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
One of the perks from authoring The Wine Bargain Sleuth is that my dinner guest friends and family often defer to me when it is time to order wine to pair with dinner at a restaurant. While I look forward to the challenge of a new and voluminous wine list now, I will confess that as recently as five years ago the thought of being responsible for my guests’ wine experience was somewhat daunting, even nerve-wracking. After all, who wants to be the idiot who chooses a less-than-tasty wine for his companions’ dinner–especially at the princely tariff of two to three times retail that many fine restaurants routinely charge for a bottle of wine?
If you enjoy Chardonnay from Napa or Sonoma, then you know how challenging it can be to find a complex yet affordable one. Perhaps this month’s Value Wine No. 2, the Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay 2013, might be your solution. Neither overly oaked nor too creamy, the Chalk Hill 2013 manages a rare balance for a Chard in its price range.
Are you wine sleuths looking for an aged, elegant Bordeaux blend Big Red to get you through the winter chill that doesn’t set you back the equivalent of a January gas bill? We have just the wine for this month’s Value Wine No. 1, the Chatter Creek 2008 Blend 105 from Columbia Valley, Washington. Yes, that’s right, this Northwest Big Red is actually a 2008 vintage, meaning that it is perfectly aged at the vineyard and refined for your immediate enjoyment. Reminiscent of a Right Bank Bordeaux, the Chatter Creek 2008 Blend 105 is a Merlot based blend, with helpful dollups of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to complete the classic five Bordeaux blend varietals.
As your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth peeks at his Outlook calendar he is somewhat surprised to see that the pending countdown to Thanksgiving, that uniquely American holiday and excuse to polish off a week’s worth of calories in between the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys football games with impugnity. That, of course, can only mean that it is high time for this month’s Chapter to unveil our recommendations to allow you sleuths to shine with your thoughtful wine selections at your own annual battle for the turkey leg with your families, friends, significant others and hungry, random strangers who popped in to purloin your dressing and that last piece of pumpkin pie!
Greetings and salutations! You wine sleuths are sly dogs! Your friends, parental units, family and significant others are already reaching out to you for your suggestions as to that Perfect Thanksgiving Wine! And at the risk of blowing up your inboxes since we just delivered Chapter 27 a week or two ago, your humble Wine Bargain Sleuth has nevertheless worked overtime to deliver our 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Wine Recommendations just in a nick of time for the holiday feast!
Greetings and salutations! Fall season is upon us in Texas. College football battles, crisp mornings, State Fair corny dogs, lawns turning the shade of corn tortillas and leaves transforming to golden and bright orange colors. What an ideal time to focus upon great bargain Big Reds! Accordingly, this month’s Chapter will focus on a handful of Splurge Wine values in Cabernet Sauvignon for your enjoyment. Remember, a true bargain wine is not necessarily a wine of $15 or so, but rather a wine that outperforms its price point and thus gives the consumer worthy bang for his or her buck! The list below fits into our concept of Splurge Wines that manage to outperform their class.
At $35, the 2010 Chateau Lilian Ladouys offering eminates from an up-and-coming vineyard from the storied Left Bank of the Bordeaux region of France. The Chateau Lilian Ladouys is a remarkable value, particularly with its spectacular 2009 and 2010 vintages.
It strikes me that there is no better time to discuss great Cabernet Sauvignon than the beginning of a new year. The cooler weather of the winter season is affords a perfect opportunity to enjoy the robust flavor of your favorite Cabs. Accordingly, this month’s Chapter will list of some of our favorite Cabernets for your enjoyment: the official Wine Bargain Sleuth 2014 Top Five Worth a Splurge Cabernet Sauvignons for $35 and Under list!
While perhaps not quite as impressive as the highly rated 2007 and 2008 vintages, the 2010 Franciscan nevertheless is an excellent “go to” or house Cabernet, garnering a solid 89 rating from Wine Enthusiast. That publication is obviously a fan of the Franciscan Cab, describing it thusly: “Good price for a Cabernet this elegant and classy. It’s not something for the cellar, but offers everything it has now, with ripe blackberry, black currant and cedar flavors that are wrapped into sturdy, smooth tannins.” You can grab this one and enjoy it immediately.
Testimonials
Len Musgrove
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Brad Bell
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