Such is the case with nearly all of Columbia Crest’s wines and year after year the Cabernet Sauvignon from Horse Heaven Hills, labeled “H3″ is a standout among standouts.  Napa needs to watch its back because a trojan horse (or rabbit), called Washington’s Columbia Valley, is making wines that are every bit as good, though different, and much less expensive.

The 2009 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet is one of those incredible values and at $9.95 it’s a strong contender for wine value of the year.  A compelling nose of blackberry, French oak (40% new), and earth leads to a beautifully structured wine with a notably silky texture and a palate of balanced fruit and acid.  The lengthy finish completes a wine that is easily worth 3x its single digit price tag.

LA Wine Co. has managed to keep the price below $10 despite the 90 point Wine Spectator score.  At that (or even St. Thomas’) price, it’s a case-worthy value.

Buy Here: Columbia Crest “H3″ Cabernet Sauvignon $9.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Focused, refined and appealing for its open-weave texture around a generous core of plum and currant fruit, finishing with hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Drink now through 2014. 69,000 cases made.”

This is a very serious Pinot Noir at an unbelievable price. Hahn is one of the premier value producers in the country and I’m a huge fan of their Meritage, Chardonnay and now this Pinot.  As America’s favorite trendy varietal (hopefully Syrah is next), Pinot Noir prices are obscenely high and show no signs of decline even though the movie Sideways came out in 2004.

Having lived 2 hours from the famed Santa Barbara Pinot Noir appellation, I’ve tasted my fair share of this varietal and I can honestly say this competes with many $50 bottles I’ve tasted.  A bright, earthy nose leads into a bold, slightly tannic palate of cherry cola and raspberry.  A nice acidity cuts through to the lengthy finish making for an all around textbook Pinot.  Unlike most Pinot at this price, Hahn’s wine isn’t a fruit punch candy tasting wine.  There is even a hint of oak (35% new French) that really sets this wine apart for its quality.  This is well made and concentrated to the point that I would bet they sneak in a splash of Syrah to thicken it up!  Hahn can consider that a compliment.  After all, they’re allowed to put in up to 25% other varietals and still call it Pinot Noir.

Pinot drinkers are crazy not to buy a case of this incredible value.  At $8.99 – a full dollar lower than the next lowest price on Google Shopping – I can’t think of a better value.

Buy Here: 2010 Hahn Pinot Noir Monterey County $8.99

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the latest value.  Any Rioja under $10 is likely a good deal, since Rioja is arguably the most prestigious region in Spain.  So when I came across this 88 pointer for $9.95, I had to try it.  What’s the worst that could happen?  I’m out $10?  Well, for me, not quite actually.  You see every wine I drink has an opportunity cost.  What’s the opportunity?  A better wine of course.  I can only drink so much wine and could never hope to taste every wine in the world, so a crappy bottle isn’t just a waste of money, it’s a waste of the experience of drinking another, better wine. (Cue wife’s rolling of the eyes).

Luckily tonight it was both money and opportunity well spent with the 2010 Luberri Joven Orlegi – a wine clearly not named for the US market.  This is an unoaked wine so it relies completely on the quality of its fruit for its flavor.  Those flavors are bright, fruity and polished with beautiful Tempranillo aromas.  It’s not sweet, a common flaw with low priced wines that don’t have the tannic structure to support the sugar.  Rather this wine is balanced with nice mineral flavors, if slightly on the lighter side.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate calls the 2010 Orlegi an outstanding value and I couldn’t agree more.  The only opportunity cost with this wine is the cost of missing the opportunity to buy it.

Buy Here: 2010 Luberri Rioja Joven Orlegi $9.95

Wine Advocate 88 Points

“The 2010 Orlegy is an unoaked cuvee fermented with native yeasts. It is a very perfumed effort with plenty of spice and black fruit characteristics. Savory, ripe, and easygoing, this tasty effort will provide enjoyment for another 4-5 years.

Luberri is located in El Ciego in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. The estate consists of 35 hectares of old vines. All three wines presented (100% Tempranillo) are excellent to outstanding values.”

If you are looking for Chardonnay values, look outside of Napa and Sonoma and toward the south.  Monterey’s cool climate is perfect for growing Chardonnay grapes and with less name prestige than its neighbor to the north (Napa, not Canada), the prices are considerably lower.

The 2009 Maddalena Chardonnay pours a golden straw color and has a beautiful nose of smoke and honey.  The honey texture continues on the palate with a smooth, caramely, melt-in-your-mouth warmth accented by smoky oak and balanced acid.  It’s the perfect wine for a crisp Fall night – or any night for that matter.

In researching this wine, I discovered why it’s so much like San Simeon: It’s made by the same company.  They certainly have the Chardonnay formula down.  Maddalena takes Chardonnay value of the year so far and LA Wine Co’s lowest price in the country according to Google Shopping makes it that much tastier!

Buy Here: 2009 Maddalena Chardonnay $9.95

This wine has crisp acid but also maintains a round mouthfeel that lets you know it’s from Napa vs. Marlborough.  Yountville is one of Napa Valley’s cooler appellations due to its proximity to San Palo Bay, so it’s a great place to grow Sauvignon Blanc.  But any grape from Yountville usually gets a premium price.  Somehow MSH has found a way to create fantastic appellation designated wines at very low prices.  This is one of the very best Sauvignon Blancs I have had from the U.S.

Looking for a perfect daily drinker case?  6 of the Merlot and 6 of the Sauvignon Blanc for $96 might just be the deal of the year.

Buy Here: 2009 MSH Sauvignon Blanc $7.99

MSH is a value-focused project of Tom Gamble, owner of some of Napa’s best vineyards.  He teamed up with other high-end wine growers and took surplus grapes from top-notch vineyards to create incredible tasting wines for Yellow Tail prices.

The MSH Merlot is an incredible expression of Napa’s take on this noble grape.  Deep purple bubbles lead to cocoa on the nose and rich chocolate on the palate.  This wine is exceptionally polished for it’s price and will impress any fan of Napa Valley Merlot.  A friend recently shared a bottle of 2002 Rubicon Estate Merlot with me and I would be proud to serve him this wine.  In fact, next time he’s over, I just might!

Buy Here: MSH 2009 Rutherford Merlot $7.99

Volver?  That’s Jorge.  Alto Moncayo Veraton?  Check.  Tres Picos?  Check-a-roo.  Juan Gil?  Protocolo? Okay you get the picture.  The list goes on and covers some of my very favorite high-end wines as well as the value priced steals.

Tonight I’m drinking a Spanish white – a grape I’ve never had called Albarino – with cherry heirloom tomato pasta.  The wine is absolutely incredible with citric notes, a buttery texture and a crisp finish.  With apologies to Albarino purists, it has the best traits of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, combined into one convenient 750ml package.  Guess whose little logo appears on the back of the bottle?

Jorge Ordonez does two things very well.  He sources incredible Spanish wine values for the U.S. market and he slaps on cool labels that happen to appeal to Americans.  If the labels expose these wines to more Americans, then it’s just fine with me.

Find Jorge’s wines here, including La Cana, the Albarino mentioned in this post.

Washington wines are finally hitting many enthusiasts’ radars and for good reason.  The quality is outstanding and the values are abundant.  Furthermore, a perfect wine growing climate means incredible consistency – even more than the very consistent north coast of California.

This wine should really be called M.C.S. this year, because it’s dominated, both in taste and volume by 45% Merlot.  39% Cabernet and 16% Syrah round out a nice blend that stresses round fruit over tannin and oak.  The finish is nice and long and the mouthfeel round and broad, likely thanks to the Merlot.

Hedges Family Estate has been making this wine since 1987.   It’s a well established value that usually sells at around $12.  At LA Wine Company’s $7.99 it’s an outright bargain.

Buy Here: Hedges Family Estate C.M.S. Red Blend $7.99

It has been awhile since I have written up a low cost super value.  I think it’s time I revisit this category, because after all, when you drink cheaper wine on weekdays, you can spend more on the weekends.  Right?

This $5.99, 2009, 100% Tempranillo is an absolute budget blockbuster.  I have two things to say.  First, if your palate has priced you out of the under $10 market, stop yourself.   Second, after you stop yourself, run out and buy some of this.  It isn’t that difficult to find reasonably priced, very drinkable Tempranillo.  But $5.99 for this, really?  Really?  A typical bright Tempranillo nose is followed by a reasonably long finish full of cherry and berries.  This is a great wine to share with a few friends as a precursor to a big cab or full Syrah.  Pop a few bottles at a party and your wine-loving friends will appreciate the value (86 points from Wine Advocate), and your non-wine loving friends – are they really friends anyway?

We drank ours’ over two days and like so many offerings this one opened up and was even better on day two.  Somehow though, my opened bottles rarely see a day two…

Buy Here: Dominio de Eguren Protocolo Red $5.99

Wine Advocate 86 points

“The 2009 Protocolo Tinto is 100% Tempranillo aged for 3 months in seasoned American oak. Purple-colored, it displays a nose reminiscent of Beaujolais. Fruity and fresh on the palate, the finish has no hard edges. Drink it over the next 2 years. “

This wine comes from the largest and least prestigious Bordeaux appellation called Bordeaux Superieur.  But, especially in Bordeaux, lack of appellation prestige means lack of appellation pricing.  Put a Pomerol designation on this label and watch the price multiply by 10x. Minimum.  Savvy wine buyers the world over know to look outside the famous and thus, price inflated appellations, for the real values.

Blackberry and bing cherry dominate the nose and palate of this wine, with a hint of toasty oak bringing everything together.  This wine’s texture is silky and downright impressive with a density characteristic of a wine 5x the price.  A high percentage of Cabernet Franc results in a medium length finish that rounds out a polished wine.

2009 is the third Bordeaux vintage of the decade (along with 2000 and 2005), and whether you believe the hype or not, you will be missing out if you don’t give this early release a try.  It drinks great now and has the tannin structure to improve for another year or two so don’t be shy.

Buy Here: 2009 Chateau de Macard $9.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Ripe and dense, but fresh, with silky-textured plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit carried by sweet spice and maduro tobacco notes. The fleshy finish shows nice drive. Should open up more with brief cellaring. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2011. 5,000 cases made.”