Eminently Quaffable

Gnarly Head varietals are good bargains, with a strong emphasis on “good.”

QRW Staff

If you’re looking for good “value wines,” search out Gnarly Head, which produces a popular Zinfandel. Value wines are wines priced right — about $12 and under — which offer easy and quaffable drinking, with generous up-front fruit flavors that are richly rounded. They are designed for immediate pleasure. They are casual supper or bistro wines or simply sipping vinos. Nothing complex here, just enjoyment. Recently we “blind tasted” 75 California wines (five varietals) $12 and under for our “25th Annual Best of The Best” and found that Gnarly Head Chardonnay 2006 and Merlot 2005 were among the best of the batch. We profile them here because these Gnarly Head varietals are new to us.

Their Chardonnay and Merlot were recent releases. At QRW, we take value-wine tastings seriously. Consumers and readers are still looking for sensibly priced wines that offer a sense of consistency and satisfaction. They’re tired of spending money and time for wines that are $20 or more only to find them disappointing. In today’s economic debacle, value wine customers look like smart traders. Further, contrary to popular belief, value wine customers are serious about wines. While price is foremost, they can also discern. Cliché not withstanding, they know what they like. They have always liked Gnarly Head Zinfandel, clearly one of the best selling wines both at retail and online. We offer them two new varietals.

• Gnarly Head 2006 Chardonnay (California), $12. Lots of value wine Chardonnays get a rap for being mundane. We would extend that and say there is a lot of overpriced Chardonnay that is mundane. Often they are simply expensive vin de pays, wines suffering from excess oak and less than good grape sourcing. This Gnarly Head has no pretensions. It has delicious vanilla and tropical flavors up-front — think pineapple and nectarine — with crisp acidity and notes of citrus and ginger spice. Nothing flabby here — good structure, good body and texture — with a satisfying vanilla finish. There’s nothing not to like and it won’t disappoint.
  
  
• Gnarly Head 2005 Merlot (California), $12. On the subject of Merlot, QRW has been particularly hard of late. In the most recent “Best of The Best for California Merlot,” we did not select a single bottle from 64 pricey wines blind tasted to be singled out. It’s the first time this has happened. There’s a lot of mundane Merlot everywhere. Judging from what we tasted recently, this Gnarly Head Merlot is actually under priced. It’s saved from a Merlot sin: it isn’t jammy. When it is, the grapes have gotten away from the producer. Rather, this Gnarly Head is as direct as it can get: there’s rich fruit, like blueberry and blackberry, a touch of mint, a lace of licorice, an easy, supple finish that satisfies. Merlot loves lamb and grilled meat, so here’s your next red for this summer’s next picnic or barbecue.

Gnarly Head wines are nationally available retail and online.