Best Buys $10 And Under

Organic / Biodynamic

94 points Vinous
The 2023 Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont boasts a residual sweetness (20g/l) that brings a sense of tenderness and amplitude to a terroir that's big on precision and tension. The flint component in the soil and the natural freshness of the 2023 vintage provide persistence and momentum. Pure and tender, there?€?s a distinctive spearmint-like cooling sensation on the long finish.

Organic

92 points Wine Advocate
I also tasted the 2022 Viñedos en Labastida. The wines are produced in a similar way to highlight the differences of the places and vintages. In 2022, it's a similar blend of different plots with some 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% white grapes, and it had a similar vinification and élevage in 500- and 600-liter oak foudres in their cave. It's very primary and fruit-driven, with a nose of ripe berries and herbs, a lactic twist and a fine thread in the palate, with surprisingly fine tannins for a 2022. 3,600 bottles were filled in September 2023.

These are some of the most exciting new Riojas in the market.
Before modern or traditional Rioja, there was a simpler style of whole-cluster, co-fermented, and shortly-aged wines that were as naked and honest an expression of Rioja as one could find. So it's no surprise that José Gil followed in his ancestors' footsteps with focus in the vineyard rather than the cellar - which happens to be a cave in the outskirts of San Vicente.

Jose currently farms 5 hectares of vines located in the villages of San Vicente, Labastida, and Briones. Practices are manual and organic although he is not certified. The vines range in age from 5 to 130 years old with the majority Tempranillo, a small percentage of Viura. The oldest vineyard plots are co-planted with tiny percentages of other grape varieties which include Garnacha and Palomino. When the grapes reach the cellar after being harvested by hand, they are fermented either whole-cluster, or partially destemmed. All fermentations are by indigenous yeasts and extraction is gentle. After pressing the wines are racked into 225-300L French oak barrels and transported to the aging cellar in San Vicente.

Organic

97 points James Suckling
A great Spatlese that has deep apricot and mandarin orange fruit with delicate mint and tarragon aromas. Staggering vitality and brilliance on the extremely focused and precise palate. Enormous wet stone character at the super-long finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

95 points Vinous Media
The 2022 Riesling Oberhäuser Brücke Spätlese is from a site that combines weathered shale, weathered sandstone and volcanic formations, "but essentially the vines root in Tonschiefer or shale," Helmut says. It is not a steep site; in the valley, cold air flows at night, and the days are hot. This has the biggest day-night amplitude and is close to the river. The nose is of confounding aromatic complexity: green elements of citrus, think lime jelly, citrus leaf. The palate has a tropical intensity that brings passion fruit, lime, mango and much more intense sweetness that is always cut with vivid acidity. The 2022 is wonderfully exciting, hair-raising, almost joyful, or, as Helmut calls it, "crazy." Simply wonderful. (Sweet)

8% abv

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural / No Added Sulfites

Alice Bouvot and Charle's Dagand are disciples of the Pope of Arbois, Jacques Puffeney, and craft wines with similar purity and distinct sense of place. Sylvaner with 2 month maceration, spontaneous fermentation in tanks with indigenous yeast.

Virginia distiller A. Smith Bowman finishes its bourbon in a variety of port barrels from across Virginia and from Portugal for between three to six months, before blending them to create Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. Flavor is bold and sweet with the toasty oak notes rounding out to a long smooth finish that pleasantly lingers on the palate. 46%abv. 92pts - Wine Advocate

For their Tom Cat Gin, Vermont-based Caledonia Spirits takes their Barr Hill Gin and rests it in New American Oak barrels. The gin itself is a rather simple gin whose ingredients work to great effect. It starts with grain neutral spirit. It adds only juniper as a botanical. It is then sweetened with raw honey. That's it. The sweetening invokes an old style of gin known as "Old Tom" wherein gin was sweetened. It is moderately sweet to the palate. With a buckwheat honey flavor, the juniper is creamy and piney. Hints of orange butter, pine blossom, vanilla, butterscotch and toffee all emerge. Tom Cat Gin is rich and unctuous. - The Gin Is In, 5 stars

Santo Tequila Blanco is made from only the finest 100% Blue Weber Agave from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. To the pure, all things are pure.

This tequila blanco is smooth, with balanced and notable agave. Full and complex notes in taste are complimented by earthy, white pepper and citrus aromas. Delicate spice and floral flavors add to the intensity of the agave.

Wolffer Estate Pink Gin is a "rose" gin from Long Island's premier rose wine producer. The color is a light shiny bright pink. A playful fruit character is enhanced by juniper aromas and a blend botanicals including anise, fennel, coriander, cumin, and cardamom. The mouth feel is smooth and clean with a hint of spiciness. The finish is long, with a classic, lush alcoholic warmth. 40%abv

Nose: Bright, crisp and fresh with an uplifting welcome of juniper.

Palate: Juniper to the fore, supported by floral notes and spicy, warm cardamom. Plenty of citrus 'zing' complemented by the gingery spiciness of coriander.

Finish: The earthy dryness of Angelica kicks in.

46%abv

"Lively and generous Nectar Imperial distinguishes itself by its extravagant fruitiness, its density on the palate and its crisp finish that instantly surprise and delight. Nectar Roses assemblage is built on the intensity of Pinot Noir, the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier, and the freshness of Chardonnay." Winemaker notes

Its red color is sustained and nuanced with coppery shades.Its aromas are intense and deep with ripe berries (wild strawberry, blackberry, black currant) and cherry, nuanced by herbal and heady flowers notes.On the palate it is a succulent blend of richness and elegance, density and creaminess, extreme fruitiness and vibrant freshness.

Ideal for all sweet and sour, fatty-spicy, sugary-spicy or sweet dishes, Nectar Rose offers amazing pairings with foie gras marinated in red wines and red fruits based desserts.

Colour: Full sparkling gold, Nose: Huge smoke, seaweedy, "medicinal", with a hint of sweetness, Body: Full bodied, Palate: Suprising sweetness with hints of salt and layers of peatiness, Finish: Lingering. (Producer's Note) - Rich and Peaty -

"Pungent and medicinal in personality, with gobs of peat, tar, iodine, brine, and seaweed. These are all good things.in case you were wondering. A gentle vanilla sweetness tries to tame this savage beast, but it is no match. One of the most challenging-yet rewarding-whiskies in the entire world. What Cantillion Lambic is to beer, Laphroaig Original Cask Strength is to whisky." Wine Advocate

Aged for ten years, the nose is complex, with aromas of toffee, hints of orange peel, herbs, honey, leather and oak. The taste is bold, dry and delicate with notes of candied almonds and very rich cocoa. The finish is dry and lingering. 45%abv. Silver Medal - 2018 New York International Spirits Competition

Organic

94 points James Suckling 
Lovely seductive aromas of perfectly ripe strawberries with fresh flowers and orange. Medium body, very fine with orange peel and cherries as well as stone and hints of bark. Already delicious. A blend of their four vineyards. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.

92 points Wine Advocate 
The 2022 Bannockburn Pinot Noir is a blend of the four vineyards: Cornish Point, MacMuir, Block 3 and Block 5. It leads with violets, cherry blossom, pomegranate pearls, star anise and cracked fennel seeds. In the mouth, the wine is supple and spicy, with lashings of fruit flavor and a balancing splay of tannins through the mid-palate and finish. Nicely handled wine, satisfying and supple.

The Wine 100% Pinot Noir Sourced from four vineyards in the Bannockburn subregion The nature of being a gravity flow winery allows grapes to be gently destemmed without pumping 20% whole cluster fermentation Native yeast fermentation Aged for 13 months in French oak (30% new) No fining or filtering The Estate The winerys story begins with extensive research by Stewart Elms (inspiring the Elm tree logo) in 1991 which ultimately identified the north facing slopes at the end of Felton Road in Bannockburn as some of warmest and most ideal sites in all of Central Otago. Thanks to these findings, proprietor Nigel Greening made the decision to purchase the land which would eventually be transformed into the defining vineyard sites for Felton Road. Releasing their first commercial vintage in 1997, Felton Road has since developed an impressive reputation both in and outside New Zealand over the last three decades thanks to the singular vision of winemaker Blair Walter. While the winery is best known for its single vineyard expressions of Pinot Noir, Blairs limited production Chardonnay and Riesling bottlings are equally jaw-dropping. Even if you arent familiar with this winery, Im confident that your best customers will be. Not only do they represent one of the top wineries in New Zealand, but they are also widely considered to be one of the best Pinot Noir producers in the world at-large. Fast forwarding to present day, the winery remains committed to sourcing fruit from only their estate vineyards and everything is hand-picked. Since 2002, the vineyards have been managed organically and biodynamically, with their four vineyards eventually receiving full certification in 2010 by Demeter. Their aim is to promote a biodiverse ecosystem in their vineyards through the planting of cover crops which are kept in check by the herd of goats that call the vineyards home and their choice to naturally fertilize the vineyards with a clutch of chickens which forages amongst the vines. In the winery, Blair employs a minimal intervention approach indigenous yeasts, no fining or filtration, and no other additives. He keeps oak usage minimal with less than 30% new French oak on all of Felton Roads wines and approximately 15-30% whole cluster, depending on the vintage.

90 points Wine Spectator
The 2022 Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais is scented of cranberry sauce, raspberry preserves, mushrooms and earth. The light-bodied palate has an understated core of spicy fruit structured by finely chalky tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has an easygoing finish that calls you back for another juicy sip.

Organic

Hendrick's Neptunia Gin is a limited release that combines the classic cucumber and rose petal notes with what the distiller calls "coastal" botanicals. Hendrick's doesn't specify what these are but they do lend an enhanced palate complexity along with a very smooth citrus finish. 43.4%abv

Milagro Silver is made from 100% estate-grown, hand picked blue agave harvested from the highlands of Jalisco. The heart of the agave is roasted in brick ovens made from the same volcanic-rich soil where the blue agave fourishes. The Milagro Silver is a value tequila of extraordinary depth and character. Clear and transparent, Milagro Silver is triple-distilled for smoothness.

Greenhook has made here the world's first commercially released Beach Plum Gin Liqueur. Indigenous to the Beaches of New York, Beach Plums are a rare, finicky, Wild Plum with a prized, piquant flavor. Inspired by the Traditional, English Sloe Gin, Greenhook Beach Plum Gin Liqueur is crafted by soaking whole, Long Island Beach Plums in their Signature American Dry Gin for seven full months, with just a touch of Turbinado sugar.

Maker’s Mark, a perennial favorite, is aged for six years and made from wheat, corn and barley, but no rye. It’s natural Bourbon sweetness is balanced with caramel and vanilla and the finish is smooth and subtle. 45%abv

Patron Anejo is handcrafted from the 100% Weber Blue Agave and distilled in small batches at Hacienda Patron distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. It’s then aged in small white oak barrels for 12-15 months. Aromas and flavor notes of oak, vanilla, raisins, honey and caramel.