The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:

[TheRiddick]

Kirkland in Napa has been in insolvency for some time now and even a recent auction did not bring any buyers. Make them an offer, they may listen :-))

[TheRiddick]

Costco is opening a Wine and Liquor only store in Yonkers, NY.

[WildBlueSooner]

I find World Market to have a good and changing selection of affordable wines. I love that store.

I have gotten a Chilean wine from Costco that tasted like it had dirt in it and an Argentinean wine that tasted like watered down old wine and a French wine that reminded me of what wine would taste like if it went flat, like beer. These were all real cheap, like $8-$14, so I just drank them up and never bought them again. But I don't know why Costco put these on the rack. Maybe these are tastes that appeal to some.

[TheRiddick]

Lance,

Problem with Costco is that most of the wines they carry are selected and pushed onto the stores by the corporate buyers, local wine managers have little room to sneak in what they like (although some do). Costco is one of the largest, if not the largest, buyers of wine in USA and do a good job with some high end wine (price wise), but I also rarely buy anything in their low end selections save for white wine to cook with. I'd rather buy their white selections on the low end than reds, most reds lack in body and flavor. Just my opinion, YMMV.

Chilean wines were a decent deal 15-18 years ago when they slowly trickled into USA. As volumes increased, same thing as with Australian "animal" labels happened, quality went down to keep the prices low and inferior fruit was used to make the juice. Some Chile wines are now almost $100 per bottle, have no idea who pays that much for a generic wine, at this price you can have pretty much anything from CA and Europe with few exceptions, and from proven vineyards to boot. I am wiling to bet that in a blindsetup a bottle of 2BC will easily taste better than most Chilean wines up to $10-12 per bottle.

If anything, I'd go for a Argentina wines these days, it is difficult to screw up Malbec. Plus, to me it is a bit more adventurous than a generic Cab at the same price, more complexity, body and spice. And most likely less oak.

[JohnnyFlake]

Here is another awareness post, however, this one comes to me with a recommendation from a friend back in Illinois.

2004 Spruce Goose "Willamette" Pinot Noir

"A scintillating, almost translucent red to the eye. Ripe and rich on the nose, with urgent notes of wild red cherries and cinnamon--all framed by a bouquet of red roses. Is this really a New World Pinot? My Lord, possess the texture that I find only in a 1er cru Burgundy!

92 points, Jason Palma
Wine Consultant, Sam's Wines and Spirits

$19.99 per 750ml bottle!

My wife is a Pinot Noir fan. She told me "the Little Penguin" Pinot Noir 2008 was awesome. It was under 20 closer to 10 but she loved it.

[Trace63]

My girlfriend had some Foxhorn White Zin a little while ago that was pretty good. And its cheap as can be too.

[DoctaJ]

One wine I jump on when I see if on special for under $20 is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio:




Very smooth wine with great flavors. It's defintily one of the best I have tasted in terms of Pinot Grigio

[DoctaJ]

Btw, does anyone have any specific Sauvignon blanc's they would recommend that fit under this category (under $20)? Always on the lookout for some new ones to try

[Trace63]

Originally Posted by DoctaJ

One wine I jump on when I see if on special for under $20 is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio:




Very smooth wine with great flavors. It's defintily one of the best I have tasted in terms of Pinot Grigio

One of my best friends LOVES this wine. I really need to try it.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by DoctaJ

One wine I jump on when I see if on special for under $20 is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio:




Very smooth wine with great flavors. It's defintily one of the best I have tasted in terms of Pinot Grigio

Should this always be under $20? I can't imagine a Pinot Grigio over $20

[kaisersozei]

About a month or so ago, my wife discovered this:



Vacqueyras Domaine Mas du Bouquet

The 2006 vintage scored a 90 in Wine Spectator last year. She loves it, and at $15/bottle, I love it, too!

[Sauer Grapes]

I'm more of a noob with wine than I ever was with cigars. For a white though, Nobilo Sauvignion Blanc is quite tasty. It's from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

I can't suggest any reds because most of the ones I drink are too cheap even for this thread, and I highly doubt they are good. I will definitely be using this thread as a reference for stuff to try though.

Originally Posted by DoctaJ

Btw, does anyone have any specific Sauvignon blanc's they would recommend that fit under this category (under $20)? Always on the lookout for some new ones to try

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

I'm more of a noob with wine than I ever was with cigars. For a white though, Nobilo Sauvignion Blanc is quite tasty. It's from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

I can't suggest any reds because most of the ones I drink are too cheap even for this thread, and I highly doubt they are good. I will definitely be using this thread as a reference for stuff to try though.

I love to find under $10 wines that are good tasting with no bad qualities. I used to get Blackstone Merlot often at Costco.

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

I love to find under $10 wines that are good tasting with no bad qualities. I used to get Blackstone Merlot often at Costco.

Lance, this past weekend I bought a few bottles of Meridian Pinot Noirm on sale at Safeway for $5.99 each and the wine was not bad at all. Merlot, same price, had way too much oak for me, though.

[Dunkel]

Been a number of years since I've drank any wine but i used to love Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages for a red, and Adolf Mueller Liebfraumilch for a white.

[JohnnyFlake]

Here is a new one that family friends tell me is an amazing wine for the price!

Albino Armani Casetta 2005

Sam's Score: 91-93 Points: The aromas found in this wine are a complete turn on: black plums, acai berry, maduro tobacco, bergamot oil and exotic spices. On the palate, the wine coats the mouth with layers of fruit, fragrant earth and spice elements. It tastes like a hypothetical blend of Amarone, Pinot Noir and Mourvedre. A fascinating and delicious wine.

~ Efrain Madrigal, Sam's Wine Director

Sam's First Look Price: $15.99!

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFlake

Here is a new one that family friends tell me is an amazing wine for the price!

Albino Armani Casetta 2005

Sam's Score: 91-93 Points: The aromas found in this wine are a complete turn on: black plums, acai berry, maduro tobacco, bergamot oil and exotic spices. On the palate, the wine coats the mouth with layers of fruit, fragrant earth and spice elements. It tastes like a hypothetical blend of Amarone, Pinot Noir and Mourvedre. A fascinating and delicious wine.

~ Efrain Madrigal, Sam's Wine Director

Sam's First Look Price: $15.99!

And a popular translation for the rest of us:

Black plums - way overripe fruit
Maduro Tobacco - plenty of oak tannins (most likely chips at the price point)
Mourvedre - brett (the only grape that gets confused with brett and since there isn't any in this wine, brett is the only explanation)

[JohnnyFlake]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

And a popular translation for the rest of us:

Black plums - way overripe fruit
Maduro Tobacco - plenty of oak tannins (most likely chips at the price point)
Mourvedre - brett (the only grape that gets confused with brett and since there isn't any in this wine, brett is the only explanation)

And still another RIP by Mr Riddick!!!