Newbie to board and better wines and I’ve taken shots here and there with different wines with differing results on daily drinkers. I know palates differ but in reds I’d like to know what WB members are typically drinking daily.
Two that I drink quite regularly that hover around the $20 mark, and can be had for less when bought in quantity:
Donnhoff Estate Riesling
Burgaud Morgon Cote du Py (Beaujolais)
There’s lots of love for the Pepiere Muscadet Clos des Briords, and it’s around $15. I just don’t drink enough Muscadet.
Guigal cotes du rhone at around 12 is good value.
I dont drink daily. Which allows me to then combine the days I dont drink with the ones I do.
For reds under $20, I’m going after Beaujolais, Barbera, Dolcetto, Blaufrankish, and regional southern French blends.
Lots of CdR in the under $15 range. Tenuta Monteti Caburnio @ $16ish is awesome. Pedroncelli for domestic @ under $20.
Good call on the Burgaud CdPy. There’s a bunch at or near $20…Brun (Terres Dorees), Clos Roilette, and Thivin come to mind immediately. The Briords would be my first call for Muscadet value, followed closely by Domaine de la Louvetrie Amphibolite from Jo Landron. A bottle of Picq Chablis can be had < $20 for comparison. Tons of Loire options $15 - $20. Perhaps a hair higher than $20 is the Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico. Even better recently was the 2010 Pietranera Rosso di Montalcino…excellent for $23. Closer to home, there’s the Ridge 3 Valleys Red or the Tablas Creek Patelin Rouge. Lots of goodies in this price range…not to mention Oregon Pinot, i.e.: Matello Lazarus, along with a number of other entry level offerings from fine producers.
RT
Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
Antonio Vallana Spanna (nebbiolo)
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py (beaujolais)
Breton Trinch! Bourgueil (cab franc)
All at $19-20-ish
Marietta Old Vine Red
I don’t drink any one thing with enough frequency to call it a daily drinker, but my average for all consumption isn’t too terribly far north of that. There’s all kinds of good stuff for less, at least if your palate leans old-worldly. In my cellar, especially these:
- Loire reds (mostly cab franc) and whites (Muscadet, Sancerre, some chenin…)
- Beaujolais!
- pinot noir (yes, there exists decent stuff even in the teens, like - France: Vignoble Guillaume, some Loire; Germany: some Spatburgunder; USA: Au Bon Climat)
- riesling!
- Chianti & other sangiovese (e.g. Rosso di Montalcino)
- Alta Piemonte nebbiolo
- albarino
- others whites (godello) and reds (e.g. mencia from Bierzo & Ribeiro Sacra, even some Rioja) from Spain
I’d be much happier with a $20 price cap (assuming today’s prices) and tons of variety, than a restriction to say six or twelve bottlings at budget several multiples higher.
I don’t drink wines on a daily basis or anything near that.
Some reds I enjoy at <$20 would include:
Jouan Passtoutsgrain
Bourgogne Rouge from Domaine des Moirots
Chinon or Bourgueil from Plouzeau or Amirault
Whites would include:
German rieslings - too many to mention
Albert Mann, Cuvee Albert - may be a bit over $20 depending on how and where you buy it
Dublere Bourgogne Blanc - I got the 2012 for $20, but that was on a pre-arrival sale
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I probably have 6-8 different Cotes du Rhones laying around at one time - and I have been stashing Pedroncelli Cabernets since the early 80s - a huge fan of them around 10-15 years of age.
All of these are under $20, most under $15.
La Garrigue CDR $13 ish
St Cosme CDR $11 ish
Shebang $12 ish
Jaffurs Santa Barbara County Syrah 375ml $13 ish
Novy Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah $18 ish. My personal favorite.
For cheap white I go with a Vino Verde usually $6 - $7.
Meridian Cab
Bogle Essential Red
Coppola Claret (on sale)
I was drinking the following from WineX for quite some time but they ran out recently. It sold for like $16
Great Juice… I should bought 6 cases of each.
2011 Château de Saint-Cosme Côtes du Rhône Les Deux Albion (they just ran out)
2009 Domaine les Grands Bois Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Cuvée Maximilien (This was in the spring)
I generally surf WineXs Rhone aisle to see what kind of deals they have. I buy 2 or 3 bottles. If I like it, I go back for a lot more. They have deals on Domestics too, but I have to say… most of those let me down. Although they did have an Anaba Syrha earlier this year that was quite good.
quick edit… I almost forgot, during the summer (Don’t laugh to hard)… I actually went through a lot of Kirkland Chard Sonoma Coast 2012. For $6.49, it was a great deal. Easy drinking in the summer with little to no risk.
My current daily drinker is the 2010 Panther Creek Willamette Valley which wasd a totoal score locally at Grocery Outlet for $6.99…
Jeff in PDX
Etna reds such as the Tere Nerre Etna Rossa is under $20 and punches above it’s weight. It’s a nice change from the more common varietals and blends like CdR’s, Cabs etc in this price range.
I also like the already mentioned Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva and some other CC/CCRs.
I like to stay in touch with my favorite local retailers and listen to their suggestions for $20 reds and whites.
And search the WB archives for daily drinker or QPR. There are a existing discussions on this subject.
2012 Saint Cosme Les Deux Albions is a great wine for about $20. Fresh with great texture and solid richness. I would happily drink it any day of the week. Some solid Crozes Hermitage and a few St. Joseph at or under $20 as well.
Washington state cabs are your friends here , lots of good wines at $10-$15
CdR is your friend.
David’s suggestion of a Donnhoff QBA is spot on for white.