The Beverage Testing Institute (tastings.com) have posted the winners for this years World Value Wine Challenge. Which means- after tasting over 500 wines, they have determined which wines give you the most bang for your buck. Here are the winners from the Exceptional Value Category:

92 • Sakonnet NV Petit White, Southeastern New England $11.95.
Pale golden silver straw color. Bold sauvignon blanc like aromas of grilled grapefruit, quince, and prairie grass follow through on a bright entry to a dryish medium body with citrus custard, almond, onion skin, and delicate herb notes. Finishes a long, refreshing fade. A superb table wine to pair with spicy Latin chicken dishes, like Ecuadorian pincho. (tasted on Aug-31-2009)

90 • Chocovine NV Chocolate Wine $12.
Look like Irish cream liqueurs. Minty milk chocolate nose. A rich entry leads a lush, velvety, full-bodied palate. Creamy, sweet, flavorful finish. A chocolate and red wine blend that winds up like a thicker version of Baileys. An interesting cordial-like product. (tasted on Aug-15-2009)

For a list of all the winners from each category, visit the site http://www.tastings.com/wine/features.html?features_id=71

 ADIRONDACK WINERY AWARDED SIX MEDALS AT THE 2009 WORLD VALUE WINE CHALLENGE

Adirondack Winery’s Chardonnay won a Silver Medal (a.k.a. Highly Recommended) at the WVWC, while five additional Adirondack Winery wines were awarded Bronze Medals (a.k.a. Recommended): Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Red Barn (Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon), Fireworks Red Merlot, and Barbera.

The WVWC judges described Adirondack Winery’s Chardonnay as having a “Rich, golden color and offering aromas of pineapple, ripe kiwi, butter cream, and spun honey following through on a round, satiny entry to a fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body with nice layers of citrus, praline, and spice.” Adirondack Winery CEO and wine maker, Michael Pardy, sources grape must from the Woodbridge , California area to create this Chardonnay – it is lightly oaked and aged in stainless steel drums. Pardy’s Chardonnay also won a Bronze Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition earlier this year.

The WVWC judges described Adirondack Winery’s Bronze Medal-Winning Riesling as “lush”, its Red Barn Cabernet Sauvignon as “deep”, its Pinot Grigio as “soft and breezy”, its Barbera as “raisiny”, and its Fireworks Red Merlot as embodying brown spice and herbs. 

• Chardonnay: The flowering garden at Blais Park along Beach Road in Lake George
• Riesling: The first balloons blowing up and taking off at the Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival.
• Pinot Grigio: Boats docked along the Lake George Boardwalk at twilight. 
• Fireworks Red Merlot: Spectacular fireworks bursting above Lake George 
• Barbera: The night lights of boats waiting for the 4^th of July fireworks reflect on Lake George .
• Red Barn (Cabernet Sauvignon): One of many picturesque red barns that dot Washington County .

  

  

(click pictures to retrieve higher quality label images)

Mission Codename: Over the moon

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Locate and procure a great… no.. an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon for our well-deserving Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished! (in a round about way)

Current Winery: Phelan Vineyard

Wine Subject: 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Arlene Phelan

Backgrounder: Napa, California is revered for its wines. Particularly for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines available anywhere in the world. For today’s wine, Agent Red had the great fortune to meet winemaker Arlene Phelan – and to taste what he declares to be her “Astoundingly great” Cabernet Sauvignon. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and inky, bordering on purple with a dark, almost black heart with a heavy and dense-looking surface and legs that start slow and then streak down the glass

Smell – Mighty and lush with a potent perfume rush of blackberry, cassis and cherry with clove, leather and cigar box. After swirling for a while the wine gave off more subtle earth and fresh herbal qualities with a hint sweet oak

Feel – This wine hovers on your tongue initially, a great sensation that is followed by soft tannins and a deep texture that coats your mouth

Taste – Delicious and deeply layered with concentrated mid-palate flavors of blackberry, plum, a soft hint of vanilla, mild oak and sweet but subtle mocha.

Finish – Extra long finish with tannins that dry but then leave behind a flavorful sweetness that tapers gradually

Conclusion – This is an incredible wine! Drinking this wine, I am reassured that the Napa Valley deserves its reputation as the premier Cabernet Sauvignon producer in the world. 2004 was a banner year for Cali Cab and this wine represents best of breed, delivering a rich and great feeling wine that is super long on flavor and finish. If you don’t LOVE LOVE LOVE this wine I would be shocked. Actually, I would probably wonder if you were insane, or maybe lost your tastebuds in a freak accident. Seriously, though, this is a superb wine that I can’t get enough of!

Mission Report:

Its late and I am exhausted. Thank goodness I am back from my latest mission abroad. These International missions can be grueling, especially those which require me to go deep under cover.

I grab my suitcases from the turnstile and head out the airport doors to catch a cab home. Its late and its cold and I am miserable, but I will soon be back at Central Command – and that give me small comfort.

“Where to, Mack?” asks the cab driver.

I give the driver the approximate address and settle in for the half-hour ride. I use the time to catch up on some Wine Spies emails on my handheld device. After a few minutes, I sense that something is wrong. Looking out the windows, I discover that we have just deviated from the proper route.

I lock eyes with the driver, in his rearview mirror. A moment later, the doors lock, and the windows and the divider between me and the driver tint to a opaque black. I cannot see outside of the vehicle. Grabbing at the handle and at the lock, I discover that I cannot open the door.

“Settle down, Mack.” says the driver.

Keeping my cool, I ask him where he is taking me. Silence. .. We drive on.

After nearly an hour the vehicle stops and I hear the driver door open and then close. I wait a few moments, bracing myself for my own door to open. It never does and I try the door handle again. The door swings open and I discover that I am inside of a vast darkened and empty warehouse.

Across the expanse, a pool of light catches my eye. Under it is a small table – with an object sitting atop it. As my eyes adjust, I am instantly aware that the object is a wine bottle.

I quickly make my way across to the table. Once there, I pick up the bottle and read the label. ”Phelan Vineyard – 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon” . My heart skips a beat. This particular wine had been eluding me for some time, its creator a difficult woman to place under surveillance.

This is the sort of wine I had hoped to return with. Instead, my away mission had been a total bust.

Looking down at the table, I notice a small envelope. In neat handwriting, I read the words, ”Agent Red”. Opening it, a small card falls to the table, writing-side-down. I flip it over and read, ”Don’t move!” My training kicks in and, without thinking, I grab the bottle and dive beneath the table. In that instant, a light flashes before my eyes and familiar voices shout out, “Welcome home!”.

“Welcome home, Red!”

It’s Agent White and the rest of the team.

“We know how badly it went for you in [CENSORED] and we thought we’d cheer you up. Arlene Phelan sent you this bottle with her regards. It seems that she was running counter surveillance on you for some time. She hopes that you enjoy the wine.”

And did I ever! Arlene Phelan is my new Napa Valley Hero. Her wine is fantastic and once I settled back in and made contact with her, she was more than happy to make a small allotment available to our Operatives for today. Don’t buy any, though, what you don’t snap up, I will!