Not Another List

Well, actually it IS another list; I've assembled a second bakers dozen. These 13 wines represent some of the best quality-to-price ratio wines that we tasted at Stimmel's Market in 2007. While a "value" likely means different things to different people, I've taken the liberty to define the values below as wines that retail for under $20 per bottle. These are the great wines that we can all afford to drink on a regular basis:

13. Chatter Creek 105 Blend 2004 (Washington, $19.99) - Washington state is a very exciting area for wine these days. Seemingly a fusion of both new and old worlds, with consistently good vintages in recent years, it's no wonder that great wines like this one are hitting the market. Delicate, yet complex, this is a refined red that drinks like it's at least twice the price.

12. Pieropan Soave Classico 2004 (Italy, $17.99) - This was one of the "wow" whites that I had in '07. Citrus, mineral and a touch of creaminess all combined to make this the best Italian white I've had in a long time.

11. Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre 2003 (Italy, $19.99) - Great bang for the buck. A couple of steps up from the average grocery store chianti, the "plaza of the bull" offers lots of fruit, a touch of vanilla, and good tannins. A nice gateway red.

10. Vina Albali 1997 (Spain, $16.99) - A brown-ish hue in the glass. A mouthful of pencil lead and maturing tannins. This Spanish red delivers a peek of what truly expensive, properly aged French reds can offer at about 1/20th the price.

9. Mollydooker The Boxer 2005 (Australia, $19.99) - Brains to go with the braun, this big Aussie Shiraz is like the playground bully who is also one of the smartest kids in the class. Gobs of blueberries and blackberries, with some spice on the finish.

8. Babich Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (New Zealand, $12.99) - There were other bottles of NZ SB that I liked better at the time (like the very good Nobilo), but upon reflection, the Babich was the most memorable that I tried the past year. Uncompromising in its fresh, tart fruit blast, it assaults the taste buds and just doesn't stop.

7. Joseph Phelps Pastiche 2005 (California, $14.99) - Maybe not as sleek and velvety as the '02 and '03 we've had in previous years, but lots of fruit and that trademark Phelps touch still makes this a terrific value. Nine cases of the Pastiche sold out in just over a week, so we'll have to wait a while to see if the '06 can keep the tradition going.

6. Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc 2006 (California, $13.99) - Anything but your average boring California white, it delivers everything that you'd expect from a wine three times its price. Good acidity, peaches, melons, citrus, with a bit of creaminess to cement the great texture. Best value white wine of the year.

5. Shingleback Shiraz 2004 (Australia, $19.99) - Copius amounts of white pepper frame the juicy fruit flavors in this exciting red. The one Aussie shiraz I tasted this year that had a bit of old-world flair. Great stuff.

4. Liparita Enlace Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (California, $18.99) - I can't figure out why we don't sell this wine by the truckload. It's darn near impossible these days to find a really good Cali Cab under $35, but this one delivers the goods and then some. Currant, mocha, blackberries, earth, leather, the gang's all there just waiting to be discovered. This under-$20 Cab blows away dozens of $35+ Cabs that I drank this past year.

3. Mas Donis 2004 (Spain, $13.99) - I'm a sucker for those velvety, silky reds that cost more than a round of golf at Pebble Beach, so it's pretty darn satisfying to find a wine for a mere $14 that can give you a taste of the good life. Simply put, the Mas Donis was the smoothest, easiest red to drink this year.

2. Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2004 (Washington, $11.99) - I think Columbia Crest is the best "big" winery in the U.S., if not the world. I find it pretty darn impressive for a winery of their size to churn out an affordable, complex, delicious wine such as the '04 Merlot, instead of bottling homogenized dreck for the big box grocery store shelves, as many others do. I probably recommended this wine more than any other to customers throughout the year.

1. Altos de Luzon 2004 (Spain, $16.99) - What can I say? One of my favorite 13 wines of the year at any price, it's certainly the best value we've had the pleasure to sell this year at the market. Buy this wine by the case, and impress your friends.

Cheers!