Best Buys $10 And Under

"Glorious aromas of freshly picked raspberries, with tiny hints of cream and minerals. Full-bodied, with superfine tannins and a long, long finish of berries and cherries. Super second wine from Margaux. Best Pavillon Rouge I have ever tasted. Best after 2010. 20,525 cases made." 94pts WS

97 pts Wine Advocate
sashays out of the glass with provocative Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrant, wild blueberries and black raspberry scents with an undercurrent of candied violets, menthol, pencil shavings and forest floor...Full bodied..

Organic

The review is on the previous vintage.

94 points Wine Advocate
The granite soils from Montsant used for the 2021 Dido accentuates more the effect of the years, so this 2021 is sharp, austere and reductive, with a paler color. It has moderate ripeness and 12.8% alcohol, a nuanced and subtle nose with herbal and floral notes, a spicy pinch and a medium-bodied palate with some grainy tannins with a chalky texture. They play a lot with concrete, with about 40% of the volume, and the rest is in oak containers of different sizes, from 300- to 4,000-liter ones. This is a serious, mineral red that transcends its price point. 101,892 bottles and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled between December 2020 and January 2021.

Venus La Universal is the project from Sara P??rez and Ren?? Barbier in Montsant, where they work with nine hectares of their own vineyards plus 35 hectares from 14 growers, all certified organic and exclusively with those grapes (they don't buy other grapes).

Winemaker Notes:
"Lose yourself in the sensual pleasures of Menage a Trois Silk - a smooth, seductive red blend that caresses you with every sip. With its bright, red ruby hue in the glass and alluring fragrance of dried violets and berries, Silk beckons, promising an unforgettable experience. Succulent cherry and ripe raspberry flavors mingle with delicate hints of rose petals and toasty spice, and glide gracefully across your palate like liquid silk. Seamless and lustrous, Silk is the lavish, luxurious encounter you’ve
been craving."

70% Pinot Noir, 10% Petite Sirah, 20% Malbec.

99 pts James Suckling
Blackberry and black chocolate with mint, conifer and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers, too. Some graphite. Cool and complex. Full-bodied with ultra fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Savory and refined. A classic-styled 2018. This needs time, but is so approachable and gorgeous. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Leave this for five or six years, but so wonderful now.

97 pts Wine Advocate
The 2018 Insignia is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sources this year include: 30% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District),18% Yountville (Oak Knoll District), 13% Banca Dorada (Rutherford), 18% Suscol (South Napa Valley), 14% Home Ranch (St. Helena), 12% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 7% Barboza (Stags Leap District). It was aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes storming out of the glass with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed black plums and boysenberries, plus hints of cedar chest, graphite, menthol and wet slate with a fragrant waft of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already demonstrates remarkable balance at this youthful stage, featuring a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tightly wound, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and spicy. 17,000 cases were made.

97 pts Vinous
The 2018 Insignia is a boisterous, explosive wine. Medium in body and gracious, with striking aromatic presence and tons of silkiness, the 2018 is all class. Today it comes across as a more refined version of the 2016, with similar depth, but riper, sweeter tannin and perhaps a touch more finesse as well. I can't wait to taste it from bottle.

Kosher for Passover.

Winery notes:
The wine is produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes, picked from the vineyards of the Barkan Winery in the Upper Galilee region and the Jerusalem Mountains. The wine has an abundance of fragrances and tastes of citrus fruit and white peaches with a smooth and round finish.

Fresh and fruit-centric, the price here may be super accessible for everyday, but its treatment by this famed Douro producer is nothing less than classically old-school. The point in a young, vintage-blended ruby is to keep the fruit lively and juicy, with a texture that feels velvety-luxurious in your mouth and is nothing less than a pleasure on the tongue. Taylor Fladgate's Special Ruby NV port sees up to four years in large, oak casks and when you sip it, you can really feel that intense softness and supple texture from not rushing it through the process. It's got pretty notes of black and red plums and bright cherry, and is oh-so irresistible alongside some pungent, tangy Cashel blue cheese. -- PJ

Winery Notes:
"This fine Riesling wine offers an extraordinary premium wine quality. With forward fruit and floral aromas of apples and peaches with just a hint of citrus, the wine’s natural acidity gives it a perfect balance that is refreshingly crisp and leaves your mouth watering."

"Half Sour is our most thought-provoking cider. It begins with the aromas of wild flowers and honey, followed by a hint of pickled pear. Take a sip and pow! It hits the palate with a wave of citrus fruit flavors that are edgy, refreshing and tickle your tongue ultimately providing endless possibilities for pairings. Our Half Sour answers to no one.". -Brooklyn Cider House

Inspired by the cider tradition in the Basque Country, we wanted to make a dry, wildly natural cider with beautiful acidity, and we were excited to see what spin New York apples would give to this style of cider. We discovered that the incredible acidity of New York apples really packs a punch, in the true spirit of Brooklyn! Our Raw cider is fresh and mouth puckering with crisp green apple and citrus aromas. Raw undergoes three fermentations with wild and wine yeasts, making it an earthy cider remarkably expressive of its terroir. It is aged on the lees for a minimum of 6 months. -Brooklyn cider House

A slightly sweet version of Cabernet Sauvignon, while it has the primary characteristics of a Cab, pronounced berries, dark chocolate, coffee, and leather, it loses the some of the harshness that turn people away from Cabs. It has a soft luscious feel to it with a well rounded mouth. Goes well with red meat, chicken, and especially those that are marinated with a sweet finish.

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

94 points Wine Spectator
Broad-shouldered in style but rich and detailed, with blackberry and currant flavors accented by black olive, stony mineral and licorice notes that gather tension toward firm tannins. Needs time. Best from 2025 through 2033

90 points Wine Advocate
Primary aromas of candied raspberries, cherries, lilacs, peonies and sweet spices introduce the 2022 Chiroubles Aux Craz, a medium-bodied wine, revealing further notes of eucalyptus, candied peel and slate on the palate. While the initial attack is more daring, the wine gracefully tapers off on the back palate, guided by an influence of fine-grained tannins. This is a suave wine that leaves you wanting more.

A laser show of acidity and focus finishing dry. A food friendly Riesling from one of the best to ever do it.

Organic

La Gerla rents and fully farms this vineyard in Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern part of the appellation. The vines are 15 years old, so they prefer to make a younger, fresher wine from it. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in used Slavonian oak botti for 4 months.

On the palate, silky textures give way to an intense mix of dark red berry fruits, both savory and sweet spices and wild herbal tones. The finish is long, as saturating spice coats the senses, offset by juicy acids, with hints of cedar and red wild berries lingering on.

Sangiovese Grosso (the famed Brunello clone) is the focus here and all of the farming is organic. The estate was once owned by Biondi Santi.

Organic / Natural

Winemaker Notes:
60% Barbera/40% Bonarda (aka Croatina, not the same Bonarda found in Argentina). Trebbiolo is made from the youngest, most productive vines, aged 5-20 years and grown on the estate's gentle slopes and heavy clay soils. The fruit is organically farmed and harvested by hand. It is destemmed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel with a 20-day skin maceration; the wine is aged in stainless steel. No sulfur at any point in the process. The name "Trebbiolo" is derived from the name of nearby river and valley Trebbia; if La Stoppa opted into the Italian appellation system, Trebbiolo would be their version of a Gutturnio Fermo DOC wine.

90 pts Vinous
Masses of crushed raspberries mix with wild herbs, dried roses and hints of underbrush as the 2019 Vino Rosso Trebbiolo opens up in the glass. It’s soft and round in feel yet bristling with energy as vibrant acids enliven its crisp red and blue fruits. Sweet spices, zests of citrus and hints of mint form toward the close as this tapers off nicely refreshing with medium length. You’d be hard-pressed to stop at just one glass. The Trebbiolo is a juicy and no-frills blend of 60% Barbera and 40% Bonarda.

2019 Base. The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is a striking wine, and frankly one of the best wines I have ever tasted from Courier. Pure Blanc de Blancs is unusual in Ambonnay, where Pinot plays the leading role. Courtier's NV presents an intriguing combination of the richness that is typical of Ambonnay married to deep, expressive varietal Chardonnay fruit. Smoke, ash, and crushed rocks are all layered into the energetic, vibrant finish. This is a flat-out delicious, utterly joyous Champagne from Courier. 100% Chardonnay

96 points Vinous
The 2020 Tignanello is so primary, so intensely fruit-driven, that it almost tastes like a barrel sample. A burst of red Sangiovese fruit opens first, followed by hints of blood orange, cinnamon, spice, dried flowers and mocha develop later. Time in the glass brings out striking dimensions. In 2020, Tignanello is wonderfully sleek and racy, with fine tannins that lie below a core of bright, sculpted fruit. The balance here is just sublime. I can't wait to revisit the 2020 with age. (AG) (2/2023)

95 points Wine Advocate
Newly on the market now, the 2020 Tignanello shows a gorgeous bouquet with an upfront and accessible personality. Right off the bat, you get dark cherry, dried raspberry, spice, toasted almond and citrusy blood orange. The blend is normally 75% to 80% Sangiovese with 7% Cabernet Franc. The grape in between, making up 13% to 18%, is Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage is very pretty and won’t require a long wait. The tannins are sweet and silky. 'Tignanello proves itself as a great vineyard site in both the challenging and the classic years,' says Managing Director Renzo Cotarella. Annual production falls between 300,000-350,000 bottles. Drink: 2025-2045.ML

92 points Wine Spectator
A firm and minerally rosé Champagne, with oyster shell and chalk notes underscoring the raspberry coulis and nectarine fruit flavors. Tightly meshed and mouthwatering throughout, with spice and almond skin notes playing on the finish. Disgorged August 2019. Drink now through 2025.

92 points Vinous
The NV Brut Rosé is flat-out delicious. The word ’balance’ is so overused in wine, but I really can’t think of a better way to describe the Brut Rosé. It is not nervy nor overly rich, but just impeccable in its poise and overall harmony. A healthy amount of Pinot lends volume and intensity to this Chardonnay-based Rosé. This is the sort of wine that is opened and disappears within a few minutes. This release is a blend of vintages 2017 and 2016. Disgorged: August, 2019.

Organic

Organic

Organic

93-95 points Vinous
The 2021 Ch??teauneuf-du-Pape La Crau is a solid effort from the Brunier family. The 2021 La Crau unfurls in the glass with a fragrant perfume of crushed violets, lavender, strawberry, raspberry, dried herbs, mint and a dash of white pepper. It is full- bodied and layered, showing a refined profile marked by soft tannins and lively acids. Not as powerful as either the 2020 or 2019, but the 2021 is certainly the most elegant rendition among them.

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.