Best Wines Under $20

Scouting the Best Wines at the Best Prices

A Duo from Abruzzo

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Abruzzo is an unheralded region as Italian wine goes; and frankly that’s a shame. Like pretty much every corner of Italy this region that stretches from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, is a real gem.  From the historically important port city of Pescara to the hill towns like Colledimezzo and steep rocky mountains of the Apennine. Abruzzo is an incredibly beautiful and bountiful region. It’s a rich tapestry of culture, cuisine and, yep, wine.

Wine making has ancient roots in Abruzzo, where wine growing techniques were brought from Tuscany by the Etruscans. Chieti, the epicenter of the Abruzzo wine culture is the second place in all of Italy to plant wine grapes. Early on a signature wine of the region was a sweetish white wine, that was once believed to have been served to Hannibal and his troops when he crossed the Alps. The region’s signature grape these days is Montepulciano, a hearty red grape, not to be confused with the hill town, or Tuscan wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from Sangiovese. 

The wines of the Niro label are produced in Abruzzo from a cooperative of over 3,000 winemakers, an effort dating to the early 1970s. The aim of the wine is to preserve the region’s winemaking heritage and highlight some of the region’s signature grapes. All while delivering a value drinking experience with a sense of place. 

2016 Niro Pecorino Terre Di Chieti, Abruzzo $16

A Pecorino Romano is an Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk, and oddly, it’s a wine named for sheep, but not made from their milk. The Pecorino grape ripens early and is a favorite of the flocks of sheep that have roamed the Chieti hillsides for a long time. Pecorino is a natural food wine, which is not much of a surprise considering the strong traditions of the region and its cuisine. The aromas of ripe apricot, honeysuckle and ripe cantaloupe hint at a wine that is rich in flavor, and the palate obliges but also mixes the fruit flavors with great structure, minerality and an elegance that comes from the acidity. 

2016 Niro Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC, Abruzzo $16

Montepulciano D’Abruzzo walks the line between a few different wine styles. It brings forward a dollop of red fruit and spice aromatics just like you might expect from the wines of the not so far neighbor Chianti, but it also bring a ripeness, and almost mocha note to the aromatic party. The lower alcohol makes for a great balanced wine with emphatic black fruit, hints of anise and pepper. There is a rustic authenticity to this wine that communicates both the region’s long standing tradition, and the fact that wine, fruit and traditional winemaking practice don’t need a modern twist to appeal to today’s wine drinkers. 

 

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Summer into Fall – A Range of Reds for Unpredictable Weather

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As the seasons change we look forward to Autumn’s cooler temperatures, heartier fare, and wines to go with all of the above. This Autumn has been a bit unpredictable, with cooler than normal temperatures in the Mountain West and the Pacific Northwest, while hotter temperatures continue in the East Coast and Mid Atlantic regions. So while we can’t just turn the page on seasonal weather, we can hope to find a range of wines to manage the lack of predictability on the part of Mother Nature. By and large these are value priced red wines that will make you wonder why a spendy splurge is necessary.

2016 Santa Julia Tintillo, Mendoza Argentina $11

A wine for when you’re not quite ready to cover the grill and say good bye for the season. This super fresh blend of Bonarda and Malbec (Bonarda is actually a grape known as Douce Noir from the Savoie region in France, and it may be Argentina’s next big thing.) offers a chill-able red wine (yes, that’s allowed) to help you navigate the up and down temperatures as the seasons change. The fruit forward freshness is present on the wines aromatic profile with lots of cut berries and floral notes. It wouldn’t be out of the question to misidentify this as a Beaujolais. The juicy fruit flavors continue into the palate of the wine with fresh red and blue fruits, a note of clove and cola as well. Perfect for late season burgers or even steaks on the grill, probably with a jacket on.

2014 Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo, Tuscany, Italy $13 

From a leading Amarone producer, Tomassi comes a sort of value priced spin on a Super Tuscan wine. A blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is classically rustic in that way that only Tuscany seems to deliver. Aromas of smoke, earth and black berry seem to take the fruit forward nature of Sangiovese and add a hint of sophistication along with a mocha note from the Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate is structured but not austere with a medium body, flavors of black fruit, earth and hints of cocoa powder and more finish than you expect at the $13 price point. Bring on the home made (or not) pasta and pizza.

2014 Viña Bujanda Rioja Crianza, Rioja Spain $14

Crianza is the most approachable of the Rioja range (in comparison with Reserva, or Gran Reserva) younger, and less oak influenced. The twelve months in neutral oak barrels often leaves wine drinkers with a fruit forward, youthful Tempranillo that is hard to compete with in terms of quality to price and drinkability. This 100% Tempranillo from two different estate vineyards is aromatically sophisticated with spicy aromas, black plum and hints of leather. The palate is youthful yet distinguished. Flavors of wild herb, vanilla and a core of dusty black fruit. The wine’s structure and balance are impressive at under $20. A perfect burger wine, if your burger comes with bleu cheese and some sauteed onions.

2014 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina $17

Hailing from the Luján de Cuyo sub region and nearly one hundred year old vines, comes a wine that can redefine value priced wines, and your take on Malbec in general. While Argentina has soared on cheap Malbec, much of it tens to be one dimensional, with a deference to peppery spice. This bottling from Trivento makes use of those old vines and the high altitude to produce a wine that offers an elegance to back up what can often be an overwhelming wine. Aromas of dried violet, mocha powder and leather and a palate of depth, velvety black fruit and white pepper make for a fantastic wine to compliment steaks of the grill.

2010 Caroso Riserva Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy $22

For just a hair above our $20 price-point you get a seven year old wine from one of Italy’s unheralded regions, known for straightforward simplicity. While Malbec and Rioja can often come to mind when we are looking for mid-week wines that pack a lot of wine for the price, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo doesn’t often come to mind; and that’s a pity. This wine offers a sense of the region’s ability produce great food wines that compliment anything from humble pasta sauces, to extravagant carnivorous meals. 

From old vines in the romantic, if underrated Abruzzo region Montepulciano is a native grape that is dark hued and produces a deep, rich wine. The aromatics from the Caroso Riserva echo that reputation. Black plum, black cherry and smoky notes, along with hints of mocha make for a noteworthy opening. The palate is rich, and nearly luxuriant. Ripe fruit accented with notes of cinnamon, earth and barrel spice. 

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Piemontese Classics at Unbelievable Prices from Cantina Pertinace

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Even among the shortest of lists of the world’s great wine regions you will find Piemonte, or Piedmont as we call it here in the States. The wines of Barolo and Barbaresco have put this region, where wine has long been made, on the map as home to some of the greatest red wines in the world made from the grape Nebbiolo.

The rolling hills, vineyards and red tiled roofs of the hilltop towns in the Langhe region give one a sense of  an ancient heritage of wine cultivation, and that is certainly true. Yet the wines from here, particularly the wines of Barolo have been tremendously impacted by modernity. Nebbiolo produces intensely aromatic and flavored wines, wines with ample tannin and structure that come to elegance as they age. Barolo, a wine endowed with great ageability has in the past been nearly unapproachable without a few years to mellow the wine. A departure from tradition was initiated in the 1980s and a kinder, gentler Barolo lead to worldwide popularity, and sky rocketing demand.

While the newly groomed Barolo has wine critics swooning, the more traditional wines of the Langhe make for an authentic wine experience that begs to be paired with the region’s outstanding cuisine. Dolcetto, Barbera and the Nebbiolo based wines; Barbaresco and wines bottled as Nebbiolo can be exceptional from this region. They can also be surprisingly well priced.

Cantina Pertinace was founded in 1973 as a wine cooperative. It is named for a locality in the village of Treiso, which is one of the villages located within the Barbaresco DOCG. That has long been the cooperative’s focus, yet they also make other wines under the d’Alba designations. The cooperative works with seventeen different growers and all but one or two of the wines, come from the Langhe region.

2016 Cantina Pertinace Dolcetto d’ Alba Piedmont, Italy $16

Dolcetto is a massively misunderstood wine by American wine drinkers. While the grape means “the little sweet one” the wine is anything but. It’s likely that the name speaks to the grape’s lower acid profile in comparison to the other Alba grape Barbera. The wine is usually quite tannic with intense fruit character. The Pertinace Dolcetto d’Alba is a classic and at this price for the uninitiated it represents a great opportunity to learn a bit more about an underappreciated gem. 

The Pertinace Dolcetto spends six months in steel in an effort to let the wine become a bit more showy. The aromas are intense with tight wound black and blue fruits, and hints of spice. The palate is sappy, montmorency cherry, dried fig and well wound fruit. There is not an abundance of acid but the wine shows as fresh and fruity and perfect for food. 

2016 Cantina Pertinace Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy $16

Barbera is probably one of my favorite unsung food wines in all the world. It has soaring acidity and a fruity freshness that is often unrivaled. The grape grows in the Langhe hills around the Barbaresco and Barolo regions and is in many ways the everyday staple here. Like Dolcetto it is seen as an easy, immediate drinker that does wonders with food. 

The Pertinace Barbera is a really lively wine. Aging in smaller oak casks for six to eight months does take the edges off the wine but it remains a vibrant, zippy food wine. Aromas of early season blackberry, raspberry and fresh mint introduce a fresh palate that does not overwhelm with its acidity. Flavors of currant, strawberry and wintergreen make for a perfect match for Piedmont’s famous cuisine. 

2015 Cantina Pertinace Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy $18 

Nebbiolo is the noblest of the grapes of this region responsible for the world famous wines that hail from here. This wine though is a declassified Barbaresco of sorts. The same grape, and similar vinification methods with less aging make the difference. The wine is a ridiculous value at under $20 and for those not willing to splurge a bit on a Barbaresco can get a taste of why they might want to. 

The Pertinace Nebbiolo comes from Treiso one of the famed Barbaresco villages. It’s spent eighteen months in large Slovenian oak casks, the more traditional oak aging choice for this part of Italy. The wine is aromatically intense. Notes of spice, anise, and dried violets along dense black fruit. The wine rolls out a palate that offers complexity and generosity of fruit. Flavors of black cherry, fig and hints of mocha powder. The wine is friendly and ready to drink now but can age for probably a half dozen years to its benefit. 

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Beyond Tuscany: Italy’s Range of Red Wines

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For those new to wine, Italy is often reduced to one region; Tuscany. The region is of course home to two of the world’s most famous wine growing regions, Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. It’s beautiful, picturesque and loaded with history. That last sentence though pretty much applies to anywhere in Italy. For wine collectors, regions like Piedmont’s Barbaresco and Barolo, and the Amarones from the Valpolicella region near Verona get top billing along with Tuscany. For everyday drinkers Italy is loaded with outstanding wines, some produced from indigenous varieties like Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola and some from more well known grapes like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. From the regions of Veneto and Umbria we find Italy offers a range of regions and wines to please every palate.

2013 Tenuta di Salviano, Turlo Lago di Corbara, $14

Super Tuscan blend became wildly popular with the American wine press. Blends of Sangiovese with Cabernet and Merlot scored high points and high praise. This wine is the same blend but from the region of Umbria, south of Tuscany which offers equally beautiful hill towns and rolling countryside. 

Aromas of dried fig and blackberry compote, and a very concentrated full bodied wine that remains very elegant. The palate is full but rather than robust it’s strikingly fine. Flavors of red and black berries mix with fine tannin and hints of earth.

2012 Masi Campofiorin Rosso Veronese, $15

This wine is a Veronese original. The Campofiorin, named for one of the original Masi vineyards is comprised of the same varieties that make up Amarone; Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The Campofiorin is a combination of wine fermented in typical fashion and then fermented again with about 25% of the grapes that have been through the appassimento technique. The folks at Masi call it a “Super-Venetian,” I’ll call it a Baby-Amarone. In any case call it a beautiful wine that can age over a decade at what is a nearly unbelievable price.

The wine’s aromas hint at its ample time in oak- notes of cinnamon, clove and baking spices. The palate is fruit focused with dusty cherries and blackberry. The tannins are supple and the mouthfeel, finish and pedigree of this wine has it punching well over its weight class. This wine drinks as well if not better than many wines at two to three times its price-point.

2013 Tenute Lunelli Ziggurat, Montefalco Rosso DOC $16

The Ziggurat comes from maybe the coolest winery in the world, Il Carapace. A winery that is also a work of art in the hillsides of Umbria, the first sculpture that is lived in worked in, designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro. The wines are made by the Lunelli family who also make the Ferrari sparkling wines. 

This Umbrian blend includes Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, but the star is the local grape from Montefalco; the highly tannic Sagrantino. The blend creates a wine loaded with complexity, aromas are intense fruit blended with herbal notes. The palate hints at dried fig, prunes, and clove. The wine is structured and shows an ability to age for quite a few years, it will likely drink best in three to five years.

2013 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore DOC $13

While this wine from Amarone producer Zenato uses some of those same regionally famous grapes as the Masi Campofiorin the production style varies greatly. Instead of applying the traditionally drying technique, it gives you a sense of the intensity of grapes like Coravina and Rondinella (along with some Sangiovese), even without the appassimento technique. The grapes are harvested with slightly higher sugar levels than typical, and the result is a rich, ripe wine with a full, velveteen mouthfeel. 

Aromas of black fruits, as well as roast coffee and pepper and a round, robust palate; chock full of dark fruit. Flavors of lush blackberry, chocolate and cherry and a substantial bit of structure, with a lengthy finish make this wine, like many of the wines that Zenato produces, one that impresses at such a bargain price. 

Urge to Splurge:

A couple wines that come in above our $20 price point are well worth exploring Italy a bit further.

2014 Agricola Punica Montessu, Isola dei Nuraghi IGT $28

From Sardinia, where grapes native to the island are often showcased comes a blend of more familiar Bordeaux based grapes, along with Syrah, and the star of the blend; Spanish Carignano. The hot climate of the island of Sardinia, with it’s cooler evenings create a sweet spot for Carignano, which typically thrives in the hot climates of Spain. This is a relatively new winery on an island with ancient wine traditions. The wine is rich and ripe, but very fresh. The aromas are concentrated around dark fruit, with hints of barrel spice, and mocha. The palate is fresh and fruit driven, framed by substantial tannin and structure with a mouth coating finish. 

2009 Casal Thaulero Thalè Montepulciano di Abruzzo $40

A flagship wine showing off how impressive, and age-worthy wines made from Montepulciano can be. The grape is not in fact, Sangiovese which is what goes into the wines made in Tuscany called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Which is named for the Tuscan village of Montepulciano. These wines may be distant relatives of the Sangiovese grape, but the connection, if there is one to the village of Montepulciano doesn’t seem to bear fruit.

Montepulciano is the second most planted red grape in Italy, Sangiovese being the most popular. The wines are rich, and obviously if the current release is eight years old, you can appreciate that these are wines that need time to open up, but also improve over time. The Thalè is not made in every vintage, and is decided upon by the winemaking team when quality is at its highest. The wine is darker than its cousin Sangiovese but does show some of it’s red fruit characteristics in the aromatics. Along with notes of barrel spice and vanilla. The palate showcases the wine’s structure; with ample tannin and layers of black and red fruit flavors. There are hints of turned earth and a balanced acidity. 

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Best Vegan Wines Under $20

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Vegan wines? That implies that there are non-Vegan wines right? The answer, absolutely.

You won’t find things like chicken, or pork in a list of wine ingredients but that doesn’t mean that animal products aren’t somehow involved in the production of many wines. One vital step in the winemaking process is called “fining.” It is a process that accomplishes a multitude of desired effects. Fining is done to bring clarity to the wine, removing any suspended solids in the liquid, resulting in a clear as opposed to hazy appearance, in addition to clarifying the wine, it can remove the browning that often happens when a wine becomes oxidized. Fining also removes taste components, astringent and bitter elements of a wine, as well as odors. All of this is typically done with, believe it or not, animal products. Egg whites, milk caseins or gelatins made from fish and cow parts.

In order for a wine to qualify as vegan, no animal products can be used during it’s production. For the Italian winery, Ciù Ciù and the Argentinian producer Domaine Bousquet, animal products are eschewed for mineral based fining agents, like bentonite and kaolin.

Ciù Ciù

Ciù Ciù (pronounced choo choo) is in the slightly unknown wine region of Le Marche. A relatively young winery operation, Ciù Ciù was one of Italy’s first vegan certified wineries, they are also 100% organic, and the mission at Ciù Ciù is the exploration of some of the little known, indigenous wine varieties. The wines are remarkably priced across the board, and while the certifications make for a captivating story, the wines speak for themselves. They are very well made from a technical point of view, but they offer the kind of depth and complexity that makes them one of those wines that gets better after it’s been open for at least a day.

2012 Ciù Ciù Gotico, Rosso Piceno Superiore, Le Marche, Italy $17

A blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese produces a sappy intense red wine with aromas of dried violets, and dried fig. The palate is vibrant and fairly concentrated, particularly for a wine with 4 to 5 years of age. Lively flavors of red currant, montmorency cherries and elegant tannins. This wine is straightforward and loaded with fruit.

2014 Ciù Ciù Bacchus, Piceno, Le Marche, Italy $14

Where the Gotico is 70% Montepulciano this is a 50-50 blend of the two and the fruitier, more rustic elements of the Sangiovese come to the fore. This is a fun, easy drinking wine with aromatics of dusty strawberry and raspberry, and a red berry palate to match. Fine grain tannins highlight red berry fruits, with a rustic simplicity that begs to be paired with fresh pasta.

2012 Ciù Ciù OPPÎDUM, Le Marche, Italy $15

100% Montepulciano, is a rich, robust wine with ample oak influence. Aromas of mocha, black plum and hints of herbal influence mark a wine that is loaded with husky dark character but balanced with the signature freshness that underlies all the Ciù Ciù wines. The palate is dark, layered with a core of black fruit, accented with notes of cocoa powder, smoke and a touch of minerality. 

2014 Ciù Ciù Arbinus, Verdicchio, Le Marche, Italy $13

If there’s a signature variety from Le Marche, it may be Verdicchio. The white wine is an outstanding example of one of the world’s most overlooked varieties. Aromas are effusively floral with a mix of coriander and peach skin, The palate is lush, and fresh with cut stone fruit, white flowers and the slightest fennel undertones. This is a really wonderful wine. 

2015 Ciù Ciù MERLETTAIE, Offida DOCG, Le Marche, Italy $16

Named for a traditional lace weaved pattern made in Offida the MERLETTAIE is made from an ancient, native variety; Pecorino. This is a unique wine from 100% Pecorino, perhaps a new signature variety for Le Marche, loaded with floral and grassy aromas along with notes of walnut skin and white pepper. The wine is mouth filling, with a restrained acidity, that gives the wine’s body notes of freshness. The palate is mineral driven and sappy white fruit. Pecorino was thought to be on the verge of extinction but has rebounded and is becoming one of Italy’s new/old white wines to discover.

Domaine Bousquet

Domaine Bousquet represents a French family’s voyage to the New Wine World in Argentina. The vineyards were established in 1997 and the winery has sought out multiple organic certifications. Domaine Bousquet is serious about making New World wines in a way that honors the four generations of winemaking history, dating back to Southern France, but also honoring the land there in Mendoza and being the best stewards of this new home, they can be.  

Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec, Argentina $17

The Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec is next level in terms of its deliciousness, it drinks like an aged Old World wine, as opposed to a one to two year old South American standard bearer. It is different in terms of its aromatic complexity, much more reminiscent of the Northern Rhone Syrahs or perhaps even something out of Burgundy. This may be the only really elegant Malbec I’ve ever had (my experience though is still limited). The aromas are earthy, mineral driven and even offer hints of mushroom and peat. The palate is elegant and easily drinks at something three to four times its price. Flavors offer dried fig, blackberry preserve, turned earth and streaks of minerality. The finish heightens the flavor profile and offers outstanding acidity.

2015 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Pinot Gris, Argentina $15

Much like the performance of the Malbec, folks going into this wine looking for an underwhelming New World Pinot Gris, hold onto your hats. This is technically a blend of Pinot Gris and 15% Chardonnay which may provide some of the complexity for this white wine. This wine is loaded with depth, aromas of flower pollen, tropical fruit and honeysuckle. The palate is fleshy, ripe peach, beeswax and lemon meringue. An elegance you don’t often find in Pinot Gris from this side of the Atlantic, and a fresh finish. Over performs at every level. 

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