Gwen Berry)