Wine Adviser / Paul Gregutt
American wines hold their own

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Are Washington wine prices too high? That is certainly a recurring theme in the letters and e-mails that I receive from readers.

And it is a constant question that I ask myself when recommending wines priced above $10-$15 a bottle. That is why so many of these columns are devoted to searching out value wines priced $10 and less. But the reality is that there are very few outstanding wines in that price range. If you are looking for special-occasion wines, or wines that express the best that a certain region has to offer, or wines that really amp up the flavor volume, you are going to pay more.

Recently, I received a thoughtful e-mail from a reader asking me why wine prices in the U.S. are characteristically so much higher than they are in France and Italy for wines of corresponding value. "How do wineries set their prices, and are they ever mistaken?" this reader wanted to know.

"You could make yourself very helpful to consumers," the e-mail concluded, "by taking up the cudgels for people who could not possibly afford a bottle of wine costing $42 (and for whom even $15 is a bit of a splurge, i.e., most people)."

I have often "taken up the cudgel" to promote affordable wines, everything from "Box Wines" (Jan. 21) to "Real Deals" (May 26) to "Mutt Wines" (Sept. 8) to mention just a few.

There is no single explanation for why prices are (or seem to be) higher for good wines here in the U.S. Even when paying the cost of shipping, importing and going through the ratcheting effect upon prices of the three-tier distribution system, many good foreign wines hit the market here at very competitive prices.

Some possible explanations: In Europe, the cost of production is generally far less than in the U.S. because the cost of land is less, and many growers have owned the land for generations.

In Australia, wine exports are subsidized by the government. The sheer volume of wine produced in Europe dwarfs domestic production and creates a surplus of cheap grapes that keep wine prices down.
 
Even so, there is plenty of low-cost wine in the U.S. (e.g. Two Buck Chuck and its peers), but it's not necessarily all that good. I can tell you from recent experience that the little bottle of generic Bordeaux that they hand out free on British Air is way better.

Ask a California or Washington winery owner how they set prices on their wines, and they will almost always tell you that it's based on the cost of grapes, the cost of production (winery, barrels, bottles, corks, etc.) and whatever category they are trying to compete in. This is usually said in defense of high prices; no one need apologize for offering a $5 or $6 wine to the public.

But if they want to charge $40, $80 or $150 for their cabernet, it is certainly their right to do so, just as it is the consumer's right to say "no thanks!" Rather than excoriating wineries for high pricing, a better strategy is to put their wines to the peer test. How do high-priced American wines stack up against comparably priced wines from elsewhere in the world?

I think they hold their own, quite honestly. There are absurdly expensive wines made in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, even Argentina. The U.S. has no lock on snooty and expensive! What we do have at the high end are wines that have steadily pushed the envelope for ripeness, sweetness, power and, in the immortal words of Robert Parker, "hedonistic pleasure."

Napa Valley cabernet has come to epitomize this style, and they have the prices to go with it. Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle list for $250 (if you can find them); Shafer Hillside Select and Stag's Leap Cask 23 are $150; Mondavi Tokalon Reserve, Phelps Backus and Insignia, Hartwell, Staglin, Grgich Yountville Selection, Caymus Special Select, Chappellet Pritchard Hill and many others are well north of $100.

Prices have almost never reached that height for even the very best Washington cabs. Leonetti Reserve lists for $95, Quilceda Creek for $80, Woodward Canyon "Old Vines" for $67, Matthews "Elerding" for $65. Chaleur Estate tops out at $60, Andrew Will at $55, Dunham at $45 and so on.

So in peer-to-peer comparisons, if you are willing to grant that these Washington cabs are every bit as good, though differently styled, as the Harlans and Staglins of the world, it seems to me that the charge that Washington wines are overpriced is difficult to support.

Bottom line: Value can be found at all price levels. Value does not equate to cheap. It means that in a group of its peers, a particular wine delivers more flavor interest than the others.

We all have different tastes and budgets. If you really love fruity, vanilla-flavored chardonnays from Australia, you're in luck. There are lots of them out there, and they don't cost very much. But if you are specifically seeking big, ripe, explosively jammy Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons, you're going to be paying $50 or $80 a bottle and up.

Are they worth it? Only if a) you like that style of cabernet and b) you don't mind paying that much for a bottle of wine. Are some better than others? Of course they are.

Here are some favorites:

2001 Eponymous; $50.

A great bottle of wine from Robert Pepi, who no longer owns Robert Pepi vineyards. From a terraced, rocky site in the eastern hills of Napa valley, this broad, brawny, supple and seamless wine is every bit as good as wines selling for three times the price.

One caveat: The 2000 vintage is still being sold here. It's good, but I think the '01 is worth waiting for.

BV 2001 Georges de Latour Private Reserve; $85. BV 2001 Tapestry Reserve; $40.

BV is one of Napa's grand old men, but it has suffered (as has Mondavi) from some confusing marketing decisions and some off vintages. With 2001, BV is back in full stride.

The iconic "Georges de Latour" wraps powerful cherry/currant fruit in spicy oak and fine-grained tannins; this is a wine to cellar for 15 years. The Tapestry is the best ever for this Bordeaux blend, sweet and elegant, with notes of cinnamon and toast.

Joseph Phelps 2001 Napa; $65.

Phelps scores with a picture-perfect blend of flavors showing sweet fruit, cracker, toast and spice. The wine is supple and fruity, without angles, edges or heat.

The Edge 2002; $20.

When I reviewed the 2001 edition of The Edge, I wrote that "it can stand up with the big boys at a fraction of the cost." Still true in '02. Apart from the cheesy plastic cork, this is classy juice, in a compelling package, that delivers nuanced floral, citrus and plummy flavors with a pure, sweet center.

And one from Washington state:

Robert Karl 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon; $24.

Ripe and firm, this excellent blend of Yakima, Columbia Valley and Red Mountain fruit shows a nice touch; not too heavy but consistent and supple. Tasted right after the Georges de Latour it held its own, with a clean, polished presentation of cherry and cassis, a lingering middle and a smooth, slightly oaky finish.

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines." His column appears weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com