It has been a few months since my last QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) post and 10 or more people have been emailing me about the EPIC 2019 terra di Seta Chianti, that I said, I had to pump out another post ASAP!

Thankfully, no matter how garbage and pain I subject myself to, we are still blessed with quite a few wonderful QPR wines out there. This post includes superstars like Elvi Wines’s new 2017 Clos Mesorah and many others. It goes to show that when wineries reasonably price wines, even 70 dollar wines can be a QPR winner!

We have quite a lovely set of QPR WINNERS:

1. 2017 Elvi Wines Clos Mesorah
2. 2019 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico
3. 2019 Cantina del Redi Pleos Toscana Sangiovese
4. 2019 Capcanes Peraj Ha’abib Pinot Noir
5. 2019 Chateau D’Arveyres Bordeaux Superieur
6. 2016 Chateau La Clare Grand Vin de Bordeaux
7. 2018 Vieux Chateau Chambeau Reserve
8. 2018 Hagafen Cabernet Franc
9. 2018 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon
10. 2019 Hagafen Riesling, Off-Dry

There were also a few wines that are a slight step behind with a GREAT or GOOD QPR score:

1. 2016 La Chenaie du Bourdieu Grand Vin de Bordeaux
2. 2018 Secret des Chevaliers Grand Reserve
3. 2020 Bartenura Prosecco Rose
4. 2019 Golan Heights Winery Riesling
5. 2020 Sheldrake Point Gewurztraminer
6. 2020 Unorthodox Sauvignon Blanc
7. 2016 Hagafen Merlot, Prix, Reserve
8. 2016 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Prix, Reserve, MJT
9. 2018 Hagafen Merlot

There are a few wines that got a QPR Score of EVEN – meaning expensive or average:

1. 2019 Hajdu Montepulciano – a nice wine but very expensive
2. 2019 Domaine du Castel Petit Castel – nice enough but very expensive
3. 2019 Golan Heights Winery Pinot Noir, Gilgal (Gamla) – not interesting but cheap
4. 2020 Gendraud Patrice Chablis – nice enough and expensive
5. 2020 Vitkin Israeli Journey
   2020 Gush Etzion Sauvignon Blanc
   2020 Domaine De Panquelaine Coteaux Du Giennois
   2020 Bat Shlomo Sauvignon Blanc – OK or even nice enough but expensive

The others are essentially either OK wines that are too expensive, duds or total failures:

1. 2016 Hagafen Pinot Noir, Prix, Reserve
2. 2017 Chateau de By, Grand Vin de Bordeaux
3. 2019 Hajdu Grenache
4. 2019 Hagafen Don Ernesto’s Ah-Ha!
5. 2016 Hagafen Melange, Prix, Reserve
6. 2017 Herzog Quartet
7. 2019 Flam Classico
8. 2019 Twin Suns Pinot Noir
9. 2019 Vanita Nero d’Avola
10. 2018 Tabor Eco, Red
11. 2017 Segal Cabernet Sauvignon, Dishon
12. 2016 Tabor Merlot, Adama
13. 2017 Tabor Shiraz, Adama
14. 2018 Matar Stratus
15. 2018 Matar Cumulus
16. 2018 Celler de Capcanes Peraj Ha’abib (Mevushal version)
17. 2020 Shiran Chardonnay
18. 2017 Hagafen Chardonnay, Prix
19. 2018 Tabor Eco, White
20. 2019 Covenant Lavan Chardonnay
21. 2020 Domaine De Panquelaine Sancerre
22. 2018 Pascal Bouchard Chablis, Le Classique
23. 2018 Binyamina Chardonnay, The Chosen
24. 2019 Chateau le Petit Chaban
25. 2019 Chateau Mayne Guyon Grand Vin
26. 2019 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon

Some things that made me stand up and take notice (AKA QPR WINNERS):

The first BIG takeaway for me, was that Hagafen Wine Cellars is back, at least in regards to red wine! I was there to taste some wines with Gabriel Geller and I was impressed by the 2016 and 2018 red wines. There were some misses as well but overall, 2 QPR WINNERS and 3 QPR GOOD to GREAT scores – that is good stuff!!! There is also the very nice, but expensive, 2018 Hagafen Sauvignon Blanc, Prix. It is really fun and while it is oak-driven, it is a nice wine and it just needs some time.

Terra di Seta Continues to CRUSH it! Two more EPIC wines at QPR WINNER status, we need a super QPR WINNER status! Fear not I am joking. Anyway, the 2019 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico is beautiful, more elegant than previous vintages, but without the sheer power of the 2018 vintage. The 2016 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico, Riserva, is a sheer powerhouse, but one that is far more accessible than previous vintages, this may well be the best in some time!

Royal has another Italian QPR WINNER with the 2019 Cantina del Redi Pleos Toscana Sangiovese, yes another Sangiovese, and no, it is not better than the TDS and it is a bit more expensive, and it is not Mevushal, so I am not sure how it fits into the Royal portfolio puzzle, but hey, that is not my job to worry about!

The 2019 Capcanes Pinot Noir is on point a very nice wine – the 2019 vintage, from all over the world, has given us a bounty of choices for Pinot Noir!

Finally, there are more French QPR WINNERS, like the 2019 Chateau D’Arveyres Bordeaux Superieur. The previous vintages were bad to horrible, but this one returns to its old form. The 2016 Chateau La Clare, Grand Vin de Bordeaux also is very nice, it continues its theme of well-priced Bordeaux wine for a reasonable price, and it is Mevushal. I would happily drink this or 2015 at a restaurant – no questions asked. Finally, the 2018 Vieux Chateau Chambeau Reserve is a nice wine for the price, though it is harder to find, it may be worth the effort.

Other wines worth of note (AKA QPR GREAT or GOOD):

I am happy to say there are other solid wines – and many are European. I found some of these at NYC stores (not online) and others online.

The 2016 La Chenaie du Bourdieu Grand Vin de Bordeaux, is not a new wine for me, I had it at Taieb in 2019 and I was happy to see it here in the USA. Another nice wine was a new one for me, the 2018 Secret des Chevaliers Grand Reserve, a simple enough wine but at the price, it has a SOLID QPR.

I was shocked to finally find a Prosecco I could taste without physically making me ill. I have had a few in the past, but this one is the best of the bunch, for now. I am talking about the 2020 Bartenura Prosecco Rose, solid if this is your kind of wine. For me, there is no better QPR WINNER or bubbly, for the price, than the Yarden and Gilgal (AKA Gamla) wines.

Talking about Yarden, the 2019 Golan Heights Winery Riesling is nice, not my cup of tea, but for those with a sweeter tooth than mine – BUY THIS or the Pacifica Riesling.

The same can be said for the 2020 Sheldrake Point Gewurztraminer. I liked the 2020 Sheldrake Point Riesling and scored it a WINNER, the Gewurztraminer is not as good, but that is fine, this is another wine made for those with a sweeter tooth.

The shocker for me, in my previous tastings at home, was the 2020 Unorthodox Sauvignon Blanc! Look, I have had their wines for years, and they have all made me unhappy. This is, honestly, the first Unorthodox wines, of any sort, that I have liked. Solid deal.

The rest of the good to great QPR wines are all Cali. There were three more wines from 2016 and 2018 at Hagafen that I liked but not as much as the ones above. The 2016 Hagafen Merlot, Prix, Reserve, 2016 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Prix, Reserve, MJT, and 2018 Hagafen Merlot, are nice enough wines. They lack complexity and tug to make me more interested.

Wines that are either good but too expensive or average (AKA EVEN):

The only wine I wanted to highlight is the 2019 Hajdu Montepulciano. It is a lovely wine that while I enjoyed it is just too expensive for the value.

Wines that are either OK but far too expensive or bad wines (AKA BAD):

I wanted to highlight the 2019 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2019 Covenant Chardonnay, Lavan. They are nice enough wines but not like the days of old, and expensive. The same idea can be said for the 2017 Hagafen Chardonnay, Prix.

There are also, many duds to losers and I will just leave you to peruse the names and scores down below.

The wine notes follow below – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here:

2017 Elvi Wines Clos Mesorah – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER)
This is a super elegant, floral, and feminine wine, bravo!! The nose on this wine is beautiful, showing floral notes of violet, white flowers, with blueberry, black fruit, smoke, roasted duck, earth, and loads of smoke, dirt, and loam. The mouth on this full-bodied wine is so elegant, layered, concentrated, earthy, fruity, smoky, and richly extracted, with boysenberry, blackberry, dark cherry, plum, smoke, earth, loam, and lovely sweet cedar, with green notes, sweet tobacco, sweet basil, and lovely acid. The finish is long, green, with draping elegant tannin, sweet smoking tobacco, dark chocolate, white pepper, and anise. Bravo!! Drink from 2025 until 2035. (tasted April 2021)

2019 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose on this wine is lovely, with ripe notes, which is classic for a Chianti so young, with classic notes of burnt rubber, balsamic vinegar, rich smoke, incredible mineral, dark red fruit, menthol, and roasted animal, with loads of roasted herbs. The mouth on this medium-bodied wine is lovely, richly extracted ripe, and layered, with incredible acidity, this has to be the highest acid we have ever tasted on Terra di Seta wines, the body is lighter than previous vintages, with incredibly ripe fruit, at the start, but the crazy acidity makes it work, with dark plum, rich ripe cherry, menthol galore, with incredible minerality, showing saline, rocks, charcoal, with light tannins, showing beautiful mouthfeel but after a short time the mouthfeel goes thin and the fruit-focus is gone, this is a strange wine indeed! The finish is a bit short, with lovely smoke, mineral, dark chocolate-covered espresso, with more dried herbs, oregano, and dried mint. Drink by 2027. I am surprised by this wine, I will need to see where this goes, for now, I like it, and I will buy more, but it may not be for long holding.
OK, so that was the notes after opening the bottle and tasting. The next day – the wine evolved into the classic wine we all take for granted! Now the nose is intoxicating, the ripeness has calmed down greatly, as I expected, but now the nose is dominated by lovely dried porcini mushrooms, dense fruit, menthol, smoke, roasted duck, and soya sauce galore, wow what a nose!! The mouth has evolved beautifully, and while the tannins are still gentler than in previous vintages the wine is lush, plush, and mouth-filling, the hole or shortness is gone, and now it is everything I want in a wine, though the weight has not filled out and I think this is just a lighter wine but the tannins are draping and mouth-filling, elegance is clear and the wine is lovely. This is a wine that can be enjoyed earlier than previous vintages, the minerality on this one is off the charts! 2018 is richer and fuller, while 2019 is more elegant, simply stated. Bravo!! Drink from 2022 until 2029, if you want it now, decant for 5 hours or take a glass, close it and enjoy it the next day. (tasted April 2021)

2019 Cantina del Redi Pleos Toscana Sangiovese – Score: 91+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose on this wine is classic, dirty, earthy, smoky, with controlled ripe fruit, nice structure and loads of earth, lovely floral notes of rose and violet, and dark fruit in the background. The mouth on this medium to full-bodied wine is ripe, and concentrated with nice extraction, showing nice acidity, rich fruit-focus, with black plum, strawberry, dark raspberry, hints of blackberry, with an intense acid and mineral core, showing richness, with layers of fruit, dirt, earth, charcoal, rosehip, mouth-draping tannin, and lovely structure. The finish is long, dark, with hints of green, mushroom, red and dark fruit, tannin, more floral notes, and earth lingering long, with coffee, and leather. Nice!! Drink until 2026. (tasted March 2021)

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