Best Buys $10 And Under

91 points Wine Advocate
The fruit-driven, ripe and heady 2019 Vina Real Crianza was produced with 90% Tempranillo and the rest between Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano from a vineyard in the Sonsierra zone (call it Rioja Alavesa if you like). It has 13.75% alcohol and a pH of 3.6 and is polished and easy to understand and like. It has plenty of tannins; it calls for food. The oak is soft and integrated.

93 points James Suckling
High-toned, floral aromas with orange peel and crushed blackberries. Medium-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that are polished and intense. Serious length and focus. Very drinkable now, but even better in 2024

93 points Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the nose on the 2019 Breca, which is loaded with spicy red and black fruits as well as notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, herbes de Provence, and some chalky, mineral-like nuances. Beautiful on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied, elegant, balanced, straight-up gorgeous Garnacha...

The Aubert family has lived in Saint-Émilion since 1750 and has a long and successful history as producers of some of Bordeaux’s finest wines. They own over 600 acres of vineyard property, making them one of the largest family producers on the Right Bank. Their estate centers around the old family home of Château de Ribebon, a magnificent 18th century building that was once a hunting lodge for King Louis XIV, beautifully preserved, on a terrace overlooking the Dordogne River. Chateau de Ribebon is a blend of 70% Merlot 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.

This has an array of juicy, rich red-plum and berry aromas and flavors that make for a very impressively balanced wine that has good, persistent red-fruit flavor through the finish. Drink or hold

This is a chance to get a sense of what older, classic Tuscan wine tastes like without dipping into price prohibitive vintages from years gone by. This is the real, Old World, deal. Wild herbs, tea, and rustic accents mark this as a wine you must try to get a sense of what people were enjoying before fruit forwardness became dogma. Would be heaven with a big chunk of Pecorino Romano procured from Author Avenue in the Bronx by way of Tuscany, of course. - PJ

95 points Wine Advocate
The subtle and harmonious 2019 Selección Especial reflects a very complete and good vintage. It has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine. 2019 is a powerful vintage with balance and freshness. The grapes ripened thoroughly and developed a full set of aromas and flavors. It's complex and nuanced, with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a long, dry and tasty finish. Selección applies to the vineyards but also the barrels and everything that contributes to this wine; it's not only a selection of lots, which was the case before the 1994 vintage. 274,992 bottles produced. It was bottled between April and June 2022 after 26 months in barrel.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, comes from a dry and warm year with low yields and concentrated wines. The grapes from the Haro zone, the four from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano fermented destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and 80% of the volume matured in French oak and the rest in Centro European and American oak, 20% of them new, for 22 months, during which time the wine was racked every eight to nine months. This is serious and young but balanced, nuanced and complex. They are shortening the time in oak, as they feel they have better and younger barrels and think the wines need less time in oak and more time in bottle. This is very Muga, very Rioja and very good. They produced an impressive 960,000 bottles and 18,000 magnums of this. There is only one master blend that is bottled at different times. I tasted a bottle that was filled in April 2022 (because of the lack of availability of bottles!).

91 points Wine Advocate
The creamy and lactic 2019 Crianza was produced with pure Tempranillo that achieved good ripeness (14%), keeping freshness, the character of the 2019, a drier vintage than average with some heat but not excess, and the ripeness was perfect and the grapes very healthy. This is generously oaked after 14 months in used French and American oak barrels with rackings every six months. Very approachable.

Sierra Cantabria Crianza is the flagship age-classified Rioja bottling produced by the Eguren family of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. While the family is most well known for their single cru classified bottlings, they produce outstanding ageing classified wines from their estate vineyards in San Vicente. While this category is dominated by blends of purchased fruit sourced from many growers across the entire appellation, the Eguren family are one of the few (if not the only) families in Rioja that produce an estate grown and bottled Crianza from a single village - in this case, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, one of the most respected villages for Tempranillo in Spain.
.
Practicing organic dry farmed viticulture with certain selective biodynamic practices. Vineyards trained as spur-pruned goblet vines as well as high density trellises. Manual work and harvest, with no mechanization whatsoever.

14 months in used French & American oak barrels. Racked every four months. Aging is carried out in subterranean cellars that were carved by the family at the end of the 1990's. Due to the low temperatures and high humidity, the rate of oxidation is reduced allowing the family to work with low levels of SO2.

Second Place finisher in our 2023 Wine of the Year blind-tasting!

Second place goes to Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Unica Reserva Rioja 2019! This is a stellar Reserva Rioja from the latest outstanding vintage of the region 2019. Tasting this blind it was apparent that it was Rioja as it demonstrated those classic Rioja notes of dill, savory Tempranillo fruit, and a touch of sweet wood influence. What captivated us about the wine was how seductive the fruit was, ripe without being sweet. We would categorize this as a youthful modern Rioja with enough classic notes to do Rioja proud. This wine is going to make a lot of new friends as it is absolutely irresistible now, but yes it will age a decade easily.

Organic. The Eguren family are the pioneers in the production of parcel specific single cru wines from Rioja in the Burgundy model. Sierra Cantabria Reserva Única is the family’s introduction to their single vineyard range, which is sourced from a spectacular vineyard on the banks of the Ebro River in Labastida. The entire vineyard is vinified as a Reserva, and throughout the aging process, Marcos Eguren carries out a severe barrel selection with only the finest being used for Unica. The wine is produced every vintage, but in varying quantities (1,500-4,000 cases) depending on the quality of the year. Unica represents a premier cru style Rioja single vineyard with fantastic structure, a seamless texture, and a pure red fruit character. Tempranillo (97 %) and Graciano (3 %) from vines older than 30 years.

Second place goes to Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Unica Reserva Rioja 2019! This is a stellar Reserva Rioja from the latest outstanding vintage of the region 2019. Tasting this blind it was apparent that it was Rioja as it demonstrated those classic Rioja notes of dill, savory Tempranillo fruit, and a touch of sweet wood influence. What captivated us about the wine was how seductive the fruit was, ripe without being sweet. We would categorize this as a youthful modern Rioja with enough classic notes to do Rioja proud. This wine is going to make a lot of new friends as it is absolutely irresistible now, but yes it will age a decade easily.

Crisp blackberry and plum flavors are edged by earthen nuances of bramble and forest floor in this full-bodied blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah. It’s juicy but briskly concentrated, framed by ripe, integrated tannins. Enjoy this mouthfilling but easy-quaffing red while it’s young.

90 pts Wine Spectator
A smooth texture masks good concentration in this juicy red, with a firm structure. Ripe cherry and plum flavors mingle with coffee and toasty notes, showing touches of herb and loamy earth.

Organic

Traditional Sardinian producer with large cavernous cement tanks under house; old vine Cannonau (avg. 50 yr. old). Decomposed granitic soils gives wines acidic zing. Practicing organic.

#50 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
91 points Wine Spectator
This zesty red is generous with sleekly layered cherry and raspberry flavors that are laced with notes of cinnamon and pepper and finish with lively tannins. Drink now through 2029

Ruby red colour with medium depth rim. Intense, fresh aroma. Complex notes of plum, enveloped against a very enjoyable balsamic undertone. Delicate leather and spicy touches that recall a subtle toastiness enhance the wine's finesse and elegance. Its broad, well-rounded tannins and ripe fruit provide a balanced, full-bodied mouthfeel. A pleasant, luscious and tasty wine in mouth. - Winery

92 points Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a tasty, easygoing Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next 10-15 years. Bright red/purplish berry fruit, spice and lifted floral notes lend freshness to this attractive, vibrant, mid-weight Cabernet. The 2019 is very nicely done, and is also one of the most approachable wines of the year, even though there is plenty of grip.

Organic

Ruby red with violet notes, along with a nose of intense red fruit notes, with light hints of spices and chocolate. On the palate, it is medium bodied with mature tannins and notes of spices and chocolate.

Winery Notes:
Ruby red with garnet hues. An intense impact with powerful notes of cherry, plum and violet opens a bouquet that then fades into neat aromas of tobacco, chocolate, cinnamon and spicy hints of black pepper. Great complexity in the overall bouquet, neat expressions of the authentic Sangiovese and Chianti Classico aromas. Full-bodied, very powerful in its fruity notes, with elegant tannins perfectly supported by a good acidity. The finish is characterized by pleasant sensations of sweet tobacco. The aftertaste is particularly long and shows powerful notes of plums and lighter aromas of clove.

PJ WIne - Best Buy!
Chateau Grimard is a small, three generation-old family estate located in the commune of Lugon, just outside the Fronsac region on the right-bank of Bordeaux. The vineyard lies on a south-east slope, which is ideal for attaining full ripeness. The vines have an average age of 25 years. Chateau Grimard is a classic Bordeaux, offering a deep red-purple color, a lush bouquet, and ripe plummy-cassis fruit with good structure. It is a wine with more definition and character than most other petite
chateaux, which is in part due to the excellent location of the property, where the Merlot grape thrives in the area’s clay soils. Chateau Grimard is vinified and matured in stainless steel tanks to ensure that it gives immediate pleasure at the table. It is a versatile, food-friendly wine that can be enjoyed with fowl and red meat dishes.

Organic

91 points James Suckling
A fragrant nose of mulberries, plums, lavender, sandalwood and baking spices. It’s full-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Pleasant, balanced wood notes. Velvety, flavorful finish. Drink now or hold.

90 points Wine Advocate
I found the 2019 Crianza to be quite harmonious and with less oak than many of its siblings. It's medium to full-bodied with balance and fine tannins.

Organic / Biodynamic

95 points Vinous
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is remarkably pretty, wafting up with a blend of violets and lavender before giving way to steeped plum lifted by mint. This is racy and sleek, with cooling acidity and mineral tones that excite the palate. Juicy acidity enlivens tart wild berry fruits. The 2019 finds its center through the finish, as fine tannins emerge and a crunchy sensation lingers. Licorice and bitter blackberry notes taper off slowly. In a word, fantastic. The balance of complexity, structure and energy places the 2019 very high in my book

Deep, inky red in color, this wine offers up seductive scents of cassis, licorice, ripe plum and blackberry intermingled with hints of toasty oak and nutmeg spice. Concentrated fruit envelops the palate, with deep, luscious flavors that echo the nose. It has a rich, full-bodied structure, hints of sweet oak, and a long, pleasing finish. - PJ

#6 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2022

94 points Wine Spectator
This wine marks a comeback for the venerable Robert Mondavi Winery, with its first appearance in our Top 100 since 2011. Winemaker Nova Cadamatre helped oversee significant replanting in the famed To Kalon vineyard during her tenure (she left the winery in 2021). As young vine parcels came into production, she employed a strict selection for the winery’s The Reserve, instead feeding the new-parcel fruit into the middle-tier Oakville bottling (renamed The Estates starting with the 2018 vintage). Relying on organic farming practices, with native yeast fermentations and no filtration at bottling, this is very much a new and promising Mondavi.

Throws off some pretty gorgeous aromas of violet, anise and sweet bay leaf, with a core of ripe, streamlined boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors following closely. The finish has a racy graphite edge, while the fruit and aromas just spill through. Approachable now, too. Drink now through 2034
.

Winemaker Notes:
Line 39' fruit-driven Pinot Noir has fresh fruit and herbal with rich flavors of raspberries and black cherries on the palate and soft, supple tannins.
This Pinot Noir pairs well with lamb, pork and pasta dishes.

Organic

This organically farmed Estate fruit Cava is way more serious than you may be used to. The wine spends three years on the lees and is only disgorged when the US importer places their order. This results in a richer, more complex style of Cava that displays some serious brioche. A blend of 37% Parellada, 35% Macabeu and 28% Xarel-lo, the vintage-dated 2018 Brut Reserva was disgorged in December of 2021, having spent three years on the lees. The resulting wine is an excellent example of what Cava can be. The nose is clean and fruity with hints of apple, caramel and fresh herbs. The palate is elegant and balanced with well-integrated bubbles and excellent balance. Four grams dosage, 5.9 acidity and only 11.5% alcohol. Yum!

Food pairing: At any time. Ideal as an aperitif. Goes well with fish, seafood cream soup, white meat, goat cheese and desserts.

Torelló Mata uses only fruit from vines that are a minimum of 30 years old.

92 points James Suckling
A very aromatic red, offering baking spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and anisette, as well as notes of ripe blackcurrants, plums and dark chocolate. Full-bodied with soft tannins and a ripe yet vibrant and juicy fruit core. Long, warming finish. Drinkable now, but better in a few years.

Organic

Produced from vines planted well south of the cluster of northern-Thermenregion villages that comprise the majority of their holdings, Stadlmann’s Pinot Noir (called “Blauburgunder” locally) is simultaneously fresh and substantial, offering the textural harmoniousness of their white wines, as well as a lifted and elegant spice character that puts one in the mind of excellent red Burgundy. (After all, it was the Cistercian monks who brought Pinot Noir from Burgundy to the Thermenregion in the late 1100s.) Like the estate’s white wines, this is fermented and aged entirely in large, well-worn oak casks and bottled without fining and with only a gentle filtration. 12.5% abv (Rosenthal Wine Merchant Import)