Best Wines: Under $200, Under $100, Under $50, Under $25?

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Recommendations anyone?

Under $200
- RED Stag's Leap: FAY Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
- RED Penfolds: St. Henri 2010/2014

Under $100
- RED Le Sol - Craggy Range 2010
- RED Penfolds - Bin 389

Under $25
- RED Alamos: Merlot (Catena Zapata) 2005, 2010, 2011 (UNDER $15!!!)
- RED Primogenito Merlot
- RED Pulenta State Merlot
- RED Penfolds Bin 8
- WHITE Ottaviano Lambruschi: Vermentino 2014
 
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LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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I'm not Marty but here are my some of my favs and this list is by no means exhaustive... Some are hard to find on the secondary market and are quite often marked up, YMMV.

Great Wines < $200 (Winery Price) – California

Cabernet Sauvignon & Claret:
Bevan Cellars, Fairchild, MacDonald Vineyards, Maybach Family Vineyards, Ridge, Vine Hill Ranch

Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, and/or Petit Syrah:
Alban, Keplinger, Sine Qua Non (Non-Estate)

Pinot Noir:
Arcadian, Sea Smoke

Zinfandel:
Turley

Great Wines < $100 (Winery Price) – California

Cabernet Sauvignon & Claret:
Corra, Drinkward Peschon, EMH, Mending Wall, Myriad, Quivet, Rivers-Marie

Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, and/or Petit Syrah:
Andremilly, Bedrock, Carlisle, Copain, Once & Future, Saxum

Pinot Noir:
Anthill Farms, Calera, Copain, Kutch, Rhys, Rivers-Marie, Williams-Selyem

Zinfandel:
Bedrock, Carlisle

Thanks!
 

metaphacts

Industry Expert
Feb 1, 2011
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Recommendations anyone?

Under $200
- RED Stag's Leap: FAY Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
- RED Penfolds: St. Henri 2010/2014

Under $100
- RED Le Sol - Craggy Range 2010
- RED Penfolds - Bin 389

Under $25
- RED Alamos: Merlot (Catena Zapata) 2005, 2010, 2011 (UNDER $15!!!)
- RED Primogenito Merlot
- RED Pulenta State Merlot
- RED Penfolds Bin 8
- WHITE Ottaviano Lambruschi: Vermentino 2014

Love the thread concept but best in the thread title might better be replaced with favorites. There are way too many great wines from all over the world to choose a best, imho.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Love the thread concept but best in the thread title might better be replaced with favorites. There are way too many great wines from all over the world to choose a best, imho.

Agree...should have been 'Favorite' and in truth, that's what it is...was thinking along the 'What's Best' theme when i was typing...
 

thase13

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Feb 22, 2018
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Typically vintage dependent but these houses put out first class product year in, and year out. Again, YMMV.

Great Wines < $100 – Germany (Kabinett, Spatlese, and Auslese)

Donnhoff Dellchen Grosses Gewachs
Donnhoff Felsenberg Grosses Gewachs
Donnhoff Hermannshohle Grosses Gewachs
Donnhoff Nieder. Hermannshohle
Muller-Catoir Burgergarten Breumel
Muller-Catoir Burgergarten Haardt
Muller-Catoir Herrenletten
Muller-Catoir Mandelgarten
J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr
J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich
 

thase13

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Great Wines < $200 – Pacific Northwest

Cabernet Sauvignon & Claret:
Leonetti, Quilcida Creek

Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, and/or Petit Syrah:
Cayuse, Horsepower, No Girls

Pinot Noir:
Antica Terra


Great Wines < $100 – Pacific Northwest

Cabernet Sauvignon & Claret:
Betz Family, Cadence, DeLille Cellars

Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, and/or Petit Syrah:
Force Majeure, Reynvaan

Pinot Noir:
Arterberry Maresh, Bergstrom, Holocene, Sequitur
 

thase13

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More California...

Great Wines < $200 – California

Cabernet Sauvignon & Claret:
Realm

Great Wines < $100 – California

Pinot Noir:
Auteur, Cirq, Donelan
 

AJR

Well-Known Member
Feb 12, 2018
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LL21 - we share tastes with amps and wine! Agree with the Penfolds St Henri (under $200) and Craggy Range Le Sol (under $100). Not sure of current prices but isn’t the Penfolds RWT (my favourite bang-for-buck red wine on special occassions) under US$200? Depends on duties I guess.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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LL21 - we share tastes with amps and wine! Agree with the Penfolds St Henri (under $200) and Craggy Range Le Sol (under $100). Not sure of current prices but isn’t the Penfolds RWT (my favourite bang-for-buck red wine on special occassions) under US$200? Depends on duties I guess.

Awesome wines, Penfolds! Totally agree on RWT! We have a wine fridge mainly with Penfolds 150, 389, St. Henri, RWT and 1 707. We actually bought the 707 'just to try'...but have not opened! Too expensive...we much prefer to open a 389 as a matter of course on the weekend for dinner at home than to open a 707 every once in a while.
 

bonzo75

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So, where does Amarrone from Italy fit in here?
 

LL21

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So, where does Amarrone from Italy fit in here?

Have definitely enjoyed them but can never get a real lock on what to get in the Amarone world. the closest so far:

Amarone - Della Valpolicella Classico Allegrini 2007
 

AJR

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I think wine preferences open up a bigger can of worms than audio preferences. The sheer number of wines dwarfs anything audio and IMO far more subjective.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Updated:

Under $200
- RED Stag's Leap: FAY Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
- RED Penfolds: St. Henri 2010/2014
- RED Penfolds: RWT (just pushing that $200 limit though)

Under $100
- RED Le Sol - Craggy Range 2010
- RED Penfolds - Bin 389
- RED Vina Alberdi Riserva Rioja La Rioja Alta 2005

Under $50
- RED Volnay 2009 Roblet Monnot "Saint Francois"
- RED Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Allegrini 2007

Under $25
- RED Ribero Del Deuro Finca Villacreces 2005
- RED Primogenito Merlot
- RED Pulenta State Merlot
- RED Penfolds Bin 8 (would not bother with the 150...stick with 8 or go up to the 389)
- WHITE Ottaviano Lambruschi: Vermentino 2014

Under $15
- RED Alamos: Merlot (Catena Zapata) 2005, 2010, 2011 (UNDER $15!!!)
 

LL21

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I think wine preferences open up a bigger can of worms than audio preferences. The sheer number of wines dwarfs anything audio and IMO far more subjective.

100%...and talk about no way to describe in a way that is consistent...i have NO vocabulary for it, even though i know the professionals do.

Still...recommendations can be a nice way to learn/try.
 

Folsom

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I'm not seeing very many Walla Walla wines... They have better conditions than California for growing. But it all started more recently.

Cavu is one, and they are really quiet good for a bargain - they could charge a lot more if they marketed for it. Their "Rule Breaker" blend is absolutely delicious. While it's not expensive, it can add up if you want to drink it everyday, and you just might.

Here's probably my favorite Syrah of all time. It's not even expensive. The Red Mountain Syrah.

For an untraditional wine, one of my favorites ever is Ten Spoon's Flathead Cherry. I can enjoy it pretty much any time, anywhere, with anything (or anyone). But it should probably be noted that I often like dry wines, and this one truly is a dry.
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Under $200
• Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($109, Rhône Valley, France)

Under $100
• Château Canon-La Gaffelière St.-Emilion 2014 ($61, Bordeaux, France)

Under $50
• Domaine Huët Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont 2016 ($44, Loire Valley, France)
• Château de St.-Cosme Gigondas 2015 ($43, Rhône Valley, France)
• Château Coutet Barsac 2014 ($37, Bordeaux, France)
• Domaine des Baumard Savennières ($30, Loire Valley, France)
 

853guy

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Aug 14, 2013
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Under 30 €
- RED Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2014, 2015, 2017
- ROSÉ Domaine Les Grès Côtes de Provence 2017

Under 15 €
- RED Gabriel Meffre Domaine de Valori Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016
- ROSÉ Chateau Maupague Sainte-Victoire 2017

Best,

853guy
 

thase13

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Feb 22, 2018
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100%...and talk about no way to describe in a way that is consistent...i have NO vocabulary for it, even though i know the professionals do.

Still...recommendations can be a nice way to learn/try.

That may be so but many great wines share attributes that result in a more easily classifiable "house sound". There are characteristics or signatures that can often be traceable (sometimes, even across continents). Winemakers like Manfred Krankl, Thomas Rivers Brown, Justin Strider Smith, Andy Erickson, Heidi Peterson Barrett, Brad Grimes, Lou Rose, Stephen Henschke, Chris Ringland, or Alison Tauziet all leave their distinctive stylistic marks on their wine. Other winemakers like Michel Rolland (Angelus, Ausone, Clinet, Pontet-Canet & Harlan, Bryant Family), Denis Malbec (Chateau Latour & Kapcsandy), and Christian Moueix (Chateau Petrus & Dominus) influence spreads across multiple continents and have a global influence. So two possible places to start when trying to understand wine are not in the wine, but in the people who make the wine and the places that the wine is made. If you believe in terroir, then find out who selects and manages the vineyard and tends to the earth. David Abreu, Michel Rolland, the late Denis Malbec, and others have their own philosophies about planting, soil selection, rootstock, climate and microclimate (Oakville and Pritchard Hill are just as distinct as St. Emilion and Pomerol), and vine management and are associated with some of the greatest wines in the world. Second, find out who the oenologist is and sample their work vertically, from year to year, and horizontally, from vineyard to vineyard or label to label. Find out who they studied under and where they worked, I think you'll find that winemaking is a craft that is passed down from vineyard to vineyard, harvest to harvest, crush to crush. Many, if not most, of today's hottest young winemakers apprenticed at some of the greatest vineyards under some of the most legendary winemakers.

First focus on the people involved and you might find it easier to make heads or tails of the wine. From the sound of it John Duval and Peter Gago are good places to start.
 

LL21

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