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 [ Home > Wines Rated 90+ (Any Publication) Under $20 ]
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| | | | | |  | | The destemmed and softly pressed grapes are vinified in stainless vats at 30º Celsius.
During the 15 days fermentation-maceration process the must is pumped and punched down for optimal extraction. The 50% of the wine stays in first use American oak and a 10% in second use French oak. The wine is the bottled without any form of stabilization or filtration, in order to not to alter quality, and is sold after three months of bottle age.
Yearly production is about 700,000 bottles.
| | |  | | Belle Glos by Caymus showcases distinctive Pinot Noirs produced from some of California’s top wine-growing regions. The vineyard locations can all be described as coastal, but the climate differences are significant, depending on the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site.
Each wine is crafted to distill the purest essence of the vineyard into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir.
Winemaker Joseph Wagner chose the name Belle Glos (pronounced BELL GLOSS) to honor his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, a co-founder of Caymus Vineyards.
| | |  | | “Reserva” is made from carefully selected grapes from vineyards more than 30 years old. The wine is aged in French oak barrels and then additionally in bottles before release. The harmonious coexistence of fruit and wood over time
has made this a great wine, characterized by elegance and complexity.
Deep red colour with hints of purple. Expressive on the nose with notes of ripe black fruits, violets, and tobacco. Long finish.
| | |  | | Vineyards: estate grown at Finca Río Seco, Cafayate, located at 5,740 feet (1,750 meters) above sea level.
Yield: 5 tons per hectare.
Harvest Date: second half of March.
Fermentation: pre-fermentation cold maceration for 48 hours. Average temperature during fermentation 23º C, with final temperature of 28º C. Maceration for 15 days.
Aging: 12 months in new oak barrels; 50% French and 50% American.
Alcohol: 14,60%; Acidity: 5,25 g/l; PH: 3.52.
Production: 13.082 bottles
Color: attractive and elegant ruby red with black edges.
Nose: notes of leather with a secondary level of red fruits and spices.
Mouth: intense attack, medium structure with balanced acidity. The tannins are very sweet and smooth.
| | |  | | The winery is located in the province of Salta, in the Cafayate Valley at the foot of the Andes, at more than 5,740 feet above sea level. This is one of the highest altitude vitivinicultural regions in the world.
This wine bursts from the glass with tropical fruit, citrus and spring flowers. It is fresh, fruity and agile on the palate, with substantial length. Consulting Winemaker: Paul Hobbs.
About Torrontes: Enticing aromas that are strikingly similar to Viognier, with hints of peach pit, flowers, and orange citrus fruit. On the
palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with enticing fruit flavors that keep you coming back for another sip
and plenty of body for a wine that shows such delicate aromas and flavors. Fruity, floral and yet still quite dry, this wine
has to be tasted to be believed. Best enjoyed in its youth either by itself, or as a wonderful partner with smoked meats,
mild to medium-strong cheeses, and seafood. Great partner for spicy food and Thai as well.
92 Points WA = Highest Score ever given to a Torrontes!
| | |  | | The vines for Almirez, situated in Valdefinjas and Toro, are 15 - 65 years old, and yield a meager 20 Hls/Hct. Teso la Monja uses only organic fertilization, and strictly avoids the use of herbicides or other chemical products. All grapes are hand harvested and rigorously sorted. Aged 12 months in new French oak (30% new).
| | |  | | | | |  | | Bodegas Volver currently owns some 185 hectares in Alicante. Some of the vines are ungrafted. New acreage is currently under development.The vines age from 40 to 75 years old. Tarima Hill´s vines are planted in the Vaso system, in an all-natural (almost organic) process with no irrigation. The combination of soil profile and diverse altitudes within this very small area sets up a micro-climate that is predominately Continental along with some Mediterranean influence.
| | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | Ste. Michelle's goal with this Columbia Valley Cabernet was to highlight concentrated Washington red
fruit in an accessible style. It is an inviting Cab with plenty of complexity, structure and silky tannins. It’s also very versatile with food--try it with beef, pork or pasta.
Sourced from Columbia Valley vineyards in eastern Washington including Cold Creek, Canoe Ridge Estate and Indian Wells vineyards. Aged 16 months in American and French oak, 32% new.
| | |  | | | | |  | | Bright aromas of orange zest and apples are complimented by a hint of minerality. Rich, lingering flavors of pear and mandarin orange are accentuated by crisp acidity, leading to a lively, vibrant finish.
| | |  | | The Puente Alto Vineyard in the Maipo Valley has the perfect combination of climate and soils for producing world-class wine: the climate is ideal and predictable, and the soil is poor and gravelly to reduce yields and increase concentration naturally. After fermentation, the wine is matured in the finest French oak barriques for 14 months, followed by another year in the bottle before release.
Ripe fleshy fruit and berries lead off this highly aromatic wine. Later, the tobacco and chocolate come through and marry with the vanilla. Agreeable, mature tannins elegantly convey the best expression of the Puente Alto vines. The pleasant, long finish displays great harmony and balance.
The result is a rich, full-bodied wine with unmistakable character in the bouquet and on the finish. Drink with any hearty dish, lamb, steak, and strong cheeses.
Don Melchor has been hailed the best Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile by both the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker.
| | |  | | Until recently, this grape varietal was found almost exclusively in the small Northern Rhone appellation known as Condrieu, where its ancestry could be traced to Roman times. Today it is more widely planted but it’s still rare in the Willamette Valley. They planted 1-1/4 acres of Viognier in 1993 on the warmest site at Cristom. They planted an additional 1-3/4 acres in 2003 that is adjacent to the original planting.
Orange zest, honeysuckle and white pepper are showing off on the nose of this green-gold Viognier. Fruit-juicy pear and ripe-apple flavors enter on the palate. This vintage is potentially more viscous and ripe than usual but it still has a refreshing and clean finish. Winemaker Steve Doerner feels that Viognier is best-consumed young while the exotic aromatics of this grape variety are at their most scintillating.
| | |  | | The 2007 Mendocino is a little different from past vintages. Instead of being dominated by cherry aromas, this leans more towards a mixed bowl of berries. The other interesting point is an aroma like a rustic mountain cabin with fresh red meat and spices being prepared for dinner and then freshly baked wild berry pies for dessert - of course the wood stove damper is not working well so there is a little smoke in the room...
The tannins are soft and supple, but the acidity comes through with a bit more acid structure than in past vintages and stays with you till the cows come home. We always add a little Syrah and Petite Sirah for the mid palate, filling in the hole of the donut, but this year it is a little more pronounced in the flavors and aromas, hence the gamey and meatiness underneath all the mixed fruits.
With aging the wine should evolve into a very layered and complex Zinfandel, with toast and spice from the oak picking up in intensity and the creaminess becoming more apparent after a few years.
| | |  | | With a light greenish-yellow colour, the
Chardonnay Wild Ferment has a fresh,
expressive nose with tropical fruit aromas
fused with mineral notes and a subtle touch of
toast and brioche from the barrel aging, which
greatly enhances complexity. On the palate, a
zingy acidity balances out its lush, creamy
texture.
| | |  | | Zuccardi Q Malbec is the blend of three unique vineyard sites. It shows a red violet color, with bluish hues. Intense red and black fruits aromas. Spicy, violet and chocolate nuances. Silky entry with great structure, soft and mature tannins. Intense fruity flavors and a persistent finish.
| | |  | | This wine shows deep and intense red purple color with black hues. On the nose, expect black ripe fruits highlighting ripe blackberries, plums, figs, quince, dry fruits and spicy notes. On the palate, expect a soft entry, round tannins, nice and complex flavors, well-balanced oak and fruit, and a long and silky finish.
| | |  | | Franco Serra is made by the Sperone family who has produced premium wines for four generations. In 1920, Antonio Sperone opened a small wine shop in Torino where he sold bulk wine directly to consumers. Unsatisfied with the quality and price of the local wine, Antonio started his own winery in Puglia where land was inexpensive and produced good wine. He built a bottling facility in Torino and was soon able to offer his customers quality wines at prices everyone could afford. Sadly, it was destroyed when the city was bombed in WWII. The winery in Puglia survived the war and enabled Antonio’s grandson Giacomo to open a new facility near Milan where he produced vermouth, sparkling wines, spirits and fine wines. With the help of his sons Paolo and Antonio, the company grew quickly and achieved distribution throughout Italy and expanded into foreign markets. In 1965, the family purchased 75 acres of prime vineyards in Piedmont and built a new winery in Monferrato.
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Located in the heart of Northern Sonoma County, the Dry Creek Valley is blessed with warm days and cool nights. Its inland location ensures it gets ample warmth during the day to ripen the fruit, while cool marine influences in the evening enter from the southern portion of the valley where Dry Creek empties into the Russian River. This cooling slows sugar production allowing fruit to develop flavors slowly, the perfect conditions for developing rich, intense reds.
| | |  | | These grapes are from various vineyards in the Marlborough region. The grapes were predominantly machine harvested with a portion being hand picked. They were destemmed and cold soaked for up to five days then warmed and inoculated. Hand plunged, grapes were warm fermented and pressed at dryness. Post malolactic fermentation the wine was aged in a mixture of tank and older barrels for just over five months.
Colour: Medium depth of colour with purple and crimson notes.
Aroma: An aromatic wine with black cherries and red currants on the nose, complexed with integrated oak and a smoky bacon character.
Palate: A nice combination of dark cherries and red fruit abound. This is underscored with a hint of oak and firm tannins. Persists well.
Cellar: Up to five years.
Food Match: Ideal with smoked salmon or pork chops. Suited to most rest meats and not bad as a wine to enjoy all on its own.
| | |  | | L'Ecole No 41's Chardonnay is barrel fermented in the traditional Burgundian style, where we strive to maintain balance and purity of fruit. The backbone of this wine comes from the slightly cooler growing conditions found in selected Columbia Valley vineyards. Elegantly balanced, this Burgundian style Chardonnay shows Fuji apple, Asian pear, and ripe pineapple and tropical flavors with subtle mineral and spice that gain complexity on a long, robust finish.
| | |  | | An enticing, rather pronounced ruby red, edged with garnet. Its suite of fragrances exhibits considerable complexity, opening to dark fruit such as plum and blackcurrant, then enriched by a pungent spiciness that betrays cinnamon and clove. The attack offers dense, impressive pulp, and fine-grained tannins that marry beautifully with its alcohol; the result is a solidly-built, but not heavy or extractive, wine with a seamless, long-lingering finish.
| | |  | | The 2006 Syrah relies heavily on grapes from Novelty Hill's estate vineyard,
Stillwater Creek (70%). The soil here is mixed with large pieces of
fractured basalt; and visitors often remark on its similarity to the
Rhone Valley, perhaps one reason why Syrah from here is so
outstanding. The balance of the wine relies on Lewis Vineyard
(30%) grapes. Known for its low yields and concentrated grapes,
Lewis is one of Mike Januik’s favorite Syrah vineyards in the state.
| | |  | | Fermentation on the skins in steel rotary fermentors for 8-9 days with temperature control, aging in French barriques for 12 months. Concentrated, complex, ripe red fruit, mint, vanilla, and sweet oak on the nose.
On the palate: soft, velvety, fresh, sweet tannins, and very long.
Paitin traces it's history to 1796 when Benedetto Elia purchased the farmstead with outlying wine cellar and vineyards from Luigi Pellissero . His son Giuseppe later extended the vineyards and acquired the underground cellar, which dates to the 15th century.
Barbaresco del Sori Paitin was first produced in 1893, and was first exported in 1898. Secondo Pasquero-Elia took over management in 1965, building a new wine cellar, gradually replanting vineyards, and acquiring new vines.
| | |  | | Connoisseurs judge a champagne house by the quality of its non vintage brut wine . It is on its brut, created in the mid-19th century, that Perrier-Jouët has built its reputation.
The House style is distinguished by the extensive use of chardonnay. Perrier-Jouët owns 161 acres of vineyards with an average cru rating of over 99% including 99 acres in the most renowned villages for Chardonnay (Cramant and Avize.) The wines show lightness and sweetness, as well as a rounded and fruity character.
Great balance and a lingering finish mark this zesty, full-flavored brut as something special. Rich in fruit flavor, crisp in balance, with an underlying tangy quality that begs for another sip.
French it may be, but in 1861, Champagne Perrier-Jouët was the favorite of Queen Victoria, and the House became not only the official supplier of the British monarchy, but also of the Swedish royal family and the King of Belgium.
| | |  | | In an age instant gratification, the Pillar Box is a stoic reminder of the virtues of patience. The act of writing and sending a letter is matched by the anticipation of the receiver. Their best parcels of Shiraz were selected to create this special wine. Pillar Box Reserve can be enjoyed in its youth, but will reward the patient.
They hand selected some outstanding parcels of Shiraz from the Pillar Box project to create this reserve blend. The colour shows red-black and a scarlet rim, with an attractive mocha, native mint and ripe pomegranate aroma. Tempting cedar, spice and cocoa are incorporated into a complex structure. The fine, rounded silky tannins develop into a luscious, prolonged finish.
| | |  | | The Malbec grapes from mature vines are sourced in equal parts from the Agrelo and La Consulta regions. The wine is fermented and aged in French oak barriques, with aging lasting 16 months. It is then matured in bottle for a further 6 months. Deep red in color with intense violet shades. On the nose, a combination of red fruits and toasty notes given by the French oak are evident. In the mouth the wine is complex and structured with a long aftertaste.
| | |  | | | | |  | | Rancho Zabaco, one of the original Mexican land grants in Northern Sonoma, crosses over portions of Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley – one of the areas in Sonoma County from which these grapes are sourced. Sonoma Heritage Vines delivers an abundance of black fruit and spice aromas, demonstrating the classic and distinctive characteristics of Zinfandel. The soft, plummy, and jammy flavors and textures make this wine not only approachable, but also versatile, allowing it to be paired with a wide range of foods.
| | |  | | From its first years of production Riserva Ducale has become synonymous with fine Chianti, and it has played a leading role in the development of the privileged position which Tuscan quality wines hold throughout the world today. In many markets this Riserva has in fact transcended its category and become known simply as "Riserva Ducale". It has managed to preserve its excellent reputation through time, thanks to Ruffino's commitment to cultivating the finest Sangiovese grapes on the slopes of the Chianti Classico hills.
Colour: Intense ruby red.
Aroma: the 2006 Riserva Ducale is characterised by particularly fragrant, fruity notes, typical of this vintage. Sweet cherries and red berry fruits meet with delicately spicy hints of cigar box and white pepper grains and elegant scents of red roses and flint.
Tasting profile: Fruity, soothing, and well-balanced, the taste reveals velvety tannins and a enjoyable spicy sensation. The ageing in oak enriches the fruity core with hints of cacao and cloves. The long-lingering aftertaste adds intriguing notes of rosemary and figs.
| | |  | | Sassicaia has an intense, concentrated and deep ruby color. The elegant aroma is complex with notes of red fruits. The flavor is powerful concentrated and has great depth with sweet and balanced tannins. In the mouth it is rich and dense, yet harmonious and elegant. The wine has a decisively long finish with significant organoleptic depth and a polyphenolic structure which ensures this wine’s extraordinary longevity.
| | |  | | Bright with intense aromas of lime juice, ruby grapefruit, guava and a hint of clover. This 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is a showstopper. Following with exquisite flavors of focused lemon, lime and grapefruit one can’t ask for a more enjoyable wine. Drink Now.
| | |  | | The Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend of four estate-grown white Rhône varietals: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. The wine, like most wines of the Southern Rhône, is a blend of varietals, featuring the aromatics and fruit of the Viognier, the flavors and clean minerality of the Marsanne and Roussanne, and the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of the Grenache Blanc. Like their Côtes de Tablas red, this wine is designed to be ready to drink young: at its peak from the moment of its release.
The 2006 Côtes de Tablas Blanc is a blend in the style of French Cotes du Rhone whites, and features spicy aromas of herbs, stone fruits and minerals are followed in the mouth by apricot flavors, rich texture, bright acidity, and a long, clean peachy finish.
| | |  | | Deep reddish purple with aromas of bright berry/cherry fruit. Like swallowing a whole bowl of mixed ripe berries at once. Big body yet very balanced, with luscious layers of raspberry, cherry, and cocoa flavors. Just a hint of baking spice at the end brings it all together. Pairs well with grilled meats such as beef and pork, smoked ham, and even pizza with meat toppings. Incredibly fun to drink! Pairs well with grilled meats such as beef and pork, smoked ham, and even pizza with meat toppings. Incredibly fun to drink!
| | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |  | | Primus is a racy blend of Carmenère, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon made from the highest quality grapes at the Veramonte Estate. It showcases the rare Carmenère variety, a distinctive grape that has found its home in Chile.
Appearance: Deep, dark opaque garnet.
Aroma: Exotic spice, toast and hints of tobacco and mint.
Flavour: Massive and mouthfilling with exotic spice and ripe fruit. Lush, with blackberry and cherry notes and smooth, powerful tannins.
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