$25 - $50 Wine

Expert Ratings

Wine Spectator 93 points | A solid, slightly burly version, featuring streaks of tar and bay leaf mixed with dark plum and black currant preserve flavors. The finish is underscored by a warm paving stone note, which adds cut, drive and a hint of old school. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024. (2019). 

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points |  From a reliable estate, this wine is firm in feel. It also has open black fruits that pair alongside the generous tannins. It is good long-term aging. Barrel Sample: 93-95Wine Advocate 92 points Deep purple-black in color, the 2019 Meyney strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of cassis, warm plums and baked blackberries plus hints of cedar chest, bay leaves, pencil lead and clove oil plus a waft of underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate has a generous core of ripe black fruits with a slight touch of oak poking through and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with impressive length. (2019).

Decanter 93 points | One of the wines I use as a marker of how good the vintage is in St Estèphe, because it isn't classified but is in a brilliant location right next door to Montrose. And this is good, extremely concentrated, pure cassis and bilberry flavours, tons of tannins, clear austerity and fairly high acidity as I am getting in a lot of these 2019s. Not the same luscious character as 2018, but in many ways that makes it more typical of the appellation, and the alcohol seems less over the top than in 2018. Lots to enjoy here, not quite up to 2016 standard but not far. Tasted two weeks apart, and if anything its expression had deepened second time around.  Barrel Sample: 93Jeb Dunnuck 94 points This estate has been on a roll of late, and the 2019 Château Meyney is a terrific wine. Beautiful notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, dried flowers, and dried tobacco all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, with a seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Count me impressed. Not a powerhouse, it should drink nicely right out of the gate yet also evolve for 20 years or more. Range: 92-94 Points. (2019).

James Suckling 92 Points |  Aromas of ripe berries, licorice and chocolate with a touch of mushroom and some dustiness. Silky, polished texture with medium body and firm tannins. Holds long and even, with a lingering sensation of crushed stones. Hold for a couple of years. Second wine of Meyney. Best after 2023.Vinous 95 points The 2019 Meyney has a divine bouquet, so pure and winsome with floral red berry scents, beautifully integrated new oak and superb precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy to the point where you can almost overlook the backbone of this Saint-Estèphe. It could have been blowsy, yet it retains superb balance and feels luxuriant and long on the finish. This is a stellar showing easily eclipsing its performances either in barrel or just after bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.  —  Neal Martin. (2019).

Expert Review

Expert Rating

Robert Parker 94 Points | The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It’s quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, "Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It’s a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range". In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red "because of its price." It is indeed a bargain. "But it doesn’t have the finesse of Tondonia," concluded María José. Anyway, it’s super tasty. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022. (2016). 

Winemaker Description

Hinia takes its name from the fossilized shells found in the soil from a time when the whole region was under the sea. This is a typical, classic, Rioja blend — fresh and smooth with well-balanced acidity and tannins. It has an intense cherry red colour with notes of ripe black fruit, an elegant range of balsamic notes with tobacco leaves, caramel, vanilla and chocolate. Aged for 36 months in American oak, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place naturally. A homage to the refined classic wines from Haro.

Expert Reviews

96 Points Decanter | Classic and delicious showing tertiary notes of cigar box, incense, old leather, cigar box and tomato leaf. The palate is silky with well-handled oak, a vibrant rail of fresh acidity and mellow, integrated tannins. Complex wine and very representative of classic Rioja.  Gold, Olivia Mason, Decanter World Wine Awards. (2012). 

Tim Atkin 92 Points |  Hinia is a new Reserva brand from the under-rated Martínez Lacuesta operation that’s still impressively fresh and lively for a 2012 red. Partnering Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, it’s a nice cross over between a modern and traditional style, with balsamic American oak sweetness, bright acidity and good focus and minerality. 2023-29. Tim Atkin’s Rioja Report 2023. (2012). 

92 Points Wine Enthusiast | Golden apples, green apples, vanilla and cinnamon flavors pour out of this ripe and indulgent wine. It has all the warm, buttery nuances and rich texture that make California Chardonnay so appealing. (2021).

Lush, pure, and polished, this enticing Chardonnay offers aromas of lemon, lime, white peach, sweet tangerine, and caramel. The bright citrus layers are echoed on the full-bodied palate, where they mingle with juicy flavors of stone fruit and French oak-inspired hints of crème brûlée and spice. 

100% Gewurztraminer from estate fruit averaging 35 years-old. Certified Organic and Biodynamic. White wine. Alsace, France. The 2022 vintage expresses a powerful and complex bouquet of exotic fruits, flowers, and spices. The enveloping palate strikes a delicate balance between power and finesse.

Domaine Albert Mann is heralded the world over as being in the top-tier of Alsace producers. Using organic methods guided by biodynamic practices, the Domaine cultivates precisely controlled yields to obtain grapes of elevated maturity and complexity, resulting in wines that produce their own unique style. Never heavy, clumsy or out of balance, each carefully-crafted vintage presents a beautiful delineation of flavors and precise textures. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description

Always an appealing Cabernet Sauvignon, this deep plum-colored vintage showcases a gorgeous Bordeaux-varietal blend, with sandy, fine-grained tannins, and a plush, velvety-rich mouthfeel. Built to age and develop further complexity over time, the wine is ripe and juicy in its youth with aromas and flavors of vibrant boysenberry, strawberry preserves, and cassis alongside earthier notes of crushed stone, iron, bay laurel, and cedar. Baking spice elements from the well-integrated oak work well with the more traditional Knights Valley tones of wild lavender and bittersweet chocolate. Poised and lively with a structured, juicy, mouthwatering acidity and a finish that’s elegant, long, savory, and pleasing.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2020 

Winemaker Description

Classic Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. It is a deeply colored, fruit forward Pinot with a nose of spiced cranberry, strawberry and hibiscus. The abundance of fruit continues on the palate showing plum, dark cherry, and cranberry with nuances of anise, tea and clove. It is a powerful Pinot at a great price point.

Easily matched with barbecued ribs, oak grilled chops, a juicy burger or spicy Asian cuisine. Enjoy with salmon, spicy Indian dishes, or even oak grilled burgers.

Winemaker Description

The Amarone is considered a top wine in Veneto. Its incredible aromas derive from the strict selection of the grape material of the grape varieties Corvino, Rondinella and Sangiovese. After drying for 4 months on straw mats and fermenting these particularly concentrated grapes, the 30 months are aged in French and Slavonian oak. Only after another year on the bottle does the Amarone leave the Zenato family winery on Lake Garda.

The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico from Zenato is made from grapes from the classical Valpolicella region and is the jewel in the wine production of the Zenato family.

This Italian red wine presents itself dark red, almost black in the glass. It overwhelms in the best way with voluminous elegance, dense, multi-layered aromas and a beautiful balance of fruit and tannin. A phenomenal length makes this Amarone irresistible. An exceptional red wine at an amazingly low price.

93 Points Wine Spectator | Plenty of cooked apple, nougat, and brioche character with some caramel aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Round texture and a fresh finish. Sustainable. Drink now or hold. (2020).

93 Points James Suckling | Plenty of cooked apple, nougat, and brioche character with some caramel aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Round texture and a fresh finish. Sustainable. (2020).

Lovely nose, intense and floral, reminiscent of Meyer lemon and orchard fruit like pear and apple. The palate is fresh and elegant, intense and mineral, with nicely framed oak and a touch of vanilla; the mouthfeel is creamy and long, with notes of biscuit, pie crust and meringue. Delightful to drink right now but it will continue to develop and last for at least 15 to 20 year.  Winemaker Description.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 92 Points | The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Villa Antinori is laced with black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and spice. Ample and expansive in feel, the 2021 is wonderfully generous, not to mention incredibly delicious. Fruit sources are from some of the most coveted sites in the appellation.  Drinking 2024 to 2031. 

Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate writes 92 Points | This wine sees its fruit sourced from multiple villages: San Casciano, Gaiole, Castellina and Greve. The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Villa Antinori is not married to a specific subzone of the appellation because it seeks to embrace a house style rather than a vineyard identity. Aged in tonneaux with some barrique, the wine is rich and lasting but not large. In fact, it remains elegant on the palate with fine tannins and good fruit tension with cherry and blue flowers.  Drinking 2024 - 2030.

Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator writes 92 Points | This is packed tightly with cherry, pomegranate, plum, earth and Mediterranean scrub flavors. Lively and fresh midpalate, while the dense, chewy tannins flex their muscles on the finish. Give this time. Best from 2026 through 2043. 

James Button of Decanter writes 91 Points | A historic label first produced in the 1923 vintage, today's Riserva aims to combine the past with the present. Vinified in stainless steel and aged in large oak barrels and some barriques, this has a plush, ripe aroma of dark hedgerow berries and menthol. A bed of supple, ripe tannins and coffee-marked wood support the breadth and depth of this wine's offering: spicy and fleshy dark fruits with a gentle wash of freshening acidity and some breezy menthol on the finish. 500,000 bottles produced.  Drinking 2024 to 2032.

Winemaker Description

A heady seductive nose, rich ripe full fruits on the nose with a gentle and inviting pot pourri nose. Lovely freshness here and seering, mouthwatering cherry juice flavours – acidity is marked but in a really well balanced harmonious way. Just great energy and brightness. No massie complexity but what is delivered is excellent quality fruit that has been well handled. One for earlier drinking to enjoy the pretty, balanced and bright wine. Bordeaux at its most approachable. Drinking Window 2023 – 2033.

Expert Reviews

Wine Description

Winemaker Description

A fruity and flowery nose with notes of red berries, rose and sea breeze. Bright, crisp and refreshing on the palate with notes of raspberry and minerals and a crisp, clean finish. 

Winemaker Description

La Moussière is the estate's flagship cuvee, its richness, energy and precision defining the Alphonse Mellot style. This 100% Sauvignon white wine has a floral and fruity nose combining white flowers with citrus fruits, a resplendent golden robe with glints of green, and a lively, refreshing palate. Fish tartare, smoked salmon or girolle mushroom omelette will go perfectly with La Moussière's freshness and purity.

Winemaker Description

Aromas of pomegranate, white tea and raspberry. Flavors of dried fig, white truffle, and ripe cherry. The texture is savory. 

Producer Description 

Very deep red in color turning almost purplish. The nose reveals a rich perfume of plum, black cherry and also spices as ginger and vanilla.

On the palate it is full bodied and velvety and well balanced. Enjoy with grilled meats, baked pasta or pasta with hearty sauces, and ripe cheeses. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Falstaff 92 Points | Dark ruby with brightening on the rim. Spicy and fruity nose, with aromas of dark cherry, dark chocolate, and eucalyptus. The palate has concentrated fruit, noticeable, slightly drying tannins, weighty.

Decanter 88 Points | Dark berries and chocolate, prunes and earthy spice notes, big tannic structure with lovely acidity. (Bronze) - DWWA 2024

Critic Notes

Zekun Shaui writes:  Pure and mineral nose full of sea shells, lime and green apples. Blistering acidity cuts through the taut, medium-bodied palate, leaving a mouthwatering finish with a lasting saline smack. Textbook albarino that brings your nose and palate to the sea. Outstanding quality. Vegan. Drink now.  - James Suckling 93

Alison Napjus writes:  A lithe, mouthwatering white, with peach skin and nectarine, pickled ginger and jasmine notes. Well-balanced and fresh, with a tang of salinity driving the finish. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator 90

Sarah Jane Evans MW, Pierre Mansour, Beth Willard write:  Lime and elderflower on the nose. Lively expression with sweet and sour contrast of acidity and rich peach and berry fruit. Nice regional typicity in this wine, like a salty sea breeze with a racy finish.  Drinking 2023 to 2028.  - Decanter 

Our Notes

A blend of 40% Pinot Gris, 35% Muscat, 25% Riesling.  This is one of my favorite Alsace whites because of its amazingly fragrant nose of flowers, that I think the Muscat and Pinot Gris brings to this wine.  It is like smelling great perfume and when it enters your mouth you taste all the complex flavors the three grape varieties bring to the wine with the acidity of the Riesling making it both lush and crisp at the same time.  There is a certain creaminess and lushness that this particular wine envelopes your mouth with that makes me just love it.  Bernie, Follow the Drinker®

Distributor Notes

"The Edelzwicker, is a rare blend (one of two produced by Boxler) and often features fruit from his grand cru parcels. Jean Boxler says, “To find the right balance for the Edelzwicker Réserve, I cannot hesitate to steal from my more prestigious cuvées.”  Think of this bottling as his musical supergroup. Its purpose is to showcase what an Alsatian white tastes like when some of the region’s best grapes—which usually shine on their own—come together and harmonize. The result is a floral, luscious, and medium-bodied masterpiece, with notes of orchard fruit and tangerine. Incredibly versatile at table, it would be a match made in heaven with Chris Lee’s soufflé or a baked fish with grilled vegetables, but it would also complement a variety of Chinese, Indian, or Thai dishes that have a little spice." - Kermit Lynch

Our Notes

Debra of 67Wine.com | A thrill seeking wine from the volcanic region in Souther Italy, Mt. Etna, Benanti showcases this 100% Carricante at it's best.  Complexity on the nose with aromas and flavors of grapefruit, saline, fresh acidity with lots of minerality. A pure varietal expression,  this wine is full of life, vibrant, energetic and a lingering finish. 
Pair with ricotta cheese drizzled with orange and/or lemon rind, grilled swordfish, tuna, cheeses, and lemon pasta dishes.

Venica & Venica Ronco Del Cero Sauvignon Blanc Collio DOC is intense straw yellow in color. The different northern, southern and south-eastern exposures of the vineyards confer a broad olfactory spectrum.

The southern orientation and the prolonged afternoon sunshine give clear warm and fruity notes of yellow peach and melon, while the cooler climates give classic and elegant vegetal notes such as the aroma of elderflower. Pleasant freshness in the mouth supported by a savory and mineral vein with fruity returns.

Great balance and long taste-olfactory persistence. Pair with Vegetable candies, grilled prawns and lime, Fried squash flowers, Baked scallops au gratin, or Salmon tagliolini with herbs. Winery notes

Expert Rating - Vintage 2022

Winemaker Description

The certified organic vineyards cover 20 hectares in Gaiole in Chianti at different altitudes, exposures and soil types. All wines are artisanally crafted from hand-sorted grapes that are crushed by foot and fermented with native yeasts in small, concrete fermentors. 

The Riecine Chianti Classico is made from 100% Sangiovese from different vineyard sites throughout Gaiole in Chianti. Mid ruby in the glass with aromas of cranberry and sour cherry interspersed with a strong mineral note.

The palate is vibrant with fine, persistent tannins and energetic acidity. Lots of tension in this mineral and sour-fruited wine. Enjoy with pasta or artisanal pizza. Winemaker Description

Winemaker Description

Domaine de Chevalier is renowned for its ability to produce great wines even in unfashionable vintages thanks to its unique terroir and a draconian selection in the vineyard and the cellar. In fact, this philosophy at times requires vineyard workers to carry out five waves of picking in order to pick only the ripest possible grapes.

Furthermore, as of 1986, the planting of young vines led to the creation of both a red and white second wine called Esprit de Chevalier. This includes vats that do not have quite the structure and focus of the grand vin as well as wine made from young vines, Vats that go into red Esprit de Chevalier must nevertheless be complex, well-balanced, well-structured and, above all, elegant enough to be in keeping with Chevalier’s image. Esprit de Chevalier is a charming red wine with many of the same qualities as the grand vin and the added advantage that can be enjoyed earlier.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Winemaker Notes

Aromatic nose of mature fruits, red berries, and dry fruits combined with balsamic notes and mineral hints. The wine is medium-bodied, silky, and ripe, showing good fruit intensity on the palate and fine acidity. Finishing with freshness and length.

Winemaker Description

J.K. Carriere Vespidae Pinot Noir is garnet in color. The nose is super effusive cherry, hibiscus, grilled meat, tan spice and cracked pepper. The flavors are massive and present as a cherry and peach pie with a one-minute too brown crust. The structure is quietly lurking, but unobtrusive. 

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 92 Points | Aromas of sour cherries, plums, violets, cocoa, incense and baking spices. Medium-bodied with plush tannins and bright acidity. Fresh, textured and juicy with a bitter cocoa character. Flavorful finish with excellent length. Drink or hold.

Vinous 92 Points | Brilliant red. Ripe red fruit, floral and baking spice qualities on the nose, along with hints of sandalwood and musky herbs. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering subtly sweet cherry cola and raspberry flavors that firm up through the back half. Shows fine clarity and energy on a persistent finish shaped by smooth, even tannins. 20% new French oak. Best after 2022. 

Winemaker Description

An elegant, fragrant wine with great concentration and intensity. A complex and intense aroma, with a fresh mineral base. Powerful and rich on the palate, with fresh rounded tannins. A limited edition wine that we only craft from the best vintages.

The bodega stands in the historic Pago de Valdestremero estate, where the vineyards were already famous in the 16th century, producing grapes used in the wine served at the Court of King Philip II in Valladolid.

Winemaker Description

70% Frappato/30% Nero d'Avola. From certified-organic estate vines, averaging 20+ years old and planted on chalky, sandy soils. The bunches are harvested by hand, destemmed and co-fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in concrete tanks. Maceration lasts approximately two weeks. The wine is aged in concrete tanks for 6 months and bottled unfiltered. Sulfur use is modest. "SP68" is the Strada Provinciale 68, the country road on which the Occhipinti winery and home vineyard lie.

SP68 is a road but also a young wine. Fresh and pleasant, with a delicate taste that brings with it the taste of the sun and the freshness of this land. Juicy flavors of strawberry, raspberry and wild herbs complimented by refreshing acidity and soft tannins.

Critic Notes

Allen Meadows writes;  Ripe though not aggressive sauvignon blanc aromas include plenty of citrus, lemongrass and only a suggestion of the classic cat pee character. Once again the middleweight flavors possess an appealing mouthfeel that is in keeping with the clean, dry and lingering finale where a few years of keeping should help to add depth.  Drinking from 2025.  - Burghound 🖤 Outstanding

Neal Martin writes:  The 2022 Saint-Bris Exogyra Virgula is rather entrancing on the nose: Golden Delicious, elderflower, grassy meadow and lanolin scents. The palate is well defined with a potent menthol component. A touch of aniseed makes the finish very distinctive. Very fine. With further aeration the nose reminds me of Japanese shiso leaf.  Drinking 2024 to 2032.  - Vinous 90

Winery Notes

Domaine Goisot's place in the wine world is beautifully summed up by Burghound's Allen Meadows: "No one but no one delivers more quality for the price than Goisot. The quality is flat out amazing, particularly given the modest appellations with which he works".

Guilhem and and father Jean-Hugues Goisot, like all top vignerons in France, recognize that great wine comes from great viticulture, and they work tirelessly in the vines to ensure that their parcels are as well care for as possible. Their viticulture is certified biodynamic, with great pains taken to produce as natural an environment for the vines, and a particular goal of stimulating the natural defenses of the vines against disease and depredation.

Here’s the meaning behind the bottle’s name: “Exogyra” is an extinct genus of fossil marine oysters dating back to the Jurassic era, deposited deep into the earth under the vines; “Virgula” means comma, referring to the curved shape of the oyster shells. The wine also happens to go remarkably well with oysters.

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 88 Points | Juicy and direct, with plum and blackberry fruit leading the way, while light anise and applewood notes add energy through the finish. Accessible now. Drink now through 2025. 4,200 cases made, 400 cases imported. 

Winemaker Description

Dark red in color with aromas of cherry, cocoa, black olive and toasted hazelnut on the nose. On the palate, mellow tannins with a spicy vanilla and chocolate finish.

Winemaker Description

Cooper & Thief’s bourbon barrel-aged Red Blend offers notes of warm toasty vanilla, with dark fruit and a gentle hint of classic bourbon spice. Blackberry and jammy dark currants lead to a rich finish, with the elegance of a fine-sipping bourbon.

Cooper and Thief Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine Blend is aged in bourbon whiskey barrels for three months, giving it a velvety mouthfeel with subtle heat. Merlot, syrah, zinfandel, petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon collide in one bourbon barrel to create this dark and jammy wine, which features true bourbon flavor. Crafted by Cellarmaster Jeff Kasavan, each taste of this California red wine gives way to aromatic hints of fruit and toasty vanilla.

This dark red wine garners its unique taste thanks to varietals found all across California's prime winegrowing regions. Bring this red blend along on your next picnic and enjoy it on its own, or stack this rich, bold taste up against lamb or poultry. The bourbon barrel aging gives this wine soft tannins that deliver a full-bodied and lingering finish in each sip. For a devilishly good taste, keep this red wine blend stored at room temperature, and chill it before serving. Born from mischief, Cooper and Thief Wine celebrates doing things differently. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Ratings

Matt Walls, Cat Lomax, Tanguy Martin of Decanter writes 91 Points | Open, expressive and lively. The palate is laced with savoury herbaceousness, green tea and apricot. Plump, ripe and lush on the finish.  Drinking 2023 - 2025.

Josh Raynolds of Vinous writes 91 Points | Deep violet color. Lush, spice- and smoke-tinged dark berries and a floral nuance on the fragrant nose. Juicy and seamless in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet blueberry and cherry flavors and hints of candied licorice and smoky bacon. The blue fruit note resonates on a long, smooth finish, where subtle tannins add final grip.  Drinking 2025 - 2033.