Being pretty open to drinking most types of wines with very few restrictions in my way other than money, I spend a fair amount of time focusing on great qpr affordable wines from multiple regions. But since life can be short, I’m keenly interested in drinking what I would call best in class fine wines as much as the wallet can handle. The best of the best. But not at any cost. Lets say at a cost of roughly $50.
I picked up a couple of 2010 Felsina Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva today knowing this wine is pretty much a top dog Chianti, subjectively. Cost was around $60. Feeling pretty smug that this was a good buy. Not an every day drinker for me, but very glad to have this stashed away.
I’m struggling to think of any other wines that rank in the top of the class in this price range, other than some Loire wines. Anyone have something else to add to the list?
Bedrock’s 2011 Semillion Lachryma Montis Botrytized Old Vine Monte Rosso at $35 is top of the class for a dessert wine. Good luck finding any of it though.
Clos de la Roilette Cuvee Tardive, Fleurie, Beaujolais.
Funny that I just clicked on the site to write a note on the 2013 version of this wine. It’s fabulous. It’s fabulous in most years. I would say not only is this wine up there in the best of class rank for Beaujolais, it’s a best of class wine universally.
$26.99
Ridge Geyserville and Lytton Springs. No other Zin touches this quality year in and year out, IMHO. Been drinking them since the '91 vintage. They are great at virtually every stage of their evolution and particularly interesting with 20+ years on them. I consider them two of the greatest wines in the world, and despite my 95% focus on France, Ridge may be the most represented in my modest cellar.
I could toss in a few Loire Cab Francs and will defer to Buecker on Riesling, though assume he will say Donnhoff and Prum, and I concur.
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese or Auslese
Beaujolais, as mentioned (Coudert, Lapierre, and Foillard come to mind)
Alzinger Steinertal (or other top-tier Austrian Riesling)
Top-Tier Rioja (maybe not $50 but not far off)
Obviously lots of other spectacular $50 wines, but the ones above are the ones that immediately come to mind as “best in class.”
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}