Sub-conscious wines

The power of the subconscious has revealed itself to me. tBoW thought he was writing about three very nice wines and it turns out, in retrospect, he was writing about his three favorite and most reliable wines and wine regions in this current economic collapse. They represent the best in the cellar, the best U20 [ed. criminittly! it’s a U10!] of what can be found with a bit of labor, and the best wine-for-wine region year in and year out. To summarize…value, perfection and the steal of 2009…so far.
2005 Trenel Saint Amour $20: What a wonderful wine house is Trenel. tBoW has only gotten familiar with Trenel since 2007. We have tasted vintages form 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Each vintage has proven more than worthy for anyone who enjoys quality wine at value prices. We have tasted other producers which are also exceptional. Trenel remains a steady bet when hunting down quality Beaujolais village wines. This has lavendar and chocolate in the nose. Light to middle weight. Sour bright cherry flavors. Very sound wine. Tasty and balanced. Some sweet beet flavors. 2005 and 2006 terrific vintages for Beaujolais village wines. Chadderdon import. Loving this. 13%
2006 Sedna Malbec $8: You cannot beat this wine for value. From the Lujan de Cuyo, one of three premium regions outside Mendoza. A working man’s red in every possible sense. How do they keep the price so low? Machine harvesting means no manual labor in the vineyards. And steel tank fermentation means no costly oak barrels. The result is a very tasty wine that if you were one of those people who just wants an everyday wine you can count on at a very fair price, and could give a hoot about the label or name factor then THIS IS YOUR WINE. Tasty Malbec form Argentina’s workhorse region. Wines like this one, in fact Malbec in general, is superior to California Cabernets form the bottom to the top of the scale. If there is one area in which the California product competes it is on the premium end but ONLY in terms of quality. Toss in price and it is no contest. The costliest Argentine Malbec is $100 and, unlike Napa, it is lonely at the top. How is this wine? Solid, middle weight. Full and rich flavors. Malbec from Mendoza can be sweet-ish however this one offers a bit of pepper as well. 14.9%

1996 Paruso Bussia Vigna Munie Barolo ~$100: Another Marc de Grazia Selection. tBoW tasted this in 1998 in the cellar of Domenic Clerico who at the time was the local bottler for his rebel alliance of new wave Barolistos (the guys who did not put the juice in Spruce Goose sized Slovenian oak barrels). The 1996 vintage is considered classic Barolo whereas the 1997, which got a ton of press, is more comparable to the 1982 vintage in Bordeaux; very ripe and new world-like. The Bussia vineyard is in Monforte d’Alba, one of the numerous picturesque hilltop villages in the Piedmont [ed. photo at top is the view from Da Felicin]. So, let me tell you…we have been waiting for this wine. And fortunately tBoW has a few more bottles. This is the essence of Piemonte Nebbiolo wine. There is some mint up front with plenty of fruit. Tannins show themselves then soften like a coy femme fatale. It opens steadily for 40 minutes; each pause bringing something new to the experience. We have tasted some “over the hill” Baroli but this ain’t one of them. This wine follows a trail that has led from disappointment to better to the best. It is exquisite libation. 14%