Narsai David Food & Wine Report: Three Fine Value Summer Wines

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— The 2011 Sonoma Loeb Chardonnay is first on my list of three fine value summer wines. It has a pale, straw color with a lot of citrus aromas. Bright, tropical fruit flavors will fill your palate with this nicely balanced wine.

The fruit keeps rolling around the tongue and lingers with an acidity that gives it a perfect balance. For $20 a bottle, this is a fairly priced wine just in time for your summer dinner plans. I suggest trying it with grilled chicken or a sautéed fish dish for a soft balance.

Then there's a 2011 Buty, which is a blend of Semillon, 19 percent Sauvignon, and 21 percent Muscadelle. This blend of varieties used in White Bordeaux wines from France, is seriously delicious.

Another pale straw color accompanied by spicy citrus touches on the floral aroma and leads to a very distinct luster of flavors. The spiciness will fascinate.

There are multiple layers of fruit here with a fine acidity and structure that calls out for food. This would be the wine to go with grilled or roasted chicken and definitely with paella. Again this is fair priced at just $25 a bottle.

Finally we have the Elke 2009 Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. Expect a medium, deep red hue tinged with copper. Bright and cheerful on the palate, this wine is even richer than expected. Spice and strawberries accompany a woody touch on the bouquet and develop into a marvelous mouthful of wine.

The fruit will make your mouth water with tastes of ripe berries and spice. At $34 a bottle it's a wonderful value and especially for a 2009 wine. Many Pinots on the market are a year or even two younger.

Narsai David is the KCBS Food and Wine Editor. He has been a successful restaurateur, chef, TV host, and columnist in the Bay Area spanning four decades. You can hear him Saturdays at 10:53am, 12:53pm and 4:53pm, and at 2:53am Sunday on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM.

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