Best Buys $10 And Under

Aged in American and Eastern European oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years, this clear Cristalino Extra Anejo sparkles with steel and platinum reflections. The quality of the liquid is evident from the long drops that collect forming pronounced legs on the sides of the glass.

On the nose, a compelling marriage of caramel, honey, cooked agave and dried fruit such as fig or quince emerges, with hints of chocolate, tobacco and sweets that make for an enticing, aromatic scent. Some herbal notes add a touch of freshness and lightness with a hint of lingering vanilla and nutmeg on the finish.

Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin is a rare specimen indeed. It is distilled with whole oranges. Further, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin establishes itself as quintessentially Australian with its use of some local ingredients. Tasmanian Pepperberry (also appears in Botanic Australis and Never Never's Southern Strength) adds a warmth and spice. Again, lemon myrtle makes an appearance as a stand in for traditional lemon. The rest of the botanicals includes several contemporary style gin standbys, like cardamom and lavender. All are distilled on a base of local grain spirit and diluted with local Yarra Valley water. - The Gin is In

43.8%abv

A bubbly Rose for those with a sweet tooth.

An expression of its volcanic terroir, the blanco blends the herbal, citrus and spices notes derived from lowland agave with cherry and pear fruit notes from highland agave. 40%abv

95 pts Vinous
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Selection, from the back part of the property, is plump, juicy and full of character. Inky dark fruit, mocha, floral notes and spice . All the elements come together so nicely. Picking a bit earlier than in the past helps preserve freshness as well as energy. Time in the glass brings out the wine's volume and resonance. The juicy, creamy style works well here. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal and new leather build into the resonant finish. I find a bit better balance here than in the Alluvial Selection.

Double-sorted, cold-soaked; whole-berry fermentation for 16 days using native yeasts; natural malolactic fermentation for 3 months; bottled unfiltered and unfined. 20 months, 100% new French oak

"The wine shows a superb, golden yellow color with a beautiful luminosity and a fine and persistent mousse. The nose is clean and intense with warm, rich notes of brioche, French toast and roasted almonds. On the palate the wine is very supple and harmonious, with notes of honey and minerals on the long, sustained finish. Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is produced from a blend of 100% premiers crus Chardonnay grapes from the best of recent vintages. Grapes from the estate vineyards in Sillery and Brimont (ancestral home of the Ruinart family) are joined by carefully selected grapes from other premiers crus vineyards in the Cote de Blancs and the Montagne de Reims." Winemaker notes

France - At palate entry the intensely bitter taste of anise both enlivens and cleanses the palate; at midpalate the zest of rooty/woodsy botanicals make for memorable imbibing. Finishes elegant and smooth.

Distiller Notes
2019 San Francisco World Spirits Completion Gold Medal Winner

Golden yellow. Clear and bright. Sweet, with toffee and popcorn aromas. Slightly nutty, with fresh green apples coming through. Clean. Green apples and grass, soft oak and a hint of sweet liquorice. Water brings linseed oil and almonds with a sweet and malty finish.

Notes of caramel, toffee, vanilla, walnuts, cinammon and other spices, as well as a mouth filling sensation on your first sip, tell you that this is Rye Whiskey kicked up a notch. Produced from local ingredients in Bethel NY.

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.

Aged seven years and bottled at 107 proof; uses a special strain of jug yeast which results in a silky smooth texture and consistent taste from batch to batch. Rich, intense and complex - an excellent Bourbon for after dinner sipping. 53.5%abv

Wine Enthusiast 2/1/2005

"Bouquet is properly snappy, tart and tropical. Palate entry is pleasingly sour and refreshing; by midpalate, a deft touch of sugary sweetness enters the picture. Finishes sour, fruity, delectable." (85?€?89 pts.)

Highlands, Scotland- Unique in its complexity and ability to age in a greater variety of casks. Aromas of red berry fruits, fresh flowers, and passion fruit. Notes of citrus zest, vanilla pod, and creme caramel on the palate. Finishes with touches of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg.

89/100pts Wine Advocate:
The 2013 Corton Blanc actually comes from mainly Corton Bressandes, with 10% from Corton les Chaumes. The nose is clean and fresh with beeswax and yellow flower scents that just need to develop more complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with hints of custard cr??me and nougat on the entry, nicely judged acidity with a harmonious, slightly nutty finish that fans out gently, but does not wish to exert great length. Enjoy this over the next 4-6 years.

Winemaker Notes:
Ruffino Sparkling Rose is fresh and fragrant with notes of strawberry and slight hints of rose petals. On the palate this wine has elegant bubbles and refreshing acidity, offering alluring flavors of delicate red berries and white fruits that linger through the finish.
Ruffino Sparkling Rose is enjoyable on its own as an aperitif, but also as a food companion, pairing well with a variety of dishes including grilled fish, roasted chicken, and mixed greens salads.

Soft and refreshing, with apple, lemon, fig and lime flavors that stay lively through the finish. - WS

Light and fruity, with a slightly nutty character. Medium body and sweetness, with a light, silky finish. - WS81

Good medium-deep red. Aromas of red fruits, tar and smoked meat. Fat, lush and sweet; flavors of black cherry and earth. Slightly fiery but persistent back end. - IWC87

What's so lovely about Dow's non-vintage tawny is how wonderfully bouyant it is. Sure, it's got the intense, concentrated, succulent, dried-fruit sweetness you expect in an after-dinner sipper, but there are lovely notes of orange citrus and almond here that keep it aloft on your palate, and nicely complement a hunk of Asiago or Fontina cheese. -- PJ

With flavors of dried figs, apricots and crushed hazlenuts, this tawny port -- a blend of mostly old vintages with a few more recent annums blended in to liven things up a bit -- manages to purport richness on the palate, but with a fresh, fine finish that feels deliciously bright instead of weighty. We love this with a post-meal plate of salty, nutty cheeses and nuts, or served slightly chilled for a pre-dinner appetite rev. -- PJ

What: Pedro Ximenez

Where: Sherry, Spain

Why: Because for the money this is one of the most intense PX?????s we?????ve ever tasted. Why? Lets start with honeyed raisins, oranges and almonds. Then there?????s chocolate and coffee and figs. But that?????s just the sugar talking. After those candied notes hit you they give way to salt, herbs, coffee grounds, tar and licorice. The flavor show does not stop... ever.

94 points Wine Spectaor
A fresh, graceful red, with dense, sculpted tannins creating good tension while finding fine integration with a lovely range of ripe black plum and black cherry, cured tobacco, balsamico and minerally iron and tar notes. Firm and racy on the lasting, spiced finish. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Best from 2025 through 2035. 4,166 cases made, 500 cases imported

93+ points Wine Advocate
The 2013 Vi??a Bosconia Reserva even in a cooler and rainier year, like 2013, has a rounder body and still 13.5% alcohol. They also insisted that "remember that we can use 15% of wine from another vintage, and perhaps we topped this one up with wine from 2015. We want consistency year after year." This matured in barrels for five years and was bottled unfiltered but fined with egg whites. It's expressive, elegant and subtle, clean and complex, with polished tannins and very good acidity (pH 3.3 and 6.7 grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine).

#5 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2024!

94 points Wine Spectator
Super lush and polished in feel, with creamy-textured acai, mulberry and cassis notes gliding through slowly. Laced with alluring hints of violet, iris and anise, this offers a melted licorice note on the finish, but the fruit wins out easily. Drink now through 2037.