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| 20 Wines for Under $20: The Spring Edition | 20 Wines for Under $20: The Spring Edition |
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| Few things are more important to wine drinkers than value, but value can mean different things to different people. | Few things are more important to wine drinkers than value, but value can mean different things to different people. |
| In March I wrote a profile of Eli Zabar, the New York food merchant whose restaurant is offering great values on hard-to-find wines. I cited some examples like a 2004 Muscadet and a 2007 Touraine red, each for $60, as well as a 1995 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva for $250 and a 1995 Hubert de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens for $295. | In March I wrote a profile of Eli Zabar, the New York food merchant whose restaurant is offering great values on hard-to-find wines. I cited some examples like a 2004 Muscadet and a 2007 Touraine red, each for $60, as well as a 1995 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva for $250 and a 1995 Hubert de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens for $295. |
| The social media firestorm began almost immediately. | The social media firestorm began almost immediately. |
| “The wine prices are completely ridiculous,” one reader wrote. “$60 for a Muscadet? That’s a $10 bottle in France, as is any Touraine red. $250 for a Chianti? Please tell me it’s a misprint. No Italian would ever believe it.” | “The wine prices are completely ridiculous,” one reader wrote. “$60 for a Muscadet? That’s a $10 bottle in France, as is any Touraine red. $250 for a Chianti? Please tell me it’s a misprint. No Italian would ever believe it.” |
| Some people are wed to a utilitarian notion of wine. It’s liquid, it has alcohol and the rest is marketing and gullibility. | Some people are wed to a utilitarian notion of wine. It’s liquid, it has alcohol and the rest is marketing and gullibility. |
| Others may see a vast chasm between a mass-produced bottle of Muscadet from the latest vintage (not even $10!) and a great 12-year-old bottle from a master craftsman. The opportunity to appreciate its complexities and nuances might intrigue them enough to consider $60 well spent. | Others may see a vast chasm between a mass-produced bottle of Muscadet from the latest vintage (not even $10!) and a great 12-year-old bottle from a master craftsman. The opportunity to appreciate its complexities and nuances might intrigue them enough to consider $60 well spent. |
| But few places offer such an opportunity for value. A wine lover willing to spend $300 to savor a well-aged Burgundy from a great producer will have to search long and hard, though any number of restaurants would willingly sell him the chance for $700. | But few places offer such an opportunity for value. A wine lover willing to spend $300 to savor a well-aged Burgundy from a great producer will have to search long and hard, though any number of restaurants would willingly sell him the chance for $700. |
| Value is not simply a synonym for inexpensive. It ought to mean that the amount of pleasure is beyond the norm for the price you paid. Great value can be had at $5 or at $500, though either is rare. | Value is not simply a synonym for inexpensive. It ought to mean that the amount of pleasure is beyond the norm for the price you paid. Great value can be had at $5 or at $500, though either is rare. |
| By far, the greatest opportunity to find wine values is in the range of $15 to $25. Here, the qualities of conscientious agriculture, cultural tradition, craftsmanship, distinctiveness and deliciousness converge at prices that make these bottles worth seeking out. If you love them, they are well worth it. If you don’t, the exploration will have come at not too high a cost. | By far, the greatest opportunity to find wine values is in the range of $15 to $25. Here, the qualities of conscientious agriculture, cultural tradition, craftsmanship, distinctiveness and deliciousness converge at prices that make these bottles worth seeking out. If you love them, they are well worth it. If you don’t, the exploration will have come at not too high a cost. |
| Here, then, are 20 bottles I bought in New York for $20 or less. They are not the only examples by far. I could have bought many different bottles. Nobody will be able to find all of these, but if you have access to a good wine shop, you will discover your own treasures. | Here, then, are 20 bottles I bought in New York for $20 or less. They are not the only examples by far. I could have bought many different bottles. Nobody will be able to find all of these, but if you have access to a good wine shop, you will discover your own treasures. |
| I chose these with a mind to the season. They are generally light- to medium-weight wines with an eye to freshness. Wine’s first duty is to refresh. In the added dimensions lies the value. | I chose these with a mind to the season. They are generally light- to medium-weight wines with an eye to freshness. Wine’s first duty is to refresh. In the added dimensions lies the value. |
| Monastero Suore Cistercensi Lazio Bianco Coenobium 2014, $19.99 | Monastero Suore Cistercensi Lazio Bianco Coenobium 2014, $19.99 |
| This is a rare Lazio white with great character, a blend of trebbiano, malvasia and verdicchio. The grapes are grown by Cistercian nuns just north of Rome and made into wine under the supervision of Giampiero Bea of the great Umbrian producer Paolo Bea. It’s redolent of apples, herbs, citrus and volcanic soils, and has just the slightest pleasant tannic rasp, courtesy of longer-than-usual maceration with the grape skins. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York) | This is a rare Lazio white with great character, a blend of trebbiano, malvasia and verdicchio. The grapes are grown by Cistercian nuns just north of Rome and made into wine under the supervision of Giampiero Bea of the great Umbrian producer Paolo Bea. It’s redolent of apples, herbs, citrus and volcanic soils, and has just the slightest pleasant tannic rasp, courtesy of longer-than-usual maceration with the grape skins. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York) |
| Ronchi di Cialla Colli Orientali del Friuli Ribolla Gialla 2014, $19.99 | Ronchi di Cialla Colli Orientali del Friuli Ribolla Gialla 2014, $19.99 |
| Ribolla gialla is one of the indigenous grapes of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy. This is a straightforward version compared with some of the vanguard wines made in the region, but it’s delicious, with flavors of nuts, flowers and tropical citrus fruits along with mineral undertones. (Soilair Selection, New York) | Ribolla gialla is one of the indigenous grapes of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy. This is a straightforward version compared with some of the vanguard wines made in the region, but it’s delicious, with flavors of nuts, flowers and tropical citrus fruits along with mineral undertones. (Soilair Selection, New York) |
| Ravines Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2014, $17.99 | Ravines Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2014, $17.99 |
| Riesling has been a great success story in the Finger Lakes, and though it’s not the only winner in the region, it’s been by far the dominant grape there. Year in and year out, Ravines’s riesling has been one of my favorites. It’s absolutely refreshing, with earthy, citrus and wet stone flavors. If you like this, try the Ravines Argetsinger Vineyard riesling, a firmer, deeper single-vineyard version. | Riesling has been a great success story in the Finger Lakes, and though it’s not the only winner in the region, it’s been by far the dominant grape there. Year in and year out, Ravines’s riesling has been one of my favorites. It’s absolutely refreshing, with earthy, citrus and wet stone flavors. If you like this, try the Ravines Argetsinger Vineyard riesling, a firmer, deeper single-vineyard version. |
| Domaine Michel Brégeon par Frédéric Lailler Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2013, $17.99 | |
| Muscadet is perennially a great value, especially from Brégeon, an under-the-radar producer that always makes some of the more interesting wines in the region. This is characteristically fresh and tangy, with flavors of citrus, herbs and chamomile and a grainy, minerally depth that comes from aging on the lees, the remnants of yeast after fermentation. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.) | Muscadet is perennially a great value, especially from Brégeon, an under-the-radar producer that always makes some of the more interesting wines in the region. This is characteristically fresh and tangy, with flavors of citrus, herbs and chamomile and a grainy, minerally depth that comes from aging on the lees, the remnants of yeast after fermentation. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.) |
| Guímaro Ribeira Sacra Blanco 2014, $19.99 | Guímaro Ribeira Sacra Blanco 2014, $19.99 |
| Ribeira Sacra in the eastern Galicia region of Spain, where the vineyards rise at harrowing angles from the rivers, is best known for its reds made from the mencía grape. But the whites, like this one from Guímaro, made with godello, can be superb. This is refreshing, harmonious and a touch exotic, with flavors of citrus, flowers, herbs and stone fruits. (José Pastor Selections/Vinos & Gourmet, Richmond, Calif.) | Ribeira Sacra in the eastern Galicia region of Spain, where the vineyards rise at harrowing angles from the rivers, is best known for its reds made from the mencía grape. But the whites, like this one from Guímaro, made with godello, can be superb. This is refreshing, harmonious and a touch exotic, with flavors of citrus, flowers, herbs and stone fruits. (José Pastor Selections/Vinos & Gourmet, Richmond, Calif.) |
| Jean-Jacques Litaud Domaine des Vieilles Pierres St.-Véran Les Pommards 2014, $19.99 | Jean-Jacques Litaud Domaine des Vieilles Pierres St.-Véran Les Pommards 2014, $19.99 |
| Must one always have chardonnay? Absolutely, if it is as good as this St.-Véran, often a source of exceptional values. Though it was aged in steel tanks, it has the rich texture that usually comes from barrel-aging, with great depth and presence, and lingering flavors of citrus, yeast, flowers and minerals. (Jeanne-Marie de Champs/Fruit of the Vines, Long Island City, N.Y.) | Must one always have chardonnay? Absolutely, if it is as good as this St.-Véran, often a source of exceptional values. Though it was aged in steel tanks, it has the rich texture that usually comes from barrel-aging, with great depth and presence, and lingering flavors of citrus, yeast, flowers and minerals. (Jeanne-Marie de Champs/Fruit of the Vines, Long Island City, N.Y.) |
| Ponce Manchuela Reto 2014, $19.99 | Ponce Manchuela Reto 2014, $19.99 |
| I’ve written before about the 2012 Ponce Reto, which was richer and juicier than the 2014, which is a bit subtler. Nonetheless, it is a distinctive wine, made entirely from the albillo grape, which I’ve never seen outside the Manchuela region of east-central Spain. It’s fresh, floral and herbal, another option in the array of dry, crisp whites. (T. Edward Wines, New York) | I’ve written before about the 2012 Ponce Reto, which was richer and juicier than the 2014, which is a bit subtler. Nonetheless, it is a distinctive wine, made entirely from the albillo grape, which I’ve never seen outside the Manchuela region of east-central Spain. It’s fresh, floral and herbal, another option in the array of dry, crisp whites. (T. Edward Wines, New York) |
| Edmunds St. John El Dorado County Witters Vineyard Bone-Jolly Rosé Gamay Noir 2015, $19.99 | Edmunds St. John El Dorado County Witters Vineyard Bone-Jolly Rosé Gamay Noir 2015, $19.99 |
| The wine stores tell us it’s rosé season (though in my opinion, it’s never not rosé season). Here is an old favorite, which year after year offers the vivacity characteristic of a good young rosé. It’s made entirely of gamay noir, the grape of Beaujolais (hence the somewhat awkward name Bone-Jolly), and it’s exactly what you want on those first few days out on the deck, the balcony or wherever you can grab space in the open air. | The wine stores tell us it’s rosé season (though in my opinion, it’s never not rosé season). Here is an old favorite, which year after year offers the vivacity characteristic of a good young rosé. It’s made entirely of gamay noir, the grape of Beaujolais (hence the somewhat awkward name Bone-Jolly), and it’s exactly what you want on those first few days out on the deck, the balcony or wherever you can grab space in the open air. |
| Bodega Chacra Patagonia Mainqué Pinot Noir Rosé 2015, $18.99 | Bodega Chacra Patagonia Mainqué Pinot Noir Rosé 2015, $18.99 |
| Of course they make rosé in Argentina. The Mainqué comes from Bodega Chacra in Patagonia, an up-and-coming producer of superb pinot noirs. This is made of pinot noir, too. It’s fresh and crisp, with a little more body than the Bone-Jolly, yet earthy, tangy and succulent. (Grand Cru Selections, New York) | Of course they make rosé in Argentina. The Mainqué comes from Bodega Chacra in Patagonia, an up-and-coming producer of superb pinot noirs. This is made of pinot noir, too. It’s fresh and crisp, with a little more body than the Bone-Jolly, yet earthy, tangy and succulent. (Grand Cru Selections, New York) |
| Carl Loewen Mosel Riesling Kabinett Longuicher Herrenberg 2014, $19.99 | Carl Loewen Mosel Riesling Kabinett Longuicher Herrenberg 2014, $19.99 |
| I yearn for kabinett rieslings in the springtime. Something about their lightly sweet, delicate nature captures the newborn hope of the season. This is a lovely example, lively with acidity, redolent of herbs and stone aromas, deceptively substantial though nonetheless fine. (A Terry Theise Estate Selection/Skurnik Wines, New York) | I yearn for kabinett rieslings in the springtime. Something about their lightly sweet, delicate nature captures the newborn hope of the season. This is a lovely example, lively with acidity, redolent of herbs and stone aromas, deceptively substantial though nonetheless fine. (A Terry Theise Estate Selection/Skurnik Wines, New York) |
| Kruger-Rumpf Nahe Riesling Kabinett Münsterer Rheinberg 2014, $18.99 | Kruger-Rumpf Nahe Riesling Kabinett Münsterer Rheinberg 2014, $18.99 |
| Here’s another kabinett option. It’s fascinating to compare this Kruger-Rumpf from Nahe side by side with the Loewen from the Mosel. It’s a little bigger boned, a little weightier, and slightly more obviously sweeter. Yet it’s still beautifully balanced, with apple and stone flavors, refreshing and great with river fish. (A Terry Theise Estate Selection/Skurnik Wines, New York) | Here’s another kabinett option. It’s fascinating to compare this Kruger-Rumpf from Nahe side by side with the Loewen from the Mosel. It’s a little bigger boned, a little weightier, and slightly more obviously sweeter. Yet it’s still beautifully balanced, with apple and stone flavors, refreshing and great with river fish. (A Terry Theise Estate Selection/Skurnik Wines, New York) |
| Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Les Charmes 2014, $19.99 | Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Les Charmes 2014, $19.99 |
| With so many good wines and great values coming from the crus of Beaujolais, it would be a shame not to include at least one here. This Burgaud Morgon was not in our recent wine panel tasting, but it could easily have been included, with its earthy, stony, focused red fruit flavors. It’s almost as if you can taste the granite of the vineyard underlying the wine. (Maximum Wine, Englishtown, N.J.) | With so many good wines and great values coming from the crus of Beaujolais, it would be a shame not to include at least one here. This Burgaud Morgon was not in our recent wine panel tasting, but it could easily have been included, with its earthy, stony, focused red fruit flavors. It’s almost as if you can taste the granite of the vineyard underlying the wine. (Maximum Wine, Englishtown, N.J.) |
| Domaine Zafeirakis Tyrnavos Limniona 2012, $18.99 | Domaine Zafeirakis Tyrnavos Limniona 2012, $18.99 |
| This wine is a new one for me, and am I glad I found it. It’s made of limniona, an indigenous Greek grape that had nearly disappeared until it was resurrected virtually single-handedly by Christos Zafeirakis in the last 15 years or so. This one comes from Tyrnavos in the Thessaly region of central Greece. It’s fresh, lively and absolutely delicious, full of the spicy flavors of dark fruits. It cries out for grilled meats. (Dionysi Grevenitis Selections/Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York) | This wine is a new one for me, and am I glad I found it. It’s made of limniona, an indigenous Greek grape that had nearly disappeared until it was resurrected virtually single-handedly by Christos Zafeirakis in the last 15 years or so. This one comes from Tyrnavos in the Thessaly region of central Greece. It’s fresh, lively and absolutely delicious, full of the spicy flavors of dark fruits. It cries out for grilled meats. (Dionysi Grevenitis Selections/Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York) |
| Rovellotti Colline Novaresi Vespolina Ronco al Maso 2013, $19.99 | Rovellotti Colline Novaresi Vespolina Ronco al Maso 2013, $19.99 |
| The nebbiolo grape thrives throughout the Langhe and Alto Piemonte regions of northwestern Italy. It is so successful that it overshadows a cast of supporting grapes that can be delicious on their own and great values, like vespolina from Colline Novaresi. It offers fresh flavors of raspberries and cranberries, and, like many of those supporting grapes, carries a hint of nebbiolo in its darker, slightly tarlike undertones. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York) | The nebbiolo grape thrives throughout the Langhe and Alto Piemonte regions of northwestern Italy. It is so successful that it overshadows a cast of supporting grapes that can be delicious on their own and great values, like vespolina from Colline Novaresi. It offers fresh flavors of raspberries and cranberries, and, like many of those supporting grapes, carries a hint of nebbiolo in its darker, slightly tarlike undertones. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York) |
| Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2014, $19.99 | Montinore Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2014, $19.99 |
| Another perennial favorite and great value. This pinot noir from Montinore is grown biodynamically. Its dark, earthy fruit flavors are interlaced with savory, meaty herbal tones that make it versatile with many foods and give it a complexity that belies its modest price. | Another perennial favorite and great value. This pinot noir from Montinore is grown biodynamically. Its dark, earthy fruit flavors are interlaced with savory, meaty herbal tones that make it versatile with many foods and give it a complexity that belies its modest price. |
| Frecciarossa Uva Rara I.G.T. 2012, $19.99 | Frecciarossa Uva Rara I.G.T. 2012, $19.99 |
| The Uva Rara grape comes from Pavia in Lombardy. Despite its name, it’s relatively common in that area. (In the essential reference “Wine Grapes,” it’s speculated that “rara” refers to the sparse number of grapes in a bunch.) Whatever the derivation, this wine is deeply fragrant, smelling like candied flower petals. On the palate it’s fresh, with a sort of herbal bitterness that’s actually quite appealing and sets you up for the next sip. (Vignaioli Selection, New York) | The Uva Rara grape comes from Pavia in Lombardy. Despite its name, it’s relatively common in that area. (In the essential reference “Wine Grapes,” it’s speculated that “rara” refers to the sparse number of grapes in a bunch.) Whatever the derivation, this wine is deeply fragrant, smelling like candied flower petals. On the palate it’s fresh, with a sort of herbal bitterness that’s actually quite appealing and sets you up for the next sip. (Vignaioli Selection, New York) |
| Burlotto Barbera d’Alba 2014, $19.99 | Burlotto Barbera d’Alba 2014, $19.99 |
| This is how I remember Barbera d’Alba back when I was becoming obsessed with wine in the early 1980s: fresh, fruity, lively with acidity, and with hardly any tannin. Many modern barberas are aged in new oak barrels, and some are compelling in their own way. But I have a sentimental attachment to the brisk, direct older style, especially when it comes from a careful, traditional producer like Burlotto. (Bacchanal Wine Imports, Port Chester, N.Y.) | This is how I remember Barbera d’Alba back when I was becoming obsessed with wine in the early 1980s: fresh, fruity, lively with acidity, and with hardly any tannin. Many modern barberas are aged in new oak barrels, and some are compelling in their own way. But I have a sentimental attachment to the brisk, direct older style, especially when it comes from a careful, traditional producer like Burlotto. (Bacchanal Wine Imports, Port Chester, N.Y.) |
| Señorío de P. Peciña Rioja Crianza 2010, $19.99 | Señorío de P. Peciña Rioja Crianza 2010, $19.99 |
| This crianza Rioja is a perfect example of the synergy that can be achieved between the tempranillo grape (with a dash or two of graciano and garnacha) and the spicy coconut flavors of American oak barrels. The result, particularly with a few years of age, is this mellow yet complex wine, with the earthy flavors of red raspberries, vanilla, coconut and tobacco. Just the thing for leg of lamb. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.) | This crianza Rioja is a perfect example of the synergy that can be achieved between the tempranillo grape (with a dash or two of graciano and garnacha) and the spicy coconut flavors of American oak barrels. The result, particularly with a few years of age, is this mellow yet complex wine, with the earthy flavors of red raspberries, vanilla, coconut and tobacco. Just the thing for leg of lamb. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.) |
| Bernabeleva Vinos de Madrid Navaherreros Garnacha 2013, $18.99 | Bernabeleva Vinos de Madrid Navaherreros Garnacha 2013, $18.99 |
| This is a powerful wine at 15 percent alcohol, yet despite its size it is vividly fruity, explosively floral, spicy and beautifully balanced. It is intense and concentrated yet is not heavy. It’s the bigger, stronger sibling of the Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros, which I wrote about last fall. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.) | This is a powerful wine at 15 percent alcohol, yet despite its size it is vividly fruity, explosively floral, spicy and beautifully balanced. It is intense and concentrated yet is not heavy. It’s the bigger, stronger sibling of the Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros, which I wrote about last fall. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.) |
| François Chidaine Vouvray Brut Pétillant NV, $18.99 | François Chidaine Vouvray Brut Pétillant NV, $18.99 |
| This sparkling Vouvray is simply superb. It’s made entirely of chenin blanc and wears its chenin personality of honey, lemon, flowers and yeast, with all the finesse of a good Champagne. The French bureaucracy is making it difficult for producers in neighboring areas of Vouvray to use the Vouvray appellation, even if the grapes are from Vouvray. Because Chidaine is based in Montlouis, this might be the last Chidaine sparkler called Vouvray until the silly ruling is resolved. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.) | This sparkling Vouvray is simply superb. It’s made entirely of chenin blanc and wears its chenin personality of honey, lemon, flowers and yeast, with all the finesse of a good Champagne. The French bureaucracy is making it difficult for producers in neighboring areas of Vouvray to use the Vouvray appellation, even if the grapes are from Vouvray. Because Chidaine is based in Montlouis, this might be the last Chidaine sparkler called Vouvray until the silly ruling is resolved. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.) |