Ten Dollar Wines

Ten (to Fifteen) Dollar Wines

Ten dollah. Can't be done.
Sure it can.
Like wot?
Like these...
I can't pay ten dollah. I'll pay ten dollah.

(Apologies if they're a bit over $10. Hard to keep track exactly).

Arbor Crest Sauvignon Blanc - Columbia Valley, WA. WS 87 points.

Anakena - Rapel Valley, Chile. They make everything.

Bordeaux Bargains:

• Beynat, Cuvee Leonard - from Cotes de Castillon, which is next to Bordeaux. This is one of Sherry-Lehman's unsung heroes of Bordeaux, and it's worth a song or two. (See "Lesser Known French Regions" post). Sherry Lehman seems to be the only place that carries it.
• Clarendelle is a successful blend. Suckling writes in Wine Spectator of the 2006: "Polished red with cedar, berry and chocolate character. Medium-bodied, silky and refined. Delicious already."
• Barons de Rothschild-Lafite Bordeaux Réserve Spéciale. Ripe, rich, maybe a bit soft, but tastes like Bordeaux.
• More "Big Guns and Bargains." "Drinkable and Cellarable" appeared in Forbes.

Blair Estate - Napa. Merlot. Good.

Bohemian Highway Cabernet - Sonoma, mega-blend. Don't look for nuance, but a balanced red.

Canyon Road - California. Born as Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton restaurants' private label, then the winery decided to take it public. The sauvignon blanc is especially good for the price.

Cetena - Argentina. Fresh, minimally oaked, citrusy chardonnay that's hard to beat for the price. See "Don't Cry for Argentina" post).

Chinon - Mosts Chinons are good. Not all of them are bargains. This one is.

Conde de Valdemar - Crianza, Spain. A smooth Rioja that balances balance ripe Tempranillo fruit with just enough oak.

Courteillac - Bordeaux, France. "Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a light toasty oak and citrus fruit aftertaste." WS 90 points. The lowest price Bordeaux to hit everyone's 90+ list. (Available at Garnet"). (More like $20 now, but still a great buy).

Domaine de la Solitude - Rhone red and white. The white is mostly viognier, delicious, crisp with surprising finesse. The red, says Astor Wines, is "full of sweet black fruit, silky smooth with a touch of smoky oak."

Echeverria - Chile. Both the blackberry Cab and the flinty unoaked Chardonnay are well made, balanced bargains. The Carmenere took two trophies in the 2005 Annual Wines of Chile Awards.

Epicurious - Here are their picks.

Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet - Languedoc - Citrusy white from the Mediterranean coast. K & D Wines.

Fontanafredda Barbera "Briccotondo" - Piemonte, Italia. 90 points Wine Spectator and one of their Top 100 Wines of 2007: "Very plummy and grapey on the nose, with hints of chocolate..." At K & L Wines or NapaCabs.

Gouguenheim - Argentina. Valle Escondido, made near Mendoza. Not as good as Cetena, but another Argentine winner.

Grenache (aka Garnacha) - All over. Grenache is a bargain. It blends well and sings "drink me in dulcet tones. Fruity, cherry-ish and soft, it's often blended to add a bot of oomph. It's got party wine written all over it. Try Les Quatre Tours "Classique" Red from Provence or Las Rocas from Calatayud (Spain), both available at Astor.

Grüner Veltliner - Austria. Put some umlaut in your cellar. Minty, mineraly. Think summer afternoons.

Guigal - Rhone. Côtes-du-Rhône is great, dependable. His expensive wines are pretty great too.

Heinrich, Red - Burgenland, Austria. Simple label, good wine. Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and Cabernet Sauvignon. Geschmack der kirschen und der korinthen. Thanks Sea Grape.

Hess - Classic Cali Cab that won't break that coffers.

Kirkland Signature Merlot - Columbia Valley, WA. Wine Spectator says "coffee and smoke overtones around a silky core of black cherry" and decants 89 points.

Louis Martini - Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County. WA 90pts.

Ludovicus - Terra Alta, Spain. Vinos Piñol is organically farmed, bottled unfiltered. A blend of Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Opulent flavors of kirsch liqueur, licorice, and pepper. WA 90 pts.

Luzon - Not the biggest luzon. This one is a Wine Spectator winner from Spain.

Mano a Mano - La Mancha (no kidding), Spain. Suspect label. Good wine. 100% Tempranillo. NoMerlot.com has this to say: "Medium to full-bodied, rich, well-rounded and full of dark fruit flavors, backed by firm tannins. The wine is made in a modern style with lots of fruit flavors up front, yet maintains a distinctively Spanish style."

Manta Sauvignon Blanc - Central Valley, Chile. A zesty, citrussy, possibly too bright white for hot summers day. Serve chilled. Kick soccer ball. Nap.

Menguante Garnacha - Another WS (90 points) winner from Spain.

Neil Ellis - Left Bank: a bargain red. Sweet, jammy, delicious. From one of South Africa's top winemakers. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Try Sherry-Lehmann.

Pacific Oasis. Don't let the name (or the label) deceive you. This is a thoughtful, well-made Merlot.

Pichon - Herault, France. A bargain viognier. Astor Wines says, "rich and round white wine with its aromas of peaches and pears." Not exactly a single vineyard, and not as good as Domaine de la Solitude, but a worthy wine for the price.

Picpoul de Pinet - Languedoc white. Gaujal is a good one from Sherry-Lehman. Official site here.

Pillar Box Red - Barossa, Australia. A rich blend of shiraz, cab and merlot. Parker gave the 2004 a glowing 90 points. Available at Wine Legend and K & L Wines.

Raymond R Collection - Napa. Big, fruit-forward, well-structured Merlot.

Rioja - R for reliable. Better in the $12 to $15 range.
Reds:
Don Roman is the Otto Zappatore favorite (available at Morrell. yes, more than $10).
See "Spanish Reds"
Whites:
Try Muga, Basa Bianco, Cune Monopole. Greene Grape recommends Senorial. (We haven't tried it yet).
See "White Riojas"

Rootstock - Trader Joe's Sauvignon Blanc. Good, clean, cheap.

St. Francis Red. Friendly and smooth. But no pick up line. Thank you Twelve Pine in Peterborough.

Santa Rita Chardonnay - Another Chilean darling. It's so not buttery, it's almost green. "On the palate, it is fresh and sweet; medium bodied, juicy and refreshing," says 67 Wine in NYC.

Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa) - Yes, the less expensive ones are still great. Like Steenberg and Sincerely are both good values. (See "South African Sauvignon Blanc" post).

Sauvignon Blancs (Other) - Nimbus (Chile) WS 86, fresh and clean, grapefruit and Granny Smith. Zolo (Argentina). Manta (Chile).
Canyon Road (USA).

Chateau Thebot - Bordeaux. The 2001 is another Sherry-Lehman unsung hero. They say, "A great value in good, solid, everyday Bordeaux. This unfiltered blend dominated by Merlot is a fine Bordeaux that exhibits intelligent winemaking and loads of fruit in an accessible style."

Trentatre Rosso - A Trader Joe's favorite. A blend of cab, merlot and sangiovese, and great bang for buck.

Tres Picos Borsao - Spain. Mostly granache. Cherry red, deep and sweet. RP gave the 2004 a rave and 91 points. This if full-throttle, big bodied stuff, not for the faint of pallette. Some will find it too big. Try Wine Legend.

Tuttobene, Angelini - San Leonino, Tuscany, Italy. A "Forbes Favorite" that Wine Spectator calls "an outstanding new wine." A low cost winner from Tuscany, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Think juicy, blackberry, chocolate and soft tannins. Bad name; cool label.

Vega Sindoa - Navarra, Spain. Another Spanish winner from Bodegas Nekeas. Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo blend. Tanzer opines: "Deep red. Fresh, mineral-tinged cherry and blackcurrant aromas complicated by flowers and spices."
Try NJ WineStore.

Venta Mazzaron - Toro, Spain. Tempranillo, Spain’s quintessential, indigenous grape. Parker is bullish on this one.

Verdejo - Never mind vendetta, V is for Verdejo. Light, crisp, citusy, a dash of sauvignon blanc.

Vermentino - Italy. Light, fresh, lemony whites from Italy. Argiolas, La Cala and other Sardinian producers are a good bet.

Viogner - Mostly France, now all over the place. Anything with "viognier" on the label. Okay, not anything, but a lot.

Yalumba - Australian for wine. Chardonnay and Grenache both worthy. (See "Good Down Under" post).

Zolo - Argy bargain.


. . .

Boston Globe's roundup "Best Wines under $12"

Read the SF Chronicle article "Cheap Wines That Don't Suck."

Otto and Anthony's "Bordeaux Bargains."

A good list from The Kitchen.


. . .


A few rules to bear in mind:

• Don't trust the nice man in the store.


• Don't buy the bottle with the nice label.


• Vintage means just about bugger all when it comes to $10 bottles of wine.


• Being from Bordeaux or Napa or Italy makes it less, not more, likely that the $10 wine will be a winner. You'll do better with a Rhone, Cahors, Rioja.


• Discounts push the price down... buy a case, or shop when your local store has a sale.