Hahn Estates is making some of the best values coming out of California.  I’ve already written about their fantastic Meritage which is now available in the 2008 vintage.  Tonight we’re drinking the 2008 Chardonnay which easily performs 2x its price.  It’s always great to find a label you can trust year after year and, for the last three vintages, Hahn has been one of those labels.

If you’re in to the smokey, oaky style of Chardonnay, you are going to like this wine.  It’s buttery but has a crisp acidity to cut through and create a nice balance.  It’s lacking some of the deep complexity that you might find in a $30 Chardonnay but it’s only $8.99 and, at that price, I can only think of one other wine on this level, which is the San Simeon Chardonnay, also from Monterey.  That wine isn’t available anymore, but this is a strong challenger.

If you’re looking for a house Chardonnay, this would be a perfect fit.  We had it tonight with salmon tacos and it went perfectly.  It’s the perfect excuse to drink wine on a Tuesday night!

Buy Here: Hahn Estates Chardonnay 2008- $8.99

Wine Enthusiast 86 points

“Quite a nice Chardonnay, especially at this price. it’s elegant and crisp, with a mineral undertow to the pineapple, buttered toast and honeysuckly flavors. Easy to like for its balance.”

As of today, over 1,000 people “Like” LA Wine Co. on Facebook.  That’s pretty impressive since only a few month that number was zero.  Liking LA Wine Co. on Facebook is a great way to keep up with the latest wine deals.  If you’re like me and can’t get enough wine deals, just imagine seeing the latest 90 point Cabernet come up on your Facebook feed while you’re wasting time checking in at work.  It sure beats reading your third grade girlfriend’s progress with potty training her children…

LA Wine Co. Facebook Page

What do you get when you combine Napa, Bordeaux and Tuscany?  Super Tuscan blends.  I  personally prefer these over Chianti which is made mostly of Sangiovese, especially at this price range.  Chianti has strict winemaking regulations, put in place by the Italian government, which Super Tuscans don’t have to adhere to.  The result is a more modern, creative style of wine.   At $12.95, I would challenge our readers to find a better value in all of Tuscany.  If you’re a fan of the 2006 Monte Antico Roso, this is of comparable quality but made in a much more ripe style. Right now I like this one better, but it could be because I’ve been through two or three cases of the Monte Antico!

As good as this wine is, I don’t think it has matured yet.  A $13 wine maturing?  Yeah… it’s that good.  It’s relatively soft on entry but has a bite on the finish that will likely soften in the next 1-2 years.  Otherwise this is particularly full bodied for a Tuscan wine with a jammy taste and a silky mouthfeel.  60% Merlot and 35% Cabernet with the balance Cab Franc combine to make a modern style wine with a floral, minerally Italian influence.  What else do I like about it?  The label looks like a Bordeaux label complete with the sketch of the chateau.  Nickel and Dime rating- All killer no filler!

Buy Here: Aia Vecchia Toscana Lagone IGT 2007 $12.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Aromas of plum and dark fruits lead to a full body, with velvety tannins and a soft, caressing finish. Minerally and floral. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2011. 10,800 cases made. “

The Bordeaux marketing machine heralded the 2005 vintage as the best since ‘82, and with good reason.  The wines are historically concentrated, highly age-worthy and balanced despite their high alcohol levels.  Many of the best 2005 Bordeaux values are long since sold out, but some values remain for the savvy shopper.  Case in point, the 2005 Chateau Domaine de Courteillac which is drinkable now, likely to improve with age, and, most importantly, is a great value.

This wine pours a deep, nearly opaque red.  The nose is still somewhat closed but its potential shows in the mouth where this Bordeaux is particularly silky with firm, but approachable tannins and a middle length finish.  Some of the 25% new oak shows through, making it clear that this is a serious Bordeaux.

I have a good bit of 2005 Bordeaux in my cellar, but haven’t drunk much because it needs so much time to become drinkable.  So it’s nice to taste a 2005 that’s approachable at the ‘young’ age of 5.  Many Americans (sometimes myself included) don’t have the patience, or the storage facilities to wait for Bordeaux to mature.  If you’ve been waiting to buy 2005 Bordeaux or you have a bunch that isn’t ready to drink, pick up a few bottles of this great example.  It received 90 points from Wine Spectator and 87 from Robert Parker.  In lesser vintages, wines like this would be going for double the price.  Easily.

Buy Here: 2005 Chateau Domaine de Courteillac Bordeaux $17.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Dark in color, exhibiting beautiful aromas of blackberry, coffee and milk chocolate. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a light toasty oak and citrus fruit aftertaste. Balanced and pretty. Best after 2013. 10,830 cases made.”

Beringer’s Private Reserve program, hands down, makes some of the best wines coming out of Napa, and they do it at reasonable prices.  In January 2008 Beringer’s head winemaker, Ed Sbragia, transitioned to a consultant role leaving his protégé, Laurie Hook in charge.  If the 2008 vintage of the Chardonnay is any indication, she is doing a fantastic job because this is by far the best 2008 Chardonnay I’ve tasted.

I try to feature wines that are perennial values and Beringer’s Private Reserve Chardonnay (and Cabernet for that matter) is another one of those wines.  A blend from multiple Napa vineyards, it’s rich and buttery with a unique smoky nose.  An oily mouthfeel is complemented by crisp citric acid and an exceptional finish.  To my taste, this is the best Chardonnay under $30 and I haven’t had a better example under $50 in recent memory.

This past week I had the pleasure of dining at Gramercy Tavern in New York.  I brought a 1999 Broman Cabernet and a 2003 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet.  I really wish I had brought this Chardonnay instead of the Broman (which is a great wine), because it would have been perfect for the seafood-heavy early courses and likely would have blown away any of the $100 bottles of California Chardonnay on their menu.  Plus it’s always fun to try multiple varietals from the same winery.

This has been a write up of the 2008 vintage of Beringer’s Private Reserve Chardonnay but it could have been of any vintage.  I’m sure the 2009 will be just as good, if not better.  This wine usually sells for well over $30 so $27.95 is a heck of a deal.

Buy Here: 2008 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay- $27.95

Robert Parker 94 points

“The 2008 Chardonnay Private Reserve continues the success Beringer has enjoyed with this program. Notes of brioche, hazelnut, marmalade, honeyed tropical fruits, buttered citrus, and a gentle touch of smoke are found in this full-bodied, concentrated wine with impressive purity, depth, and length. It should drink well for 4-5 years.

As I have written in the past, Beringer offers between 200-250 cases of each of their single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons that go into their Private Reserve program. Interestingly, as good as the single vineyard cuvees tend to be, and they’re all very different, the Private Reserve blend is as good or better than the finest single vineyard, demonstrating that the blending process is essential and important.”

Landmark’s Overlook Chardonnay is one of those wines that’s just great every year.  It’s nice to have those bottles that, in a crunch or on a restaurant menu, you know will always be good, regardless of the vintage.  Case in point, this Chardonnay has received a 90 or higher rating from one or more of the major publications for every vintage since 2001.  At $20 it’s kind of in the middle price range that wineries avoid- the the high end of daily drinker territory but not splurge territory either.  Don’t let that hold you back.  This is better than many $40 Chardonnays out there.

The ‘07 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay strikes a nice balance between malolactic fermentation richness and acidity.  It’s a balance that many winemakers aren’t able to achieve but it’s magic when they do.  The acidity comes through on the nose with bright flavors of green apple and tangerine.  It tastes rich and buttery, if not oaky, and the acid reemerges on the finish, keeping it focused and clean.

One of the reasons Landmark Overlook is great every year is that they don’t restrict themselves to one vineyard or appellation.  This year most of the grapes come from Sonoma with 20% coming from Santa Barbara and Monterey.  Owned by the great granddaughter of John Deere, Landmark follows the same mantra as as the iconic tractor company; quality products at reasonable prices.

LA Wine Co. has the 2007 Chardonnay in half bottles and fulls.  The half bottles are actually half the price of the fulls, which is pretty rare, so pick up an assortment!

Buy Here :  2007 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay $19.95

375 ML $9.95

Wine Spectator 92 points

“Green apple, floral, lime and citrus blossom scents give this full-bodied Chardonnay a distinctive edge. Crisp and flinty, ending with wet stone. Drink now through 2012. 18,000 cases made.”

Robert Parker 90 points

“The 2007 Chardonnay Overlook (most from Sonoma County with about 20% from Santa Barbara and Monterey) offers a beautiful bouquet of peaches, pineapples, and other tropical fruits along with super-purity and focus. Medium to full-bodied, crisp, and pure, with the oak pushed to the background, this beautiful Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next several years.

The always reliable Landmark winery continues to turn out a bevy of Burgundian-styled Pinot Noirs and impressive Chardonnays. One of the best Chardonnay values in the marketplace is their Overlook.”

Well it doesn’t get much better than this!  LA Wine Co. already has the lowest prices in the country and Sunday from noon to 5 only, everything in stock is 10% off.  The catch?  This deal is only available in store.  If you are reading this from the LA area, do yourself a favor and get there early to pick up your favorite wines.  This is the only chance I know of all year to buy wines at these unheard of prices.

The line out the door says it all!

The 2007 Sean Minor Four Bears Cabernet is profoundly good for the price.  If you had asked me what I would pay for this wine, I would have said it’s worth three times its selling price.  And I only buy wines that I think are an exceptional value.  I have had $60 bottles of wine that aren’t as good.  Wine Spectator gave it 87 points which is very rare for a Napa Cabernet in this price range.  I’m not in the business of rating wines but, based on other WS ratings, I would put this at 90 points.

This wine is well put together in every way.  I could tell by the opaque deep purple color, that something special was coming.  What impresses me the most is the texture.  It’s rare… no, unheard of, to find a Napa Cabernet in this price range with this kind of rich mouthfeel.  Beyond that, the nose is sweet and expressive.  On the palate, reduced cherries and sweet dark berries come to mind, with a nice oak influence that is exceptionally rare in a wine in this price range (15% new oak).  The finish is lingering and focused.  If there is any fault in this wine, it’s that it doesn’t have the tannin structure to support extended aging.  But the reason we age wines is to relax the tannins, plus I don’t know anyone who buys $13 wine to drink 10 years from now.  That said, it will last for 6 years easily and will probably actually improve for the next 18 months.

Bottom line: this is the best Cabernet, Napa Valley or otherwise, I have ever tasted under $15 and I can only think of one other in this realm under $20.  Buy it by the case, buy it by the pallet!  I bought five cases of the 2005 Avalon Napa Cabernet which regularly sells around this price point, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is better to my taste.

Buy Here: Sean Minor Four Bears Cabernet 2007- $12.95

Wine Spectator 87 points

“Supple, graceful, complex and harmonious, this is firm and taut, with spicy plum, currant, cedar and mineral notes. Drink now through 2014. 12,000 cases made.”

You can’t get Oakville Cabernet at these prices!  Vineyard land in the Oakville appellation of Napa Valley, wedged between Yountville and Rutherford, costs well over $200,000/acre so it’s exceptionally rare to see an Oakville Cabernet under $50.  Those that do sell under that price point are often made of remnant grapes that didn’t make the cut for other top wines.  That’s why Turnbull’s 2007 Cabernet is so special.  It’s Estate grown, in their Oakville vineyards, which means that the grapes are owned and grown by Turnbull and never leave the property until the wine is bottled and sent to the distributor.

This is textbook Oakville juice- rich and sweet with a round tannin on the back of the palate.  This is a serious wine.  Fans of Groth or Plumpjack, are going to be really impressed with the latest release from Turnbull.

That crazy contraption on the top of the bottle is the Soiree Wine Decanter Aerator (available at LA Wine Co. for $19.95). It’s made of hand blown glass and aerates the wine as it’s being poured.  I think it helps to open up young wines if you don’t have time to decant for an extended amount of time.  Will it make a bad wine good?  Absolutely not.  But it will make a good wine better.  Definitely worth the $20.

The 2007 Turnbull Cabernet is drinking great right now but also has the structure for 10-15 years of aging.  For the equivalent of $36 per bottle this is one of the best values going and another prime example of the magic of the 2007 vintage in Napa Valley.

Buy Here: 2007 Turnbull Cabernet 375ml $17.95

Robert Parker 92 points

“The brilliant 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the real deal. Incense, forest flowers, black fruits, and crushed rock, jump from the glass of this inky purple-colored wine. Full-bodied, dense, and voluptuously textured, this is a beauty, a superb bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink well young but age 15-10 years. Bravo!

It’s hard to believe this winery has been in operation for 30 years, placing it among the older ones in Napa Valley. I was very impressed with their Cabernet Sauvignons, and less so with their Merlots.”

Finding any Priorat under $25 is difficult, so when I saw this 90 point example at $12.95, I had to try it.  I got hooked on Priorat after drinking the 2004 Mas Doix Salanques.  As I was drinking this Priorat for the first time, I found myself comparing it to that wine, which is quite a feat given it’s price.  So how does it compare?  It’s not as refined or flashy, but it’s also less than 1/3 the price and is easily better than any Priorat I’ve had under $25.  In other words, it’s a no brainer for $12.95 or anywhere under $20 for that matter.

I drank this wine for two nights and it was much sweeter and mouth-filling the second night.  This medium bodied wine pours a translucent ruby color.  Like many young Priorats it doesn’t have an overtly expressive nose, but what it lacks in fragrance, it makes up in flavor which is dry, yet sweet, and finishes with nice length.

If you haven’t experienced the wines of Priorat, Spain, this would be a great place to start.  If you already love Priorat, I’m confident that you will be very impressed with the value of the Bodegas la Cartuja.  Of note, the last few vintages of this wine have handily outperformed their price points, so watch for this one each year.

Buy Here: Bodegas la Cartuja La Cartuja Priorat 2008- $12.95

Robert Parker 90 points

“Bodegas La Cartuja’s 2008 La Cartuja is a blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Carinena with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from organically farmed estate fruit aged in French oak for 8 months. It offers up a reticent nose of graphite, spice box, underbrush, lavender, black cherry, and plum. This leads to a plush, sweetly-fruited, concentrated, mouth-filling wine for drinking over the next 5-6 years. It is an amazing value and a great introduction to Priorat.”