Best Buys $10 And Under

Organic

90 points Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of strawberries and dried cranberries make for an unusually, pleasantly bright nose on this Primitivo. The palate is similarly fresh and crunchy with tannic red fruit, further animated by acid.

90 points James Suckling
A fruity and fresh red with chocolate, cherry and berry character. Some citrus undertones. Medium body, light tannins and a fruity finish.

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural

60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Vermentino.

Organic

100% Grüner Veltliner, grown in loess soils. Just over half of the grapes for this wine come from Silke's family's vineyards; the rest are sourced from neighboring growers in Krems and Dross. This is bottled and made in the shared Buchegger-Mayr winery. Full-bunch pressing; fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures, aged on the lees in tank until February of the following year.

This is a straightforward, spicy Gruner; light in body and fruit-driven, this is a stellar white "table wine", able to pair well with just about anything white wine goes with.

Winemaker Notes:
The original. Medium-bodied with black cherry, cola, strawberry, plum, and soft tannins. No wonder this Pinot is a favorite.

Pairs well with pastas with light tomato-based sauces, a juicy cheeseburger, grilled salmon, roasted pork tenderloin, or if you're not a cook, drink it on its own.

This varietal comes to us from the Northern Rhone Valley in France. Presumed to have arrived from Dalmatia and transported to the Rhone 1,700 years ago by Romans. There are only 2,000 acres of this variety in California at this time. - WINEMAKER’S NOTES

Winemaker Notes:
"Chloe Sonoma County Chardonnay is crafted from grapes grown primarily in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. Chloe winemaker Georgetta Dane has highlighted the structure and depth of this fruit by using new and used oak as a secondary presence, rather than the focus, to showcase ripe, clean flavors of fresh citrus, apple, pear with notes of creamy butter and a hint of vanilla. The resulting wine is exceptionally well-balanced with sophisticated intensity, a creamy mid-palate and long finish. The opulent, rich flavors coaxed from the grapes with soft oak integration is achieved through a combination of stainless steel and oak fermentation. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and was aged on oak, resulting in an elegant California Chardonnay with a silky finish."

Winemaker Notes:
The deep, dark color of this wine creates an expectation of weight and purpose, however the Essential Red’s first impressions are subtle and nuanced. Faint notes of sweet garden mint and eucalyptus tantalize the senses, while hinting at the complexity yet to come. Upon the first sip, the rich, juicy mouthfeel takes over, expressive with flavors of blueberry and blackberry. After aging in American oak for 12 months, the wine finishes with round, plush and succulent flavors of baked cobbler the perfect dessert to end any day. Food pairing The Essential Barbecue Burger. Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese. Dark Chocolate Macarons.

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

90 points Wine Spectator
A balanced, supple version, with a smoky undertone to the black cherry and blackberry fruit. Graphite and rosemary accents join the long finish. Drink now through 2027.

93 points James Suckling
Ripe and very fresh at the same time. I like the grilled thyme, garrigue, stones and graphite characters laid upon the berries and cherries on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with nice tension in the middle, connecting the fresh entry to a mineral, medium-long finish. Delicious now, but will drink well in the next five to six years.

Maceration on the skins for 18 days; alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature in stainless steel basins; malolactic fermentation in barriques; ageing in 225 litre barriques for 10 months, in cement vats for 6 months and 12 months in bottle.

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.

Organic

"The Flying Bicycle" is Germán Blanco's new project in Rioja Baja. With the help of an old friend and fellow oenologist, Javier Collio, Germán sources fruit from certified organic vineyards in the Navarra part of the appellation. The vineyards are dry-farmed and have an average age of thirty-five years old, grown in a mix of clay and limestone. The wine is made in a cellar in San Adrian, following the Milú philosophy: "happy wines made from happy grapes" is how he defines it. The grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in cold temperature from native yeasts. A slight maceration before the end of fermentation helps to make a delicate and fresh wine; no oak is used, and the wine stays in concrete tanks from five to six months

Organic

95% Nerello mascalese, 5% Nerello cappuccio ? Volcanic soil ? Northern slope of Mount Etna, from 600 up to 900 meters above sea level ? 5 to 50-year-old vines ? Temperature controlled fermentation (25-28° C) with spontaneous malolactic fermentation ? Aged in large French oak barrels (10-30 hl) for 16 months of wood aging, plus one month in steel ? Bottled unfiltered ? Annual production on average 11,000 cases

Always a Petite Sirah-dominated wine, the Pessimist sports an inky purple color as well as a great, full-bodied style carrying wonderful blue fruits, spring flowers, spice, and vanilla aromas and flavors. It's textured, has ripe tannins, loads of fruit, and is about as sexy and gulpable as they come

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

91 points Wine Spectator
Vanilla and resin accents frame the core flavors of boysenberry, blackberry and plum in this firmly structured red. Flashes of violet and spices emerge as this fades gracefully on the long aftertaste.

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

92 points Wine Spectator
There's an alluring, wild quality to this red, with chaparral and mountain herb notes up front. In contrast, olive, peppercorn and fresh leather accents chime in to join the concentrated core of plum and berry flavors, which lengthen nicely around fresh acidity before finishing smooth, with a lingering herbal element. Drink now through 2040.

Scotland- The Macallan Double Cask 12 yr. has been crafted to deliver a new style of Macallan. One that is the perfect balance of 100% Sherry seasoned American and European Oak, a great marriage of 2 wood types. Smooth, Sweet and balanced.

Winemaker Notes:
"More than a century before champagne, the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire in the Southern foothills of Limoux had created France's Very First Sparkling Wine. The Blanquette Brut predominantly uses a local grape variety, the Mauzac. Up to 10 percent of Chenin and Chardonnay are permitted. Fresh, Lively, Crisp and Dry."

92pts Wine Advocate:
Straw yellow and with a golden hue in color, the Pol Roger NV Reserve Brut displays a brilliant, perfectly ripe but also fresh, highly elegant and refined fruit aroma on the nose; think of cooked pip fruits like pears and apples, but also quince-confiture and yellow stone fruits, such as apricots and peaches intermixed with vanilla, brioche (pain aux raisins), some nutty flavors and also some white floral notes. On the palate, this medium-bodied Brut is as round (if not pretty sweet) and fruit-driven as it is delicate, pure and very elegant. The mousse is deliciously fine and leads this charming and perfectly balanced fizz to a long, aromatic, stunningly dry and slightly mineral, impressively long finish. This is extremely well done Champagne from equal parts of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay sourced in 30 different crus. This Reserve includes 25% of reserve wines and was dosed with nine grams per liter.

The "White Foil" is sourced from top quality vineyards in Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir), Vallee de al Marne and Petite Valle d'Epernay (Pinot Meunier) and the Cote des Blancs (Chardonnay). Pol Roger "White Foil" is traditionally a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir (body and depth), Pinot Meunier (freshness and vigorous fruit) and Chardonnay (elegance and finesse) and is sourced exclusively from juice from the "cuvee" (first pressing). Each final blend contains a minimum of two vintages with the youngest components being a minimum of three years old. Average dosage for the "White Label" is 8g per liter.

The Pol Roger family takes extreme pride in more than 160 years producing some of world’s finest Champagne. Founded in 1849, Pol Roger is one of only a few Grande Marque Champagne houses that remains family owned and operated. Pol Roger owns close to 50% of the vineyards used for their Champagne production, a true rarity in this region of large firms. Using strict guidelines, grapes are sourced exclusively from 1er and Grand Cru vineyards that rate at an average of 95 points on the Echelle des Crus classification system. (In each vintage, the Echelle des Crus system, or ladder of growths, operates on a percentile basis to fix grape prices of each cru, or delimited vineyard area in the Champagne appellation; Pol Roger’s vineyards, therefore, rank close to the highest quality possible among the Grande Marque Champagne houses.) Prior to final blending each lot is aged on its own, separated by village, vineyard, grower and grape variety. Once blended, each bottle of Champagne Pol Roger is hand riddled in the cellars deep below the Epernay chateau. In effect, each bottle of Cuvee Champagne is hand-made. Pol Roger Champagnes are the marriage of power and elegance. "Pol Roger is the 'gentlemen's' Champagne", as Jean-Paul Kauffman wrote in 'Voyage en Champagne'. "It is not surprising, therefore, that Winston Churchill, and even the British royal family should have made it their favorite over the years. This refinement reflects a whole lifestyle. It is also a source of infinite pleasure. Pol Roger Champagne has a soul, created by the union of a family's spirit and the character of a vineyard".

Fun Fact: Champagne Pol Roger is delighted that their Brut Reserve Non Vintage, has been chosen to be served at the reception following the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales to Miss Catherine Middleton on 29th April 2011.

90 points Wine Enthusiast
#1 Top Value Wines of 2024
What an aromatic roller-coaster ride. The first sniff of the glass yields bright red cherries and orange zest. Then you get a burst of roasted red peppers, followed by a shot of espresso. Restrained acidity and velvety tannins accompany raspberry, smoked cherry and earthy oregano flavors. Great value here.

Made by Marques de Riscal of Rioja.

Made from 100% Sangiovese grown in the Ramitello and Martarosa vineyards and handharvested
in October, this wine is aged in stainless steel and large oak barrels for six months
to achieve greater smoothness and softness while preserving the supple fruit-forward
characteristics of Sangiovese.

Bright red in color, aromas of violets and red berries complement undertones of leather and
anise. On the palate, this wine is dry and mellow with smooth tannins that make for a crowdpleasing,
easy-to-drink red wine.

94 points James Suckling
A mix of red and black fruits with lavender and fresh herbs followed by vanilla, blanched almonds and a hint of black ink and pencil lead. Full-bodied, firm and juicy tannins with good acidity backbone. Sound and harmonious wine with beautiful drinkability. Terrific quality. This needs two or three years to take the edge off

The Llopart does an extremely gentle press in a vertical basket press. Maximum permitted yields of must per weight of grapes is 66.66% - the Llopart family does not extract past 45-50%. The semi-unpressed grapes are sold off to a local cooperative. The must ferments in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and is aged sur lie for four months before being returned to bottle. The secondary fermentation is carried out in the bottle in underground cellars.

The Llopart family were granted their family estate in 1385, making them one of the oldest growers in Penedès. They founded their company for the production of sparkling wines in 1887, making them the second oldest house for sparkling wine in Spain, and the oldest family-owned sparkling wine house in the country. They own 500 Ha of land, 95 of which are planted to organically certified vineyards. In 2017, Llopart became one of the six founding members of CORPINNAT, an new recognized classification for premium organically farmed sparkling wines from heart of Penedès. Llopart were pioneers in the production of Rosé sparkling wines and were one of the first producers to make rosé sparkling from exclusively red varieties.

A delicate, well-balanced Prosecco, showing a good blend of baked apple, sour lemon and grapefruit, with a lightly creamy mineral texture on the palate. Medium froth, with some body and a pleasant lemon and mineral finish. - WS90

Organic / Natural

Owned by the Suriol family, Cellers de Can Suriol del Castell is known for making wines and vintage Cava with personality in the organic winemaking tradition. They make wines under the Suriol brand which are all estate bottled fruit and then they make the Azimut line from purchased grapes from their neighbors, all of whom work organically. The Can Suriol vineyards and winery are situated in Alt Penedes, Province of Barcelona, Catalunya. This region is justifiably famous for producing fine wines and cava. The cultivation of the Can Suriol vineyards is done by 100% organic methods as certified by the CCPAE (until 2007 NOP certification). - Jenny & Francois