2009 Ballast Stone Unwooded Chardonnay South Australia Steeple Jack

I love it the term "unwooded" is used to describe a wine that has not been fermented or aged in oak barrels, but rather in stainless stell. It just sounds so...Australian. And indeed, this unwooded wine does hail from South Australia, a preposterously large appellation that produces more than half of all Australia's yearly output of wine. To be sure, there's a lot of bulk wine to wade through, but some great wines are produced here as well.

The unoaked chardonnay is a medium-deep yellow with hints of gold. The aromas are undemonstrative, as is common in chardonnay, but there is some nice lemon and green apple, but also a chalky minerality. The wine isn't as acidic as it smells, but is in fact quite well-balanced in its elements. The alcohol may be a bit high, but not enough so to overpower the acidity (Certainly nowhere approaching the 15.1% California chardonnay I ran into today!), and it gives the wine a delicious weight and viscosity on the palate. There's plenty of fruit there, too: lemon zest, granny smith apple, and honedew melon. Yummy.

The Steeple Jack wines are some of Ballast Stone's more economical lines of wine, but the low price tag certainly doesn't mean low quality. I'll certainly keep an eye out for their other varietals in this line.

Vintage: 2009
Grape: Chardonnay
Region: South Australia
Price: $10

2009 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé

I hereby proclaim it officially Spring! Yes, it snowed only 2 days ago, and there is still some of the nefarious white stuff on the ground, but the sun was warm today and I'm breaking out the rosé. This was my rosé of choice last summer - it's inexpensive, delicious, and ubiquitous. There were 10,000 cases imported into the United States, so chances are you can find it just about anywhere.

Something like 80% of the wine made in the Côtes de Provence are rosé; something about the climate and the cuisine in Provence demand this sort of refreshing, food-friendly wine. A variety of grapes are allowed for rosé blends in this region; in this bottle we have a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon. It makes for a delightful, light copper-salmon color in the glass, and aromas of fresh strawberries, orange blossom, green apple, and green grass waft from the glass. It smells like last summer.

The flavors on the palate are fresh and vibrant, and absolutely summery. Strawberry predominates, but I also get some orange rind and more green apple. The acid is there, and a hint of tannin. My only complaint is a fairly high level of bitterness, which I don't remember being a feature of this wine last time I tasted it. But paired with some food, it takes the edge off and makes for a tasty, fresh wine. Welcome back, Spring!

Vintage: 2009
Grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Côtes de Provence, France
Price: $10

2010 Santa Ema Sauvignon Blanc Maipo Valley

Yes, you read correctly - 2010! It's not a beaujolais nouveau, so it must be...South American! Here we have a newly released Chilean sauvignon blanc. It's extremely pale yellow in color, with distinct silver tones. It also has some effervescence to it, though it could be mostly due to the screw cap closure. On the nose, it's fairly classic sauvignon blanc - more New Zealand than France, though. Green grass and mango predominate, with something akin to corn - even corn tortilla - in the background.

It's also quite nice in the mouth. The first impression is just a hint of residual sugar, followed by slight effervescence, pleasant acidity, and tropical fruits. This is an incredibly pleasant wine. The effervescence is making my tongue tingle, which is always fun, and for a $10 wine the finish is incredibly long and juicy. Maybe a bit bitter, but nothing off-putting. Looking forward to trying it with my roasted yellow pepper soup tonight. Thimbs up! 90.

Vintage: 2010
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Maipo Valley, Chile
Price: $10
My rating: 90/100

2008 Villa Vallemaggiore Maremma Toscana Campostella

I'm on an Italy kick these days, it seems. This wine, also from Tuscany, is one of the so-called "supertuscans," which essentially means that the winemakers didn't follow the rules set out by the Italian government, thus there wine is not "classifiable." This particular winemaker broke the rules by blending 15% cabernet sauvignon into his or her sangiovese. This often has the effect of taming sangiovese's prevalent acid and tannins, making for a more approachable wine, in the international sense.

This one is a lovely medium crimson in the glass, obviously still quite young as it hasn't taken on any browns or oranges, even towards the rim. I feel like I can sense some of the cabernet sauvignon on the nose, as there is a distinct aroma of currants, some green pepper, and some oak. But in the mouth, this is most definitely a sangiovese. Sour city. The tannins aren't overpowering, but are fairly wooly and unrefined. I would classify this as a "rustic" wine. The finish is short and bitter, and there isn't much in the way of fruit on the palette. A little currant and spice, perhaps, but it isn't pronounced. This wine will be fine with dinner, but I wouldn't just sit down to a glass of it unaccompanied (often how I feel about sangiovese-dominant wines). 83.