TN; Wines under $18

Last night my tasting group decided to explore wines under $18 Ohio that were available locally. First off, that translates to a small subsection of the wines available in the free world that cost under $14 in non-Ohio pricing (yes, we have about the most expensive prices in the country thanks to minimum mandated markups). I was also surprised by the price escalation in this category. Admittedly, i don't shop often for these wines, but many of my old standards were now in the $20 to $25 category that I was sure would have been available. It appears, that when people started to trade down from $30 bottles, the prices on the low end rose to meet them halfway. Much of that is a result of the lack of competition allowed under law despite private and grocery store sales. Take for example Clos de la Siete. A solid Malbec that is available nationally for $12 to $15. It is now $20 to $24 at the Ohio stores (we mandate minimum markups but not maximum). And that was true for many other wines that I looked at as well.

In any event, we gathered our wines. They were served blind over a few hours with breads and cheeses. The result is that there are some wines that can provide value but none got any of us excited. While someone said, there were some of these wines that might be worth ordering at a restaurant (they would be $40 plus here), I will just drink beer.

Our host started us off with a plus $18 white:

• 2010 Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Light gold in color. The nose has tropical fruit and some pineapple. On the palate, more tart grapefruit. Creamy texture. More bitter grapefruit juice on the finish. I liked this wine. Just a bit of oak. Easy to drink and bold fruit without being bitter. Not all that varietally correct although blind I guessed some sort of Chard/Rhone varietal blend from California. Nice wine.

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The reds:

• 2008 Bodega Eral Bravo Urano Malbec 88 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza

  Started a bit too cold, but warmed up. Purple in color, opaque. The nose has spice, leather and plums. With warmth some black raspberry shake notes. On the palate, lots of tannins with black fruits. Slightly jammy. Nice wine for the price.

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• NV Fess Parker Frontier Red Lot 111 - Aniversary Edition 88 Points

  USA, California

  I liked this blend, but I am shocked there is no Pinot in this. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is candied cherries with a bit of sour cherries as well. Soft in texture and a bit generic. This drink likes a inexpensive SoCal Pinot, yet has about every other red grape in it but Pinot. No matter, its a nice QPR that would be fine for a party.

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• 2009 Clos La Coutale Cahors 85 Points

  France, Southwest France, Cahors

  I think this wine got hurt in this setting. I usually find this a good value every vintage, but this lacked something for me. It did get better with air. Very tight coming out of the bottle. Then some tea followed by dark cherries emerged. Tart cranberries on the palate. It rounded out with air as the tannins emerged. It was greatly helped also by some cheese and bread. This seemed to be a love or hate it wine.

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• 2008 Santa Ema Cabernet-Merlot 86 Points

  Chile, Maipo Valley

  Well, I liked this more than the group who voted it last. Peppery and some leather and cherries on the nose. Tannins with some raspberries. Generic and innocuous, but not bad, just boring.

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• 2009 Redhawk Vineyard Pinot Noir 73 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Very pale ruby in color. Very light cherries on the nose. Soft, thin and dilute with a bitter finish. Probably a symptom of a weak vintage, but this was just lacking.

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• 2008 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Vista Flores 88 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Vista Flores

  The groups WOTN and right up there for me as well. Good value here. Inky purple in color. Black raspberries, earthy with some pepper on the nose. Slight heat on the palate, but not bad. Juicy black raspberries and leather. Nice finish. Worked well with food as well.

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• 2008 Terredora di Paolo Aglianico Campania IGT 86 Points

  Italy, Campania, Campania IGT

  Aglianico. Tight on the nose. Eventually shows some dark cherries. Very tannic. The only wine on the table that seemed to need more time. Juicy tart dark cherry fruit but a wall of tannins. Somewhat generic I guess, I thought it was a Merlot blind. Never really seemed to open for me.

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• 2010 Shingleback Shiraz Red Knot McLaren Vale 85 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Meh. I put this in and was pretty sure that it was the Shiraz. Light nose, somewhat dusty with raspberry fruit. Slightly sweet and jammy black raspberry fruit. Nice enough texture. Shows a lot of what people don't like in Aussie Shiraz, but I thought it was ok, but lacked complexity. It would be a fine outdoor BBQ party wine.

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• 2009 Goldschmidt Vineyard Fidelity Crazy Creek Estate 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Some liked this more than I. Its a Bordeaux blend. Slightly earthy nose with leather and cherries. On the palate, there is cherry/raspberry pie filling. Some heat and some tannins. There is some depth here but not a lot. Otoh, it easy to drink without obvious flaws. Nice enough.

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A couple of extras consumed blind as well after the main flight.

• 2000 Mas de Guiot Gard Grenache/Syrah 88 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Gard

  I drank a bunch of these on release around 10 years ago. I saved this last bottle intentionally to see how it would age. This seemed like a fine time to try it out. It actually aged just fine. Not sure that it improved, but it lasted. The nose is very funky, but it always was. Lots of barnyard, some black raspberries. On the palate, not a lot of depth but a nice texture, good raspberry fruit, perhaps the acidity is slightly out of balance now, but not an issue. Conclusion, no point to ageing but no harm either.

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• 2009 Cameron Hughes Petite Sirah Lot 229 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This has a ton of oak on the nose. Also plenty of boysenberry fruit. On the palate, this needs time IMO. Petite often does. Its a wall of oak right now but also a ton of fruit, so I think it will outlast the oak. I am talking at least a couple of years.

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Perhaps I am just getting old and being a curmudgeon, but I do think one should be able to still find quality for $18, but its getting very hard especially in Ohio.