Loyal readers probably remember the incredible San Simeon Chardonnay.   It was one of the first wines I wrote up and LA Wine Co. sold literally thousands of bottles of it.  Maddalena has produced a Chardonnay in a similar style at an equally amazing value.

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

Lately, I’ve found myself shying away from Asian food because it doesn’t pair well with wine.  Seriously.  Now that I put it in writing, it actually sounds kind of pathetic.  Well last night’s fried rice doused in Sriracha called for something white, crisp and cool, so I grabbed a bottle of MSH Yountville Sauvignon Blanc from the cooler.  I already wrote about the insanely good Rutherford Merlot from MSH and the Sauvignon Blanc also delivers in a big way.

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

Crikey!  This Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz is good.  Really good.  Bottle this wine as a Southern Rhone and the wine media would describe it as rich, opulent and hedonistic.  As an Aussie Shiraz, that translates as focused, velvety and smooth.  I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.

Whatever your perspective, this is a very well made wine.  It pours a deep black/ruby color that foreshadows its concentration, but it has a slightly translucent quality that suggests polish.  French oak aging, versus the American oak many of the more over-the-top Aussies use, gives this wine a Rhone or Washington feel, but the spiciness gives it away as Australian.

I haven’t been drinking a lot of Australian wine lately, but I might just start buying more.  This experience confirms something I’ve said before, but tend to forget: Good wine is good.  It doesn’t matter where the grapes were grown or what grape it’s made from.  No need to take it from me.  The Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz was scored a solid 93 by Wine Advocate, 92 by IWC , and 91 by Wine Spectator.  Add the fact that this is the lowest price I can find by $8 and it has all the makings of an incredible value.

Day 2 update: the spiciness fades into the background and this wine gains even more elegance.  Very impressive.

Buy Here: 2006 Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz $21.95

Wine Advocate 93 points

“The 2006 Shiraz “Jimmy Section” is slightly muted aromatically but with coaxing aromas of pain grille, tar, blueberry, and blackberry emerge. This leads to a full-bodied wine with gobs of spicy black fruits, ripe flavors, and for a wine of this size, surprising elegance. Give it 4-6 years in the cellar and drink it through 2027.”

International Wine Cellar 92 points

“Inky ruby. Strikingly aromatic nose displays alluring ripe dark berry and spice elements, along with fresh flowers and minerals. Lush, deeply concentrated blackberry and mulberry flavors offer compelling sweetness and a suave, velvety texture. Where are the tannins? Finishes with very impressive palate-staining persistence.”

Wine Spectator 91 points

“This is a wine of real personality. Smooth and velvety, with a winning reticence to the polished blueberry and plum flavors, delicately shaded with loamy, leafy notes. The finish keeps sailing on. Shiraz. Best from 2009 through 2016. 2,900 cases made.”

Rutherford is arguably Napa Valley’s most prestigious wine growing appellation.  Ever heard of Scarecrow?  It’s $1500 per bottle and is grown and produced in Rutherford.  How about Quintessa, B.V. Georges de Latour, Caymus, Staglin or Rubicon Estate?  Tired of me asking you questions?  Trick.  That was another question.  Okay, here’s a statement: Those wines all hail from Rutherford and their price tag shows.  Of the wines I listed, Caymus is the cheapest at $60.  Needless to say, when a Rutherford Merlot came along at $7.99, I had to try it.

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

This guy is THE MAN.  I’ve written extensively on these pages about the incredible values Spain puts out year after year, and recently I’ve come to realize that this guy, Jorge Ordonez, might be singlehandedly responsible.  Jorge is a Spanish importer who specializes in epic values between $6 and $60.  Recently, I started to notice this logo on many of my Spanish wines and quickly realized that all of my favorites had something in common: they were imported by Jorge Ordonez.

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.

Every time I drink an Oakville wine, I’m amazed at the uniqueness of the flavor.  Cabernet made from this tiny appellation in the center of the Napa valley, flanked by Yountville to the south and Rutherford to the north, is immediately identifiable by its exceptional density and powerful but sweet tannins.

The 2008 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception.  At this young age, it pours a deep, opaque purple.  The color alone identifies this wine as something special.  The nose is sweet and round, another signature of Oakville, with a nice balance of ripe fruit and new oak flavors.  On the palate, it shows its youth with mouth-coating, biting tannins that get sweeter as the lengthy finish lingers on.  Let this baby sit for 10 years and it will be absolutely epic.  If you don’t like it then, you will be able to sell it for more than you bought it for on the 94+ point rating alone.

As I read the back label, two things are clear.  1) Oakville ranch takes winemaking very seriously.  This wine comes from 4 distinct plots in a single vineyard rising clear up to 1,400 feet.  That kind of precise selection is impressive and really shows through in the layered flavors of their wine.  2) Oakville Ranch does not believe in capitalization (see picture right).

If you collect California Cabernet, this wine is a must.  It’s a spectacular wine today for its size and weight, but like a bride before her wedding, this wine will drop weight and gain complexity as it ages.  2008 is turning out to be an absolutely spectacular vintage for Napa Cabernet.  I can’t wait to taste more!

Buy Here: 2008 Oakville Ranch Cabernet $44.95

Robert Parker 94+ points

“The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville exhibits a similar opaque purple color and appears to be slightly richer than the 2007, as preposterous as that may sound. This thick, unctuously textured Cabernet is loaded with creme de cassis, charcoal, earth and spice characteristics and displays an explosively long finish. Both vintages are great, but the 2008 might nudge out the 2007. However, this will not be definitively decided for 10-15 years. This is another 20-year wine.”

International Wine Cellar 92 points

“Good full ruby. Complex aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, subtle spices and menthol. Lush on entry, then utterly seamless in the middle, with harmonious acidity giving shape and energy to the intense cassis and black cherry flavors. A peppery nuance provides lift but this fruit bomb will need four or five years in the bottle to develop more complexity.”

Chateau Le Gay is one of the premiere producers in Bordeaux.  Pomerol is arguably the premiere appellation in Bordeaux (ever heard of Petrus)?  So when Chateau Le Gay of Pomerol produces a second wine called Manoir De Gay, using their younger vines, Bordeaux fans tend to listen.

The wine writers listen too, with Chateau Le Gay garnering a huge 95-98 point score for the 2008 vintage and this, their second wine receiving 91 points from Wine Spectator.  2008 was an overlooked vintage in Bordeaux, which somewhat laughably had 3 “Vintages of the Decade” in 2000, 2005 and 2009.  The hype machine works in savvy consumers’ favor, especially if you know your sub-appellations.  See, while most of Bordeaux scored in the low 90′s for 2008, Robert Parker’s vintage chart shows Pomerol at 96 points that year – higher than any other appellation and one of the highest scores for any appellation in the 2000′s.

I’m a firm believer in using scores as guides and taste as my decision point.  This wine tastes really good.  If you’re a Bordeaux fan, you will be highly impressed with Chateau Le Gay’s second wine.  It’s dark, dark ruby in the glass with a bright nose of cherry and earth.  The 100% Merlot shows on the palate and finish with a rich texture that lingers for an exceptionally long time.  It’s tannic, though very drinkable today, and will blossom amazingly in the next 5-10 years.

Bordeaux fans will recognize this as an incredible value and non-fans?  Well they won’t.  And that’s okay.  More for me.

Buy Here: 2008 Manoir De Gay Pomerol $29.95

Wine Spectator 91 points

“Gorgeous aromas of cocoa and coffee bean give way to fresh, ripe fruit flavors of blackberry and fig in this rich, generous red, which isn’t heavy or muscular, but has good depth and plenty of grip, with a fresh, spicy finish. Drink now through 2018. “

First, let me clear something up.  In this case,  C.M.S. does not stand for the Centers for Medicare Services as some might have thought. It actually stands for the grapes that make up this Washington red blend – Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.  And what a fantastic blend it is!

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

To quote French Stewart of Saturday Night Live’s “Celebrity Jeopardy”, “I’m a late bloomer, Alex, and in Double Jeopardy, I’m gonna bloom!”  It’s Double Jeopardy for the 2007 vintage but Sonoma County is still releasing some of that amazing vintage and the 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet is, well, monumental.

This winery is another one of the late Jess Jackson’s masterpieces.  He was a pioneer of California wine, but also wine values, especially with the Kendall-Jackson label.  This winery has released a true value with this Alexander Valley Cabernet.  Alexander Valley is one of the few places in Sonoma County that grows great Cabernet grapes because of it’s warmer temperatures.  I hesitate to bring this up, but another famous Cabernet hails from the Alexander Valley appellation.  Silver something…

The expressive, bright, floral nose is indicative of the 400-2400 ft altitude at which these grapes were grown.  On the palate, this wine is Sahara Desert dry with incredible focus, bright acids and serious tannins.  As it finishes the tannins turn sweet to make what might be an otherwise astringent wine absolutely stunning.

I can only imagine how great this wine will taste with five, 10  or 15 years.  This is an ager!

Robert Parker gives this one 94 points and the somewhat less reliable Wine Enthusiast gives it 96.  Here’s the plan: buy four bottles and drink one now, one in five years, 10 and 15.  I would bet that 15 years from now, you will be wishing you bought a whole case.  But isn’t that what wine’s all about?

Buy Here: 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon $36.95

Robert Parker 94 Points

“The biggest production cuvee, the inky/purple-tinged 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge is fabulous. Composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc aged 16 months in 76% new French oak casks, it reveals abundant aromas of creme de cassis, graphite, ink, licorice, and fruitcake in a full-bodied, Pauillac-like style with plenty of sweet tannin.

These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted. Kudos to proprietor Jess Jackson and winemakers Graham Weerts and Marcia Monahan for exploiting this high elevation terroir. This has been a work-in-progress for Jackson, and he has finally hit paydirt with the following wines. Readers need to pay close attention as there are some amazing Chardonnays as well as red wines emerging from Stonestreet. There are seven distinctive cuvees of Chardonnay, ranging in production from 185 cases of Red Point, to 660 cases of Lower Rim. All of these super-impressive efforts come from elevations of 900 to 1,800 feet. I tasted one Merlot and seven Cabernet Sauvignons, and as readers can tell, these are also impressive wines. Production ranges from approximately 250 cases of the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons (the only exception being the 5,000-case cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge).”

Wine Enthusiast 96 Points

“A dramatic wine, authoritative in tannins, bone dry and noble. Withholds its best under a cloak of astringency, but already shows its mountain terroir in the complexity of its structure and deep, intense blackberry, currant, blueberry and dried herb flavors. Should develop bottle complexities for at least a decade and probably longer.”

IT’S ALIVE!!!  Some wine-hating freak hacked Nickel and Dime Wine this weekend, but after a few hours on the phone with India, we’re back online and ready for a whole new set of deals.  I’m still dealing with some issues, like the fact that I can’t get a picture on this post, but I’m guessing you don’t read this blog for the pictures anyway.

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. “