Alan: If you want something not US that gets a lot of the same praise that the big high alcohol Cali cabs and Saxum type wines get, and all the criticism that the same wines get, Clio is what you should try. Lots of people love it or hate it and based on your stated preferences you will love it. Right around $50ish.
I think for the SB / Paso areas discussed, suggestions of Herman Story, McPrice Myers and Stilllman Brown’s wines are perfect.
I might also suggest Consilience Wines, and The Big Easy from Fess Parker.
Love the El Nido Clio suggestion though - sounds perfect for what you are asking for.
Cheers!
I’ve had quite a few young vintages of Musar, and I would never put even the relatively powerful vintages in the “flavor bomb” category. I’m kind of shocked that anyone would.
Depending on the state 2011 St Prefert Cuvee Auguste Favier CDP can be found for around that price. That’s a fun one.
2010 ch Moulinet, pomerol as well. That ones pretty loaded and thrilling.
I’d also say todos de Jonata, it’s around that price near me… and for just a hair more money and alcohol some of the Epoch wines.
Argentina Malbecs & Cabs? Some Ribera del Duero or Toro wines from Spain?
As an aside, I never have understood the idea that “flavor” is mutually exclusive to the body & barrel treatment of a wine. A Sicilian Nerello has a distinct flavor which differs greatly from a Paso Syrah, but it certainly doesn’t lack in that department. No different than Endive compared to a grilled steak. Both are quite identifiably flavorful in different ways.
This e-mail just arrived from Dan Posner at Grapes in White Plains, NY. Sounds like it might be right up your alley:
2013 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Grapes Sale Price: $38.99/btl
Grapes Sale Price: $225/6 pack ($37.50/btl)
WA 95
“The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Alexander Valley also spent 20 months in French oak prior to being bottled. One of the most opaque purple-colored wines of the entire line-up, the wine displays notes of blackberry, cassis, chocolate and espresso roast, thrilling levels of concentration, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and incredible richness and length. It is another blockbuster from St. Francis that needs 4-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for 30 or more years.”-Robert Parker
Four Vines Biker
Storrs Petite Sirah
Bedrock Shebang
Domaine de la Damase Grenache Vaucluse
Most of these are under $20 and all are under $25.
Sineann old vine zinfandel is my vote. Lots of fruit with just enough acidity to avoid feeling “syrupy”. A fresh fruit, not cooked fruit taste. Think it usually runs about $40.
+1
Jerome Bressy’s Gourt red wines?
Sorry, Alan. I imagined that the OP referred to density of mouthfeel. I know that the price was wrong, but Krug (when young, at least) is rich and dense.
I was not limiting my responses to just fruity reds. I considered full reds, whites, sparklers that just carry an impression of heft.
+1 on El Nido Clio. There is some jamminess in some vintages – check Cellartracker notes, and if it’s a new vintage maybe buy one bottle to be sure you like it before going deeper. If you watch for sales you can sometimes find it for around $40. You can smell a glass of this from five feet away.
Alan, are you talking about dry-Port emulations? Is fruit the most important quality in the wines you are seeking?
Matt Cline’s Three Wine Company CoCo Petite Sirah, and the Old Vine Field Blend to a lesser extent, are dense and rich red wines. The PS will stain everything it comes into contact with: a vinous Sharpie marker.
I believe the Mauritson Rockpile Westphall Zinfandel is a big, delicious red wine, as are the Zinfandel wines from Gamba (excluding the “Family Farms” RRV botting), which can often deliver caramel/chocolate notes with the jammy fruit.
Rudd’s Edge Hill “Mixed Blacks” bottling from Napa Valley can be bought occasionally on auction at sub-$60 prices.
Massena Barossa “Howling Dog” Durif/Petite Sirah is a real teeth stainer. Petite Sirah from Calistoga-area’s Palisades Vineyard are often massive.
Montes Purple Angel Carmenere/Petit Verdot from Chile is regarded by several WB’ers as a fruit-bomb. It may be found around $50 in diligent searches.
Matetic EQ Syrah is an earthy, dense Syrah from Chile - one of my favorites.
I still would like to know exactly what traits you are trying to find in the big wines - fruit (jammy/cooked?), earth (spent coffee grounds?), tannin levels (mouth stripping or velvety?).
Jay should be commenting in this thread. He’s an unabashedly huge fan of fruit bombs. Don’t know how many he drinks that are under $50 though.
Argentina and Spain are definitely good places to look. So is Southern Rhone. Janasse CdP might fit the bill.
I am a +1 on the Clio, BUT, the current vintage is hot and not very approachable. I will need a year or two settle plus 8 hours open before drinking. It was the very first vintage of Clio that I put a cork back in it and let it sit for several days and it still was disjointed.
Buonchristiani OPC
Modus Operandi Vicarious
Gamba Old Vine Zinfandel
Post & Vine Field Blend
Piatelli Reserve Malbec
Hall Merlot
Hall Cabernet
Gibbs Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc and Dusty Red
Current vintage of Educated Guess Cab
L’ Ecole Syrah
Chateau Fortia “Tradition” 2005 with a long decant-figs, prunes, some spice. Might be a good transition to Old World wines.
Loren - why do you think all these people who think that the cabal of Mike Officer, Thomas Rivers Brown and Justin Strider Smith are the Devil’s Troika keep posting on this thread like they know what they are talking about? Just thought if we put out heads together we could figure it out.
Anyway . . . from someone who actually likes Flavor Bombs. . . a few assorted nominees:
- From Spain:
In the OMG, how could this cost less than $6 category, I would put Borsao. Not the fancy Tres Picos bottling. The cheapo base level bottling.
If you go up a bit, but still under $30, you can get **Moncayo Verato**n, which is an outstanding wine.
- From Australia:
d’Arenberg The Dead Arm. Still available for under $50. With a bot of age, it develops a very nice pepper spice overlay on top of the heavy fruit, making for a flavor cascade.
Mitolo GAM. Also available for a smidgen under $50. More fruit driven and less spice than the Dead Arm.
- From 'Merica
In addition to those already mentioned . . .
Novy Rosellas Syrah
Rivers Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot
- From the home of Freedom Fries (actually, that was Belgium, but who’s quibbling)
Guigal Gigondas
MOst anything from Phillippe Cambie
Ask and yee shall receive. See above, all within the price range and all in my cellar.
In addition to El Nido Clio, if you want to go on the cheap, the Juan Gil is not too bad in some years, but other years it has been known to give me splinters.