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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Bargain Wine(s) of the Week: 28 Wines Rated 90+ for <$10

A month ago we let you in on a little secret for finding highly rated wines priced less than $10. We went to LiquidDiscount.com, did an advanced search for wines that had been "rated," then filtered by price and came up with a list of 11 wines that we could take to the local wine store or order from the site.
So, let's do it again at another site, EmpireWine.com. This site gives us 27! wines, rated 90 or higher by experts but with a price tag under $10.
Your wine store is not going to have all of these wines — or even most of them. But they might have one or two. What if the store has none? There are two solutions: 1) filter for ratings between 85 and 90; or 2) splurge and go up to a maximum price of $15.
Here's the list that EmpireWine.com gave us for 90+ rating and <$10:
  • Bodegas Luzon "Black Label" Jumilla 2007 (Spanish red) $6.95
  • Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut (Spanish champagne) $7.45
  • Vega Sindoa Tempranillo/Merlot 2007 (Spanish red) $7.45
  • Cristalino Brut (Spanish champagne) $7.95
  • Wishing Tree Shiraz 2006 (Australian red) $7.95
  • Panarroz Jumilla 2006 (Spanish red, also on the 4/16 list) $7.95
  • Castano Yecla Monastrell 2007 (Spanish red) $7.95
  • Bonny Doon Framboise half-bottle (CA desert wine) $7.95
  • Trevor Jones "Jonesy" Old Tawny Port (Australian port) $8.95
  • Yalumba Y Series Sangiovese Rose 2007 (Australian rosé) $8.95
  • Domaine LaFage Catalanes Cote Est 2007 (French, Languedoc white) $8.95
  • Tormaresca Neprica 2007 (Italian red) $8.95
  • Bodega Rj Vinedos "Pasion4" Uco Valley Malbec 2007 (Argentine red) $8.95
  • Maipe Malbec 2008 (Argentine red) $8.95
  • Las Rocas de San Alejandro Rosado 2008 (Spanish rosé) $9.45
  • Milbrandt "Traditions" Riesling 2006 (WA white) $9.45
  • Terra Andina "reserve" Chardonnay 2007 (Chilean white) $9.95
  • Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc 2007 (CA white) $9.95
  • Pillar Box Red 2007 (Australian red) $9.95
  • Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2006 (Spanish red) $9.95
  • Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya 2007 (Spanish red) $9.95
  • George Duboeuf "Flower Label" Morgon 2005 (French red) $9.95
  • George Duboeuf "Flower Label" Julienas 2005 (French red) $9.95
  • Torremoron Tinto 2006 (Spanish red) $9.95
  • Chateau Ste. Michelle "Mellies Garden" Dry Rosé 2007 (WA rosé) $9.95
  • Falset Marca Garnacha Rosé 2006 (Spanish rosé) $9.95
  • Jacobs Creek "Reserve" Riesling 2008 (Australian white) $9.95
  • Masserie Pisari Negromaro 2006 (Italian red) $9.99
A historical note: we served the Freixenet at our wedding years ago, and we're glad to see that it's even better now.
A geographical note: it's very difficult to find good French wine for less than $10. There are three on this list, including one from Languedoc in the South of France, where bargains are often found. 
Happy wine hunting. Let us know what you find and how you like them.

2 comments:

  1. Hosted a wine-tasting over the weekend, and I contributed a bottle of Bogle Chard per your recommendation. It came in third, behind a Fat Bastard Merlot 2006 and an Arabella Shiraz 2007 (South Africa). The big loser was a Bordeaux that one guest's niece had brought from France! Picked up a bottle of the Panarroz Jumilla that we'll try later.

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  2. Congrats on coming in third with a $9 bottle of wine. Isn't that fun — and frugal too?
    The Fat Bastard wines tend to be very reliable — and good. We haven't had the Arabella Shiraz, but we predict that you'll enjoy the Panarroz.

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