Best wine under $20

[Astrobloke]

Well it's a new year and time to come up with new ideas. Whilst it's nice to be drinking only the finest of wines each time we feel like a glass, due to financial constraints most of us have to make it only a weekly or monthly occurrence. With this in mind I thought it may be a good time to come up with some quality drops that wont break the bank...

Please feel free to list your favourite wines UNDER $20. Let's try to keep it focused by listing wines that are freely available now ( ie. no back vintages ) and only one of each varietal that you like and giving a brief description of why you like it.

I look forward to some fabulous ideas

[Rossco]

There are heaps of good value wines out there, so here is a very shortened list of my favourites

For Reds:
Ringbolt Cab Sav $ 17 - 18
Tahbilk Cab Sav and their Shiraz - Both their standard label ($13-15) and Wine Club ($ 9.95)

For Whites:
SO many Rieslings - Adelaide Hills or Clare Valley....take your pick!
Hoddles Creek Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Rose:
Turkey Flat
Janz Sparkling Rose

Sparkling;
Janz Cuvee

[mf]

In accordance with the strict requirements of this post:

- Riesling - Pauletts Polish Hill Riesling 2010 - think can find this for around $15 - have thought the last couple of vintages of this have been very good and get the balance of fruit flavour and acid just right (i.e. it can actually be enjoyed now).
- Chardonnay - Hoddles Creek Chardonnay 2010 - right on the $20 mark but consistently very good value
- SBS/SSB - Lenton Brae Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - think you can find this for just under $20 - again have thought that last two vintages have been very good - displays a surprising amount of intensity for this type of wine. (I don't really buy SBS/SSB but if I did I would buy this)
- Pinot Noir - Oakridge Over the Shoulder Pinot Noir 2010 - would potentially go Hoddles Creek here as well but the Oakridge Over the Shoulder seems a bit more fruity and lively (the Hoddles is a bit more of a "serious" wine) and 2010 seems to be a very good vintage for Yarra Pinot.
- Shiraz - Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz 2009 - again one that I think is a consistently good value wine but I particularly like the 2009. It does not pretend to be anything other than a Barossa Shiraz (i.e. plenty of ripe flavours and some chocolate/vanilla).
- Cab Sav Shiraz - Yalumba Scribbler 2009 - other vintages of this have received pretty strong reviews but this is the first one I have really liked (good balance of fruit flavours from Shiraz and dusty/earthy elements from the Cab Sav)

[Astrobloke]

Interesting selection from both of you. It's duly noted that you both picked Hoddles Creek Chardonnay, to be honest I've never heard of that one before. Quality chardonnay can be tough to find under $20, in fact the only one I've been drinking in that range in Stonier Mornington Peninsular Chardonnay. This one's ok but doesn't have that vein of minerality or plumpness that my favourite Chardonnays possess, albeit >$40. I'll certainly give this one a try.

A couple that I've enjoyed in the range are :

Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling - Probably no stranger to the folks here. Good value at about $12 at Dan's but unfortunately the latest vintage is not up with the earlier ones

Barossa Valley Estate E Bass Shiraz - At around $18 this one is an old favourite in this range. Rich plum and blackberry is good at this price, although I've had quite a few of these over the last 18 months and am ready to move on.

Pinot Noir is difficult one for me because I'm just having trouble finding any that I like at any price point. Like many Australians I tend to go for the more full bodied reds and PN just lacks depth to me. In fact there are only 2 that I genuinely enjoy, one from Stefano Lubiana and the other from Paradigm Hill. Perhaps I simply need to get out to some more tastings.

[Rossco]

I forgot to mention PINOT!!

Favourite under $ 20 is Palliser Estate 'Pencarrow' Pinot Noir from Martinborough.

You can definatley grab it @ dans

[rosewaterwrx]

Shiraz - Chris Ringland Shiraz 08 - not my usual style but plush smooth and tasty
- Meereak Park Shiraz for $10 can't be beat
- Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 is nice, will cellar and has a cool label - $17ish

Pinot - Hoddles Creek 2010 - Just great
- Le Chat 2010 - less great but still nice
- De Bortoli Gulf Station - Fantastic at about $15ish

Chardonnay - hmmm nothing immediately comes to mind, have some Hoddles mentioned earlier but have yet to try.

Riesling - Dopff at $13ish is pretty good
- Tim Adams 2010 - Bargain x 10
- Damn im sure there's plenty buy my memory fails me

Cabernet - Not a huge Cab drinker but Forrest Hill was pretty good for $19

Rose - Arrivo Rose (is it under $20? I can't recall) either way, I LOVE you

[simon1980]

Good post Astrobloke!

White

Lots of Riesling...I'm going to declare any of the wines from Crabtree (2011 is the current release); the Hilltops is usually about $18 (and is on Aus wine). Yes it's got the high acidity of the '11 Rieslings...but it also has lovely pure fruit. Drinking now, but should age very well.
Tahbilk Marsanne usually delivers too: you can even get the aged '04 for well under $20 at the moment, which is a lovely wine. I get a case every year when the current release is on some sort of special (it can get below $10).

Red

I too vote for the Hoddles Creek Pinot 2010...just how long will it stay below $20? Just about run out now, though...worth tracking down.
The Head "Red" 2010 Shiraz Vio is brilliant for about $20 (I think Gavin will do it for you at $20.66). I rate anything from Alex Head (and he's a good bloke, too)...and this contains a large amount of the "leftovers" from his $40 "Brunette". Worth the .66c over the $20 barrier.
Innocent Bystander Syrah 2009. Yes, from the Yarra in '09 (not a good start). Yes, it's much more "Shiraz" than "Syrah". However, it just drinks very well (for about $16), and will age.

Simon1980

[porschemad911]

A lot of good recommendations in this thread, thanks! I will add two. I mainly buy cheap online deals by the case / half-case, but these two stand out as very worthwhile buys at more standard prices.

The first is a local (well, for me anyway) Canberra / Hilltops district wine: Eden Road The Seedling Shiraz. At a price of $15 it is really good - a beautifully subtle, layered yet fruity shiraz. Available at Dan Murphy's, so grab one if you haven't tried it.

The second is the Rockbare Shiraz, available from $18.61 a bottle. This is just sensational, it's fruity, spicy, peppery and intense in all the right ways. Absolutely worthy of all the accolades it gets.

[Astrobloke]

Mf, you were spot on the money with the Pauletts Polish Hill Riesling, what a ripper that one is. I'm still trying to find the Hoddles Creek Chardonnay.

There were loads of other great ideas too. Many of them I've tried but the others I will try to find in the next few weeks.

Many thanks to everyone for your well thought out ideas. After finding wines that I enjoy I tend to become a creature of habit and stick with the trusted few. The ideas presented here will give me and hopefully many of you weeks of enjoyment as we make our way through the list.

[tdnsfo]

What about the Ben Riggs "Three Brothers Reunion Shiraz" for 9.99 at Nicks Wine Merchants. That wine is a cracker at a sub $10 price. Maybe its been discussed before on these boards but it is a knockout for that price.

[Michael McNally]

Dear Contributors to this post

The host of this forum sells wine. Please don't advertise for his competitors here. By all means say what wines you like and what they cost, but try to be a little more circumspect about where you got them.

Cheers

Michael

[tdnsfo]

Ooops....apologies for the reference to another merchant......i am a bit new here so still getting across the protocols.

While i am at it, another great sub $20 winei have always liked is the Seppelts Chalambar Shiraz. Packs a nice punch and i have become partial to wines up the Grampians way of late. Mt Langi Ghiran is another good winery from up that way but many of their great reds might be a shade over $20.

[mark as]

Tahbilk Marsanne usually delivers too: you can even get the aged '04 for well under $20 at the moment, which is a lovely wine. I get a case every year when the current release is on some sort of special (it can get below $10).

I'm glad someone mentioned this, well done Simon.

Tahbilk Marsanne is a very underrated wine, capable of 30+ years cellaring. Yes...3 decades for a wine ridiculously cheaply priced. It is one of Australia's most cellerable white wines...not just among under $20 white wines...any white wines, period!

A few other white wines I like for sub-$20 are:

Peter Lehmann Semillon
Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon
several rieslings including O'Leary Walker Polish Hill and Watervale, Pewsey Vale, Leeuwin Estate Art Series, Howard Park

(sorry, I've obviously overstepped the limit of one per variety)

As for reds...maybe the Hoddles Creek pinot...Coriole Sangiovese...other than that, there are not many reds at the price point that offer enough interest for me.

[Michael McNally]

Mt Langi Ghiran is another good winery from up that way but many of their great reds might be a shade over $20.

The Billi Billi Shiraz from MLG is one of my favourite cheaper reds for character - very different from most reds at the price point.

Cheers

Michael

[daz]

Often discounted below $20, the Thorne Clark Shotfire duo offer very good qpr. Not sure about the current ask but The Story Grampians Shiraz is well worth paying a few dollars extra. Coldstream Hills Chardonnay can occasionally be found for $20. Jim Barry Watervale Riesling and Pewsey Vale Riesling are great value for about $15. Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay can sometimes be found for $20. DM this week offer Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (haven't tried this vintage myself - yet) for just under $20 online only + $7 freight. Teusner Riebke Shiraz would rarely disappoint for about $17 - I'm seriously tempted to try The Gentleman Cabernet Sauvignon and The Independent Shiraz Mataro, also both less than $20. Forest Hill Vineyard Estate Riesling 2010 cost me about $16 (guzzled the few bottles I got) - apparently the Estate Shiraz is pretty good too for about $20. Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz is well worth serious consideration as are Dom's Old Plains Longhop Shiraz from better vintages. McWilliams Hilltops Barwang Cabernet, Chardonnay and Shiraz can be very good, sometimes less than $15. O'Leary Walker Eden/Barossa Shiraz can be quite tasty. Most of Taylors and Tahbilks standard ranges are good or better, the cheaper they're found, the better the value. Di Bortoli Gulf Station wines often get good reviews, I've only tried the chardonnay, same as Hoddles Creek though its Pinot also gets good reviews. Rosabrook Cabernet can be excellent but not often found for about $20 though the cab merlot is good. Charles Sturt Uni Chardonnay is great value in good vintages. Mike Press wines are a shoe-in for about $12-$13, my favourite being the cabernet over the shiraz - I've not tasted the whites which I think are cheaper again and for which I've seen some positive reviews. Ringbolt Cabernet is another Mcwilliams wine that I've enjoyed for less than $20. Tar & Roses offer some interesting wines but I've only tried the shiraz 2007 that was very slurpable in a more medium than full bodied style.

As you may have gathered, for me, there is no single "Best" wine that costs less than $20, though Bests Great Western Riesling 2011 comes close to it for me at present.

Cheers

daz

[cuttlefish]

I noticed the Taylor's Estate Shiraz (2009?) currently in my supermarket has a blue gold from Sydney International Wine Comp. but I haven't tried it. $14. The 2002 release of this was one of the first wines I ever bought, and drank well for years.

[TiggerK]

As you may have gathered, for me, there is no single "Best" wine that costs less than $20, though Bests Great Western Riesling 2011 comes close to it for me at present.

Have tried and enjoyed this for it's big juicy tropical fruit nose and palate flavours. Could do with a bit more acid structure, but a very nice drink nonetheless.

But I wonder where you find this under for $20? (Not listed on Auswine website BTW)

Cheers
Tim

[bob parsons]

I am wondering if you chaps have access to some of the fine `09 unclassified Bordeaux currently out there! If so look out for this one.

TN: 2009 Chateau de Macard Bordeaux Superieur.

Located in Pessac-sur-Dordogne, up and coming producer. 50% CF, 30% Merlot, 20% CS. $20 Cdn, 13% alc, good natural cork, decanted one hour.

Color. Medium red ruby, looks attractive.

Nose. Cherry earthy nose, blackberry, herbal, spice tones in background. Some oak here but does not overpower.

Palate. Initial entry thought was bargain! Dry chalky tannins, good everyday drinker and held up overnight. Medium-bodied, chalky, black fruits, some raspberry. Very good structure and concentration of fruits. Soft tannins, "ready now, no need to hold" from across the table. Would be a good addition to any fine meal at the dining table. Mid-palate is tad chewy on day 2 and more blackcurrant. The 60% CF does not push other character into the background.

Food was roasted pork loin with rosemary, carrots and fondant pots.