What are you willing to pay for a good bottle of wine? The answer, I assume, depends on your budget.
The occasional splurge wine aside, the sweet spot for the vast majority is somewhere between $10 and $30. In that price range there are a surprising number of excellent options provided by wineries that aspire to overdeliver.
I've identified five of my personal favorites for this week's "Wine Talk." Most of them are distributed nationally and widely available. All were chosen because they compare favorably to wines that are far more expensive. I think of it as affordable luxury! Here are the fabulous five:
Centine is an entry-level wine that hardly acts the part. Produced by Castello Banfi from indigenous Italian and international grape varieties, the centine rosso is the best Super Tuscan-style wine for the money, bar none. It retails for around $12 and compares favorably with other Tuscan red wines at three to five times the price. The bianco and rose are very good, too, but the rosso is the clear-cut star of the lineup.
Dry Creek Vineyard wines are cheap by bargain standards, but they definitely punch above their weight in the $18 to $40 range. The sauvignon blanc and fume blanc are as good as any made in California, and the cabernet sauvignon is remarkably consistent, drinks well when young and has the structure to improve with age for up to 10 years. Pick up this Sonoma County winery and put it down in the Napa Valley and it could double its prices without anyone blinking an eye.
Louis Martini produces one of California's most coveted cabernet sauvignons from its stunning Monte Rosso Vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, but that one will set you back $100 or more. The basic Martini cabs bearing either the Napa Valley or Sonoma County AVA are superb red wines that stand out in their own right in the $25 to $35 price range. This historic Napa Valley winery has long been a standard-bearer for affordable quality.
Rodney Strong is another Sonoma County winery that always delivers a top-notch product at about half the price the wines could fetch if they were made in the nearby Napa Valley. Rodney Strong's grape sources are primarily the Russian River Valley, the Alexander Valley and the Chalk Hill area, but their basic Sonoma County chardonnay and Sonoma County cabernet sauvignon are always near the head of the class in the $20 range.
Wagner Vineyards isn't seen much outside of New York's Finger Lakes winegrowing region, and that's a shame. Its dry riesling, which costs a mere $15, is a superb example of the high-quality riesling being produced in upstate New York. Wagner's entire lineup is outstanding, but the dry riesling is my favorite because of its exquisite balance, scintillating minerality and remarkable ability to improve with age.
Best Value
Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewer's enthusiasm for the recommended wine.
Chateau Mont-Redon 2016 Reserve Rose, Cotes du Rhone, France ($15) — This is a classic rose from the Rhone Valley that shows vivid notes of wild strawberry with mouthwatering acidity and a clean, crisp finish. It's a blend of grenache (70 percent) and syrah (30 percent) with exceptional balance and good persistence. Bring on the sunshine! Rating: 90.
Tasting Notes
Dutton-Goldfield 2015 Pinot Noir, Angel Camp Vineyard, Anderson Valley ($58) — This vintage from the Angel Camp Vineyard in the cool Anderson Valley brims with fruit, showing notes of wild strawberry and black cherry with an overlay of wood spice. The wine is floral and showy on the attack, with exceptional depth and complexity through the mid-palate and excellent persistence through the finish. Rating: 95.
Dutton-Goldfield 2016 Pinot Noir, Dutton Ranch, Russian River Valley ($44) — This is your basic Dutton-Goldfield pinot noir from the Dutton Ranch that is priced considerably below some of the winery's more exotic offerings. And that's why it's a steal at the price. It has everything you've come to expect from winemaker Dan Goldfield: exquisite balance, a light touch on the oak and impressive persistence of flavor. This vintage exhibits notes of black cherry and spice, a delicate floral back note and a hint of tea leaf. And best of all, it's not $60! Rating: 91.
Fleur de Mer 2017 Rose, Cotes de Provence, France ($20) — This dry rose from Provence offers inviting aromas of strawberry and red currant with a subtle but intriguing note of dried herbs, what the locals often refer to as "garrigue." Crisp and refreshing, this is the quintessential summer sipper. There's a bit of the Mediterranean in every sip. Rating: 90.
Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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