2022 Ferriere showed up here recently (on Alfert’s original list), cost $49 bucks at Wegman’s, lovely wine with a beautiful nose and restraint, although a line of tannin sticks out more this year than in some previous. Classy bottle for the money.
Luke, IMHO a number of very pricey wines from regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy are overhyped and overpriced. At your age, and trying to have a good wine experience on a budget, I personally recommend using services like Last Bottle that have markdowns.
In addition, you can seek out wine from less expensive / more obscure regions - if you like their wines, that is. There are great wines coming out of places like the Finger Lakes, Abruzzo, South America, etc. that will not break the bank.
Respectfully, I don’t think that’s always correct, hence the very purpose of this thread. I would make the argument that Bordeaux is actually the best priced quality region in the marketplace today. This thread alone shows there are many dozens of very fine wines from this region that are world class and can age effortlessly in a well procured cellar. Now that said, I would agree that they are very fine wines from the regions you identify as well.
It isn’t “always correct,” hence why I said a number - not all - of these wines are overhyped and overpriced. Of course, many are excellent. Personally, I think Burgundy is overpriced. But that’s just me. I respect that people will think I am a heretic.
We all have different palates, and we all have different preferences and amounts $ that we think are unreasonable and reasonable to pay for certain wines.
Is one bottle of $300 Burgundy a better choice than a case of $25 Oregon Pinot? My target audience was this 22 yo guy who may have to pay rent and student loans and hope he has money left over for wine and to take a woman out on a date. Personally, I think he is better off with the case, but you may feel differently and that’s okay.
But this thread actually is not about $300 burgundies, it’s the exact opposite of the premise to the thread. Your recommendation of a $25 Pinot is exactly the intent of this thread. Heck I would love to see your recommendations on a $25 Pinot! Been digging some of the wines from Marcus Goodfella!
I actually think of the best values in wine is Chianti Classico FWIW.
Send me your Chianti recommendations! The finger lakes are a fantastic region for my budget. However, despite living just a few states away, I struggle to find their wines.
Per the above thread with @Robert.A.Jr, I’ll say that my short experience shows that Bordeaux is a fantastic place to find bargains. I have yet to explore much Oregonian Pinot but I want to try more! Bordeaux is actually much more accessible for me locally, and I can even find it with a few years of age.
I have ordered directly from Red Newt which also has Berserker Day offers.
Chianti is great now that the weather is warmer! One very economical Chianti is San Felice. A little higher price, but I like Fonterutoli. There is Castello Castallare and Monsanto. A lot of people like Felsina.
Eric Dinnocenzo
Not Eric, but trying to stay within the price points, Felsina, Monsanto, Volpaia, Selvapiana, Le Pupile, Carpineto, Frescobaldi, Ruffino,
Love Felsina! The basic Chianti is like &20 locally.
There is no Chianti Classico that is consistently as good as San Giusto a Rentennano. Castellare di Castellina comes close though. Of course this is my less than learned opinion.
+1 on San Giusto a Rentennano (and Felsina to a bit lesser degree), adding Fontodi & Monsanto
Poggio Scalette, Montesecondo and Monte Bernardi for me.
Somehow I’ve never ”got” San Giusto a Rentennano despite generally enjoying many Chianti Classicos. San Giusto to me seems very un-Chianti with all its heft, high ABV and the headiness that comes with it. Castellare di Castellina I quite like, however.
Absolutely agree on the additions, but I tried to stay within numbers and availability. I thought about a few lower priced Brunello’s, but once again availability.
Opened a 2020 Monsanto CCR last night which is surprisingly drinking really well right now. Normally I’m 10+ yrs on them.
only listing ones I haven’t seen already listed in the thread, which is getting to be a pretty difficult task at this point …
Domaine du Bel Air - Bourgueil Les Vingt Lieux Dits (kinda cheating with this one because you can usually find it for less than $25). Sometimes you can find their “Grand Mont” bottling right about at $50, and that’s very much worth it, too.
Chateau Musar - white and rose (I think these can sometimes be found at $50 these days, but could be wrong about that)
some of the best second wines from Bordeaux fit this bill … Pichon Lalande’s “Reserve de la Comtessse”; Montrose’s “Le Dame de Montrose”; (certainly many others)
Chateau Latour-Martillac