MY BEST VALUE WINES OF 2008
Happy New Year! As we move into the year 2008, here's my annual New
Year's year report on the best - and the best values - of the wines I've
reviewed during the past 12 months.
As I do at the end of every year at this time, I've sorted all my wine-
tasting reports of the year to reveal the specific wines that I've rated
best for both quality and value. These are the wines that showed
exceptional value at all price points, earning the admiring moniker that
online wine "geeks" call "Quality-Price Ratio" or, for short, "QPR."
Many of the recent trends that we've recorded last year and the year
before seemed to continue in 2008: Artisanal, small-farm wineries came
under some pressure as international corporations buy up properties and
write distribution agreements with producers around the world. The
combination of continued warm weather in many wine regions and a
perception that the public wants big, fruity, highly alcoholic wines
that win high ratings points continues to make "international" wines in
this style ever more available.
Curiously, only 51 of the wines I tasted during 2008 made my "honor
roll" for top rank in quality and value; this is down from 56 top-QPR
wines in 2007 and 60 the year befor that. While this trend isn't large,
it's consistent enough to suggest that it's becoming more and more
difficult to find wines of true interest at "everyday" price points.
A decade ago it was still easy to find interesting wines at $5; a few
years ago the dividing line had risen to $10. Now I find that most of my
wines for everyday consumption range from $12 to $20. Will prices
continue to rise in the face of a possible global recsssion? The year
2009 should be an interesting time for wine consumers.
Looking more closely at my top quality wines of the year, as noted, 51
made the cut. Ten of those sold for $10 or less, the great value Cave de
Montagnac 2006 Picpoul de Pinet marking the low end at $7.99.
Surprisingly, I spent over $20 for only two of my top-value wines this
year; all the rest fell in the $10 to $20 range.
Sorted by country or region, this year's QPR list includes 17 from
perennial winner France, 13 from Italy and - jumping up in the race this
year, perhaps because of the dollar's low valuation against the Euro, 13
from the United States (including 11 from California and one each from
Oregon and Washington State). Filling out the list were Australia, 3;
and one each from Argentina, Austria, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.
Here are all the top-value wines that I tasted during 2007, ranked in
order of the actual retail price that I paid. You may click each link to
view a more detailed tasting note in our standard "shelf-hanger" format.
In most instances, I purchased these wines from retail shops in and
around Louisville, Ky.; a few came from California Wine Club or were
hand-carried back from New York City, most from the excellent Chambers
Street Wines.
For your shopping convenience, click to our QPR 2009 Page on
WineLoversPage.com,
http://www.wineloverspage.com/qpr/index.phtml
where I have reproduced this list with specific links for each wine in
the databases at Wine-Searcher.com, to help you compare prices and check
availability at selected vendors online.
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WINES RETAILING FOR MORE THAN $20
Mosby 2005 "Ossessione" Marche Rosso (Italy), $26.
Emilio Lustau Palo Cortado "Peninsula" Sherry (Spain), $21.99.
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WINES RETAILING FROM $15 TO $20
Francine et Olivier Savary 2006 Chablis (France), $19.99.
Matteo Correggia 2004 "La Val dei Preti" Nebbiolo d'Alba (Italy),
$19.99.
Kunde Estate 2004 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18.99.
Hahn Estates 2006 Central Coast Meritage Red Table Wine (California),
$17.99.
Domaine Oratoire St. Martin 2005 Côtes du Rhône (France), $17.99.
Pedroncelli 2005 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County "Mother Clone" Zinfandel
(California), $17.
A to Z 2006 Oregon Chardonnay (Oregon), $16.99.
d'Arenberg 2007 "The Hermit Crab" Adelaide Viognier Marsanne
(Australia), $16.99.
Château de Villeneuve 2006 Saumur (France), $15.99.
Domaine Alain Normand 2005 Macon La Roche Vineuse (France), $15.99.
Daniel Gehrs 2005 "Unoaked" Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
(California), $15.
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WINES RETAILING FOR LESS THAN $15
Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Mendocino County Zinfandel (California), $14.99.
Bonterra Vineyards 2006 Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon
(California), $14.99.
Omaka Springs 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), $14.99.
Vicentini 2005 "Terre Lunghe" Soave (Italy), $13.99.
Fratelli Pala 2006 "Crabilis" Vermentino di Sardegna (Italy), $13.
Château les Eymeries 2006 Bordeaux Blanc (France), $13.
Huber 2006 "Hugo" Niederösterreich Grüner Veltliner (Austria), $13.
Mas de Gourgonnier 2005 Les Baux de Provence (France), $12.99.
Riondo non-vintage Veneto Prosecco (Italy), $12.99.
Maison Lafage 2006 "Côte Sud" Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (France),
$12.99.
Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut (Italy), $12.99.
La Tour Boisée 2006 "Plantation 1905" Vin de Table Rouge (France),
$12.99.
Hayman & Hill 2006 "Interchange" Santa Barbara County "Reserve No. 22"
White Blend (California), $12.99.
Charles Smith Wines 2006 "Holy Cow" Columbia Valley Chardonnay
(Washington State), $12.99.
Peachy Canyon 2006 "Incredible Red" Paso Robles Zinfandel (California),
$11.99.
Chateau La Freynelle 2006 Bordeaux (France), $11.99.
Montpezat 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc Palombières (France), $11.99.
Foppiano Vineyards "Lot 96" California Red Wine (California), $11.99.
Shoofly 2007 "Buzz Cut" Wine of Australia (Australia), $11.99.
Baciami 2006 Albana di Romagna (Italy), $11.
Cantine Riondo "Pink" Prosecco Raboso (Italy), $11.
Domaine des Terres Falmet 2006 Cinsault Vin de Pays d'Oc (France), $11.
Marchesi di Barolo 2006 "Maràia" Barbera Monferrato (Italy), $10.99.
Laurel Glen 2006 "REDS" Lodi Red Wine (California), $10.99.
Cellier des Dauphins 2005 "Prestige" Cotes du Rhone (France), $10.99.
Red Heads Studio 2006 South Australia "Yard Dog" (Australia), $10.99.
Michele Chiarlo 2006 "Le Orme" Barbera d'Asti (Italy), $10.99.
Tiziano 2005 Chianti (Italy), $10.99.
________________________________________________________________________
WINES RETAILING FOR $10 OR LESS
Domaine André Brunel 2005 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Grenache (France),
$10.
Domaine La Tour Boisée 2005 Vin de Pays d'Oc Cabernet Sauvignon
(France), $9.99.
Bodegas Norton 2006 "Lo Tengo" Mendoza Malbec (Argentina), $9.99.
Le Pavillon du Château Beauchêne 2006 Côtes du Rhône Rosé (France),
$9.99.
Catherine le Goeuil 2005 Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne "Cuvée Léa
Felsch" (France), $9.99.
José Maria da Fonseca 2007 "Twin Vines" Vinho Verde (Portugal), $9.
Vinum Cellars 2006 "CNW Chard-No-Way" Wilson Vineyards Clarksburg Chenin
Blanc (California), $8.99.
Villa Pozzi 2007 Nero d'Avola Sicilia (Italy), $8.99.
"Via Firenze" 2005 Chianti (Italy), $7.99.
Cave de Montagnac 2006 Picpoul de Pinet (France), $7.99.