Red Wine Recommendations $10-20

Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel 2006 (PB)
The wine is a purple cranberry hue with brambly, wild berry and a touch of plums in the bouquet.The palate is big with red berries and pushy tannins on a sweet base (relatively speaking; this is not a sweet wine) with an interesting slightly bitter fruit. A little breathing intensifies all of the previous and finishes with big dark fruit. Sam's Clubs carry this for less then $12 and it is well worth it.

Poggio Al Tufo Rompicollo 2005
See review for more but this is a tremendous wine. I paid $14 for it and is worth much more. Worth seeking for.

Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet 2002
Just a super value which I find for under $6 but seems to run around $8. Either way, a really good value. Snatch it up.

Water Wheel Shiraz 2004 (PB)
This is a huge well crafted wine just full of richness and character. It will assault your palate in a good way and is a bargain at the $12 I found it for at Sam's Club.
Don't pass it up!

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz 2002 (PB)
Rich, dark purple to the rim with a musty bouquet and loads of plum and dark berry fruit.

Rich flavors of licorice with fruit forward gobs of sensuous spicy fruit. It has nice structure and should age for several more years but is great right now.

Rocca Delle Macie 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva (PB)
Medium garnet with wild cherry accents over a rich berry bouquet; some herbal notes and earth.

It is full of flavors and just an all around superior wine and at this price of *$16, you should buy it up NOW! (See complete review)

Chateau Clos De Latour 2002 (PB)
This is a bargain wine with a solid cherry color on the pour and fruity bouquet of dark berries and a nose of sweet fruit. It is balanced, well made, structured, with some nice green pepper notes, firm tannins and old world character. With an hour of breathing (recommended) this wine is lighter in body with subtle chocolate and licorice notes. Nice and a bargain at $11.

C.C. Brunello Di Montalcino 1999
This Tuscan gem is 100% Sangiovese. It is full and balanced and wonderful all the way around. I found it for $20. Buy it ALL if you can find it! (PB)

Coppola Merlot 2003 “Blue Label” wine review by (PB)

This wine is dark ruby color with depth and a bouquet of baked bread, a little spice, and some black cherry fruit. It is full of flavors of chocolate, berries, has good structure. Has some layers of cedar and dill with dried cherries on the palate. This is an awesome wine and a great value at $15.

Domaine “La Garrigue” 2003 “Cuvee Romaine” $13 (PB)
From the Cotes Du Rhone: The bouquet of pipe tobacco, flowers, and yeast filled with fruity aromas. A faint layer of chocolate covered cherries; chewy, balanced, cherry flavors and chocolate. Good structure, a little smoke and a nice finish.

Paolo Scavino Rosso Vina Di Tavola 2003 (PB)
Flowers and candy with a creamy tone. Fabulous! The candy nose takes on sweet cherries and a hint of Jasmine.

There is plenty of old world flavor in the mouth with a little spice forward, black and white pepper, fruit on the rear with a finish of fresh cherries that lasts. At $15, this is a must find!

Buena Vista Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir (PB)
I picked this wine up on a lark on my way back from Boston. It cost me $15. Loads of strawberries and chocolate through and through; solid structure, nice food wine and nice quaffing wine. Worth searching out! Positively delicious and eliciting a “Wow!” from me. What a nice surprise and a nice value.

Joan Gine Gine Priorat 2000 (NW)
Exceptional Spanish bargain at $14, although I may have gotten an unusually low price. Lots of layers and an array of flavors built into a rich mouth feel from start to finish. Wow!

Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel 2004 (PB)
Deep, dark blackberry and dried cherry nose with a trace of spiced apples on opening.
It is so balanced and ready to drink right NOW. It is rich in fruit full of berries plump and ripe. It finishes with a touch of currants though subtle. Because it is so well made and ready to drink this wine will pair with all kinds of stuff! Find out what a well made, balanced, ready to drink wine is like.

Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (NW)
Even better than the 2001, this is surely one of the best deals in California Cab. Very well balanced with berry flavors and an elegant texture and finish. Very enjoyable and only $15! I bought a half case on sale for $12!

Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz 2002 (NW)
Fragrant nose and delicious ripe fruit, accented by vanilla and sweet spices. A wonderful example of Australian Shiraz for $15!

Rosenblum Zinfandel Oakley Vineyard 2003 (PB)
Cherry aromas and a little spice with dark berry aromas that are intense. Rich with nice raisiny flavors with a scant hint of chocolate and spice. This is a food friendly wine and at $15, I HAVE to recommend this Zin!

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2001 (PB)
Already recommended once but I HAVE to recommend it again just in case you missed it! At $11, "Marvin K Mooney, Will you please go NOW" and grab this while you can!

Cline Ancient Vine Zinfandel 2004 (PB)
This wine is big in every way right on opening with a huge bouquet of dark fruit. It sells rich! In the mouth this wine is just as full with loads of body and flavor and mouth feel. With a little air time, which isn’t necessary for this elegant creation, it is so full of flavor and if you ever wondered what “plush” tannins were like; this is it! This is just a nicely made, elegant wine. It finished velvety, and long–the finest tannins I have had yet! At the listed reference price of $18, this wine is a bargain BUT–Sam’s Club has it for under $13!

Chateau Montpezat 2003 (PB)
This lighter, garnet colored wine is from the Coteaux Du Languedoc. The bouquet is full of cherries and licorice. It is a little sweet with nice, even flavors. For a $15 wine this is VERY nice and worth seeking out!

Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (NW)
Don’t be fooled by the rather generic name of this wine. The bouquet of this garnet wonder from Sonoma is graceful, fruity on the bouquet w/ a couple different layers of eucalyptus with a touch of licorice. It is rich in currants, with a sweetish fragrance and a great balance. I would push it to that “special” 90 range. You can find it for around $15!

Cartlidge and Browne Pinot Noir 2003 (PB)
This light red beauty comes out of the bottle with seductive aromas of fresh fruit and pipe tobacco aromas. Has a tartness and pleasant finish of cherry fruit. At $10.50 this is a "search out" wine!

House Wine Columbia Valley 2003 (PB)
Search it out: at less than $12 it is a blend of Washington state Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot and it is really BIG! Chocolate, fudge and berry/cherry flavors with mellow tannins (after breathing and decanting) yields a BIG, full flavored wine.

Kendall Jackson Vinter's Reserve Pinot Noir 2003 (PB)
The bouquet fills the room of fresh fruit of raspberries, currants, black cherries and black berries. Full of spice that is elegant in balance with a touch of chocolate in the end. VERY nice especially at $12!

Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (PB)
This $13 wine is must experience wine of inexpensive first rate wines which are superior for their price. It has a slightly minty, bouquet with sheer finesse in flavors and balance. It is not only a great food wine but excellent all by itself. Don't let this one pass you by! Wines this good for this price are must buys! (See complete review in posts)

Sterling Vintner's Collection Pinot Noir 2003 (PB)
This Central Coast delight is light on the pour with a raspberry bouquet with a real nice balance of fruit, tannins and acid. With a little time to breathe, cherries are up front and the balance is superior with a long elegant finish abounding in chocolate. At $12, this is worth hunting down before you miss it!

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2001 (PB)
Lighter on the pour with a bouquet that is fruity and the nose rich, even meaty. Medium bodied with robust tannins and a foundation of mixed berry flavors. A large presence of currants and raspberries climb on top with a nice silky texture. There is even some spice that tops it off for a provocative finish. It is a bargain value at $11.00. I would give it an 88 maybe even an 89.

Chateau De Flougerges 2001 $16 (PB)
This wine from the Coteaux Du Languedoc is beautiful and youthful in the glass and before swirling, a playful fruitiness danced its way into my presence that was almost candied like a hint of bubblegum. The bouquet is punctuated with a yeasty, fresh baked bread nose while swirling releases a chocolate surprise full of ripe berries. In the mouth there is a perky little hum, nearly “spritzig” to use the German term for a hint of carbonation only this is subtler. Tannins are lively and the wine is structurally sound. With some airtime, the yeasty fragrance mellows out and currants emerge with full rich force. The finish is somewhat delicate. Unique!(PB)

Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot 2001 (NW)
(see "quick Swirl" review for more info)
This is an exceptional wine. I paid $16/bottle on sale; Wine Spectator scored it 90 points. This is a great buy from Chile!