Best Buys $10 And Under

93 points Wine Enthusiast
Generous flavors of boysenberry, plum, spiced cocoa and vanilla bean are carried on a structure of succulent tannins and persistent, mouthwatering acidity that invites another sip. This wine includes hints of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot to enhance aromatic freshness

96 points Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir The South Slope Vineyard is a classic Steven Hansel wine. A rush of dark cherry, plum lavender, rose petal and licorice are all dialed up. This boisterous, exuberant Pinot Noir has a ton of character. Plush contours wrap it all together in style. The 2021 will be nearly impossible to resist on release. What a knock-out!

94 points Wine Spectator
A dynamic blend, combining deep structure with finesse and polish, this features black cherry and cassis flavors laced with toasty spice, red licorice and a hint of dusty herbs as it builds tension toward refined tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030

97 points Wine Advocate
It wasproduced with grapes from three vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra at different altitudes and is a blend of Tempranillo with 8% Garnacha with limited yields because of mildew. It matured in new French barriques for 20 months. He wanted a more classical image and perhaps a more classical profile of wine. It's perfumed and floral, with notes of aromatic herbs, a little balsamic and quite showy, with very fine tannins and freshness, as he used more grapes from the higher-altitude zones. It's powerful and elegant, and in a way it reminds me of the style of the initial vintages of La Cueva de Contador; it's clean and elegant. It's 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.55. It's very young but still drinkable, as the quality of the tannins is very good. I think this is the one wine I'd buy from their portfolio if I could only buy one. It transported me to the wines from the early 2000s. 10,000 bottles produced

"(50% pinot noir and 25% each of chardonnay and pinot meunier): Pale, bright pink. A wild, pungent bouquet evokes redcurrant, cherry and licorice, with a suave floral quality in the background. Juicy, penetrating red fruit flavors are braced by a note of blood orange and show impressive intensity. Finishes brisk and incisive, with excellent length." 91pts Vinous

Agua Magica is a premium, sipping mezcal. It has aromas of cooked maguey, subtle smoke, bananas, and almonds. On the palate are fresh herbal notes along with cooked maguey, banana, almond, and caramel. It is soft and easy to drink. 40%abv

Hand-crafted in the village of Santa Catarina Minas from a palenque with a long view of the flat, open, treelined valley. Agave: Espadin. Naturally fermented and twice distilled in ancestral ancestral clay stills with bamboo tubing. A nose of granite and fig, palate of citrus, honey and green herbs. ABV 50. - Producers Notes

Distilled two times and is exceptionally smooth with a soft agave taste, perfect for sipping.

Los Amantes mezcal is an artisanal spirit made from 100% agave grown in Oaxaca [wah-ha-cah], Mexico's premium mezcal region. Los Amantes translates to The Lovers and It is considered by some to be one of the best mezcals from Oaxaca. The nose has tobacco, honey, roasted corn, cinnamon and pepper. The palate is smooth with woody flavors and sweet nuances that linger.

Appearance: Brilliant gold. Nose: Powerful peat-smoke with sea-water saltiness, the liquor of fresh oysters, a citrus sweetness. Palate: A rich dried-fruit sweetness with smoke and strong barley-malt flavors, warming and intense. At the back of the mouth is an explosion of pepper. Finish: long, warming peppery finish with an appetising sweetness. 45.8% abv - Maritime and Smokey -


"Fresh, vibrant. Appetizingly briny, with notes of seaweed, fishnets, lemongrass, smoke, and damp peat. A bed of light toffee provides contrast and balance. It finishes with a knockout punch: powerfully peppery and salty. This whisky remains a beautifully dynamic and bold whisky." Whisky Advocate

El Tesoro uses 100% estate grown agave, allowing the agave to grow longer than most to peak maturity and double distilling to proof without adding water after the final distillation. The anejo is aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for two to three years. The process imparts a strong influence of oak but retains a complexion of agave, with floral and pepper notes on the nose and palate. 95 Points - Beverage Testing Institute Awards 2020. 40%abv

Distiller Notes
2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Medal Winner

2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Medal Winner

Speyside whiskies are known to be fruity and floral, but as the bad boy of Speyside, Craigellachie defies with its oil fired, rich character. Craigellachie 13 is matured in a mixture of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The bourbon casks bring vanilla, toffee and fudge notes to the fore, and the sherry casks provide richness and complexity.

"It's good to see an official distillery bottling of Clynelish in the U.S. This one is very true to the Clynelish style: fresh, appetizing, and very drinkable. Notes of brine, fruit (lemon-lime), and vanilla-accented malt, are the foundation of this whisky. Delicate seaweed, peat, exotic pepper and a hint of citrus rind bitterness entertain the palate throughout, all the way to its appetizingly briny, seaweed-tinged finish. Perhaps the definitive aperitif whisky." Whisky Advocate

Nose: zesty, mandarin, tangerine. Smoky. Palate: quite light, great clarity. orange, soft acidity. dry oak. mixed fruits, vanilla, leather. Finish: quite long, bitter sweetness developing, spicy oak. Great balance with perfectly rounded mouthfeel. 46%abv - Fresh Fruit and Vanilla -

Islay, Scotland- Burnt Sienna in color with Dark chocolate and raisin aromas that compliment the classic Bowmore smokiness. Wonderful cedar wood and rich treacle toffee flavors and a robust and warming finish.

Hand-crafted in the village of Las Milpas overlooking rolling pastures and nestled among cornfields. Agave: Espadin. Naturally fermented and twice distilled in wood-fired copper stills. Nose of slate and tropical fruit, palate of citrus, lavender and pea shoots, with a long dry finish. ABV 46. - Producer's notes

Wine Advocate, 96pts. - "Pale to medium gold colored, the 2009 Coutet leaps from the glass with warm apple pie, dried mango, fresh straw, lemongrass, ginger and cr?me caramel notes. The rich, concentrated, unctuous flavors are lifted by amazing freshness, finishing epically long, layered and with a tantalizing nuttiness."

Decanter, 96pts. - "On clay over limestone soils, relatively cool compared to Sauternes, this has a purity and freshness that is striking . . . Full of the quince, candied orange, truffle, apricot and lemon curd that you hope for in a quality sweet Bordeaux, coupled with lime blossom, ginger and citrus zest adding poise and character."

#19 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

95 points Wine Spectator
Strawberry, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors are beautifully displayed in this charming version, with loam, tobacco and herbs adding detail while the aftertaste goes on and on. Shows balance and formidable length. Best from 2026 through 2042.

95 points Vinous
The 2021 Zinfandel Monte Rosso, a blend from two blocks, is an elegant, understated wine that shows the more floral, savory side of this historic site. A wine more of nuance than power, the Monte Rosso Zinfandel is all pedigree. Sweet red-toned fruit, chalk, dried herbs, mint and blood orange add to a feeling of brightness. This is very nicely done, and yet I feel like there is more to this wine than it is showing today.

95 points Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a richer purple with a ruby tinge, the 2021 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard has classic benchmark aromas of raspberry liqueur, fresh peach, and five spice. This medium to full-bodied red is fully dry, with more serious structure and ripe tannins, and what feels like more mountain fruit character, but it retains freshness throughout. Drink 2025-2040

Organic

94 points Wine Advocate
As with La Canoca, the 2022 El Bardallo changes from a single-vineyard to a paraje (lieu-dit) wine and includes more plots in the same place to increase the volume of wine produced. It's Tempranillo with some 10% white grapes, mostly Viura. It fermented with some whole-cluster fruit and indigenous yeasts and matured in 500- and 600-liter barrels. It's quite fruit-driven, aromatic and reminiscent of the old carbonic-fermentation reds matured in barrel, juicy and velvety, with abundant, chalky tannins and a dry finish. 3,200 bottles were filled in September 2023.

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.

92 points Vinous
The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a pretty tightly wound wine, certainly moreso than is typically the case for this Barbaresco, which is often much more engaging in the early going. Dried herbs, tobacco, cedar and earthiness lend notable savory nuance in this decidedly nervy, somber Pora. There's good fruit intensity and plenty of character that makes me want to revisit this in a few months' time.

94 points Kerin O'Keefe
The lovely 2019 Pora Riserva from Produttori del Barbaresco offers delicate scents recalling ripe red fruit, culinary spice, new leather and violet while the refined palate features juicy raspberry, liquor soaked cherry and licorice. Tightly-knit, velvety tannins provide enveloping support. Pora is known for its softer tannins and smoother character thank to its more fertile soil, and the these traits come through even in 2019, a vintage known for yielding wines with youthful austerity. Drink 2027–2034. Abv: 14.5%

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2018 Macan has moderate alcohol (14%) and more freshness (pH 3.69), reflecting a cooler and rainier year that forced them to fine-tune the sorting and selection of the grapes, which fermented with selected yeasts. The elevage was in barrel (55%) and larger foudres for 16 months. 2018 was quite different from 2019, as it was cooler and rainier. The wine is serious and harmonious, which was a challenge, and winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga told me that they had to be very careful and sort and select the grapes. It's textured and elegant, a style that follows the path of the 2016; it's elegant but with depth, managing the elevage in foudre better, which was a learning process they started in 2016. 74,570 bottles, 2557 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in September 2020.

93 points James Suckling
Sour cherries with orange peel and hints of vanilla bean. Some bark, too. Medium body, with very fine tannins and a fresh and bright finish. Lean and agile. Drink after 2026