Best Buys $10 And Under

2009 may turn out to be among the greatest vintages ever in the Medoc. The 2009 appears to be the finest Duhart Milon yet made. The Rothschild family has invested heavily in this estate over the last 20 years in order to upgrade the quality, and their investments have certainly paid off handsomely. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, the 2009's opaque purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of creme de cassis, violets, graphite, and subtle wood. This full-bodied, intense, voluptuously textured, pure, seductive wine seems more open-knit and opulent than the more structured Carruades de Lafite. Nevertheless, the Duhart requires 3-5 years of cellaring, and should drink well for 30+ years. Bravo! - WA94-96*

James Suckling, 97pts. - "This is more exotic and monstrous than the 2000. It is like a muscle builder, with lots of round and rich tannins and a core of dark fruits like black cherries and blueberries. Still very young, but structured and in need of five more years." (5/2012)

Jeb Dunnuck, 96pts. - "The 2003 Chateau Leoville Las Cases comes from what is still the hottest vintage on record for Bordeaux. (Others that are close are 2006, 2011, 2018, and 2019.) A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Franc that hit 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.62 (IPT was 75), its deep ruby/plum color is followed by a terrific, almost Pauillac-like bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, freshly sharpened pencils, chocolate, violets, and a touch of chalky minerality. It builds beautifully with time in the glass and is full-bodied on the palate, offering ripe tannins, a round, expansive mouthfeel, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Hats off to the team at Las Cases for such a gorgeous wine from a challenging vintage!" (3/2021)

96 pts Wine Advocate
The 2012 ??nico is released 10 years after the harvest. They produced it with the grapes from 40 of the 210 hectares of vineyards they have, with a total of 55 separate plots and 19 different soils. It's mostly 95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that are cooled down for 24 hours and then fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation was in stainless steel and the aging in 225-liter oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats for a long time as this was bottled in June 2018. 2012 is a concentrated year, warm and dry with some rain at the end of September that helped the end of the ripening process of healthy grapes with lots of color and ripe tannins. The wine has a ripe nose, with intoxicating notes of black fruit, fresh meat and blood, a spicy touch from the American oak and an earthy twist. It's a voluptuous and decadent vintage for Vega Sicilia, for those that favor years like 2006, a bit atypical, or 1999.

97 points James Suckling
Berry, smoke, violet and sandalwood aromas follow through to a full, layered palate that shows super polished tannins that are caressing and long. It?????s tight and very long. Give it two or three years to soften. Drink after 2023.

89-92 points Burghound
(85% from Vaumuriens-Haut and 15% from En Chiveau). This is quite firmly reduced and while the underlying fruit appears to be ripe it?????s difficult to read in this condition. Otherwise there is excellent punch to the chalky- textured and muscular medium weight flavors that conclude in a sleek, chiseled, linear and youthfully austere finish. This is an excellent Pommard villages with fine aging potential.

The Scorpion Mezcal Reposado is artisan made in small batches in Oaxaca, Mexico, with a real scorpion in every bottle. Golden is color with lanolin and honey aromas. A soft round entry leads to a dry light-to-medium body with honey, grassy herbs, flax, caramel, salt, light spice. Finishes dry with a honeyed oak barrel note.

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural / No Added Sulfites

Alice Bouvot and Charle's Dagand are disciples of the Pope of Arbois, Jacques Puffeney, and craft wines with similar purity and distinct sense of place. Sylvaner with 2 month maceration, spontaneous fermentation in tanks with indigenous yeast.

Often considered the missing link between Dutch Genevers and modern dry gins, Old Tom Gin was the prevalent style of Gin in 18th century England. In their quest to recreate this historical, full-bodied expression, Greenhook has crafted this special, overproof bottling from pot distilled corn, juniper, and botanicals inspired by the spice trade of the prevailing time period. Aged for one year in bourbon casks before being finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Works excellently for an Old Fashioned. 50.1% abv.

Banhez Mezcal is produced by a co-op comprised of families from various villages in the Ejutla district of Oaxaca. They produce mezcal the same way it's been done by their ancestors for nearly two centuries. Comprised of 90% Espadin and 10% Barril agaves, this mezcal is pleasingly mild, floral and fruity with notes of pineapple, banana. 42%abv

Rooster Rojo Blanco is a classic, traditional white tequila. It has fresh, lively citrus aromas with sweetness and pepper on the palate. The finish is medium length and smooth. 40%abv

Maker’s Mark, a perennial favorite, is aged for six years and made from wheat, corn and barley, but no rye. It’s natural Bourbon sweetness is balanced with caramel and vanilla and the finish is smooth and subtle. 45%abv

Virginia distiller A. Smith Bowman finishes its bourbon in a variety of port barrels from across Virginia and from Portugal for between three to six months, before blending them to create Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. Flavor is bold and sweet with the toasty oak notes rounding out to a long smooth finish that pleasantly lingers on the palate. 46%abv. 92pts - Wine Advocate

Patron Anejo is handcrafted from the 100% Weber Blue Agave and distilled in small batches at Hacienda Patron distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. It?€?s then aged in small white oak barrels for 12-15 months. Aromas and flavor notes of oak, vanilla, raisins, honey and caramel.

An Extra Anejo tequila hand selected from the Cuervo family's private collection. Each year, the collectible packaging is graced with the artwork of a well known Mexican artist. This year's artist is Mario Garcia Torres, who attempts to document a selection of the vegetation of the agave region of Jalisco region. Each bottle is numbered, dated, and sealed in wax, all by hand. Every aspect of Reserva De La Familia is handcrafted at the La Rojena distillery. Pictured on the bottle, it is the oldest active distillery in Latin America. Made using only the flavorful inner portion of hand-selected blue agave plants. Aged for a minimum of two years, the final blend includes tequila from reserves as old as 30 years.

For their Tom Cat Gin, Vermont-based Caledonia Spirits takes their Barr Hill Gin and rests it in New American Oak barrels. The gin itself is a rather simple gin whose ingredients work to great effect. It starts with grain neutral spirit. It adds only juniper as a botanical. It is then sweetened with raw honey. That's it. The sweetening invokes an old style of gin known as "Old Tom" wherein gin was sweetened. It is moderately sweet to the palate. With a buckwheat honey flavor, the juniper is creamy and piney. Hints of orange butter, pine blossom, vanilla, butterscotch and toffee all emerge. Tom Cat Gin is rich and unctuous. - The Gin Is In, 5 stars

The Gautier family has been making cognac since 1755. The VSOP has a bouquet of caramel, oak with notes of raison. The palate has cinnamon, vanilla, mild oak and more hints of raison. Overall, the palate is round and modestly assertive. A good cocktail Cognac.

The Nose - floral, summer meadow notes, followed by mellow rounded juniper and zesty, citrus freshness. The Palate - dry juniper leads, then reveals lemon tart & orange marmalade, before all the flavours harmonise. The Finish - dryness leads, with spicy juniper & a hint of lemon tart emerging.
40.4%abv