Best Buys $10 And Under

Tempranillo sourced from a vineyard planted in 1970 in Rioja Alavesa. This dark purple wine unfurls with aromas of dried plums and balsamic over an oaky layer. Dry and rich on the palate, the firm tannins are enlivened by an ethereal mouthfeel—a warm, flavorful and overwhelming wine.

The 2022 Bodegas Juan Gil Silver Label Monastrell from Jumilla, Spain, is a rich, full-bodied red wine that exemplifies the bold character of Monastrell (also known as Mourvèdre). This wine comes from high-altitude vineyards with low-yielding vines, which contribute to its concentration and intensity. The Silver Label Monastrell is well-known for offering remarkable depth, structure, and a powerful expression of its terroir in Jumilla's hot, arid climate.

92 points James Suckling
Crushed seashells, chalk, salted lemons and sliced apples on the nose. Bone-dry salinity brings out plenty of briny austerity on a textured, medium-bodied palate. Pithy and gastronomic in the finish. I like the fact that this is not a fruity but rather a bony albarino. Bring on the oysters!

(50% Xarel??lo, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada)."My favorite of the two sparkling Cavas is the non-vintage Brut Reserva Cava. Made from a classic blend (for this area) of Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada planted in limestone and clay soils, the wine spends 24 months on its lees before disgorgement. It is an excellent value for consumers looking for alternatives to French Champagne. Lemon/lime, crushed rock and white currant notes are present in this crisp, elegant, refreshing, zesty, dry sparkler. Hints of wheat thins and brioche add complexity.

90 points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Breca has ripeness and 15% alcohol but also a leafy twist on the nose. It's sultry and juicy, with abundant, fine tannins and a dry finish. It was produced with fruit from old vines on different soils—slate, clay and limestone—fermented with uncrushed grapes and matured in second- and third-use 500- and 600-liter barrels for 16 months.

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

91 points Wine Spectator
An elegant red, with fine tannins enmeshed with flavors of pureed raspberry and black plum reduction, soft fig, thyme and lavender accents, while a minerally underpinning echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2028.

92 points Wine Advocate
The bread-and-butter wine here is the 2021 Bela, produced with Tempranillo from the village of Villalba de Duero (mentioned on the label), from sandy and clay rich soils on limestone mother rock that delivers powerful but not overripe wines with a short-ish élevage to achieve a fine-boned and fresh wine. The grapes were picked between October 1st and 25th, mostly Tempranillo but some 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot too, and it matured in French oak barrels for nine months. it's ripe without excess, with very integrated oak and a velvety palate with silky tannins. It reminds me of the historical wines from the early 1990s, Valribeño and so on, with some rusticity but very honest and characterful. With time in the glass, it develops a precise note of licorice intermixed with berry fruit and some spices and herbs.

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.

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.

Organic

91 pts Wine Advocate
The certified organic red 2020 Cune Organic is aromatic, expressive and fruit-driven but with depth and complexity. They liked the Garnacha in 2020, which represents no less than 60% of the blend, complemented by 30% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. The wine is fresh and has a profile similar to the young and juicy Crianza, with good ripeness and a solid palate. It matured in second use 300-liter oak barrels for six months. Urrutia mentioned cheerful and barbecue when talking about this wine. Very good at that.

Intense Tempranillo character is apparent in a concentrated, deeply colored red wine. Saturated red fruit grips the palate, leaving a long and sweet finish that promises excellent development in the bottle. Aged 15 months in barrique.

The four bodegas that comprise Alejandro Fernandez’s wine legacy, and constitute Grupo Pesquera, share a passion for winemaking that has perfected over time. The strong bond to this great winemaker’s homeland is also reflected in the group emblem: the symbolic Archway and Tower of Pesquera de Duero, the characteristic label on his mythical Tinto Pesquera wines. Numerous awards endorse our wines; awards reaped throughout our 40 years of experience in winemaking. It is, without doubt, a dream come true for Alejandro Fernandez whose maxim was always to own a bodega and make fine wines. Today it could be said that reality has surpassed the dream and that Alejandro, his bodegas, and his wines have earned worldwide recognition and appreciation.

This Rosado stuns once again with its minerality, salinity, and elegance. Made from the direct press of Listan Negro. The wine is pale and subtle in color but not in character. Always refreshing and relaxed on the palate where that volcanic minerality displays itself. Dry, refined, and masterfully done. Don’t miss it!

Los Bermejos is on the easternmost island of Lanzarote, only 125km from the African coast where conditions are extreme. A volcanic explosion that lasted from 1730-1736 covered the entire island in lava and ash 3-5 meters deep. Consequently, each vine must be planted in a hole or hoyo that breaks through that infertile volcanic crust of petrified lava to the organic matter that can nourish it. The wind, which acts as a natural fungicide, is so ferocious that each hoyo is surrounded by rock walls for protection. The flora on Lanzarote – including the vines – cannot grow very high; there are not enough nutrients in the soil to support sprawling greenery. Yields are minuscule (16 hL/ha) and each berry is concentrated with flavor. All vineyard work is done meticulously by hand. Some of the wines are certified organic, depending on the vintage. Ignacio supplements his crop with purchased fruit from growers who share his vision of sustainable viticulture; with such low yields the winery would have to own most of the land on the island in order to produce financially sustainable quantities of wine from exclusively proprietary grapes.

Organic / Biodynamic

This review is on the previous vintage.

93+ points Wine Advocate
The 2023 Clos Lojen is even more of a bargain than in previous years, as the price is the same and the quality is even higher!! It started being produced with 40-year-old vines, but those are by now 60 years old (I saw some of them, and they were REALLY impressive!); so, there's more depth and complexity; the vines are wiser (they've been tended nicely...) and manage to keep the freshness and approachability. They started harvesting the last week of August, and the result was 12.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.4 grams of acidity. The full clusters fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in foudres of different sizes—4,500, 10,000 and 15,000 liters—and lasted six months. The wine is fruit-driven, juicy, complex and spicy, balanced and tasty, textured and with a chalky feeling. This is way beyond what the price might suggest. 52,000 bottles produced in 2023. It was bottled between April and June 2024.

93 points James Suckling
A classical, typical Rioja Alta red with elegant notes of vanilla, coconut, smoked spices and strawberries. Refined and suave, with fine tannins and a long, creamy finish. Juicy and elegant. Really approachable now, but give it two more years to get more mushroom complexity.

92 points Wine Advocate
The younger wine here is the 2020 Vi¤a Alberdi, a versatile version of the Haro reds. It was produced with Tempranillo fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for two years (it's sold as Reserva in international markets and Crianza in Spain). It has 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.6 and five grams of acidity. It has a classical nose of ripe fruit, American oak and spices, the subtle notes of forest floor, still young. The palate is velvety and very balanced with polished tannins.

Organic

"A bright, straw-yellow coloured wine. As you expect from a verdejo wine, on the nose it has high aromatic intensity, with tropical fruit and hints of fennel and fresh grass. In the mouth it is both syrupy smooth and refreshing, with a slightly bitter finish which is typical of the variety making it long and pleasant to drink. Overall it is a fresh, well-balanced wine." Winemaker notes

Bodegas de los Herederos del Marques de Riscal S.L. has 225 hectares of vineyards of more than 15 years, planted with among other grapes, the indigenous verdejo variety. A versatile grape with a lot of character and personality, it is very well suited to the extreme conditions of the region, allowing us to produce fresh young wines or cask-fermented whites.

97 points James Suckling
A perfumed nose of plums, mulberries, mushrooms, caramel, sweet tobacco and sweet spices. Full-bodied with velvety, fine tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and supple with a creamy texture. Delicate and precise with a long, polished finish.

95 points Wine Advocate
They used the words subtlety, elegance, finesse, delicacy and silk to define the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Seleccion Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Brinas and Rodezno with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo vineyard in Fuenmayor that was picked 23 days later than the Tempranillo. The grapes were sorted optically for the first time, and they fermented in stainless steel where the wine went through malolactic too. The wine was put in barrel in January 2016?used American oak barrels built by their own coopers?where it matured for four years, during which time it was racked every six months. 2015 was a healthy vintage with balanced ripeness that delivered wines with good aging potential. They thought the wine needed a little more time in bottle to polish those tannins and have decided to hold it and release the wine around March 2023; it will be marked Seleccion Especial, the first 904 to do so, as they have very high hopes for this year and believe it's one of the finest vintages. They think it will develop the sophistication in the palate with a little more time and that is should achieve the silkiness that is the signature of 904. This is very 2015; I saw quite strong tannins in all the 2015 wines I tasted from Rioja Alta. Drink Window 2024-2025

90 points Wine Advocate
The bright ros 2024 Rosado is young and fruit-driven, with freshness despite being from the third dry and warm vintage in a row when they got very low yields. It's pure Garnacha from free-run juice with 12.5% alcohol, with notes of roses and wild herbs, a little reductive, with a soft palate, balanced and clean. It's closed with a screw cap. 60,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2024. Olivares has achieved organic certification. They have 275 hectares, 110 of them ungrafted Monastrell and the rest Monastrell, Syrah and Garnacha.

A bright, straw-yellow colour with intense aromas of fresh fruit. Notes of citrus fruit and aromatic herbs come through with an elegant varietal character. Dry with lively acidity, which enhances its fruit expression, and with length and intensity of flavour. Characteristic Albariño vibrancy.

The Palace of Fefiñanes has been inextricably linked with wine since the 17th century, and it was in the early 20th century that the winery was established as a commercial company. In 1928, the Albariño de Fefiñanes brand and label were created and a truly pioneering project was begun. The unique Albariño grape variety, grown in the Salnés valley, has always taken centre stage in our
wines. We have devoted the utmost care and attention to this variety, ensuring that its special character, extraordinary varietal expression and its uniqueness are perfectly preserved.

Floral and spice notes waft through the juicy flavors of red apple, tangerine zest and honeydew melon on display in this sleek white, with a light, pleasing plumpness on the palate. Salty finish. Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza.

Next to rose, there is no other wine that can turn down the summer heat like Txakoli. It’s not just a pleasure we indulge in when it’s hot outside; it’s essential. If given the choice between our air conditioner and Txakoli, we’d take the Txakoli! - PJ

Organic / Biodynamic

A firm backbone of Meyer lemon peel acidity frames this vivid sparkler, enmeshed with rich notes of lightly charred toast and smoked almond, backed by flavors of ripe white cherry and peach fruit. Hints of thyme and anise play on the finish. Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada and Malvasia de Sitges.

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

93 points Wine Spectator
Richly savory on the nose, this fresh, sinewy red features a minerally underpinning of petrol, earth, iron and salt to the flavors of juicy dried cherry and cranberry, red licorice and mandarin orange peel. Opens nicely in the glass and on the palate, with the persistent finish showing aromatic herbs and spices, plus more mineral notes. Tempranillo, Garnacho, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2031.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2011 Viña Tondonia Reserva is darker and shows riper fruit, a rounder palate and some dusty tannins. A year of ripeness, concentration and tannin, the wine is powerful with the finesse of Tondonia. Tasting this next to the textbook 2010 Tondonia revealed how this has more muscle and a wider back and the 2010 epitomizes the finesse and elegance. 270,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Organic

The review is on the 2019 vintage.

92+ points Wine Advocate
The village red 2019 Bellmunt was produced with 65% Garnacha, 30% Cariñena and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and is very expressive, ripe with 14% alcohol and some herbal notes and very good freshness. The palate is medium-bodied and reveals abundant, fine-grained tannins. Very Priorat.

Eric Asimov of The New York Times:
This cava, the bubbly of Spain, is straightforward and uncomplicated. It’s dry and fresh, with yeasty, apple flavors and a lacy texture. In case anybody confuses it with a far more exalted sparkling wine, the label will set you straight: Jaume Serra Cristalino is not affiliated with, sponsored by, approved by, endorsed by, or in any way connected to Louis Roederer’s Cristal Champagne or Louis Roederer.


Subtle, leesy aromas of apple, spices, flowers and nuts. Dry, racy and perfumed, with intense ginger and apple flavors complicated by nutty and floral nuances. Finishes quite dry and restrained. Unusually subtle, fresh, clean Cava. - IWC

(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

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.