The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

There is a great wine thread (The Wine Thread), that is already in process, and there are a few very knowledgeable wine enthusiast posting there. It's a great thread and should not be missed, however, for the most part, they seem to cover higher-end wines, which most of us can only afford on rare occasions. As a result, I decided to start this thread, for wines that are available, at under $20 a bottle.

Please post your recommendations, reviews and Super Sales Info. of any and all categories of wine, from all countries, HERE! The only guideline, is that the wine must be available, in retail stores, for $20 a bottle or less!!!

I'll start this out with a recommendation I received this morning from a relative living back in Illinois. It sounds like a winner, so I'll be on the look out for a bottle or two to try. If I find it, I'll post a review.

Mark West Pinot Noir '07 Ranked #1 of 52 "Light New World Reds Under $15"

FRANKLY, IT'S BETTER THAN MOST $30 PINOT!

Rank: #1 out of 52 light New World reds under $15

The Wine Trials, July, 2008

"... compares well to Pinots selling for twice the price. At $15, the Central Coast Pinot offers superb value.”

Decanter Magazine (The U.K.'s leading wine magazine) on the Mark West Pinots

To say this wine is a bargain is an understatement. The color, aroma and flavor exhibit all the classic notes of what makes Pinot Noir so bewitching: exotic, mouthwatering aromas; plush flavors on a silky texture and that haunting whisper of earth on the finish. Unfortunately it can be hard to find a good Pinot Noir - there are certainly many more duds than beauties - from hollow and washed-out versions to the all-too-common over-extracted, over-oaked monstrosities (think of a delicate sushi-grade piece of Tuna being battered, deep-fried and smothered with ketchup). But the newly released 2007 Mark West Pinot is the real article: complex, elegant and supple. AND IT'S LESS THAN $10!

That's right, you get a superb Pinot Noir made from grapes grown in California's best appellations - such as Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino - that's aged using 100% French oak, made by one of the most brilliant winemakers on the west coast -- AND IT'S LESS THAN $10!!

It get's better. Buy one case or more and get 10% off your purchase! THAT'S LESS THAN $9!!! What a fantastic deal to start the New Year with. There is no other Pinot Noir sold today that even comes close to rivaling this kind of value, especially in a short-supply vintage like 2007.

TODAY'S SPECIAL OFFER
2007 Mark West Pinot Noir
California

Just $9.99 a bottle!

~ from winemaker Alex Cose:

Enticing aromas of rich cherry pie, raspberry preserves and ripe plums with barrel notes of exotic vanilla, golden molasses and shortbread cookie. Oak aging rounds out the palate and gives the wine its body. Juicy fruit on the palate tasting of dark red raspberry, jammy strawberry and baked peaches. Our 2007 drinks in juicy fresh berry flavors that stay bright and linger. The finish is full of bright red fruit flavors with a supple texture.

Sam's Price: $9.99 a 750ml bottle!

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Great post!!! Most of my favs are all under $20. I'll post some later.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I really enjoy Cline's Ancient Vine Zin....good stuff for around $15

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I am figuratively besotted with the Ercavio tempranillo and it runs $10-12 a bottle. Big, fruity very accessible. Takes a bit to really open up. I have many a bottle that didn't deliver at 2x-3x the price. It's not a "great" wine but it's a very tasty one. Although price can be a very deceiving factor.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Are there any particular years that seem better than average to you? Where is this wine from?

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Are there any particular years that seem better than average to you? Where is this wine from?
__________________

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

As with cigars my tastes in wine are rather immature, but I really like Llano Etacado's Riesling from Texas. It's around $11.00

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Where is this wine from?

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Oops, edited my post to add it's from Texas.

From the link.
A short supply of high quality Texas Riesling has restricted our production. In order to provide our customers with an ample supply of this popular variety, we have utilized premium grapes and juice from Texas, Washington, and California.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I like Symington's Altano (Douro Red) 89WS can be found for under $10 and is amazing. Bought cases of it. Has some aging potential as well. There's also a reserve, for a little more.

Wine Spectator "A big structure and firm acidity give this red plenty of muscle, backed up by fresh, focused flavors of red plum, berry, cherry and spice. Crisp, clean finish. Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. Drink now through 2010. 35,000 cases made."

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...deadlyzins.jpg

Lustful Flavors:
A vibrant, sweet bouquet of raspberry jam, molasses and cinnamon toast evoke the senses of carefree youthful nights. Excellent oak integration provides silken tannins and spice to pair with Lodi’s unrestricted wild berry fruit.

Gluttonous Pairings:
Our 7 Deadly pairs sinfully well with BBQ’d Salmon, prime rib or grilled veggies. Get crazy with delectable dark chocolate desserts!

Schulenburg's vines, grubby with GREED,
Embrace Lodi's soil, to drink and to feed.
Oh Lord, forgive me my zin.
Secure in it's strength, weathered with PRIDE,
Standing like soldiers, the forest of Snyde.
Oh Lord, forgive me my zin.
Hearts filled with LUST, ole Maley's trees.
Court Lodi's sun, and flirt with it's breeze.
Oh Lord, forgive me my zin.
Good Bishofberger did raise some GLUTTONOUS beast,
Vines fattened like turkeys before Thanksgiving feast.
Oh Lord, forgive me my zin.
With the tilt of the glass, I commit seven zins,
Oh Lord, with your help... I'll do it again.
Indulge!

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Dont know much about wine, but Woodbridge by robert mondavi johannesburg riesling is my favorite for around 10 bux ish

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Cisco Red and Night Train Express are a few of my favorites and can be found well under $10. Serve well chilled.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I love the suggestions that are starting to pop up. I'm always looking for new wines to try.

May I suggest, that when suggestions are made, that a little more info be given. In addition to the name of the wine, it would be helpful to all, if the style of wine is mentioned, the country of origin and your favorite year, if applicable!

I find the country of origin to be extremely good info because in the largest liquor stores the wines are sectioned off by country of origin. This makes it much easier to locate a wine of name.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I'm partially to the 2006 but the 2007 is good as well.

http://www.bodegasercavio.com/

The vineyards are 60km east of Toledo Spain.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I was just about to mention this. One of my favorite California Zins and an excellent buy at about $15-17 a bottle. I don't recall them doing vintage years on this one.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

NY has a lot of good wineries (sp?) Most of them run under $20. Well worth trying Hazlitt Red Cat, Bully Hill's Love my Goat or Le Goat Blush, and Heron HIll Riesling :2

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I really like Ravenswood for under $20

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I just finished my last bottle of the following with dinner tonight. I had purchased six bottles, around Thanksgiving time, last year. This is a wonderful wine, at a great price. It can be had in the $10/$12 range, although, it's becoming hard to find now days. I'll be looking for a few more bottles this coming week.

Penfolds, 'Koonunga Hill', Shiraz Cabernet, 2006 - an Australian offering.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I hear from friends in Chicago, that this is a great wine, at a very reasonable price! I'm going to see if I can find any in my area over the weekend!

2006 Santa Helena Pinot Noir
Gran Reserva Selecciòn, Casablanca, Chile
Just $12.99!!!

Here's the kind of Pinot that freaks Sideways' freaks: funky, fruity, famously layered in fragrance and flavor. The alluvial soils & cool pocket of Chile's Casablanca Valley turn out a Pinot that's a cross between what's best about Burgundy - those scents of the earth, meat & fecund earth - and Oregon - the red fruit flavors that jump out of the glass, into your nose, and slither deliciously down your throat. Terrific now, but can age profitably for another 18 months to two years. Try with dishes that mirror its complexity: braises, stews, vegetable lasagnas. Or eat it up with Burgundian cheeses such as Epoisses. Super yummy.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Now I know that the regs state that the wine must be available in a retail store and I know for a fact i've seen some of these there. But I just wanted to throw this out there since I saw this in a magazine as an advertisement. If it's improper by all means feel free to discard this post.

https://www.wsjwine.com/individual_o...?promo=2001008

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I really only drink reds, and mostly cabs, temperanillo..like the tannin to be firm. My current favorites:

Borsao Crianza 2005 Spanish temperanillo $13
Foppiano 2004 (i think or maybe 05) cab, russian river valley, CA $14
Odfjell 05 Chile Cab $10
Tres Picos, spanish red, 07 (better than the 06), $14

cant miss go to Hess Select $16. i think its a CA cab.

Ive been reading a lot on pjwines.com. good info there and lots of good suggestions, especially for cheaper wines.
hope this helps.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Familiar with the Tres Picos and is pretty good.

Have you had the Maques de Carceres Reserva? That is under $20 and quite good. Needs a few hours to breathe though.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

thanks for the tip. ive picked it up a few times and almost brought a bottle home, but not yet. now i will.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Make sure it's the Reserva, the regular production bottle is OK, but nothing special. They also make a Gran Reserva for around $30, which I have never tried.

If you are a Spanish wine lover, you must try Muga; have you had one yet?

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

I agree with you, Johnny, regarding the Mark West Pinot. It's very hard to find a good Pinot for less than $20, but Mark West is one of them. Just make sure to look at the label very carefully. A lot of people "discovered" Mark West, and I guess they ran into a shortage of juice. One recent vintage of MW was made from Italian grapes ! I hate when wineries do this...so check your Mark West label very carefully and make sure it's from the Central Coast of California. I inadvertantly drank some of the Italian Mark West and it wasn't good.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Another well priced Pinot Noir made from Central Coast fruit, and a much better wine than Mark West, IMO, is Echelon, or even Estancia. Both should be in the $14-20 range on Right Coast. Sebastiani bottlings as well.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Thanks for the heads-up on the above. That's a very good point!

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Another new find, from Spain, with a very reasonable price tag!

Taja Reserva Jumilla 2003

Wine Spectator: 90 Points - Deep loamy and gamy flavors wrap around cherry and kirsch fruit in this dense red. Sun-baked and solid, with well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. A traditional style. Monastrell (Mourvedre), Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Merlot. Drink now through 2015.

Retail Price: $9.99!

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Haven't had Echelon, but I love everything Estancia makes. Thier Pinot is from Monterey (as is their Chardonnay I believe) so it has a different flavor profile than Mark West, but it is very reliable and a great bargain. It was my go-to Pinot at one point. Their cabernet from Paso Robles is good too.

If I may make a suggestion for an even greater value, Meridian Pinot can be found for as low as $6.99 and it's worth much more than that....great wine for the price.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

2 buck chuck from trader joe's :tu

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Actually, I'll drink 2BC before I drink the highly touted Tres Picos, which I find heavily manipulated, overly extracted, with too much residual sugar to make the wine palatable. 2BC Chard is actually a nice wine and a great value, fools a number of experienced palates in a blind tasting. Their reds are OK, but avoid Syrah (its just crap).
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JohnnyFlake,

Nice point score, but that "sun baked" descriptor rings a bell for me, and not a good one at that. Means way overripe fruit. Same as that Tres Picos above.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

It wasn't signed with your name, simply a reply to your post (instead of posting 2 separate replies).

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

never tried a muga. see em all the time and see,ms as tho they can get pricey. is there a good inexpensive muga?

also...i just tried a new one, CA red Kelley Creek 2006 tributary. really liked this one. just a nice rounded tannin taste full of flavor. im not sophisticated with the wine palate.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

No problem! It just looks like my name was used, the way the post turned out.

Johnny

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

LOL... Is there a good cheap Cohiba? It's all relative. Buy the oldest Muga you can afford. They really age well. I mean $30 bucks for a one bottle shouldn't break you... Maybe not a wine for a daily quaffer for most, but if you like Spanish wine, this would be a step up.

Needs at least an hour to breathe.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Another great wine, that's a bit hard to find, but well worth the search!!!

This wine will cost you between $13 and $16 a bottle, depending on where your located.

Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Wine Advocate: 90 Points - One of the finest bargains in California Cabernet Sauvignon must be Louis M. Martini's outstanding 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma... Fabulously sweet aromas of black currants, licorice, and cedar soar from the glass of this medium to full-bodied wine. With silky tannins as well as surprising concentration, depth, and texture, this 2006 should drink well for 8-10 years.

Now owned by the Gallo family, but still run by Michael Martini, the quality of these wines merits serious attention.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

You need to learn how to "read" Parker reviews and then apply that to your own taste preferences. For example, that cedar note SOARING from the glass indicates large amount of oak present. If you like lots of oak, great, this wine is for you. If not, the point score in this case is meaningless. And I would also question "sweet aromas" note and licorice, means a noticeable amount of residual sugar in wine; if you like your wine dry, then this may not be a wine for you.

But in general, Louis Martini wines are pretty solid and worth tracking down. I have not had this particular wine so can't comment beyind the tasting note you posted.

Another label you should try is Steltzner, year in and year out one of the best values around. Their Claret should be under $20 and if anything, I'll take it over L. Martini any day of the week, Parker review or not. Once you move up to $40-50 per bottle range, L. Martini is definitely a wine to seek out, they are on par with almost anything at or double the price. Their Monte Rosso Vineyard bottlings, Zin and Ca, are seriously great wines.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Parker is usually accurate in dry wine descriptions; it's whether something he describes is the kind of wine you like...

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Taste is very subjective, therefore, any source of reviews, for wine, whiskey, coffee, cigars and so on, should be taken with a grain of salt. That is, of course, until you have had the chance to make your own, individual tasting, of whatever the subject matter is!

Comparing your individual tasting notes, with those of the more popular aficionados, is how one learns to follow the reviews of those, that closely match your own taste.

Your description of what Parker's Reviews mean to you are subjective, with respect to you. They are your opinions and others may disagree. That is neither good or bad, however, it is a perfect example of what I just stated above!

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Hmmm... I did not compare MY own tasting notes to Parker's, I simply explained what Parker's mean. Ask any serious wine geek and they will tell you same thing I did.

For example, any time you see Parker say ""leather", you are absolutely sure he is talking brett (although he'll never say brett since he can't tell it even if it hit on the head, he actually loves the taste by his own admission), yet for most people brett is a serious flaw in wine and a real turn off (ever smelled a cow/horse barn gone bad?). He and I had a pretty heated public discussion on the subject, all the winemakers were pretty appalled by his stance and lack of any undestanding of the subject. Same with filtration and such, notice how he touts most of the wines he covers as "unfined and un filtered" while most of them actually are. He is clueless on many subjects and I am not sure why people follow his advice (he was chased out of Burgundy a while back for his BS and stupidity and I wish same would happen in other regions, its time for him to retire).

Not that other wine reviewers are much better, no one is consistant and many guess where they shouldn't.

Main reason I am saying trust YOUR OWN PALATE, same as with cigars. True enough, though, you do need to find similar palates to follow, but that takes time and effort.

Try that Steltzner Claret I pointed out above, see what I mean.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Wine smack!!
:pn

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Brett can be a turnoff descriptor as you don't know how much there's going to be before you try it. Rhones and Brett can go hand in hand. I do think it does make wine complex, but one has to be very careful. I thought usually in wine, Brett is by accident or unavoidable? Things like TCA or VA are never really welcome.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

ALL wines have VA, by default. But some have more and some less, the more a wine has the more it is noticeable (think vinegary smells and taste). Once you start apprcoaching the 0.9% mark it becomes noticeable. TCA is just bad and in most cases it is bad corks (main reason alternative closures are gaining speed and market share). Brett is just bad. As much as I understand that a small amount of brett can sometimes enhance a wine and add to the complexity, you cannot control brett in any way.

The question and challenge I posed to Parker was to do a blind taste test, he could bring anyone he wants to along for the taste. I would place 5 (or whatever number he wanted) different wines in front of them, labels removed of course, and ALL they have to do is tell me what varietal each wine was made from. Simple test, right, for the supposed world's greatest palate?

As you can imagine, after all the chest beating Parker did up to that point, he disappeared.

Brett is just bad and one of the main faults in wine, according to any winemaking course or book. Too bad Parker put South Rhone on the map back in the 80s with all of his recommendations of seriously bretty wines and convinced wine drinkers that is what they are supposed to appreciate. Come to think of it, his early Burgundy finds and recommendations were all bretty as hell as well. Both regions are only now beginning to clean up their cellars (not all of them, of course), but its an expensive process and very costly.

VA is a hit an miss thing. Most consumers actually love the elevated VA levels, it makes the wine more "perfumy" on the nose and can enhance the tasting experience, but up to a point. Actually, if you see descriptors in a tasting note say "lifted nose" or something similar to that (soaring, elevated, jumping out of the glass as in the Martini note above) that is a clear indication of high VA levels in wine and this applies not only to Parker's notes but to others' as well.

Do your own test. Take a bottle, pour off some of the wine into glass A. Then add a very small amount of vinegar (if you have a small pippette at home, that helps) into the remaining wine in the bottle, shake the bottle gently and then pour some off into glass B. Smell them side by side. Keep adding vinegar to the bottle to see how much the wine changes as more vinegar is added.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

You say Brett is a fault, they call it Terrior :cb

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

You're right! That's what Parker said to me, according to him, "... wines with brett show the sense of place and that the winemaker cares, and they have SOUL...". Not sure what the winemaker cares for, though, Parker never made it clear. Most likely the pocketbook due to Parker's high scores.

As for his terroir BS (can't call it anything else), that was what prompted me to challenge him to a blind tasting, I didn't even ask him to name where the bretty bottle came from, simply for him to name the varietal it was made of. As I summed it up to him, The only thing brett shows is brett and nothing else, brett is brett no matter what continent or vineyard it came from and it ALWAYS has that same smell and taste with no regard to sense of place. Anyone can do this experiment and see where his argument falls flat on its face.

Don't get me wrong, there are more and more brett afflicted wines coming out of CA these days and I am sure its the winemakers selling out to get higher scores from Parker. 2 years ago at ZAP (annual event in SF) I was appalled at how many bretty wines were poured to the ecstatic populace with the point scores prominently displayed so that people can "drinks points".

A few monts ago my tasting group did a tasting of Syrah, double blind (we never display labels no matter what the theme is) and came across a particular bottle. While our table of 6 people were appalled at the brett in this bottle and all scored the wine very low becuase of it, the other table of 6 scored if very highly. The argument they gave us, and this from a winemaker at that table (half the group is either making wine or is cellar rats for a number of prominent CA labels): You guys just don't get this particular FRENCH bottle. I know what this wine and it is not brett, this is terroir and will blow off with age.

Low and behold, we unveiled this bottle after collecting all the scores. Yep, a highly rated and respected CA producer. Not French, as stipulated, no "terroir". Brett. Hilarious...

Just look at Wine Spectator review. While Laube is scoring any brett afflicted wine low (although he misses some here and there), Steinman NEVER reports on OR Pinots having brett issues and trust me, most of them do. We did a tasting of a good number of highly rated and reviewed OR Pinots recently and well, roughly 70% had serious issues with brett. But hey, maybe that's why so many out there say that OR Pinot most closely resembles Burgundy :-)) I can agree with that. But like I said, to Steinman there is no brett it seems, no wonder all the recent scores he gave to OR Pinot are in mid 90s. Buyer beware.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

Would a CdP be a classic example of the region without a hint of Brett?

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No. Most famous is what, Pegau? Bretty as hell.

That's the wine that started my "discussion" with Parker in the first place. We had at least 3 lab tested bottles come back with positive results. Parker then claimed that HIS bottle, which he just popped, out of his own cellar as our online discussion was taking place, had NO BRETT, "whistle clean" as he called it. Unfortunately for him, the owner and winemaker of Pegau, Laurence, chimed in to state that ALL of their wines HAVE BRETT. That was a stunner, for sure. Not in terms of knowing about brett in their wines (anyone visiting the place will tell you how disgustingly unclean it is), but that Parker put his palate on the line and was contradicted by the owner of the winery.

Parker consistently scores Pegau high, but personally I can't believe people pay such a high price for a chemical experiment gone bad and then claim the wine is great only because Parker said so.

But I can also point you at a number of CdPs that are clean and do show their fruit well. Too bad they are not scored as highly as Pegau, but then again, that's a good thing in my book and their prices are not bid up by point chasers.

Big problem with brett is that even if you happen to pop a cork on a bottle that has small amounts of it, you really need to finish that bottle quickly or face brett bloom quickly with air contact.

The new generation of French vignerons is increasingly coming to study at UC Davis and other schools outside of France, many come to CA to work as cellar rats and hands as well and this is quickly changing what is going on in France in terms of cleanliness at the winery.

Re: The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:
 

OK, I'll take the risk....what is "Brett" ??