Best Buys $10 And Under

What: 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Where: Sancerre, Loire Valley, France.

Why: Because this is on the money for classic Sancerre. A touch of mineral, a touch of ash mixed in with grapefruit zest and prickly, food ready zippiness. We are always on the hunt for Sancerre that pushes all our buttons at this price-point and have found a real winner here. Some goat cheese with this? Yes please!

Shiny light copper in color. The aroma is filled with beautiful fresh fruit aromas. Fine peach, pear and some Rose petals. The Mouth-feel is elegant, fruit driven and has a lovely structure. Wonderfully subtle tannins and fine acidity provide great balance to the playful fruit. The finish has classic saline and lovely minerality. This dry Rosé is absolutely divine and has great esprit and class. It is the perfect partner to food, and it may be the best Estate Rosé we’ve made to date.

60% Merlot, 32.75% Chardonnay, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Pinot Gris, 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.25% Vignoles

Serve just chilled. Enjoy this lively wine poolside or on a picnic blanket. Pair it with elegant hors d’oeuvres, such as smoked salmon, poached lobster, raw shellfish, beef or tuna tartare, and soft cheeses. Or serve it with main-course dishes such as roast turkey, baked ham, and roasted or grilled pork, chicken or fish... it is very versatile!

92 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Clos Des Lunes Lune D'Argent Blanc is a pure, balanced, medium to full-bodied white with clean citrus and floral aromatics, a good spine of acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. It's a classy Bordeaux Blanc based largely on Sémillon.

70% Semillon 30% Sauvignon Blanc
The wine is aged 6 to 7 months in 25% oak barrels, and 75% in little vats.

Winery Notes:
"Light yellow. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes ripe melon, nectarine and mango, with hints of lemon pith and ginger adding urgency and lift. Smooth and broad on the palate, offering juicy tropical and pit fruit flavors plus a suggestion of honeysuckle. Becomes more vibrant with air, picking up a mineral quality that carries through a very long, seamless finish, with the nectarine and floral notes echoing."

Winery Notes
On the nose, a wide range of fragrances, from vegetal with ivy and acacia to fruity with peach and lychee. A fresh start, opening for persistent mineral and fruity notes with a lingering finish on the palate.

Organic

"A soft, pale, brilliant pink with bluish tints developing over time towards more orangey nuances. The bouquet releases aromas of summer fruits, cassis and redcurrant. Floral notes of rose along with hints of grapefruit complete the picture. The finish is fresh, offering notes of candy. On the palate the impression is fresh and full, with great aromatic persistence and balance." - Gerard Bertrand

What stands out in the Muga Rosado 2023 vintage is its pale, rose-pink color. It is very intense and complex on the nose, with an initial gush of peach, strawberry and white blossom notes. On the palate, it proves a wine with very well-integrated acidity, volume, balanced fruit and a very long finish. In the aftertaste, we can detect stone fruit and also citrus nuances. - Winery

93 points Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the nose on the 2019 Breca, which is loaded with spicy red and black fruits as well as notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, herbes de Provence, and some chalky, mineral-like nuances. Beautiful on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied, elegant, balanced, straight-up gorgeous Garnacha...

91 pts James Suckling
A creamy and fruiyt white with sliced apples and pears, as well as some flint, parsley, and fennel undertones. Medium-bodied, fresh and satisfying. Drink now.

Succulent, fleshy peach and nectarine flavors are accented by Key lime, mango and ruby grapefruit notes. Shows nice intensity on the long, expressive finish.

Organic

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

90 points Wine Spectator
There's a flinty underpinning to this fragrant white, which shows a succulent range of ripe apricot, blood orange, white blossoms, lemon peel and pickled ginger. Sleek and linear, with a hint of saline on the finish. Alvarinho and Trajadura. Drink now

92 points James Suckling
Black fruit, nutmeg, charcuterie and roasted marshmallows on the nose. Some licorice and five spice, too. It’s firm and dense, with a medium to full body, tight tannins and a compact core of spicy black fruit.

91 points Vinous
The 2018 Reserva is 100% Tempranillo sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Ábalos, Rioja Alta. This garnet wine unfolds sour cherry and dried flower notes with hints of fennel and herbs. Dry and mild, the fairly concentrated and chalky palate lingers with a juicy touch.

18 months in French and American oak barrels, followed by two years in the bottle.

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

92 points Wine Spectator
This stands out for its expressive, elegant bouquet of citrus blossoms, guava and red currant—flavors that are equally engaging and fresh on the palate, picking up mineral details and lingering nicely around polished tannins. Drink now.

94 points James Suckling
Such a beautiful, fresh nose with tons of wild herbs, thyme, rosemary, sour cherries and flowers. Very linear and bright on the palate, charged with silky, fine-grained tannins and fine austerity. You can literally smell the herbs and the wild flowers from the vineyard. Pristine but intense and so fresh and precise. Pure fruit! Insane value for a $20 bottle. Drink now.

Organic

Lemon-drop, candied-pear and pineapple character, following through to a medium body with a creamy texture and a fruity, tangy finish. Drink now.

Antxiola pronounced (ahn-cho-la) is a txacoli wine made by Bodegas Zudugarai. The winery was founded in 1989 by the Errasti family, the same year that the DO of Getaria-Txakolina was founded. The vineyards are farmed organically, and their Hondurabbi grapes are hand-picked and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then bottled young to retain some of its natural effervescence. The result is a bracingly refreshing wine with a slight spritz, bursting with citrus and minerality. Fresh slices of Granny Smith apple and lemon-lime titillate the palate, with bright acidity giving a mouthwatering finish.

90 points Wine Advocate
The fruit-driven, light and fresh 2022 Malbec is young and vibrant with a bright ruby color and a nose of red berries and violets, which is attractive. It's juicy and tasty, with a serious dry finish

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.

Organic

#47 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2022!

90 points Wine Spectator
This bright red ripples across the palate, with savory hints of cured tobacco and loamy earth underscoring the black currant and black raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied, with lightly chewy tannins. Drink now through 2027

This is a lovely example of the Greek white wine Assyrtiko. Bright yellow color with green hues. The bouquet displays aromas of passion fruit, mango and citrus. Balanced taste with crispy acidity and a characteristic minerality around the palate. Long and lasting finish.

You may be familiar with Chan de Rosas Abarino which has been a staple on PJ Wine’s shelves for years. It has always been a terrific value. Well, the winemaker Marcos Lojo has left the winery to do his own project, Marcos Lojo Pedras Loiras Rias Baixas Albarino, and it’s a knockout!

Marcos’s Albarino is spot on for what you would want in an Albarino. The acidity shines through this medium bodied citrus and mineral driven white. It is zippy, almost tart, with a beautiful saltiness that makes you salivate for more. Coming from Rias Baixas, home of the best Albarinos, it is easy to see why the locals drink so much Albarino. It is refreshing, thirst quenching and pairs perfectly with the fresh seafood of the region.

Looking for a new house white wine? Look no further, Marcos Lojo has you covered.

100% Albarino grape from the Val de Salnés.
Selection of old vineyards with an average age of more than 50 years, oriented to the west, and settled on very shallow and sandy soils from the decomposition of granite bedrock. Fermentation and aging of wines in 400-liter French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.
15% of wine ages for 6 months in new 400L French oak barrels with weekly batonnage.

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

94 points Wine Spectator
Fresh and precise, with lime, mango and passion fruit notes that are accented by crunchy sea salt, litsea oil, dried chamomile and fresh lemon zest on a mouthwatering, fleshy fram

91 points James Suckling
Flowery with aniseed and licorice. Some subtle lemons. Medium to light body, dry, lovely fruit and a subtle and fine finish. Well done for the vintage..

92 points James Suckling
A fragrant nose full of vivid strawberries and sweet cherries. Tight and lightly chewy on the palate with plenty of fruit. Juicy, balanced and quite drinkable.

Blend: 75% Malbec, 18% Bonarda, 7% Petit Verdot

Organic / Biodynamic

A versatile, young red wine with a ruby red color and a bouquet characterized by inviting aromas of black cherry pie, black berries, thyme, red pepper grains and exotic spices. The taste is medium-bodied, fruity and smooth with a long lingering, dry finish, reminiscent of undergrowth, with an underlying hint of menthol. Blend: 60% Sangiovese, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot.

The renown Vino Nobile di Montepulciano producer Avignonesi doesn’t just make red wines for fancy dinners and cellaring - they make a delicious table red as well! An everyday wine to go with your pasta bolognese or slice of pizza. It’s called Cantaloro and is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot.

Cantaloro is soft on the palate, has gentle tannins, and drinks well above this silly low pricepoint. If there ever was a time to stock up with a case, this is it! Afterall, who do you want making your "house" red? A corporation who places a whimsical cartoon label on their wine or one of the most respected wineries of Italy? I know which I’m choosing.

Winemaker Notes:
This Pinot Grigio is pale yellow to sandy in color and subtle in its bouquet, with fruity notes of pears and candied fruits. The eloquent, harmonious body emphasizes its dry, full-bodied taste and round finish.

Pair with light appetizers, fish dishes, and South Tyrolean specialties.

91pts Wine Enthusiast:
Aromas of honeysuckle, green apple and honeydew melon follow through to the juicy palate, along with a note of white peach. Tangy acidity lifts the rich flavors.

Winemaker Notes:
Round. Light. Balanced.
"APRICOT, Lemon, GALA APPLE, subtle oak and SPICE aromas. Lemon drop, white STONEFRUIT, yellow plum and HONEYDEW melon on the palate. Richly TEXTURED and concentrated with BALANCED acidity that drives a lingering &nish. "

91 points Vinous
The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Black Label is a well-judged style with attractive fruit. It is nicely textured, almost chewy, with some decent substance through its bright, firm care. It has attractive flavors of gooseberry, elderflower and passion fruit that combine well. Five months on lees rounds out its edges and also lends some flesh to the light-bodied palate.

The new vintage has arrived, 2023! The 2022 vintage was #15 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

This stunning version is fresh and vibrant yet also complex and full of flavor, from toasted green tea and lemon thyme to mouthwatering passion fruit, yuzu and mango. Ends with hints of white pepper, lemon blossoms and sea salt on the long, expressive finish.

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.