?, I can name a bunch of Pinot that doesn’t even come close to $100 that would be considered ‘leading wines’…
There are a lot of reds that have been mentioned that I cellar. Ridge MB, Forman, Dunn, Beringer, Montelena, to name a few. I know you did not specifically mention red or white wine, Alan, but you can buy 2 bottles of Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay within that price range. IMO, they are among the leaders in the state, qualitatively, for Chardonnay. I enjoy seeing some of the answers because there are a few wines that I have never tried, and I may need to rectify that!
Thanks,
Ed
+tons
“Value” is a relative term. I’d have more fun if you said ANY wine, since I doubt there is any US wine “worth” $100.
Please dont say Rhys
C’mon Markus that’s just a silly statement
Lots of cab recommendations here, and agree with the Ridge MB recs, but I’ve been absolutely stunned by the K Vintners (previously C smith) Royal Slope Syrah with 7-8 years on them. In your price range and well worth it.
Happy hunting.
I think the concept here is that he’s looking for wines in the 100-150 price range that can hold up against wines in the 400-700 price range if they were drank in the same evening. Then again it would seem some of the folks responding here don’t see the value in those wines so maybe that’s why the premise is challenged so much.
MACDONALD being outside the range I’ll opt for
Rhys
Occidental
Some of us suspect that the notion of price correlating with quality past $100+ is largely an illusion
Thomas
Williams selyam
Beaux Freres
Erath
Mt Eden
Calera
Kistler
Marcassin
Hanzell
Walter Scott
Cristom
St. Innocent
Bergstrom
Patty Green
Cameron
Evesham Wood
I may not be a fan of some of these but it’s hard to argue that they are any less qualitative vs. the list of mainly Cabernet that has been presented.
In terms of value I personally think Dunn HM stands head and shoulders above every Cabernet I can think of. Ridge MB would be great at $124, but that’s a pretty rare price for it I think. K&L have it for $215. By comparison even well-aged Dunn HM is under $150.
Pinot-wise I generally only buy Williams Selyem and Soliste. Not the most original choices in the world I know, but I’ve tried to branch out and been burned by too many purple monsters.
In terms of white I almost never pay more than about $50 or so. Haven’t found a wine that merits it yet.
Some wines that come to mind
Cabs:
Realm Bard
Myriad (most are under $150)
Outpost
4 Winds
Pinots:
Pisoni
Kistler
Raen
Rochioli
Chards:
Aubert
Bevan
Stony Hill
Abreu…olive oil, that is. oh, and only 500 ml.
This.
Nick - if you taste a bunch of wines blind, you should always put in some cheapies and a few expensive wines. It’s far more instructive than tasting a slew of $125 wines. Far better is a couple at $50, a few at $125, and a few at $200. Most people here want to see the labels and talk about them, but just for educational purposes, try them w/out knowing the labels and you generally find little correlation after some point. Same in any area - I’m not talking about Cabs only. And since the title of the thread is best value US wines, you can get very good choices under $100. Price becomes unrelated to both “typicity” and quality at some point and it’s usually a lot lower than $100. Napa Cabernet, grown by guys like Beckstoffer, who have developed a reputation, and made by for-hire winemakers, who have developed reputations, and put out by wealthy people who wanted to get into the wine life, will be priced higher than other places. If you look at the suggestions, the ones coming in at the lower range are those of people who’ve been around for a while, like Montelena, Corison and Dunn. The wines coming in over that are largely newer projects, like Maybach and Myriad.
Interesting proposition. Are you getting a value at that price point, or expected quality. You’d need to have a Napa perform like a cult, or at least like a $175-250 hitter for a wine at that price to be “value”. Is a $125 second tier blend a value? It’s certainly a good wine seemingly every year, but then I’d expect that. I think you need something that punches well above its weight at $125 to be a value here. I guess if you weigh relative quality of Ontogeny against Bdx and said, well, is a “96 pointer” in each of these areas at $125 available, there are more “values” in Napa.
US pinot and chardonnay against Burgundy seems to be a good home for value, but you can hit great wines below $100. If you have to play to that price point, I guess some Morlet, Peter Michael, Kistler, Rochioli, Occidental, Aubert, Evening Land, Bergstrom, Antica Terra, Arterberry Maresh, Patricia Green Cellars, and Cristom are all in play. Most of those produce reds and whites that can be truly spectacular, and at a small fraction of the price point of their respective French players.
J. Schram sparkling wines from Schramsberg are nice, but at $115 or so, they are priced about like Bolly GA and other peer cuvees, so no real value there. Their BdB late disgorged from top vintages is like $80 and can be spectacular. I’d place those in the “value” lineup.
Mt. Eden and Stony Hill have produced some spectacular wines well below the price threshold, and so I’d say those kick off values, and RAEN seems like they’re headed or are already there, but I’ve had a limited sampling.
I do not think Dunn is good value, but have never had a fondness for their wines, blind or otherwise. Montelena Estate can be great. Corison is a value if you prefer her style of wines which lean older-school and often have a savory note. I like them.
At that price point and with your stylistic preference, you may want to check out Peacock Family Vineryards. Bigger and fruit forward but also balanced. I prefer the 2013 to the 2012 but both are good and the 2012 may be more to your liking. Looks to be available from the winery and still via Bassins.
Magnum of Cayuse
Cab under $100 - Mount Eden
Pinot under $100 - Mount Eden
Chard under $100 - Mount Eden
Bob may be your uncle, he’s not mine, but there’s the good stuff for you at ~$50 - 100.
Dan Kravitz
Robert foley
O’shaughnessey
Dunn