Although the holiday feasting season is upon us now through the end of the year, it is important to remember not every gathering of friends and family is a formal occasion. 'Tis also the season of spontaneous conviviality. The good host always wants to serve tasty wine but is ever mindful there are budget considerations when a crowd gathers for a holiday happy hour.
When the need arises for some very good budget wine, the following five brands are tried and true, consistently producing delicious wines at modest prices.
Banfi Centine -- This is the entry-level brand produced by the notable Tuscan winery Castello Banfi. Best known for its exceptional Brunello di Montalcino, Banfi also makes the inexpensive Centine wines that come in three flavors: rosso, bianco and rose. You have probably figured out the rosso is sangiovese-based, the bianco pinot grigio-based and the rose is primarily juice from sangiovese. These wines are reliably delicious and priced around $10 a bottle, a little more or less depending upon where you live.
Barefoot Cellars -- These are probably the finest $7 wines in the world. What's remarkable about Barefoot is the consistency despite high production levels (in the millions of cases a year). All of the wines are multi-vintage blends, which allows winemaker Jen Wall and her team to tweak the wines to hit a predictable taste and level of quality. The straight-up cabernet sauvignon and merlot are quite good, the riesling is always aces and they even make a quaffable prosecco.
Cupcake -- This brand is from The Wine Group portfolio and specializes in wines from around the globe: a delicious sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, excellent prosecco and pinot grigio from Italy and so on. The wines are all priced well below $20 a bottle and they always deliver. Perfect for a thirsty crowd.
Jacob's Creek -- This Australian winery has a long history of exceptional shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and riesling in the $12-$15 range. The wines are well-balanced and flavorful, with nary a dud in the brand's broad portfolio. What really sets them up nicely as a party wine, though, is their easy drinkability. No rough edges to be found here!
Sterling Vintner's Collection -- Sterling is a powerhouse Napa Valley winery with plenty of expensive offerings, but its Vintner's Collection value line is hardly a black mark on the brand and may include some of the finest $15 wines on the planet, including a delicious pinot noir that beats all comers at the price. The chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are winners, too.
Best Value
Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewer's enthusiasm for the recommended wine.
Louis M. Martini 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($20) -- Louis M. Martini is best known for its iconic Monte Rosso Vineyard cabernet, but the wines a bit lower in the food chain bear the same mark of excellence as the vaunted Monte Rosso. This vintage of Martini's Sonoma County cabernet delivers fresh red and dark berry aromas with firm tannins and excellent depth and weight on the palate. It's a steal at the price. Rating: 88.
Oomoo 2014 Chardonnay, South Australia ($15) -- Oomoo is part of the Hardys empire in South Australia and relatively new to the U.S. market. This is an appealing chardonnay in that it is clean, crisp and fresh, with notes of green apple and pear and a fair amount of richness and weight on the palate. Serve it with light appetizers and pastas, or simple grilled fish or shrimp. Rating: 87.
Tasting Notes
Shafer 2013 Chardonnay, Red Shoulder Ranch, Carneros ($52) -- It would be safe to say that Shafer's Red Shoulder Ranch on the Napa Valley side of the Carneros district is one of California's most prized sources of chardonnay. The magic of Red Shoulder Ranch is that it delivers grapes that produce chardonnay with exceptional richness and complexity but balanced with firm acidity. This is a rare combination, and it makes for sensational chardonnay. The 2013 Red Shoulder Ranch shows luscious layers of pear and apple, with a seductive note of lemon creme and pie spices. Rating: 95.
Matanzas Creek 2012 Merlot, Sonoma County ($28) -- Matanzas Creek was among the first of the California wineries that came to embrace merlot and treat it as something other than a filler wine to soften a cabernet-based blend. Matanzas was also among the best at merlot and it still is. The 2012 is a thing of beauty, with complex notes of plum, raspberry and bing cherry, firm but integrated tannins, and hints of savory herbs and mocha. A stunning wine for under $30. Rating: 92.
L'Ecole 2012 Merlot, "No. 41," Walla Walla ($36) -- Washington has been slowly building its reputation for top-notch merlot production, and L'Ecole is a big piece of the puzzle going forward. Stylistically this is a Bordeaux-style merlot in the best sense, deriving impressive dimension from its savory aspects, firm structure and minerality along with its dark-fruit character. Rating: 92.
Napa Cellars 2012 Merlot, Napa Valley ($24) -- Merlot continues to offer the best value of any red wine made in the Napa Valley and this 2012 from Napa Cellars is an excellent example. While it exhibits the extracted fruit aromas for which Napa is famous, it doesn't carry the hefty price that comes with a Napa cabernet. This vintage from Napa Cellars shows notes of plum and black cherry, with a touch of oak vanillin and good palate weight and length. Rating: 88.
La Crema 2013 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley ($30) -- La Crema's venture into Oregon has yielded a meaty, earthy pinot from the Willamette Valley. The 2013 exhibits nuances of fall leaves/forest floor, with fruit notes of plum and black cherry. With a hint of bite on the finish, this is a pinot to serve with food, which will give it roundness and length. Rating: 88.
Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru.
About the Author
