The Under $20 A Bottle Wine Thread:

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFlake

This one is amazing, right now! I bought a couple of bottles of Layer Cake 2008 Shiraz from Barossa Valley, Australia at Trader Joe's for $14.95 this past Saturday. Last night my wife and I drank a bottle. I have had this in the past several times, 2006 and I believe 2005. It was always very good to excellent. I decanted the bottle and let it rest for about 45 minutes. All I can say is that this is an amazing wine right now. The flavor is full bodied with lot's of up front fruit dark berry nuances, with an underlying spiciness that is just wonderful. The finish is fairly long with hints of dark chocolate & spice.

I highly recommend this wine. I plan to pick up at least a half dozen bottles of this. I'm no expert but I believe that this wine will hold up very well and may even improve over the next 3 to 5 years.

Layer Cake is quite good.
And a good value, too.

Another Australian Shiraz that is affordable and quite tasty is called Boarding Pass. It is priced in the $15-$20 range. Check it out.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Layer Cake is quite good.
And a good value, too.

Another Australian Shiraz that is affordable and quite tasty is called Boarding Pass. It is priced in the $15-$20 range. Check it out.

The best Austrailian Shiraz I have tried under $20 is Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz.

[SeanGAR]

Barbera del Monderrato Superiore, $16.49 in my local Kroger, this wine is 85% Barbera, 15% Freisa.

I like Italian reds these days in the value category and this definitely hits the spot, different enough from Chianti to make it interesting.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

Barbera del Monderrato Superiore, $16.49 in my local Kroger, this wine is 85% Barbera, 15% Freisa.

I like Italian reds these days in the value category and this definitely hits the spot, different enough from Chianti to make it interesting.

Sounds like a good buy. What year is on the shelf?

[SeanGAR]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Sounds like a good buy. What year is on the shelf?

06

[Trace63]

My girlfriend had some Foxhorn White Zin a little while ago that was pretty good. And its cheap as can be too.

[DoctaJ]

One wine I jump on when I see if on special for under $20 is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio:




Very smooth wine with great flavors. It's defintily one of the best I have tasted in terms of Pinot Grigio

[DoctaJ]

Btw, does anyone have any specific Sauvignon blanc's they would recommend that fit under this category (under $20)? Always on the lookout for some new ones to try

[Trace63]

Originally Posted by DoctaJ

One wine I jump on when I see if on special for under $20 is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio:




Very smooth wine with great flavors. It's defintily one of the best I have tasted in terms of Pinot Grigio

One of my best friends LOVES this wine. I really need to try it.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by DoctaJ

One wine I jump on when I see if on special for under $20 is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio:




Very smooth wine with great flavors. It's defintily one of the best I have tasted in terms of Pinot Grigio

Should this always be under $20? I can't imagine a Pinot Grigio over $20

[kaisersozei]

About a month or so ago, my wife discovered this:



Vacqueyras Domaine Mas du Bouquet

The 2006 vintage scored a 90 in Wine Spectator last year. She loves it, and at $15/bottle, I love it, too!

[Sauer Grapes]

I'm more of a noob with wine than I ever was with cigars. For a white though, Nobilo Sauvignion Blanc is quite tasty. It's from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

I can't suggest any reds because most of the ones I drink are too cheap even for this thread, and I highly doubt they are good. I will definitely be using this thread as a reference for stuff to try though.

Originally Posted by DoctaJ

Btw, does anyone have any specific Sauvignon blanc's they would recommend that fit under this category (under $20)? Always on the lookout for some new ones to try

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

I'm more of a noob with wine than I ever was with cigars. For a white though, Nobilo Sauvignion Blanc is quite tasty. It's from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

I can't suggest any reds because most of the ones I drink are too cheap even for this thread, and I highly doubt they are good. I will definitely be using this thread as a reference for stuff to try though.

I love to find under $10 wines that are good tasting with no bad qualities. I used to get Blackstone Merlot often at Costco.

[Dunkel]

Been a number of years since I've drank any wine but i used to love Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages for a red, and Adolf Mueller Liebfraumilch for a white.

[JohnnyFlake]

Here is a new one that family friends tell me is an amazing wine for the price!

Albino Armani Casetta 2005

Sam's Score: 91-93 Points: The aromas found in this wine are a complete turn on: black plums, acai berry, maduro tobacco, bergamot oil and exotic spices. On the palate, the wine coats the mouth with layers of fruit, fragrant earth and spice elements. It tastes like a hypothetical blend of Amarone, Pinot Noir and Mourvedre. A fascinating and delicious wine.

~ Efrain Madrigal, Sam's Wine Director

Sam's First Look Price: $15.99!

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

I love to find under $10 wines that are good tasting with no bad qualities. I used to get Blackstone Merlot often at Costco.

Lance, this past weekend I bought a few bottles of Meridian Pinot Noirm on sale at Safeway for $5.99 each and the wine was not bad at all. Merlot, same price, had way too much oak for me, though.

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFlake

Here is a new one that family friends tell me is an amazing wine for the price!

Albino Armani Casetta 2005

Sam's Score: 91-93 Points: The aromas found in this wine are a complete turn on: black plums, acai berry, maduro tobacco, bergamot oil and exotic spices. On the palate, the wine coats the mouth with layers of fruit, fragrant earth and spice elements. It tastes like a hypothetical blend of Amarone, Pinot Noir and Mourvedre. A fascinating and delicious wine.

~ Efrain Madrigal, Sam's Wine Director

Sam's First Look Price: $15.99!

And a popular translation for the rest of us:

Black plums - way overripe fruit
Maduro Tobacco - plenty of oak tannins (most likely chips at the price point)
Mourvedre - brett (the only grape that gets confused with brett and since there isn't any in this wine, brett is the only explanation)

[JohnnyFlake]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

And a popular translation for the rest of us:

Black plums - way overripe fruit
Maduro Tobacco - plenty of oak tannins (most likely chips at the price point)
Mourvedre - brett (the only grape that gets confused with brett and since there isn't any in this wine, brett is the only explanation)

And still another RIP by Mr Riddick!!!

[JohnnyFlake]

Here is still another find/recommendation:

Bodegas Sabor Real Vinas Centenarias 2005: $13.99
Bodegas Sabor Real Viñas Centenarias
Toro Spain Crianza 2005

Here is Robert Parker's Wine Advocate’s take on the wine:

"The 2005 Vinas Centenarias, as the name implies, comes from vines over 100 years of age. Purple-colored, it offers up a complex perfume of pain grillé, violets, mineral, spice box, black cherry and blackberry. Bigger, richer, and more sweetly-fruited than its younger colleague, it would benefit from 2-3 years of additional cellaring. Balanced, lengthy, and altogether hedonistic, it should drink well through 2015. It is a stupendous value.”
~ 91 Points, Wine Advocate

What will TheRiddick have to say about this one?

One of my favorite wines is also one of cheapest..

Tall Horse Cabernet Sauvignon - South Africa .. $6.95

I haven't had anything else from Tall Horse, not a big white fan, and Merlots tend to give me a headache. So I mostly stick with the Cabs.


Tasting Notes for the 2008