Wines That Give You Real Bang For The Buck

Given their rarity—usually by design—great wines are made to be expensive: the 2019 DRC’s Romanée-Conti is currently selling o $34,000, and it’s nowhere close to being ready to drink. But there are also too many wines whose makers think they should be getting prices above $100 a bottle merely on chutzpah. More sensible vintners know they will sell more good wine when it’s priced more amenably. Here are several that make very good sense and are worth every penny.

CHAMPAGE GREMILLET ($40)—In the rarified culture of Champagne, where houses measure their esteem by centuries, Gremillet, in Aube, is a late bloomer, having been founded only in 1978. Their blends come exclusively from the first pressing and have a longer aging process than the AOC rules suggest, i.e., 22 months for their non-vintage Champagnes, which is where the bargains are. Jean-Michel Gremillet received 30 acres of vines (most in Côte de Bars) from his mother Lulu, and now his eldest son, Jean-Christophe, is cellar master. Because they are not bound by old traditions, Gremillet still experiments year by year and now has an array of Champagnes in their portfolio, all costing about $40-$50.

FULLDRAW FD2 2018 ($55)—This young Paso Robles Willow Creek District AVA owned by Connor and Rebecca McMahon produces Rhône varietals, like this well-fruited Grenache and Syrah. This is a boutique winery founded ten years ago on a 100-acre site with rich limestone that provides their wines with a brisk minerality. The price is just right for this caliber of Rhône Ranger, which are too often big bombs of little finesse.

ALKINA KIN SHIRAZ 2021 ($36)—This Barossa Valley Australian Shiraz is a large group creation by the Napa-based New

Frontier Wine Co. in collaboration with Winemaker Amelia Nolan, and consultants Alberto Antonini and Pedro Parra. It is a sumptuous Shiraz without any of the cloying plumminess of many from Down Under. Its herbaceous notes help mellow the tannins. The alcohol is about 14.2%. Excellent choice for game meats and duck.

FEL WINE ANDERSON VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2021 ($34)—I am among many who have long criticized so many California Chardonnays for tasting like candy-coated charred oak, but FELL enjoys the Anderson Valley cool climate to produce far more balanced wines sourced from Ferrington Vineyard. This Chard spends a long 10 months sur lieaging and fermentation in neutral French oak. Director of Winemaking Ryan Hodgins and Winemaker Sarah Green insist on a “hands off” approach in the cellar, so the wine does not taste manipulated to taste a particular way, letting Nature takes its course instead.

BODEGA TRIVENTO RESERVE MALBEC 2021 ($11). I don’t know who pronounces such things, but April 17 has been declared Malbec World Day, which is a good enough excuse to enjoy this underrated varietal that grows well in Argentina. Trivento is the country’s best selling winery. With such clout it can appeal even to vegans because the wine is fined wines without using animal by-products. Whatever. At $34 this is a remarkable Malbec, which is a dark blending varietal in Bordeaux but here shows nuance and levels of rich flavors that will go well with any red meat (which is ironic, vegans don’t eat meat and don’t know what they’re missing.)

MACROSTIE SPARKLING BRUT 2019 ($48)—The options for those who don’t want to pay Champagne prices for a fine sparkling wine are now myriad, and MacRostie’s 2019 is testament to advances made in the category. Following her reputation for making highly valued Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen made this cuvée of those two varietals from San Giacomo Vineyards for the Chardonnay and Thale’s Estate for the Pinot Noir. Nature delivered a fine growing season in Sonoma in 2019, so delicacy could be achieved without sacrificing good fruit. After tirage the wine was age for 30 months to develop flavors and aromas. It makes a fine aperitif with just about any first course as well as seafood.

CROSSBARN SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR 2020 ($37)—

Paul Hobbs, whose namesake winery is among my favorite California estates, founded Crossbarn in 2000, beginning with Cabernet Sauvignon, and is now making a range of wines that include this well-priced Pinot Noir . Balance is what I seek in Pinot Noir, which is a tricky wine to get right, but this one has the right fruit and acid in tandem with a structure of tannin. It’s interesting to find that Crossbarn’s website recommends this wine with pizza with sausage, bucatini all’amatriciana and five-spiced braised pork shoulder, with which I heartly agree.

NIPPOZZANO VECCHIE VITI CHIANTI RUFINA 2019 ($23)—The highly promoted virtues of Chianti Classico have become so hazy because of changes in the D.O.C.G. rules that backing away to sample some of the bottlings from the less well-known regions of Tuscany that make Chianti is all to everybody’s benefit—especially since Rufina itself is now in the D.O.C.G. category. It’s made from Sangiovese and other local varietals and is a label with the famous Frescobaldi vintners umbrella. The wine spends aging time in both barrels and bottle, emerging at an ideal 13.5% alcohol to give it both body and layers of peppery flavors characteristic of Chianti.

DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK CÉLEBRÉ RIESLING CREMANTE ($25)—Dr. Konstantin Frank has been an innovator for many decades in New York’s Finger Lakes and this superb 100% Riesling displays the tantalizing quality of this tangy varietal. The grapes are very lightly pressed, with the secondary fermentation taking place in bottle for a minimum of 24 months. The slight sweetness is very appealing, as you’d find in first-rate Trocken German Rieslings. It’s good for a feast, not least with shellfish, fishes like salmon and blue-veined cheeses.