Some Fine Wines for $10 and Under
It's known in Europe as the wine lake: a vast reservoir of nearly a billion excess bottles, so much that if they were all emptied, they could fill 300 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Some are so marginal that instead of being consumed, the wine–made mostly from French and Italian grapes–is instead distilled into alcohol fuel. Much, however, is good, even delicious, and so cheap that even with exchange rates that have depressed the U.S. dollar's buying power by 40 percent in recent years, you can still pick up an excellent bottle of Spanish Rioja, French Côtes du Rhone, or sparkling Italian rosé for $10 or less.
Little wonder, then, that when we asked wine buyers at a dozen leading retailers which wine they would choose for that bargain price, they overwhelmingly picked vintages from France, Spain, and Italy as offering some of the best values–and flavors–around.
A survey of top wine writers yielded similarly Old World picks, such as Vinography.com Editor Alder Yarrow's choice of a $6 Spanish Borsao: "It is difficult to comprehend how it's possible to make wine this good that costs so little."
Here are their 10 top choices:
2005 Les Vignes Retrouvées, Côtes de Saint-Mont Blanc
Gascony, France. $10
From Gascony, home of the Musketeers, foie gras, and Armagnac, this unique white wine "sells like wild in France," says Bill St. John, wine educator at Sam's Wines Spirits in Chicago. The "Vignes Retrouvées" refers to the "rediscovered" vines of three white grape varieties you've probably never heard of: 40 percent Gros Manseng, 30 percent Petit Courbu, 30 percent Arrufiac.
Together, they not only make a "fruity, aromatic, and deliciously crisp" cocktail but are also a welcome departure from standard whites like sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. Even better, St. John says the Les Vignes Retrouvées is "deal city."
www.samswine.com
2004 Artazuri Garnacha
Navarra, Spain. $10
Talk about wine from the Old Country! This Grenache is made of grapes harvested from 80-year-old vines, which help give it "great, velvety tannins ... with a lot of juicy raspberry on the nose," says Andrew McMurray, wine buyer at Zachys Wine & Liquor in Scarsdale, N.Y.
He's a big fan of Grenache-based wines produced near Spain's northern border with France. "They have more acidity and lift than some of the more modern style of Spanish wines," he says. "And the Artazuri is an amazing value."
www.zachys.com
Rotari Rosé NV
Trento, Italy. $9
This spumante (that's "sparkling" in Italian) is made from 25 percent chardonnay and 75 percent pinot nero, which provide its characteristic pink color, notes Clyde Beffa Jr., co-owner of K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, Calif. Rotari hails from the Adige Valley, near the Austrian border, where its producers use the "metodo classico," meaning that it's bottle fermented for two full years.
Ideal with seafood or as an aperitif, it features a seemingly odd combination of cranberry and fresh-baked bread flavors (at least that's what Wine Enthusiast reviewers, who gave it an 88 rating, think). But to Beffa Jr., it's simply "great tasting, and look at the price!"
www.klwine.com
2003 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhone
Rhone, France. $10
This earthy classic, made from 60 percent Syrah, 30 percent Grenache, and the rest Mourvedre and other grapes, is especially so because it was produced in 2003–considered one of the best vintages in decades. Its deep ruby color is followed by a "spicy, earthy bouquet revealing scents of crème de cassis, wild herbs, kirsch, and blackberries," says Shawn Lightfoot, wine buyer at Applejack Wine and Spirits in Wheat Ridge, Colo.
It can age as long as an additional eight years, but its "dense, medium-bodied, and lightly tannic" flavor can easily be enjoyed now, and it makes a great accompaniment to cold meats, game bird, and cheese.
www.applejack.com
2004 Borsao "Primizia" Grenache
Zaragosa, Spain. $6
Borsao wines have been widely heralded as some of the best values around, and this 100 percent Grenache is no exception. In fact, this may be "the single best supermarket wine available in the States today and unarguably one of the best global wine values anywhere," Vinography.com Editor Alder Yarrow says of the least expensive wine in our survey.
Aged in steel bins, it features a fruit bowl of flavors: scents of "strawberries and blackberries followed by flavors of tart raspberry and cherry. And its good acidity and medium body make it extremely food friendly."
www.finewinehouse.com
2005 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Blanc, Cuvee Balthazar
Alsace, France. $10
Pinot blanc is the other, other pinot. It's not pinot noir. And its not even pinot grigio. But this 100 percent pure pinot blanc is equally alluring with "light floral notes ... balanced with crisp acidity," says wine educator Tyler Coleman, who edits the popular Dr. Vino's Wine Blog.
The crispness comes from the fact that the wine never sees an oak barrel, which lets its fruitiness stand out. Coleman says it makes "a good choice for a Mother's Day brunch, one heavier on savory than sweet." The price can vary widely, but we found it at www.madwine.com for $10.
2005 Cycles Gladiator Syrah
California. $10
Any bargain wine list would be suspect if it didn't include at least one wine from California, where producers are also enduring their own wine lake. In recent years, many have moved to capitalize on the pinot noir craze (thanks largely to the movie Sideways). But the folks at Soledad's Cycles Gladiator have found equal success with Syrah, a versatile grape that winemakers Adam LaZarre and Paul Clifton cull from vineyards in Monterey and Paso Robles.
The result is a combination of "raspberry and plum aromas framed by fresh cracked pepper and pretty oak notes," says Steve Wallace, chairman of Wally's Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, who notes that this "little-wine-that-could" has earned best of show awards, such as a silver medal at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, "triumphing over much more costly rivals."
www.wallywine.com
2001 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva
Rioja Alavesa, Spain. $10
This Spanish classic is probably the most recognized Rioja sold in the United States. (The gold-mesh-wrapped bottle surely helps.) But, in this case, well known also means well worn, thanks to its ruby-red mixture of 90 percent Tempranillo and 10 percent Graciano and Mazuelo grapes, which are aged two full years in American oak barrels.
The result is "rich yet supple" says Dominique Noel, wine buyer at PJ Wine in New York City, with "ripe cherry fruit and hints of leather and tobacco." It pairs wonderfully with hearty dishes, such as roast loin of pork or leg of lamb.
www.pjwine.com
2005 Fondreche O'Sud
Rhone, France. $10
From France's unheralded Côtes du Ventoux appellation in the Southern Rhone valley, this blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes is "just plain delicious," says Phil Bernstein, wine buyer at MacArthur Beverages in Washington, D.C.
Unlike oak-aged wines, winemaker Sebastien Vincenti (formerly of Châteauneuf-du-Pape) creates this one entirely in a stainless steel tank, "which keeps the nose and fruit fresh," including hints of ripe cherries and a faint taste of anise. Bernstein kindly credits his pick to wine merchant Robert Kacher, "who has a knack for finding great French wines that sell for a song."
www.bassins.com
Domaine de l'Ecu 2004 "Expression de Orthogneiss" Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Loire Valley, France. $10
As the organic food craze has gained speed, so has interest in organic wines like this "stony, minerally" white, says Robin Garr, editor of the Wine Lover's Page.
In classic Muscadet fashion, it's aged "on the lees," leaving residual dead yeast in the bottle and giving it a slight spritz. Its natural companion is fresh oysters on the half shell, but it goes mighty well with just about all forms of seafood and fish. Prices for Muscadet have been on the upswing recently, but you can still find this one on sale at www.wineanthology.com.