Best Buys $10 And Under

Organic

Jeb Dunnuck on a previous vintage:
A richer styled wine (I've compared this cuvée to a Chardonnay from Mark Aubert), the 2020 Novellum has a medium gold hue as well as a rich, powerful bouquet of caramelized lemon, honeyed almonds, candle wax, and toasted bread. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced, this is another no brainer purchase.

#31 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

91 points Wine Spectator
Aromatic, juicy and fragrant, with Key lime pie, tangerine, lime sherbet, fresh-cut green apple and fresh-grated ginger all singing on a mouthwatering frame. Ends with a long, expressive finish. Drink now.

90 points James Suckling
Bright and fruity with crisp notes of lemongrass, passion fruit, lemons and white grapefruit on the nose. Vibrant acidity with a medium body and juicy finish.

90 points Decanter
Bright tropical fruits, fresh goosberry, citrus and dried herbs, with a plump, generous concentration and a zingy, salivating finish.

92 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Clos Des Lunes Lune D'Argent Blanc is a pure, balanced, medium to full-bodied white with clean citrus and floral aromatics, a good spine of acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. It's a classy Bordeaux Blanc based largely on Sémillon.

70% Semillon 30% Sauvignon Blanc
The wine is aged 6 to 7 months in 25% oak barrels, and 75% in little vats.

Winery Notes
On the nose, a wide range of fragrances, from vegetal with ivy and acacia to fruity with peach and lychee. A fresh start, opening for persistent mineral and fruity notes with a lingering finish on the palate.

91 pts James Suckling
A creamy and fruiyt white with sliced apples and pears, as well as some flint, parsley, and fennel undertones. Medium-bodied, fresh and satisfying. Drink now.

Succulent, fleshy peach and nectarine flavors are accented by Key lime, mango and ruby grapefruit notes. Shows nice intensity on the long, expressive finish.

Organic

#41 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

90 points Wine Spectator
There's a flinty underpinning to this fragrant white, which shows a succulent range of ripe apricot, blood orange, white blossoms, lemon peel and pickled ginger. Sleek and linear, with a hint of saline on the finish. Alvarinho and Trajadura. Drink now

Winemaker Notes:
This Pinot Grigio is pale yellow to sandy in color and subtle in its bouquet, with fruity notes of pears and candied fruits. The eloquent, harmonious body emphasizes its dry, full-bodied taste and round finish.

Pair with light appetizers, fish dishes, and South Tyrolean specialties.

91pts Wine Enthusiast:
Aromas of honeysuckle, green apple and honeydew melon follow through to the juicy palate, along with a note of white peach. Tangy acidity lifts the rich flavors.

Winemaker Notes:
"Cherry colour with garnet rim, bright and intense. Red fruit expression, powerful, elegant, dry stone, coca bean, creamy oak, hints of spices. Powerful, flavourful, fruity, good acidity, smoky aftertaste, toasty, long finish."

In 1927, a group of 15 vine-growers banded together to create the Cooperativa Ribera del Duero (which translates as "Bank of the Duero River"). They were the first to make a wine called "Ribera del Duero", and as regional pioneers, eventually gave their name to the DO when it was created in 1982. Generations later, this cooperative is producing some of the most highly acclaimed wines in Spain under the name "Protos", meaning "First" in Greek.

In 2008, Protos reached another milestone with the completion of its state-of-the-art winery by renowned British architect Richard Rogers. A modern architectural gem, the winery is built into the mountain just beneath Penafiel Castle, at once complementing and contrasting the ancient landmark.

LOCATION OF VINEYARD
Protos has two wineries in the heart of the Ribera del Duero: Penafiel (near Valladolid) and Anguix (near Burgos). Their third winery, La Seca, is where they make Verdejo in the neighboring Rueda DO near Valladolid. Protos owns 100 hectares of vineyards around its wineries and has partnerships with several local growers who supply additional grapes.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
Protos has the unique distinction of offering wines from two DOs, producing fresh, aromatic Verdejos from Rueda in addition to varietal Tempranillos from Ribera del Duero. Harvesting is entirely manual, and production is gathered in 20-kilogram boxes (just over 44 pounds) to aid in ensuring only completely healthy, whole grapes reach the fermentation tanks. Protos has also implemented an extensive R&D program to test the effects of different types of barrels on its wines.

In both DOs, Protos leverages its generations of winemaking experience, cutting-edge technology, and philosophy of "Quality above all" to produce exceptional wines.

Jose Serrano Carlos Guzman graduated from the L´Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique in Montpellier, France, with a degree in viticulture. Following graduation, he served as winemaker and technical director at several estates, including Bodega Cooperative de Morales de Toro (DO Toro), Bodegas Marques de Riscal (DO Rueda), and finally Bodegas Roqueta (DO Pla de Bages). He became Winemaker Director at Bodegas Protos in 1999.

Pronounced aromas of blackberry, plum, cedar, and sexy toasted oak. A me´lange of black fruits on the palate wrapped in a cherry pie filling core. Melting tannins leave the impression of bittersweet chocolate in the back of the mouth. There’s a solid seam of acidity that suspends the flavors well into the finish.

92 points Wine Spectator
A fresh, expressive red, this also exhibits tension, lending energy to its black currant, cherry, licorice and cedar flavors. Graphite and salty accents add detail on the long, tightly wound finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033.

"Pèppoli 2020 is ruby red in color. On the nose, Pèppoli delivers intense notes of red fruit, especially cherries, currants and strawberries accompanied by floral undertones of violets and lavender with light, spicy hints of licorice. Its palate is defined by a soft entry, accompanied by lively sensations, and sustained by ripe tannins that lead to a fresh, savory finish." —winemakery with a tasty vein of acidity together with silky and polished tannins. "

Winemaker Notes:
"This crisp, fruit-forward and juicy wine has expressive aromas and flavors of ripe red berries, with nice heft in the mouth, and mineral and spice notes. Most red meats and grilled or roasted white meats, especially those prepared with savory herbs or spices."

Organic / Biodynamic

This vintage has yet to be reviewed, however, the Wine Advocate has scored it in the nineties every year since 2015!
2015 (90pts), 2016 (91pts), 2017 (92pts), 2018 (91 pts), 2019 (92pts), 2020 (92pts), and 2021 (93pts)

Review is on the 2021 vintage: 93 points Wine Advocate
Juan António Ponce told me 2021 is one of those vintages when you realize in wine you never know everything... He thinks the 2021 Clos Lojen is the most complete vintage ever for this wine, with unusual freshness (despite "normal" parameters like a pH of 3.7 and five grams of acidity) and 12% alcohol. It's intense and has varietal Bobal typicity with good weight. It fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 4,500-, 10,000- and 15,000-liter French oak vats for six months. This is sharp and austere, with lower alcohol and is more mineral than fruit-driven. Incredible value. 12 %abv

91 points James Suckling
Floral nose with plenty of violet, morello cherries, dried oregano and thyme-like herbs. Fleshy, flavorful dark cherry fruit and wild herbs to the palate followed by a fruity, firm finish. Juicy and generous with a medium to full body. Drink now

Winemaker Notes:
This rich Chardonnay exhibits a classic profile of tropical fruit and Bosc pear alongside warm oak aromatics. The luscious palate suggests creme brulee and buttered toast, and finishes with fresh acidity.

Pair with cantaloupe with prosciutto, seared white fish over herbed farro.

If we had our way, fish stores would include a bottle of Muscadet with every dozen oysters sold. But barring new regulatory measures of food and drink, picking up a bottle of Muscadet should be as much of a given as dressing for salad; bread for a sandwich; a steak knife for a steak! That's how perfect and an integral this wine is with briny, East Coast oysters (or any shellfish, truly!). Here, Pepiere's version is bright and briny, with a little lemon meringue and lemon verbena on the nose, and that clear, bracing minerality that keeps you coming back for another sip (and another oyster!). -- PJ

The 2022 DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon exemplifies Paso Robles. The nose is highly perfumed, showing aromas of black cherry, cassis, plum, desert sage. sandalwood and dusty minerality. Secondary aromas reveal notes of cigar box, leather, bay leaf and black olive. The palate is rich and weighty, offering generous flavors of black raspberry, spicy currant and blueberry compote with impressions of Bing cherry, Boysenberry, fig, and baking spices. Ripe, fine-grained tannins carry into a structured finish with lingering accents of cherry, espresso and vanilla.

Blend: 77.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15.6% Petit Verdot, 6.5% Merlot, 0.4% Cabernet Franc

Barrel Aged: 8 months in 50% new French oak

Winemaker Notes:
A refreshing food friendly white wine, Albarino is crisp, elegant and dry and has aromas and flavors of pear, passion fruit, and apple with bright acidity.

(40% Garnacha, 30% Samso, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah) Camins del Priorat is a delicious entry-level offering from the famed winemaker Alvaro Palacios. It offers full-bodied, rich, deeply concentrated flavors of crisp cherry and ripe berries, with exotic floral and spice accents and a beautiful, seamless texture. A wine that always over delivers for the price, and a great introduction to high-quality Priorat! - Distributor

Organic / Biodynamic

90 points Vinous
The 2022 Mâcon-Verzé is a blend of all the Domaine's parcels in the middle of the slope on chalky soils and went through an eight-month fermentation. This has a crisp nose of lemon rind and crushed stone. It's focused and not complex, but it displays commendable vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with pretty white and yellow fruit and slightly higher acidity that lends more precision and nervosité to the finish.

A fruit bomb and delicious quaff, this red features juicy cherry, raspberry and toasty spice flavors.

Winemaker Notes:
The wine is dry with intense aromas and appealing flavors of Golden Delicious apples and citrus with a long, multi-layered finish. Excellent as an aperitif and with a medium body that makes it versatile to pair with everything from salads to chicken or grilled fish. Wonderful pairing ideas include butter lettuce with apples, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds, pizza topped with prosciutto and arugula, scallops, with tarragon cream, or tagliatelle with Italian olive oil, lemon zest and pine nuts.