Recommended Wines
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Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2016
A typical pandemic Friday night — what to do to shake one out of the ongoing funk that seems to envelop our lives lately? Funny you should ask. Instead of meatloaf and just another nondescript glass of red, we recently reached out to a favorite local Italian restaurant, Princi Italia, to “attend” its Antinori virtual tasting in which three Antinori branded wines were paired with delicious appetizers from the restaurant. Add a couple of good... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Oct-Sat -
Muriel Fincas de la Villas Crianza 2016
The warmth of late spring in Texas has forced its presence onto the scene, one is reminded that serious grilling season is nigh upon us! Whether your home grill favorite is burgers, dogs, ribs or chicken, a delicious Red from the Rioja Region of Spain is an excellent choice to pair with spring and summer fare. If you are not familiar with the nuanced, delicious Reds from Rioja, you are... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-May-Sun -
Marchesi Antinori 2015 Villa Antinori Riserva (Chianti Classico)
Your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth has been, like most of my fellow sleuths, observing the local "shelter in place" directive during the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 virus scare. During this seemingly unending period of (more or less) voluntary quarantine, my significant other and I have been cooking at home more frequently, and one of the house favorites is Italian, particularly pasta with hearty meat sauces. I have also taken... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Apr-Tue -
Pedroncelli Merlot Dry Creek Valley Bench Vineyards 2017
Those of us who are Big Red fans are always on the lookout for a great Value Wine to enjoy and serve to our own wine buddies. As most of you have heard, the classic Bordeaux varietal Merlot fell out of favor for several years, coinciding in part with the 2004 dark comedy "Sideways" (and Miles' classic utterance that he wasn't "drinking any *&^%ing Merlot" to his twisted buddy Jack),... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Apr-Sat -
Olema Chardonnay Sonoma County 2018
Greetings and Salutations! As the vast majority of the country is in some stage of quarantine (in Dallas, we call it "Shelter in Place"), it seems that we wine sleuths need to have good information for quality Value Wines more than ever. Otherwise, or so I am told, one is liable to end up cracking open in frustration a prized bottle of Kistler Chardonnay or that favorite Nuits St. Georges... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2020-Mar-Sat -
Milbrandt Merlot (Columbia Valley) 2017
I am always on the lookout for a satisfying Big Red that meets our criteria as a Value Wine--i.e., high quality and a price of less than $20. We at The Wine Bargain Sleuth have long been a fan of Washington Cabs and Merlots and have frequently recommended the same to our wine sleuths! The Milbrandt Merlot Columbia Valley 2017 is a terrific example of a great Value Wine: at... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Dec-Sat -
Courtney Benham Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018
In the Great Southwest, a quality Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser around the pool or for a summer cocktail. The Napa expression of the international Sauvignon Blanc grape tends to be a bit rounder than others, with flavors such as peach and nectarine rather than the grapefruit and citrus profile generally associated with, say, the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. A terrific value version of this wine is... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Aug-Mon -
2015 Land of Promise Pinot Noir
Say you have a birthday or a big anniversary coming up. Or you closed that big deal at work...or just because you are worth it! Some days you just want to have an amazing glass of wine. After a long day this week, I had one of those amazing glasses of wine: the 2015 Land of Promise Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast, California. Even better, I got to share a... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Apr-Sat -
Chateau Guiraud G Bordeaux White 2016
With spring comes colorful, fragrant flowers and budding trees, as well as warmer weather that pairs so delightfully with light, crisp wines. Some of my personal favorites include Bordeaux Blancs from France's legendary wine region. In addition to being refreshing with their cleansing acidity and nuanced with their classic blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, many of these French beauties are an amazing value as well. One vivid example of... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Apr-Sat -
Cline Zinfandel Contra Costa County Ancient Vines 2016
Looking for a great value wine in a Big Red? Tired of the ongoing Napa Valley price creep? Enjoy a Zinfandel with a old vines taste profile? Well, wine sleuths, I believe I have you covered for this month! I highly recommend the Cline Zinfandel Contra Costa County Ancient Vines 2016! None other than leading wine publication Wine Spectator bestowed a strong 91 rating on this delicious red Zinfandel, calling... Read More
Posted by Len Musgrove, Admin The Wine Bargain Sleuth on 2019-Feb-Mon
Not many Value Wines are impressive enough to make the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines for any vintage; this Vina Santa Ema Cab Reserva 2015 was awarded the number 29 slot and a strong 91 rating, a pretty amazing bang for your buck for a widely available Big Red that retails for only $15! Or as Wine Spectator said itself, “This reserva punched above its weight in 2015….”
The Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva Mendoza 2013 is just coming into its own, but is definitely drinkable with perhaps 15-30 minutes of breathing to allow it to open up. Clever wine sleuths know that wines that are released from the Southern Hemisphere are actually a growing season ahead, making a 2013 release from, for example, Argentina the functional equivalent of a 2012 release from the USA. The initial flavor profile of this Fabre Montmayou Gran Reserva is of fresh dark fruit, pepper and spice, with a lovely earthiness on the mid-palate, followed by a lengthy finish of chocolate and licorice hints. While the Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva 2013 would be an amazing pairing with a charcoal-grilled ribeye steak, it was also silky and elegant enough to be served, as it was to our birthday party, with chocolate truffles and apple pie.
A recent family vacation to idyllic Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic afforded just such an opportunity to try a terrific Argentinian wine — the Trivento Cabernet-Malbec Mendoza Reserve 2013. The very definition of a food friendly Value Wine, the Trivento Big Red contains elegant red berry, earthy green tea and dark current profiles, with a seemingly seamless, lengthy finish.
As prices of our favorite Bordeaux and Napa Valley Big Red offerings continue to soar, much to our chagrin (I remember the good old days when I nearly had a stroke when I paid $40 for a top rate Napa Reserve Cab!), we wine sleuths are constantly on the lookout for a satisfying steak wine but still need change back from our $20 bill. Add bonus points if you are willing to look south of the Equator for sometime somewhat exotic and really amazing. Well, my thirsty friends, your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth has your solution for this month: the Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva 2014.
Your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth was introduced to the Argentine vineyard Trivento nearly two years ago, and recently had the unique opportunity to sample the Trivento 2012 Golden Reserve Lujan de Coyo Malbec against several other high quality producers hailing from Argentina, the Rioja region of Spain, the US and Mexico at the Cancun Wine & Food Festival. How did this South American red fare, you ask? Well, to my palate it was the star of the Cancun Star Chefs Dinner event!
The Susana Balbo Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 is a fine reminder that some remarkable Cabs, as well as Malbecs, are being bottled in Argentina these days. This full-bodied, deep ruby colored South American offering gives your palate the full Cabernet Sauvignon experience, with lots of dark fruit, spice and even a hint of red pepper, followed by a lingering, earthy finish. Folks, there is a lot going on in this glass!
One outstanding development I have noticed is the increasing occurrences of wine festivals across the country. On a recent weekend excursion I was fortunate to attend a local…
An undeniable treat and this month’s Worth a Splurge Wine is the 2010 Catena Malbec from Argentina. Retailing for a very reasonable $26, this may be the Malbec…
Testimonials
Len Musgrove
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