Don’t want to lay out Napa money? Try Walla Walla.
Thursday, April 5th, 2018 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheap and Red, Walla Walla, Washington State | No Comments »Napa Valley has redefined Cabernet Sauvignon, and along the way they have also redefined what it costs to enjoy a bottle. It doesn't seem that long ago that great Cabs could still be found for well under forty bucks, but ...
Total Eclipse of the Sun: Vasco Urbano Brunswick Petite Sirah 2013
Monday, April 2nd, 2018 Posted in California, Cheap and Red, Livermore, Petite Sirah | No Comments »Last summer the USA experienced a total solar eclipse, and for those of us who were able to get into the totality it was an amazing experience. The wine I enjoyed tonight served as a reminder, as when I held ...
Peppery Carm! 2014 Casa Silva Los Lingues Vineyard Carmenérè
Friday, February 2nd, 2018 Posted in Carmenère, Cheap and Red, Chile | No Comments »I love Carmenere. It has always been a go-to varietal for me. Consistently yummy. Great food wine. Almost always an exceptional value. For example, this single-vineyard example cost me less that $15. I popped the cork on it as I ...
Best of 2017: Cameron Hughes Lot 606 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Thursday, October 26th, 2017 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Cheap and Red, Napa | No Comments »Sure, it's only October, but I've found the best budget wine of the year, hands down. It is still available, and if you're smart, you'll go buy some now. It sells for $29/bottle, but I have to tell you, this ...
Finally, an actual, damn good Pinot Noir, for under $20.
Friday, October 20th, 2017 Posted in Cheap and Red, Oregon, Pinot Noir | No Comments »I've often said "Pinots are like Porsches. Good ones are expensive, and bad ones are also expensive." A truly great Pinot Noir is a treasure, but they are elusive, and usually expensive. In my experience "cheap" Pinot Noirs are often ...
Damn good wine for under $9!
Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 Posted in Cheap and Red, Grenache, Spain | No Comments »[caption width="552" id="attachment_385" align="alignnone"] 2012 Espelt Garnacha Old Vines[/caption] I grabbed this wine a little less than a year ago from Wine Exchange. The price was $8.98, which is an incredible bargain for what this bottle represents. It isn't available there ...
Ain’t Life Grand? Cameron Hughes Lot 602, 2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Sunday, May 21st, 2017 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Cheap and Red, Napa | No Comments »I think the first contemporary vintages of Napa Valley cabernets I ever tasted were from the late 70s, likely 1978/79. I was just a wee barbarian, drinking at the table of my father, whose wine exploits and palette I aspire ...
A Reliable Go-To: Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Franc
Thursday, May 11th, 2017 Posted in Cabernet Franc, Washington State | 1 Comment »I first tasted this wine at a local seafood & steakhouse. It is a great place and over the years I've become a "regular". The staff knows my name, and know what I like. I used to bring visiting business ...
Dusted Valley 2014 Cabernet Franc: Le Garçon Grand!
Thursday, April 6th, 2017 Posted in but not outrageous, Cabernet Franc, Expensive, Washington State | No Comments »[caption width="552" id="attachment_364" align="alignnone"] Big Boy Cabernet Franc[/caption] Life had me traveling abroad for a few weeks, so I indulged myself of local wines along the way. I didn't bother to blog about them as they were universally outside of the ...
Best Value Red of 2016/17: CH Lot 575, 2014 Red Blend, Red Mountain, Washington State
Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheap and Red, Merlot, Odds, Ends & Blends, Syrah, Walla Walla, Washington State | No Comments »Only in America will you find a winemaker who will mix a Rhone varietal into a classic Bordeaux blend. "America, Fuck Yeah!" This wine appeared in my autumn shipment mixed case from Cameron Hughes, and it was a revelation. After I ...
