What's your favorite wine?

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by Chest Rockwell

G-B has some very nice stuff. I'm also fond of their Mountain Cuvee (around $20 per), especially this time of year. Pair it with a dish with sage and it's like having fall in a glass. I've got some of their 2003 Cab in the cellar that I've got high hopes for but probably won't hit it's stride for another 10-15 years.

As far as "drinking" wines, it depends on what mood I'm in and if I'm eating it with something or not. Spain and Chile are really producing some quality big reds for around $10-15 per. Root 1 Cab from Chile (around $12) I consider a phenomenal value. Ol' Red by Cosentino is a nice red blend I recently tried ($13). I've also liked Cline's old vine zin. Di Majo Norante's Ramitello (red blend, around $18) is great with tomato based dishes.

If you like big reds, Petit Sirah I've had in heavy rotation lately. Reasonably priced ones would be Concannon (around $13) and Guenoc's Lake County (around $17). Guenoc makes a multi-vineyard variety of this as well, but in my opinion, the Lake County is worth the extra $4 (great balance, inky color, velvety mouthfeel...great with lamb, as one of my friends put it "like drinking blueberry-vanilla-butter").

Root 1 Cab is a damn near perfect "drinking" wine. Wine is very hit or miss, and that is one of the best hits I've found at that price range. I've had many bottles since that cost more and delivered less.

[Chest Rockwell]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

Root 1 Cab is a damn near perfect "drinking" wine. Wine is very hit or miss, and that is one of the best hits I've found at that price range. I've had many bottles since that cost more and delivered less.

Have to agree with you there, I'd put Root 1 up against just about any other cab I've tried up to about $30 (generally speaking, I don't buy many wines above that, my palate and appreciation isn't sophisticated enough yet to make it worth it. Plenty of tremendous stuff under $20 really, if you look).

If you liked that wine, a couple of others from Chile that I've really liked under $20 would be Casillero del Diablo cab and Montes Alpha cab. IMO, neither was as good as Root 1, but worth a try if you like Chilean wines.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by Chest Rockwell

Have to agree with you there, I'd put Root 1 up against just about any other cab I've tried up to about $30 (generally speaking, I don't buy many wines above that, my palate and appreciation isn't sophisticated enough yet to make it worth it. Plenty of tremendous stuff under $20 really, if you look).

If you liked that wine, a couple of others from Chile that I've really liked under $20 would be Casillero del Diablo cab and Montes Alpha cab. IMO, neither was as good as Root 1, but worth a try if you like Chilean wines.

I'm in the same place. Plus, I think - and I could be full of it - that the quality difference between a $10 and a $20 bottle is frequently noticeable, but the difference between a $20 and $40 bottle rarely is.

I was drinking a lot of Malbec wines from Argentina. Has a strong plum flavor and a dark ruby color, most in the $10-15 range and most are simple, very drinkable wines.

Alamos Malbec
Altos Las Hormigas

[Chest Rockwell]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

I'm in the same place. Plus, I think - and I could be full of it - that the quality difference between a $10 and a $20 bottle is frequently noticeable, but the difference between a $20 and $40 bottle rarely is.

Same on the $20-40 range, but I'm not sure if that's a function of the wines I'm buying in that range, or my novice palate.

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

I was drinking a lot of Malbec wines from Argentina. Has a strong plum flavor and a dark ruby color, most in the $10-15 range and most are simple, very drinkable wines.

Alamos Malbec
Altos Las Hormigas

I'll have to check those out, thanks.