Some Other Wines Worth Trying For Under $10
October 21, 2008
Having had these before I got the bright idea of blogging them, I have no tasting notes for them. Hopefully, as finances permit, I’ll have a chance to revisit them and give more detail:
Mirassou Pinot Noir 2006 – I’m new to Pinot Noirs, but I am really beginning to like them. As they go, the Mirassou stands out as different, with a more mellow, rounded flavor and fruit-forward character. When I first tasted this, it reminded me a bit of the Milton Park Shiraz 2006. I picked this up for $6.99 at Costco, which is a screaming deal. In the grocery store, this can run you anywhere from about $8 on sale to $12 at full price.
Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – The link takes you to a description of the 2004 vintage, but I believe the one we tasted was a 2005. On sale for $7.99 at the supermarket, I picked this up to pair with some roast beef we were having, and it was good. Like the Mirassou Pinot, this is a softer, gentler version of Cabernet, lacking the strong tannins and dry character that I’ve come to expect without failing to deliver entirely. It was a nice wine, and one I’d drink again, but if you’re looking for a nice palette cleansing Cabernet this one isn’t really big enough. (For an excellent mid-range Cabernet Sauvignon, I recommend the J. Lohr Paso Robles from 2004 if you can find it, or from 2005-2006, which weren’t quite as good when I had them, but are still extremely enjoyable. These will range $12-$17 depending where you find them, and we have traditionally picked them up only for special occasions like Easter.)
Big Tattoo Red 2006 – I was in a hurry one night to come up with some vino when I got home and found out Jamie was grilling ribeyes which were almost done. I jetted down to Red White & Bleu, since it’s the closest place to the house, and they recommended this wine when I told them I needed something from the bargain rack. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah (Shiraz), which are two of my favorite red varietals, so I went with it. At $9.99, it was a couple bucks more than I wanted to spend for a weeknight wine splurge (we usually try to limit our wine consumption to Sundays and special occasions to keep costs down) but those stakes were calling my name and begging me to bring home a red-headed friend. Dark, ruby red to be precise.
I was pleased with this one at first. It’s big and bold, and the grapes are South American in origin (Chile? Argentina? Can’t remember) which tend to exhibit a large, powerhouse in the mouth feel and taste. It paired well with our dinner, but I noticed that as the meal wore on, it was a bit rough around the edges. The strong tannins, acidity and spice were a bit much on their own, but the flavors were well balanced and I’d be willing to give it another go, especially if I could find it for cheaper.
Mark West Pinot Noir 2006 – After a tasting at Whole Foods and a free gift card from Ford for filling out a survey, I decided to plonk down some not-earned cash on a bottle of good Pinot. It’s been about a month since I’ve had it, so I can’t tell you much, other than that it had a nice, semi-dry character, a bit of (if I remember correctly) smoky oakiness, and a nicely balanced, mellow fruit character that if you pressed me, I’d say tended toward cherries. I also know that I paid $11.99 for it at Whole Foods (wouldn’t have if I didn’t have the $15 gift card) and that I just saw it for $8.79 at Total Wine & More. Will try it again.
Antis Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – Whole Foods must have gotten a huge shipment of this stuff, and one Sunday while I was looking for something inexpensive I happened upon it. On sale for $6.99, I brought it home and enjoyed it. It was well balanced, but not memorable enough to give you tasting notes until I try it again. If you see it, I think it’s worth the sale price but probably not more than that.
A nice wine that my wife and I have been liking is the Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon which you can pick up at Trader Joes for $4.99 (which is a steal). I know specifically you can get it at the location on Route 7 (near Tyson’s Corner) because we make a trip down every month or two to pick up cheap wine due to the #@$*(#@ liquor laws in Maryland.
Look for Gran Familia Rioja, if you have the chance. It is around $10 and a great deal for a very good spanish wine.
I’ll have to make another run to the store to find the exact name, but Kretikos (sp) was a nicely balanced wine from Crete that went well with one of our thrown-together meal concotions. It was also in the $10 and under range.
Here it is: J. Boutari and Sons’ Kretikos.
http://www.snooth.com/wine/boutari-kretikos-red-2003-1/
$11, but close enough. We did try it with good cheese, too, and it was superb.
Malbecs from Trepiche and Mendoza come in right about $10 if you’re lucky. These are both outstanding Argentine dry reds, Mendoza being a bit smoother and Trepiche being a bit tastier.
Slightly more affordable Frontera or Concha y Toro Carmenere from Chile are my most frequent quaffs these days. The Frontera is a real delight — spicy and very rich — and can also be found for around $14 for a 1.5L.
There’s a great Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend from Penfolds, but it might be just over $10 these days.
I won’t buy anything from California right now, but if I were buying California wines, the Firestone Cabernet Franc is a good drink in the $7-8 range, basically a more assertive Cab Sauvignon.
I’ve had the Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec, and it’s good if you get a good bottle. Last year around Christmas time when money wasn’t quite as tight I bought a case (comes out to about $7 a bottle if you do it that way) and I found that maybe a third of the bottles were sour.
Does Mendoza make the Alamos Malbec? Also a pretty good value, though it borders on that funkified cheap wine taste sometimes.
I think I’ve had both the Frontera and the Concha y Toro but it’s been quite a while. I’d be willing to try those again.
And of course, it seems all the best Shiraz comes out of Australia.
As for California, I’m not at the point of a boycott, and what I like about California Reds is that they’re big and bright. The flavors are really bold, especially the older stuff like 2004 and 2005. There’s a Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend 2004 Merlot that you used to be able to get under $10, and it’s exceptional. I think it’s all Napa Valley.