ENTHUSIAST OF ALL

Many times I enjoy posting my notes on this blog when I am given the opportunity to taste elusive wines of rare quality. Sadly, most of these wines are either impossible to find or too expensive for the average consumer to ever consider purchasing by the bottle, and in many cases both of the above apply. However, great, everyday drinking wines don’t necessarily have to fall into these categories. Finding exceptional wines that are widely available and inexpensive enough to drink on a daily basis requires a bit of research, but in my infinite wisdom I am offering to save you that trouble.

Here are three wines that I frequently guzzle without experiencing any pain in my checking account. In my opinion, it is bordering on absurd how good these wines are for how much they cost and how widely distributed they are. If you want to get into good wine but can’t afford to spend $125 on my #1 wine of 2006, the Chateau Beaucaillou St. Julien, start here, and you will be quite pleased. These three are amazing values- truly too good to be true and worthy of buying in bulk.

FALESCO VITIANO UMBRIA 2004, $8, 90 Points Wine Spectator, 87 Points The Matty
Medium bodied with aromas of dark berries, slightly inky. Flavors of blackberry, raspberry and plum dominate the body with chocolate notes creeping into the finish. Well-rounded tannins add complexity through the medium length. Elegant and polished. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese in the Super-Tuscan style.

COLUMBIA CREST TWO VINES CABERNET-MERLOT COLUMBIA VALLEY 2002, $8, 89 Points Wine Spectator, 87 Points The Matty
Characteristic “Washington” aromas of green pepper backed by dark plum and black cherry. Initially earthy, vegetal flavors gain fruit balance from dark cherry, raspberry and plum. The finish is a surprise, lingering long with nice elements of spice, vanilla and chocolate evolving through, a shocking value for a fairly complex wine in the Meritage style.

THE LITTLE PENGUIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA, $7, 88 Points Wine Spectator, 87 Points The Matty
Aromas of black cherry, blueberry and cedery spice combine with hints of cinnamon. Full and flavorful mouthfeel of blueberry, black cherry and cassis which develop into light notes of mocha and toast through the softly tannic and spicy finish. Fruit carries nicely and vanilla lingers. You can actually even find this one in a 1.5 liter for additional savings, and it still tastes great!

 So what are you waiting for? Go out right now and buy yourself a case of each for a mind-numbingly low $100 each! That’s 12 bottles of wine for less than one bottle of my #1 wine of 2006.  Enjoy!

This entry was posted on February 9, 2007 at 10:12 pm and is filed under Vino. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.