What were YOUR best wine values of 2007?

Wynn's Coonawarra Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia $14.99 ($10.99 by the case but I didn't buy a case)

Baroja Rioja Seleccion Especial, Spain (on sale for about $9.00)

2001 Ciacci "Favius" Syrah, Italy - reg. $39.99 / $24.99 sale

2004 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa - reg. $54.99 / $44.99 sale

Using $15 as the upper limit:

Bernard Baudry 2004 Chinon Les Granges, $13
Domaine de la Pépière 2005 Cepage Cot, $11
Domaine de la Pépière 2005 Cuvée Granit, $13
Domaine de la Pépière 2004 & 2005 Muscadets, $10
François Pinon NV Vouvray Petillant Brut, $15
Clos Roche Blanche 2005 Touraine Cabernet, $14
Clos Roche Blanche 2004 Touraine Pif, $11
Barthod 2001 Bourgogne le Bons Batons, $15
Paul Pernot 2004 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, $13
Jean-Paul Brun 2004 Beaujolais Terres Dorées l'Ancien Vieilles Vignes, $14
Drouhin 2004 Juliénas, $12
Domaine Manoir du Carra 2005 Beaujolais-Villages Non-Filtre, $10
Domaine David et Denis Alary 2001 Cotes du Rhones Villages Cairanne, $14
Domaine Viret 1999 Cotes du Rhones Villages St-Maurice Cosmic, $12
Chateau d’Oupia 2001, 2002 & 2004 Minervois, $9
Trimbach 2000 Alsace Riesling, $12
Michele Chiarlo 2004 Barbera d'Asti Superiore Le Orme, $12
Monte Degli Angeli 2005 Monferrato Pinot Noir, $9
Cantine Sant’Agata 2004 Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato Il Cavaliere, $10
Cantine Sant’Agata 2004 Baby Barbera d'Asti, $9
Marques de Moral 2001 Valdepeñas Tempranillo Crianza, $6
Pedro Pergolas 2001 Valdepeñas Old Vines Tempranillo Crianza, $6
Weingut Glatzer 2004 Carnuntum Blaufrankish, $13

My "house" white recently has been Kim Crawford Savignon Blanc. It usually is $18-19 a bottle but every couple of months my local supermarket has a special and sells it for $13.99 and I buy a bunch.

Glenn

WARNING WARNING DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER!!!

I just cracked my sole wine gift from the holidays and am smitten. 2004 Parize Givry "Champ Nalot"

I never thought I would drink another QPR red Burgundy.

WARNING WARNING DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER!!!

I just cracked my sole wine gift from the holidays and am smitten. 2004 Parize Givry "Champ Nalot"

I never thought I would drink another QPR red Burgundy.

Yeah, but we aren't taking any QPR tips from guys that think a $30+ barbera is a good value.....

Your loss! And who is "we"?

For under $20, it's been years since I have tasted a Burg that showed this well. It drinks a lot better than higher profile, more expensive village wines like Barthod Bon Batons or Dugat Bourgogne.

As far as the Barbera, I have a few different ranges of wine: $10-$20, $20-$30, $30-$50, $50-$100, Over $100

In the $30-$50 range, the Vietti is a great QPR... even better than the Vietti Barolo Castiglione Normale. I also liked the Vietti Scarrone over the Vietti Scarrone Vigna Vecchia (which is another $50 extra).

Best,
Joe

Your loss! And who is "we"?

Me and my parakeet? I was sorta teasing, but it still is hard to wrap my mind around a $30+ Barbera being good QPR. But the Givry sounds like it is approaching QPR territory and is the kind of wine I prefer anyway. I'll keep my eyes open for that one.

Erraruiz Panilonco 2005 Carmenere $4
Domaine de Nizas Coteaux De Languedoc Rose $16
Page Springs Cellars 2005 Vino de Familia Blanca (Malvasia Bianca) $17
St Innocent 2005 Shea Vineyard Pinot Gris $23
St Innocent 2005 Anden Vineyard Chardonnay $20
Oak Creek Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay $20
Erath 2006 Pinot Noir $14
Tenimenti Conti Neri Ripasso Valpolicella $8
Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler 2001 Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese $25
Montes Limited Selection 2006 Pinot Noir $14

Your loss! And who is "we"?

Me and my parakeet? I was sorta teasing, but it still is hard to wrap my mind around a $30+ Barbera being good QPR. But the Givry sounds like it is approaching QPR territory and is the kind of wine I prefer anyway. I'll keep my eyes open for that one.

I hear you. I'm not a fan of most Barbera out there - even from traditionalists like Bartolo Mascarello or B. Giacosa, don't even mention Voerzio or Gaja. That said, I like most of the Barbera from Mauro Mascarello, Vietti and Brovia.

In my, maybe-too-expensive-for-a-casual-dinner-but-still-affordable category, this was a notable wine from the past year.

Best,
Joe

The standout wine full stop this year happened to be cheap (albeit as a one-off bargain).
1994 Isole e Olena (collezione) Syrah - just short of £10. Retail would be well above this though, even for an average year like 1994.

regards

Ian

2007 fresh pressed juice from the Niagara Peninsula (I'm anticipating a great vintage) - I'm expecting about 60 bottles each of Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay and Cab Franc/Merlot blend, costing less than $2.50 each. I am also anticipating about 60 bottles each of Cayuga, Vidal and Steuben Rose, made from locally grown grapes, at less than $1.00 each.

Howie, you are a hoot!

Some of mine are repeats of those of others. Hopefully some are not...

2005 Pépière "Granite de Clisson" Muscadet de sèvre et Maine Sur Lie at $20
2005 Domaine Etxegaraya "Cuvée Lehengoa" Irouleguy at $20
2005 and 2006 Bertalde, "Gorrondona" Bizkaiko Txakolina at $20 (and yes, that would be RED Txakolí)
2005 and 2006 Jean-Paul Brun "L'Ancien" Beaujolais at $12
2005 and 2006 Fürst Muller-Thurgau "Pur Mineral Franken at $16
2004 Sella "Orbello" Coste della Sesia at $14
2004 Dominio de Tares "Albares" Bierzo at $8 (a stainless-steel cuvée that really shows what good Mencía can do and kicks the collective ass of the wooded cuvées from this bodega)
2006 Clos du Tue-Boeuf "Rouillon" Vin de Table Français at $16
2004 Movia Ribolla Brda Slovenia at $17


Or something like that... Nine will have to do.

Manuel,

you dug the Sella "Orbello", or just for the price? I love the Lessona and Bramaterra, but the Orbello left me a little cold. Maybe it had too much Barbera character for me. I'm planning to open the second bottle at some point so I might like it better but based on the first one, I wouldn't buy this one again.

Best value for me would be the 2005 Herve Souhaut Syrah, although 2001 ESJ "Wylie-Fenaughty" at under $20/bottle was close.

Manuel,

you dug the Sella "Orbello", or just for the price? I love the Lessona and Bramaterra, but the Orbello left me a little cold. Maybe it had too much Barbera character for me. I'm planning to open the second bottle at some point so I might like it better but based on the first one, I wouldn't buy this one again.

Best value for me would be the 2005 Herve Souhaut Syrah, although 2001 ESJ "Wylie-Fenaughty" at under $20/bottle was close.

It was light, precise and fragrant. I've drunk through six bottles of it in the past seven months. I guess I did like it very much. Ditto for Josie. Beautiful florals. And it's a freaky blend of barbera, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Franc and other stuff. I didn['t find it so Barberaish, but rather just a lovely quaffer that kept morphing in the glass. Very fresh, too.

I loved the Lessona 2001. And hey, the San Sebastiano allo Zoppo is amazing. Sella can do no wrong in my book these days. I also dug the 2000 Bramaterra (more muscular and hairy than the Lessona). Have a bottle of the '01 Bramaterra in the bullpen.

The '01 Wylie-Fenaughty is an amazing wine. I love it a lot. Bought a heap of it from Crush when they had the 20%-0ff sale. Still, it wasn't $15.

Some of mine are repeats of those of others. Hopefully some are not...
...
2005 Domaine Etxegaraya "Cuvée Lehengoa" Irouleguy at $20
..

Or something like that... Nine will have to do.

I just finished the '03s tonight and am having difficulty not touching the 04's. I love this label too for the price but almost prefer another Kermit Lynch product, Domaine de Fontsainte that comes in for roughly half that price. Either way, tough to lose.

Our value of '07 was the same as '06 and '05; Finca El Portillo Cabernet Sauvignon. This is IMHO a contendor for the best wine in the world for under $10.

Haven't tried a "Zoppo" yet, but I have a few in the basement. I also got a few of the 1999 "Omaggio", too but haven't tasted those either (yet).

I'm on some sort of silly no-drinking diet through Monday, or I'd pull one out.

I really liked the 2001 Bramaterra, actually possibly more than the 2001 Lessona. I thought it was more crisp and stony, and the Lessona is no slouch in either of those areas.

Yes, I'm really digging Sella these days (other than the diet). I even bought a bottle of a Sella and Mosca "La Cala", Sardinian Vermentino which I liked a lot too - reportedly the Sella is Piemontese, but I'm not sure if it's the same family. In any event, the La Cala was nice too! Kinda reminded me of a Cassis Blanc, which I like a lot.

05 and 06 Briords , each 9.59
05 Schloss Gobelsburg GV Gobelsburger 10.39
01 Antinori CCR Tenute Marchese 13.99 (close-out)
02 Chidaine Le Bouchet 12
04 St Cosme Gigondas 8.99 (close-out)
04 Dauvissat-Camus La Forest 25
05 Dauvissat-Camus La Forest 27.59

Charles

Couldn't really think of one that impressed me and then it hit me as we opened our next to last bottle last night. If you want fun to drink, inexpensive and a food match my QPR was

'05 Beringer Founders Estate Pinot Noir @ $6.99

Had it last night with grilled chicken and mashed potato and it was yummy, my wife really likes it, it is cheap and a departure for our old world palates; what else could you want. This was hands down our best wine value in '07. Bought the last bottles from the wine store and my wine guy even called me when they found another case of '05 at the distributor. Haven't had the '06 yet.
Walt

Our best value of the year was the 2000 La Fleur Haut-Bages Liberal at $14.00. All of the 2000 Bordeaux, from $11.00 up, that we drank this year were good, but the Haut-Bages was the best value of the bunch.

Vietti, Langhe Nebbiolo "Perbacco" 2005

[James Roscoe]

My find of the year were wines from Hart Celars! (Yes I'm in the tank for Howie's homemade wines.) The Cab. Franc was especially memorable. I also enjoyed his unoaked Chardonay and his Riesling. Howie rocks! (But then most of you know that already.)

Elaine and I held a very informal Norton tasting with friends just before Christmas. Judging was basically "Liked best," and "Liked least." Much to my surprise Dennis Horton's 2003 Norton was not only best liked, but at $9 in Virginia a real bargain.

Great Thread...lots of wines for me to try!

Here were my picks:

2005 Domaines Perrin Cote du Rhone Reserve - $8.99
2005 Fattoria La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - $13.99
2003 Dr. Cosimo Taurino Salice Salentino - $11.99
2005 Schumann Nagler Christopher Phillip Riesling - $12.99
2005 Columbia Crest Winery Merlot Grand Estates Columbia Valley - $8.99
2005 Coltibuono Cetamura Chianti Classico - $9.99
2006 San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio - $10.99
2006 Domaine Pichot Vouvray - $13.99
2006 Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages - $8.99