I’ll add a wine I didn’t particularly envoy that fits the bill:
Meh. I’ve had this twice. Meh and Meh.
Meh. I’ve had this twice. Meh and Meh.
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Phil, I think the Meh’s in a case like this are not additive but multiplicative.
Meh x Meh or Meh² would be a better measure of the Meh-ness, IMO.
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May or may not have been slightly above the cutoff, but within shouting distance, I thought the 2015 Alain Michelot Bourgogne (rouge) was just delightful last night. What affordable pinot should be. Sappy, open, and spoofless. Kudos.
2023 Saladini Pilastri Falerio
We opened this wine last night with our haddock with herb sauce dinner. An awesome little wine. A blend of four grape varieties and last night the taste profile led with lemon mineral, but there’s a lot else happening in a balanced and tasty way. A low cost ($13) , enjoyable and probably versatile white wine for anytime and anyone, IMO. I shouldn’t have been surprised since @Jim_Cowan had a very favorable “impression” of the wine (Thanks, Jim)
Pictured below next to a bottle of another low cost ($15) , very enjoyable Italian white that I also recommend.
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2015 Guion Bourgueil “Prestige” was tasty last night. $16-17? Open, expressive, tasted as one would want a Loire CF to taste.
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We went through a case of that a couple summers ago (the ‘21). Great wine for the $$. Didn’t like the ‘22 nearly as much, though.
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Hit the jackpot last night, backed up the truck before writing it up:
2018 Vina Chocolan Carmenere, Maipo Valley - Moderate deep crimson color. The aromas feature fresh, tender red cherry, with raspberry hints. There is some earth and a small green herbal touch. The palate is fully ripe, with just enough firmness to be refeshing. Medium bodied, but manages to be both solid and lacy at the same time. The finish is moderately long, the balance is very fine.
If asked to identify blind, I would have guessed Bordeaux, maybe a 2016 Fronsac. If told $25, I would have been perfectly happy as the bottle age is attractive and this is at a peak it should hold for another year or two at least. 89 points.
$9.99 at Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, MA. 10% off by the case.
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Cross-posted
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Extracted from another thread:
2022 Tenuta Regaleali Buonsenso Catarratto. I recently picked up a few different $20-ish white wines at a local shop wine shop called Bin Ends. This was one of them. I don’t think I have had a 100% Catarratto before. This is a solid dry white wine with a food friendly savory and fruity taste profile. Lemony fruit, herbs, flowers, with a little bitterness at the end that reminds me of tea and or almonds. Recommended.
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This evening we enjoyed a wine that has been a regualr go-to over several vintages, and available for ~US$13.5 here in Hong Kong. An excellent example of Bordeaux Blanc that has improved with a little bottle age.
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This evening an excellent white from Italy (the land of huge numbers of great white wines). I got this for ~US$19, so it qualifies here; it seems to be widely available in the USA at prices from US$19.99 and up a little. There’s a complex palate of tropical fruit and minerality underpinned but just enough acidity to keep it crisp. Highly recommended.
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2022 Valenti Etna Bianco “Enrico IV” The second of my recent three bottle purchase of $20-ish white wines. This one is also from Sicily and is also 100% of one grape variety, in this case Carricante. Less faceted than last week’s 100% Catarratto bottle, but it may just be more subtle. Missing the strongish savory element of the Catarratto, but offering a pleasant balance of fruit, mineral and crispness. Very enjoyable wine and another reminder of Italy’s wealth of tasty offerings for white wines in this price range. Recommended.
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2017 Dom. de la Belouse pinot noir [Bourgogne] was a bottom shelf Bourgogne bargain, which was functional/typical enough. The label notes that it’s a Maconnais vineyard, and is a true estate ‘mis en bouteille’ offering, that has been around since the 70’s with an upcycle of investment & planting in the 90s. This is 13% abv, and was raised in stainless/lees, without any wood, and at age 8, that attribute makes it thin/lean, although if one likes bright/sharp, it would suffice. Clenched nose, but if one really fishes, there is celery/Old Bay which leads to a tart, stemmy palate. Notes on CT suggest that there is either a fair amount of ‘off’ bottles, or that tasters/posters are not familiar with the profile of unknown regional Bourgogne, but this bottle is both sound, and conveys what I would expect when opening this level of French pinot – savory/structure rather than lush/plush/cola like Russian River expressions. Medium bodied, garnet robe, no sediment, and should be drunk up sooner rather than later. I enjoyed this, but would not repurchase, and my grade of B- is due to the limited depth or complexity. If you’re a Francophile who prowls the bottom shelf and see one, I don’t think you’ll feel cheated. Normal consumers should take a pass though. I enjoyed it more on the second day, after a spring afternoon bike ride (the first of the season).
K&L was offering this a while ago, but this example came from Grocery Outlet.
I have found a lot of value in off-beat Italian whites lately, and this one was no different:
2023 Ciù Ciù Offida Pecorino Le Merlettaie
Very distinct aroma. Oily and creamy lemon, daffodil, dole fruit cup, grapefruit pith… a bit of a metallic thing too? Not the most intense aroma but it is arresting.
Palate is quite juicy, light on its feet while also creamy, and with pretty good concentration. Mouth-watering acidity that fans out across the palate. Strong lemon oil flavour again but also sweet tangerine, and a bitter almond/hazelnut note on the finish that is quite nice. Went REALLY well with aged Comte, much better than the Syrah last week.
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2023 Fento Albariño.
A glass last night and tonight. The wine brings slightly salty and olive to center stage to join fruit on the palate and in the oily mouthfeel. The taste and mouthfeel are in “surround sound”. A little different taste profile than I have encountered in my previous experience with Albariño,but I’m liking it.
Recommended.
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This evening, yet another excellent Italian white wine - this one made from Nerello Mascalese (a red skinned grape) on Mt Etna.
I see that several vintages are available from various suppliers in the US. I would caution though that the producer freely states on their website that this is an experimental wine. My experience with the 2021 was that it was excellent until after about 3.5 to 4 years it suddenly wasn’t. So maybe you need to get this soon. I see the 2022 available for US$16.99 in Pennsylvania at least! I paid US$15, at which price it’s a steal!
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2022 Château Pesquié “Terrasses” (Ventoux, Rhone Valley)
I used to buy this in almost every vintage, but it’s been several years since I had one. This past weekend, a bottle of the current vintage was opened and consumed among a group of five Grenache blends from France and the US. It’s 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah. Everybody liked it and, although it finished in the middle of the pack (finishing behind two wines at 2-3x the price), it was definitely the best bang for the buck. Hard to beat this for a $15 wine. I should buy some more for enjoying with burgers and other simple meals.
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Nice call, I used to regularly buy this wine as a daily drinker. It was always very enjoyable and filled the role admirably. It seems to have disappeared from the Atlanta market. At least I haven’t seen it at the local stores I frequent in recent years.
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And yet another excellent value Italian white this evening (I feel there’s a trend devloping here!). This one is widely available in the USA at prices in the $14-20 range.