Category Archives: Under $20

Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

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Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Big Vine Wines is cooperative of industry professionals based in the Oxbow District of Napa Valley. With two state of the art production facilities (One in Napa and one in Dry Creek) they leverage their extensive relationships within the wine industry to bring appellation-specific wines of incredible quality and value.

Though the business model of Big Vine includes purchasing already crafted wine lots, the Big Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 was handcrafted from scratch by none other than Scott McCloed of Rubicon. One of my absolute favorite wines is still Napa Cabernet and I welcome any iteration that has the character and style that I’ve come to expect without the high price tag all wine lovers have come to expect!

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Novellum Chardonnay | Your House Chard Has Arrived

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Domaine Lafage Novellum Chardonnay

Novellum Chardonnay

With summer right around the corner it’s time to break out the white wine! There’s something about this time of year that has wanting Rosé, Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, Sauvignon Blanc, Vinho Verde, Albarino and of course, Chardonnay!

Whether it be an aperitif, paired with an alfresco meal or simply to sip on the patio with friends, summer calls for something crisp and refreshing. Does the Novellum Chardonnay 2013, a custom cuvee brought to us by the talented Jean-Marc Lafage of Domaine Lafage winery and veritable power-importer Eric Solomon, get the job done at a decent price? Let’s find out…

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Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

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Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Clos Pegase Cabernet

Today we’re highlighting a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve discovered from Clos Pegase Winery via Wines Til Sold Out. Located in the northern section of Napa Valley, just outside of Calistoga, the owners of Clos Pegase sought to create a world-class destination where wine would be celebrated as one of many art forms.

The winery itself is it’s own piece of artwork. 96 architects entered into a competition to design the winery, with Michael Graves winning the hard fought competition. The winery has become a destination for those who appreciate fine artwork and first-class hospitality. But I’m getting distracted… Can you tell I want to visit? Let’s get back on track and pop the cork on the Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2009!

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Balbas Reserva 2001

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Balbas Reserva 2001

Balbas Reserva 2001

The Balbas Winery was founded in 1777 in the Ribera del Duero wine-growing region of Spain. The estate vineyards consist of 222 acres of hand picked Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.

Balbas Winery believes that yields from their estate vineyards should be kept low while utilizing various techniques such as green pruning to yield a better crop. Their style of wine-making is one that exercises restraint and honors the local wine-making traditions of the Ribera del Duero region. Let’s pop the cork and give the Balbas Reserva 2001 a try!

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Meerlust Rubicon Review | Meerlust Estate Winery

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Meerlust Rubicon 2007 | Meerlust Estate Winery

Meerlust Estate Rubicon

Since 1756 and under the stewardship of eight generations of the Myburgh family the Meerlust Estate has been producing world-class wine in Stellenbosch, South Africa – namely the Meerlust Rubicon. It’s predominantly clay soils engender vines that are cooled by evening ocean air in the summertime, allowing for optimal growing conditions and slowly ripening fruit.

The idea to craft ‘Rubicon” on the estate, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, was inspired by Nico Myburgh’s time in Bordeaux. He identified that the terroir of the Eerste River Valley in South Africa was similar to that of Bordeaux’s Gironde River, being composed of clay and granite soils cooled by sea breezes.

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Tin Roof Merlot Review | Decent Merlot for $5?

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Tin Roof Merlot | Tin Roof Cellars

Tin Roof Merlot

Sometimes you need a no-nonsense, wallet friendly wine that doesn’t require too much thought but still tastes good. Whether it be your weeknight wine or a great bargain red to pair with pizza, it can be challenging to find quality reds in the $10 and under category. Enter the Tin Roof Merlot 2009!

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Espelt Garnacha Old Vines Emporda 2010

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 Espelt Garnacha /Espelt Grenache Old Vines Emporda Review

Espent Grenache Review

I’ve been thinking that I want to share more wines around the $10 price point that I feel offer great value. While some of the wines I’ve featured in recent posts have represented value in their own respect, they may have been a little out of reach as an everyday drinker. Wines around the $10 price point don’t have to be insipid and uninteresting, but sadly they often are.

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Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

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Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

I have to admit that I am a sucker for a good mystery, especially when it relates to wine and where the fruit is sourced. It’s always exciting to find a wine that is relatively inexpensive yet made with fruit from well pedigreed growers or producers that charge considerably more for their wines. Take the Pine Ridge Encantado Red Blend I recently reviewed for example.

I feel like these opportunities are few and far between in the wine world. As a consumer we usually have a good idea where the fruit used to make the wine was sourced (particularly when estate grown), or we have little to no idea (the winery sources their fruit from various growers). But with the Waterstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, it is rumored that the fruit was sourced from declassified Harlan Estate lots!

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Terrazas Reserva Malbec Review | Terrazas Winery

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Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2009 | Terrazas de los Andes

Terrazas Malbec

The Terrazas Reserva Malbec hails from the province of Luján de Cuyo, located in Mendoza, Argentina, far away from Malbec’s origins in the south of France. Not far off, however, is some serious French influence. It turns out that in the 1950s the French Champagne producer Maison Moët & Chandon commissioned their wine analyst, Renaud Poirier, with the task of exploring the possibility of South American wine production. Renaud’s conclusion: That Luján de Cuyo was the best location in South America for fine wine production.

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Bodega Monteviejo Lindaflor ‘Petite Fleur’ 2009 Red Blend Mendoza

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Lindaflor Petite Fleur Review

While I really enjoy single-varietal wines, like a 100% Cabernet or a 100% Malbec, I find that they sometimes lack something or that they can be one-dimensional. The Cabernet might be too tannic and need to some age to soften and the Malbec might lack the underlying structure to withstand cellaring. They don’t benefit from the harmonization that blending can bring to a wine. But today’s specimen has been fashioned by none other than Laura Catena: the Bodega Monteviejo Lindaflor ‘Petite Fleur’ 2009 Red Blend from Mendoza, Argentina.

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