20 Great Value Wines: How to drink good wine when gas is $5.00 a gallon or more

The current economy has most of us cutting back on non-essentials, driving less, and trying to find ways to save a few bucks. Below is a list of wines that you can afford by cutting back on two gallons of gas or less (most are under $10!). For specific recommendations on wines, wine regions, wine pairings, or anything related to value wines, leave a comment. Have a favorite wine under $10 that I missed? Let us know about it! (Image: WINE AND MONEY© Kvkirillov | Dreamstime.com)

Here are my top picks for value wines, producers, and wine regions. Keep in mind that an 85 is a “Very Good” wine and shouldn’t be overlooked. Too often reviewers and magazines want you to think that only 90 point wines are worth drinking…this isn’t the case and can become quite expensive! An 85 point wine is a wine that I consider to be very good, and would buy again.

Keep an eye out for my report next week on the best wineries and wine regions when it comes to quality and value!

Twenty Great Value Wines: (Click here to download this as a shopping list in PDF Form)

Sparkling

N.V. Riondo Prosecco Veneto IGT -$12 (Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT): Sealed with a traditional cork requiring a cork-screw. A little sweet, hint of yeast, a little fruity, not a lot of fizz but quite refreshing. Overall good appertif, nice flavors. My rating: 87 pts, GV (Good Value)

N.V. Roederer Estate Brut -$21 (USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley): This is the most expensive wine I put on the list, with all the others being $12 or less. But for the price, you get good value here. Apples and citrus on the palate, a very crisp wine with subtle nuttiness and caramel. Nice finish- a great bottle of a special dinner on a budget. My rating: 89 pts, GV Read more

TN: 2004 Ecluse Syrah - Paso Robles Vineyard - $23

2004 Ecluse Syrah - Paso Robles Vineyard - $23:  Decanted and poured.  Creamy melon nose with dried cherry and some spice…very aromatic and complex - quite nice.  Lot’s of cherry and some dark fruits on the palate, medium-big tannins and a good amount of alcohol which was in harmony with good acidity.  Opened up great after two hours…some of the initial oak subsided while the fruits stood out and tobacco appeared on the nose.  If you like Syrah, this one is highly recommended.   My rating: 92 pts, VGV (very good value)

I paired this with grilled veal chops, grilled parsnips and Bruschetta - overall was a good to very good pairing!   Recipes on the veal chops and Bruschetta will follow in the next day or two.

TN: 2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Those of you who have been reading this site for some time, know that I don’t review too many California Cabernets. But, with all the hype of the 2004 vintage I am trying to get my hands on as many as possible to see if they are really worth all the excitement. The problem is, the prices are astronomical! With many of the better wines well over $50 and some even into the $150 or more range, there are a lot better ways to spend your money!

Today’s wine is the 2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. It’s reasonably priced for the vintage at around $50, but again, I could get 2-3 good bottles of wine from Chile, Argentina, Portugal, etc…for that same price. Nonetheless, California Cabernet’s are America’s premier and most highly celebrated wine and can be quite great. Heck, some are even worth the money. This Bravante is one of them.

2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain : Decanted. Dark purple color - possesses big dark berry and currant, herb, vanilla, and spice notes. The body is medium to big with integrated and refined tannins that finish with a touch of spice and chocolate. Lovely with a medium-rare ribeye - drinking very nice now. Re-corked and drank great on Day 2 as well. My rating: 92 pts, GV (Good Value for a California Cabernet)

WBW #40: “Que Sirah, Sirah”

Hi everyone, welcome to the 40th edition of “Wine Blogging Wednesday” (WBW) and my first time participating. Wine Blogging Wednesday began in the Summer of 2004 as a way to bring together the wine blogging community. The idea is simple, one day each month bloggers are given a wine region or type of wine as a theme of which they must choose a bottle of wine, taste it, review it, and post in on their site. The person who nominated the theme for a particular month is then in charge of linking together all of the posts on their own blog. Over 3 years later, the event is still going strong with participation from more than 30 bloggers from around the world. For more information, see the Wine Blogging Wednesday website at: http://www.winebloggingwednesday.org/

This month’s theme, hosted by Sonadora at WannaBeWino , is Petit Sirah.

Petit Sirah is an interesting variety as far as grapes go. It wasn’t until 2003 that with the use of clonal analysis, it was confirmed to be the same grape as the Durif grape of France. In fact, it wasn’t until around 2002 that I realized that Syrah and Petit Sirah were not the same thing (everyone has to start somewhere!). I have grown to love this once orphan grape. Wines made with Petit Sirah tend to have good structure from the big tannins as well as great color and a range of dark fruits and spice. Although Petit Sirah isn’t widely planted (60 or so vineyards in California according to winespros.org), you can find it on the shelves of most any wine shop. There is quite a following for this wonderful variety, including a very cleverly named organization and website “PS, I Love You” (www.psiloveyou.com).

This month I chose to review the 2005 Vinum Cellars “PETS” Petit Sirah which comes in around $12. The name, PETS, is a common knickname for the Petit Sirah grape. This wine was dedicated to the winemakers (Ken Wilson) dog Tanker. Having 3 dogs myself, I appreciate the sentiment and wonder what I would call a wine that I made to dedicate it to all three dogs…perhaps “muddy yard” would work.

The 2005 Vinum Cellars “PETS” Petit Sirah ended up being an amazing find. Great deep plum color with an inviting nose of dark berry, fig, and a touch of black pepper. The palate is surprisingly complex with flavors of dark fruits, blueberry, buttered toast, and miscellaneous herbs and spices. The finish is long, tannins are quite refined, and just before the wine leaves, it brings a few spice notes that make you wonder “all this for $12?” (which includes a small donation to local animal shelters). Drinking great now (let it open a bit in the glass), buy a case and enjoy it for the next two (or more) years. My rating: 91 pts, OV (outstanding value).

Make sure to check out the fellow bloggers websites which can be found linked at Sonador’s page at WannaBeWino!

Brunello Tasting Report Part II - 2000-2002 Vintages

 

Welcome to Part II of the two part series on Brunello di Montalcino! Part I was pre-2000 vintage Brunello’s that were tasted on a recent trip to Montalcino (see image to left!). Here, I offer notes on Brunello’s from vintages 2000-2002. Some of these are not exported, but I felt like including all the notes (well, not all the notes, I have notes on about 3-5 more wines that I need to locate in our receipts and scrap paper!). Overall, the wines were incredible with the 2001 vintage being outstanding (as reported previously by Wine Spectator and others). I had heard a lot of bad press about the 2002 vintage, but overall I didn’t think it was as bad as other critics made it out to be. Sure they won’t hold for as long as the 2001’s, but some of them were drinking quite nicely now. Rest assured though, many of the winemakers informed me that the upcoming vintages should provide some very incredible wines.

Banfi 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Nose of dark fruits and toasted oak. On the palate, there is berry and plum, touch of vanilla. The wine is big but lacks real elegance or finesses with a bit of spice and earth component carrying it through a medium finish. Others have rated this wine much higher. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Banfi 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: Very rich, dark fruits, big cigar box component on the nose. Blackberry and cherry through the palate with chocolate standing out. Chewy tannins with some finesse. Good considering the overall quality of the vintage and definitely better than the 2001, which surprised me. My rating: 90 pts, GV

Banfi 2000 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Alle Mura: Nose of herbs, rosemary and blackberry with a fresh forest component. The style of this wine was very Brunello-esque with a good range of concentrated flavors on the palate, big, velvety tannins and a medium-length finish. Drinking well know, give it another 5 years. My rating: 92 pts, GV

Casanova di Neri 2000 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto: From a very well known and respected producer, this 2000 Riserva was drinking very nicely. A lot of what I expect from a good Brunello: autumn forest with blackberry, raspberry, licorice. The tannins are very elegant and the finish goes on and on. The 2000 is drinking quite nicely right now and should continue to drink well for 10 years or more. My rating: 94 pts, GV

Image: Vines of di Neri

Casanova di Neri 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto: I had very high expectations for this “100 point wine” (rated by James Suckling of Wine Spectator - see my article on 100 point wines) and was a bit skeptical of what I had read. I was not at all disappointed. There is so much going on in this wine it took me a while to put it into words. I went back and forth between smelling the wine and swirling for an hour, with only a few sips mixed in between. In no particular order I noted blackberry and raspberry, chocolate, currant, smoked wood. The tannins are complex and refined on so many levels and the finish, oh the finish…it’s sad it does eventually finish. This may be one of the first wines I ever give 100 points…but it’s still a few years away from that. Still, a stunning wine. Pricey at release, this wine is unaffordable following the stellar score. My rating: 97 pts, CV

Col d’ Orcia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Decanted from 375 mL. Black cherry, and blackberry with a big earth and forest floor component. Very traditional BdM with mouth-drying tannins, good acidity and a strong finish. The wine was good on it’s own, but really stood out with the roast beef in Brunello sauce. My rating: 90 pts, VGV

Cerbaia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Aged in large, Slovenia oak barrels with grapes from the higher elevations of Montalcino, this Riserva is quite exuberant. The wine really was beautiful in the glass with bright ruby color. The fruits in this wine are elegant with a lot of cherry and blackberry with hints of vanilla throughout. The tannins have great presence and are very refined. A very good Riserva at a very good price (if you can find it). My rating: 94 pts, VGV

Croce di Mezzo 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: Red fruits as well as some dark cherry with a good pepper component on the nose. Big tannins but not very good integration. Spice returns on medium-length finish. My rating: 85 pts, OKV

Fattoi 2001 Brunello di Montalcino : Decanted from 375 mL. Brilliant dark ruby color. Nose and mouthful of ripe dark fruits, leather, spice. Great on the mid-palate with a lot of ripe fruit flavors carrying the wine through medium tannins and good length on the finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Ferrero 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: The bottle wasn’t flawed, but it was a bit off. I noted flavors of cherry, mushroom, and cough-syrup with mild tannins and a medium finish. My rating: 83 pts, PV

Image to the left are the vines at Fuligni

Fuligni 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Dark ruby color. On the nose a lot of dark fruits and a touch of vanilla, mushrooms, llicorice. The wine starts and finishes strong – dark cherry, blackberry and anise with big, velvety tannins and a 20-30 second finish. Quite good. My rating: 93 pts, GV

Il Paradiso di Frassina 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Maybe it’s the music that is played throughout the vineyard for the vines, or the love and care of the composer and winemaker, whatever it is, the wines of Il Paradiso di Frassina were very good. This 2001 Brunello showed great fruits and spice notes. The tannins were complex yet soft and the finish offered cherry notes and was long. My rating: 93 pts, VGV

Image to the right is from Il Paradiso di Frassina - Story on this lovely vineyard to come!

Il Paradiso di Frassina 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: This was definitely my favorite of the 2002 Brunello’s that we tasted. It’s location north of Montalcino and at a lower elevation allowed for earlier picking of the best grapes prior to a lot of the bad weather in the 2002 vintage. The nose offered floral notes, cedar and miscellaneous dark fruits with plum and cherry on the palate. Great structure, big tannins and a long, story-telling finish. My rating: 91 pts, VGV

Le Potazzine 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: A lot of fruit on the nose with plum, currant standing out. Big forest floor component. The fruits really stand out early but really come together nicely through the mid-palate with spice notes. Big yet delicate tannins with a long finish highlighted by cherry notes. This opened up very nicely over 30 minutes and I imagine another few years in the bottle would do it wonders. My rating: 92 pts, GV.

La Serena 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Opened for 30 minutes before tasting. Pretty standard Brunello here: dark garnet color, cherry, leather, earth on the nose. Spice notes, earth and dark fruits show up immediately on the palate with the spice returning on the finish. Overall good balance with silky tannins and medium acidity. My rating: 91 pts, GV

Lisini 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolaia: Great dark ruby color with a nose of cherry, blackberry, vanilla, cedar. Huge body with very big, mouth-drying tannins and very good balance. Long finish with spice showing up near the end. Pricey, but very good. My rating: 95 pts, GV

Mastrojanni 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: An interesting character of a wine from the start. A lot of dried herbs, allspice, currant cherry and a fresh green countryside on the nose. Blueberry and dark cherry on the palate, with a good amount of acidity and moderate tannins, medium finish. A little closed up but approachable. My rating: 90 pts, VGV

Montecarbello 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Purchased at Les Barrique in Montalcino. First bottle was corked and returned to the store. The wine began with a good amount of earth, red and black fruits, earth, spice and dried herbs. Good overall balance with medium tannins and a medium length finish. My rating: 91 pts, VGV

Pietroso 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Plum and berry flavors with thyme and vanilla. Medium bodied, refined tannins, medium finish. My rating: 88 pts, GV

Santa Lucia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Big nose of dark berries and black cherry. Fresh earth component with a touch of spice. Well structured but a bit tight right now with medium tannins. Give it a year or a long decant. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Image to right is of Kim at our tasting at Santa Lucia!

Santa Lucia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Dark berries, licorice, cedar with a full body, smooth tannins, long finish. Good balance, still a bit tight – a great find. My rating: 92 pts, VGV

Santa Lucia 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: A good value from the 2002 vintage with a nose of black fruits, cedar and a touch of spice with licorice and dark cherry. Good earth component, medium tannins, medium finish. My rating: 87 pts, GV

Valdi Sug 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: My notes on this blend from 3 vineyards in Montalcino were not very detailed. We stopped into the wine tasting room only for a few moments and left having only tried this 2002 BdM. I did note solid dark fruits with good structure and a medium finish. My rating: 86 pts, GV

Verbena 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Nose has a lot of ripe, dark fruits, vanilla, chocolate and a petrol component. The wine took a while to open but when it did it showed earth, woody blackberry, dark raspberry, and plum notes. Good structure and smooth tannins, medium finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Downtown Montalcino: Picture taken from the top of the Fortress:

1st Round of Brunello di Montalcino Tasting Reports: 1990’s

Here are the tasting notes of the few Brunello’s we had from the 1990’s. All wines tasted between 11/10/2007 and 11/18/2007 in Montalcino. I will post the 2000-2002’s in the next week, as there are significantly more of these to type in! For a look at a “Vintage Quality Overview”, click here.

Tenuta di Collosorbo 1993 Brunello di Montalcino Bottle#0177: Bottle opened, no decant but drank over 2 hours. Deep garnet color. Good red fruits on the nose with tons of cherry and raspberry, highlighted by a nice spiciness. On the palate the wine is quite complex with layers of bright fruits, spices and cedar with mouth-drying tannins and a lot of cherry on a very long finish. As the wine evolved, more spice notes emerged and the wine became quite interesting in a good way. Overall the 1993’s are drinking great now. Drink now. My rating: 92 pts

Case Basse (Soldera) Brunello di Montalcino 1997 Riserva: Dark ruby color. A lot of different aromas on the nose. Big cherry, raspberry, sweet spice, maybe vanilla bean, some floral notes as well as earth. On the palate the fruits really strike me as something special. There are layers of cherry and blackberry, and every so often a touch of licorice and a few spices I can’t really decide on what they are. The balance and structure of this wine is near perfect. The tannins delicate…the only flaw? The bottle was only 750 mLs! If you own a bottle, wait 5-10 years. If you own a few, open one now, then every few years until they are gone and enjoy the evolution of a near perfect wine. My rating: 99 pts.

Capanna 1998 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Another example of how well the 1998’s are drinking as a whole right now. Very lovely spice and cherry notes on the nose, as well as a lot of darker fruits. The wine started off with a hint of spice then moved into an earth component, then concentrated fruits and well balanced acidity with medium/big tannins. Worth the money if you can find it. My rating: 93 pts.

Col d’Orcia (Cinzano) Brunello di Montalcino 1999 Riserva Poggio al Vento: (I have this in my notebook, but put details somewhere else, therefore I have to look for my notes on this one!) My rating:

Fuligni 1998 Brunello di Montalcino: Opened and poured, let breathe for 15 minutes in the glass while observing the evolution of the nose. The wine was a nice ruby color, with minor discoloration on the edges. The nose showed cherry, tobacco, blackberry, mushroom, as well as a floral component. The wine had good structure and weight, with soft tannins and a very pleasing, earthy finish. Drink now. My rating: 91 pts. (Picture to left is at Fuligni)

Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Alle Mura 1999 Brunello di Montalcino (Riserva): Brilliant dark red color. What started as a brief sniff of the wine ended up as multiple long whiffs of layers of flavors ranging from plum, cherry, dark fruits, vanilla, licorice, and cedar. The fruits in the wine danced with each other across the palate with both sweet and spice notes playing a song. Overall very well integrated with smooth tannins and a long, complex finish. Drinking very nicely right now. My rating: 94 pts.

Col d’Orcia (Cinzano) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1999 Poggio al Vento: (I have this in my notebook, but put details somewhere else, therefore I have to look for my notes on this one!) My rating:

Santa Lucia 1999 Brunello di Montalcino: Leather, earth, spice, and a touch of floral notes on the nose. On the palate good earth component with subtle fruits and spice, light tannins and a medium finish. Drink now or within the next year. My rating: 89 pts.

Tenuta Caparzo 1999 Brunello di Montalcino: Decanted 1 hour. Good example of the traditional style of Brunello. A lot of black cherries, raspberries, a touch of spice, earth, and a touch of cedar. Well balanced, with elegant tannins that, along with cherry and some interesting spice notes, make for a very good finish. My rating: 91 pts

Did I mention this was an amazing trip? More to come!

MollyDooker doing it right.

I’ve recently posted notes on the Boxer (Shiraz) and Violinist (Verdalho), both 2006 vintage MollyDooker wines. I was quite impressed with them both, as I was the 2005 MollyDooker wines. Tonight, on the Eve of the Eve of our departure to Europe, Kim and I decided it was time to open the first bottle of a six-pack of MollyDooker’s 2006 Carnival of Love Shiraz. This higher-end Shiraz is a great example of the extraordinary quality of McLaren Vale Shiraz. Here are my notes over the course of our tasting the wine.

Opened and tasted immediately: Mushroom, plum, cherry, big fruits, big yet soft tannins. Decanted.

2 hour decant: Great color. Still tight on the nose. The initial mushroom note is gone with the appearance of a musty-forest floor with a touch of pepper and bacon. On the palette it’s toasted cedar, vanilla, plum, pretty solid through the middle with a long, complex finish that goes on and on. At this point I’m definitely seeing 96 pts or more.

3 hour decant: Again showing better, more buttery now with a bit more spice. The fruits in this wine just don’t stop. Quite pleasing and still 96+ points.

4 hour decant: Just as elegant as before. I’m quite impressed with the structure of this wine and overall quality. Very good. A very solid 96 points.

I am going to have to track down a 2005 to have side by side when I open the next bottle of this in 6 months or so. My rating: 96 pts.

Austrian Red Wine? Yes. Austrian Red Wine!

Anton Iby has me convinced. And I’m pretty sure this Austrian winemaker, if given the opportunity (read: try his wines) would convince you as well that Austrian red wines have great potential. No, I didn’t mistype “Australian”, I really mean Austrian red wines. The small European country, most well known for the Governator and for having some good wines of the white variety is overlooked as having quality…heck, as having ANY red wines!

A few weeks back at a winemakers tasting I spoke with Anton Iby about wine is Austria. I admitted to him that I have only tried a few Austrian red wines, and that they were at the very best, palatable. Iby noted that this sentiment is quite normal in wine shops in the US and quite frankly, most of the world. But people in Mittelburgenland, the Austrian wine region where Iby’s wines are made, have known for years the potential and quality of red wines in the region.

The major red grapes of Austria are the Blaufranksih, Blauer Portugieser, Saint Laurent (France origins), Blauerburgunder (Pinot Noir) and the hybrids Zweigelt (cross between the Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent) and Blauberger (cross between Blaufrankisch and Blauer Portugieser).

The Iby’s make a wide variety of red wines including the following (the image as well as this list is from their website):

Unoaked: Mittelburgenland DAC Classic Zweigelt Classic Mittelburgenland DAC Hochäcker

Oaked: Chevalier - Blaufränkisch Barrique Private Reserve - Cuvée Barrique Quintus - Top Cuvée Dürrau - Blaufränkisch Barrique

The Dürrau Blaufränkisch Juwel (My rating: 93 pts) was exceptional, and although a bit pricey around $50, I picked up two bottles. The thing that impressed me most about the wines were the balance and structure. Overall the fruits were ripe and alive, very “new world” style. The oak, when used, was just the right amount to add spice and character to the wines without overpowering the fruits. All of the Iby wines had exceptional balance and an elegance to them that keeps me wondering what else the region has to offer. My full tasting notes for these wines will be posted this weekend.

Currently, Iby’s wines are available at many retailers in the United States. I know the Wine Source in Hampden has quite a few in stock and they are imported by Domaine Select. I’d recommend at the very least giving one a try. I think you’ll be quite surprised at the quality of the wine. And when it comes down to it, we all want a wine that tastes good. Simply put: all of the Iby wines I tried were very unique and also very good.

Inniskillin Oak Aged Vidal Ice Wine (2004) $80 (375 ml)

I really like ice wine. An excellent way to end a great dinner is with a perfectly chilled bottle of a good ice wine paired with a dessert that contains just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to accompany the wine without overpowering it.

The Inniskillin Winery is on the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Growing up in Michigan, I had the pleasure of visiting Niagara Falls, Ontario, at least 3 times a year with my family. But it wasn’t until I began drinking wine myself that I learned that Niagara Falls was not just waterfalls, shopping and Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, but it was also the hub of outstanding producers of wine.

The 2004 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine is incredible. We usually have a bottle with our dessert when eating at one of our favorite restaurants Fleming’s. The wine is filled with exotic fruits and is quite complex. Apricot, mango, pear, honey and a touch of vanilla come to mind. The finish lasts forever, leaving an impression that is sure to keep you coming back for more. May do very well with age, but if you’re like me…it’s hard to keep a bottle of this around very long! Although pricey, definitely worth every penny.

Cinnabar’s Mercury Rising - $22

My first experience with Cinnabar’s Mercury Rising was at Chesapeake Wine Company in September of 2004. I had just moved to Baltimore from Detroit and stumbled upon Chesapeake while shopping at the Canton Safeway. The name was interesting and I was in the market to try something new, so I picked up the 2002 (which was the current release). A week later, I went back and bought 4 more bottles! The 2002 vintage was incredible. It was a big, juicy wine that was very complex and elegant. Over the course of 2004-05, this was my go-to wine. That was until I had the 2003 vintage!

The story behind the Mercury Rising is that its style attempts to replicate the rich, full bodied wines of Bordeaux. The makers at Cinnabar craft these wines from a variety of grapes from all throughout their California vineyards (Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Paso Robles). The 2003 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,PetitVerdot and Cabernet Franc. The nose is big, with a lot of dark fruits and spice. It immediately opens up with hazelnut and vanilla, and dark cherries. The finish is long and memorable. The tannins are complex which suggests a rewarding 4-5 years in the cellar. Would go great with grilled meats. This is a must try wine that will not let you down.