Ok, here is a fantastic high quality wine value. This is the 2007 S. Orsola Piemonte Barbera. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Barbera, this is most definitely a grape to add to your list of staples to keep in the cupboard. A lot of bright, red fruit, with just the right amount of tannins. An under appreciated grape, and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy on a regular basis.
I get this at my local Total Wine for $5.99 a bottle, which is probably one of the best values you’ll ever find on a wine.
My rating: 87 points.
S. Orsola Piemonte Barbera
From time to time, I’ll be putting wines up here that exceed the $20 price point, but are still excellent values. Here’s an outstanding example of such a wine. This is the 2005 Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero. I picked this up at my local Total Wine for $23.99. This is a really high quality wine, and can easily compete with wines costing 2 or 3 times as much.
A wonderfully structured, medium acidity wine, with plenty of complexity. I drank this over 2 days, and it was just as good or better on the second night. The nose is a little tight initially, but opens up nicely.
Fantastic value for you Ribera del Duero lovers.
My rating: 91 points.
2005 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero
Here’s a wine I see all over the place. In fact, that’s a big reason why I’m putting it up here — availability. You won’t have to hunt this one down in some dusty boutique wine shop somewhere.
It’s the 2007 Trapiche Malbec. While I wouldn’t put it in the “fantastic” category, it’s definitely very solid and you’ll be spending your money on a quality wine. The price range I’ve seen it at is typically in the $9 – $12 zone, which is a very good value. It also seems to go on sale fairly regularly for $1 – $2 off per bottle.
Profile: A little bit of oak, but not out of control, with a deep plum color and some spiciness. A good, solid, Mendoza Malbec.
My rating: 87 points.
2007 Trapiche Malbec
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