Best Buys $10 And Under

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha sourced from the prized Finca la Pedrizavineyard.

95 points James Suckling
Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it.

94+ points Wine Advocate
The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel. 600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020.

91 pts Wine Spectator
An aperitif-style Champagne, with flavors of creme de cassis, lemon curd and pastry riding a creamy mousse and framed by crisp, well-knit acidity. Drink now through 2020.

"It is composed of 20% of the Chardonnay grape variety, for elegance and delicacy, 40% of Pinot Noir, for roundness and structure and 40% of Pinot Meunier for fruitiness. Pale gold in color, abundance of delicate bubbles. Floral aromas of fruit with subtle predominance of white fruits: pear, apple, almonds and hazelnuts. Fresh opening, smooth, pleasant and balanced." Winemaker notes

Campari is an alcoholic spirit obtained from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water. Many have tried to guess the number of ingredients: some say there are 20 or 60, but others list the ingredients at 80. To this day, alcohol and water are the only known ingredients of its special and secret recipe. Its vibrant red color, intense aroma and distinctive bitter taste make it extremely versatile, and the perfect base for some of the most famous cocktails around the world.

Off-dry, great as an aperitif.

Every year, Billecart-Salmon vinifies base wines from a greater number of parcels than it actually needs for the production of its main cuvees. The tasting committee tastes each of these base wines and selects only the ones that match the standard and the style of Billecart-Salmon. Some of the wines that are not selected are bottled to be part of a second wine from the house, Inspiration 1818.

94 points James Suckling
Spicy oak to the black berries, blueberries and plums. Pretty fluid despite the medium to full body with nicely chewy tannins. Fine-grained, structured and long.

Carpano is the oldest brand of Vermouth and was the first Vermouth, invented in 1786 in Turin by Antonio Benedetto Carpano. The Antica Formula 1 was created shortly after. Flavorings include vanilla from Madagascar, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea, Iranian saffron and wormwood the Italian mountains. It has a bouquet and palate of dried fruit, spices, vanilla, raisin and cloves. 16.5%abv

Organic

#22. on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

94 points Wine Spectator
A solidly built red introduced by aromas of mint, lavender and wild rosemary. Shows cherry, raspberry, earth, iron, sanguine and tobacco flavors allied to an almost viscous texture as this cruises to the long finish. Impressive now, yet will be better in three to five years. Best from 2026 through 2045

Basil Haydon’s is a lighter bodied, rye forward Bourbon with a spicy-sweet flavor profile, and is a favorite of Bourbon enthusiasts. Aroma: Spice, tea, hint of peppermint Taste: Spicy, light-bodied, gentle bite Finish: Dry, clean, brief. 40%abv.

The premium liqueur imported from France, is a crystal clear liqueur that blends sweet and bitter orange peels distilled to perfection. Cointreau has been a worldwide legend since its creation in 1849.

Organic

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills comes from declassified fruit grown at Domaine de la Côte, plus purchased fruit from three other vineyards, including La Rinconada. It's a particularly complex and expressive iteration of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir from Sandhi. It has an alluring perfume of raspberry, strawberry, tea leaves, tobacco, potpourri and gravel dust, and it reveals botanical undertones as it spends time in the glass. The light-bodied palate has a deep core of spicy, herbal fruit, a frame of chalky tannins, energetic acidity and a long, layered finish.

"Fresh and floral, with lively tropical fruit, honey, and vanilla. Gentle on the palate, with a slight syrupy texture to its malty foundation. Youthful, orange marmalade finish with a hint of spice. A pleasant, easy-going whisky." Whisky Advocate, 40% abv

Colour: Full, golden yellow. Nose: Almost incense-like, heather honey with a fruity softness, notes of pineapple, toast and cereal. Syrupy, lingering on the tongue like a liqueur. Body: Full bodied. Finish: The perfume characteristics become more spicy, with a bitter hint of Seville oranges in a decidedly dry finish. - Malt and Honey -

91 points Wine Spectator
A well-balanced Champagne, with a vibrant backbone of acidity and a creamy mousse, this offers spice and tea rose accents to the crushed white cherry, toasty and candied lemon zest flavors. Clean-cut finish.

A blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier and 25% Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs; about half of the juice comes from 1er Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.

The Marie Weiss label is produced by the superb, small Champagne house of Ployez-Jacquemart, which is located in the small village of Ludes on the Montagne de Reims. The Marie Weiss bottling is produced entirely from purchased grapes or must, and the new release was quite a lovely bottle. The refined and complex nose wafts from the glass in a blend of apple, white peach, brioche, a nice touch of fresh nutmeg and a lovely base of chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, crisp and wide open, with good mid-palate depth, lovely focus and complexity, elegant mousse and lovely balance on the long and classy finish. This is not quite as structured out of the blocks as the Ployez-Jacquemart Brut NV, which really is built to age long and gracefully, and the Marie Weiss is a lovely counterpoint from the Ployez family for those who really want to drink their bubbly right after it is purchased.

92 pts Wine Spectator
A lovely hint of honeysuckle accents the flavors of mirabelle plum, white cherry, anise and grated ginger in this vibrant Champagne, which is finely knit and detailed in texture, with a mouthwatering finish of ripe fruit, spice and chalk accents. Disgorged November 2019. Drink now through 2025.

Ployez-Jacquemart blends wines while respecting the typicality of each grape harvest. Our Extra Quality Brut Champagne can be tasted following ageing of a minimum of three years. Our Extra Quality Brut is a blend of Premier and Grand Crus with a majority of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes (usually 60% black grapes and 40% white grapes). Our black grapes provide greater richness, complexity and roundness. We only use pure Cuvees (first pressings) and the make-up of this blend only exceptionally uses reserve wines when the grape harvest quality is too low.

Ployez-Jacquemart is a family House created in 1930 by Marcel Ployez and his wife Yvonne Jacquemart.

The whole essence of Ployez-Jacquemart rests in our continual search for excellence and our remarkable abilities to make truly fine wines. These skills have been passed down through three generations. Deep-seated pride in our product and heritage are the cornerstones of our traditional approach to champagne production

Hendrick’s is a fine and unique gin well known for its pronounced cucumber aroma and flavor notes. There are eleven botanicals in all used in the formulation, lending complexity and balance. An excellent martini gin. 44% abv

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.

Round and fruity, like a good Macon Chardonnay. Shows apple and berry flavors in a soft yet balanced frame. Drink now. ?BS - WS87

95 points James Suckling
Savory aromas of subtle earthy berries, oranges, iron and hints of walnut, tobacco and mushrooms. Fine tannins with high acidity on the palate with juicy, savory berries and a long, citrusy finish. A hint of tertiary caramel character at the end, making this very complex and complete. Drink now or in the next 10-15 years.

93 points Wine Advocate
The 2012 Viña Bosconia Reserva is perhaps a little too young (María José López de Heredia likes more polished wines, and for her this wine was too tough), with some tannins and the chalky texture from the limestone soils. This blend of Tempranillo with 15% Garnacho and 5% between Graciano and Mazuelo matured in used American oak barrels for five years. 80,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Brilliant topaz tones with amber hues. Pleasant orange notes on the nose with hints of candied peel, light aroma of vanilla fragrance from the cognac. Fragrant orange flavors enhanced by the cognac with nuances of orange essence and hazelnuts. Lingering and harmonious finish.

Empress 1908 is a Canadian gin made in British Columbia. It uses eight organic botanicals, one of which is butterfly pea blossom, which gives the gin a vivid indigo blue color. However, when citrus or tonic is added to the gin, the color turns from indigo to a soft pink. The palate is citrusy with noticeable grapefruit notes. While a unique product, it is also an excellent gin. Gluton free.

42.5%abv

Organic

94 points Vinous
The 2020 Vatan comes from exceptionally old vines in the Quemaos vineyard situated in the Villaester de Abajo area. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, it displays a dark purple color. The balsamic nose reveals plums, sour cherries and subtle blackberries over a cedar layer. Rich, creamy and juicy on the palate, the supple tannins and mild intensity leads to a nuanced, enduring finish. This is a vibrant interpretation of a successful year in Toro. Drinking Window: 2025-2040

Campari is an alcoholic spirit obtained from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water. Many have tried to guess the number of ingredients: some say there are 20 or 60, but others list the ingredients at 80. To this day, alcohol and water are the only known ingredients of its special and secret recipe. Its vibrant red color, intense aroma and distinctive bitter taste make it extremely versatile, and the perfect base for some of the most famous cocktails around the world.

St Germain Elderflower Liqueur is a French liqueur made with up to 1,000 fresh elderflowers that are hand-picked once a year in the late spring when the flavor and aroma of the flowers are at their peak. St Germain liqueur features a subtle yet delicate flavor, a fresh, quality taste and notes of peach, pear and grapefruit enhanced by the endless charm of the elderflower.

This Laphroaig is created from selected casks from each of the distiller's key styles. Mostly, these are historic styles - Quarter Cask, PX Cask, Triple Wood (Oloroso sherry) and 10 Year Old. The exception is a final maturation in American oak casks - rarely used for Scotch whisky.

Bottled at natural color, the result is an exquisite Laphroaig with their trademark 'peat reek' matched by an additional layer of complexity and depth brought about by the fusion of the maturation styles and different oaks. - Rich and Peaty -

Mellow spices and rich fruit on the nose with ripened red berries and more spice on the palate. Finish is soft and pleasantly long. A good value Bourbon. 2015 Double Gold Medal - San Francisco World Spirits Competition

"First created in 1954 (and released in warped, fake dusted bottle), the NV Chateauneuf du Pape La Fiole du Pape (a blend from 2010, 2011 and 2012) gives up classic garrigue, game and assorted sweet red and black fruits. Medium-bodied, nicely textured and easygoing, it’s a solid, Provencal effort to enjoy over the coming 4-5 years." WA

"Framed by firm acidity, this vivacious Champagne is almost crunchy in texture, showing harmony to the flavors of white peach, grated ginger, clover honey and candied lemon zest. Delivers a mouthwatering, chalk-tinged finish. Drink now through 2018. 20,000 cases imported." 90pts WS

"This champagne is a brightly sparkling, light golden yellow liquid with an abundance of fine and elegant bubbles. The nose reveals initial aromas of ripe fresh fruit (white and yellow peaches, apricots), tropical notes (lychee and pineapple). It then opens up with the fragrance of vanilla before developing notes of milky caramel, breadcrumbs and yeast, culminating in aromas of dried fruit and honey. An explosion of freshness in the mouth, followed by strong persistence. The complex aromas of fresh fruit and caramel perpetuate the intensity." Winemaker notes

A cuvee blended from 77 crus, every one unique. The grape variety traditionally used by Mumm, Pinot Noir (45%), endows the wine with structure and strength; Chardonnay blend (30%) that ensures both finesse and elegance. The fruity, sharp and well-rounded notes of Pinot Meunier (25%) complete the blend. A separate pressing and vinification for each grape variety and cru, to ensure a wide range of aromas and taste sensations. 25% to 30% addition of reserve wine which brings depth to the final blend. A residual sugar content of 8g/l to remain constant and true to the Maison MUMM style.

Georges Hermann Mumm is the man to whom we owe the House's iconic cuvee. In 1876, to assert the quality of its champagne, the House decided to adorn their bottles with a red silk ribbon, a reference to the Ordre de Saint Louis and to the Grand Cordon de la Legion d'Honneur. Its success was immediate: a symbol of Maison Mumm's excellence and expertise, the Cordon Rouge cuvee henceforth became a true benchmark all over the world.