u/DippPhoeny

Price: $9.99

Region: California, USA

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

ABV: 14%

Method: 50% stainless fermentation, 50% barrel fermentation, 8 months sur lie aging

Appearance: pale gold

Nose: red apple, pear, candied lemon peel, honeydew melon, peach, butter, cream, yeast, green tea, asparagus, nutmeg, vanilla, toast. Medium intensity.

Palate: medium body, high alcohol, medium acidity. Medium intensity and Medium+ finish. Mostly flavors of apple, lemon, peach, and cream, with a hint of spice and vegetal notes.

Score: 87 points

Hard to beat for the price, but it's a little light and lacking complexity.

Price: $18.88 (closeout deal)

Region: Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley, California, USA

Blend: some sources say 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, some say there's 4% Petite Sirah.

ABV: 14.5%

Appearance: Medium intensity purple

Nose: cassis, black cherry, blackberry, black plum, blueberry, strawberry, violet, thyme, lavender, chocolate, vanilla, cedar, baking spices, potting soil, green bell pepper, gunpowder, earth. Medium intensity

Palate: medium body, medium+ tannin, medium+ acidity, high alcohol, medium+ finish, medium+ intensity. Mostly black and red fruits with a bit of herbaceousness and earth. Good alcohol integration.

Score: 91 points

A brighter, more elegant california cabernet. Probably one of the few I've actually liked. Far from the typical overripe oak juice.

Price: $30

Region: Chianti Classico, Italy

Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino

ABV: 14%

Appearance: deep ruby

Nose: sour cherry, red plum, strawberry, pomegranate,.blackberry, bell pepper, thyme, licorice, lavender, violet, rhubarb, potting soil, hay, nutmeg, clove, smoke, leather, tobacco, earth, vanilla, chocolate, raisin. Medium+ aromatic intensity

Palate: medium+ body, medium+ tannin, medium+ acidity, high alcohol. Wonderful silky texture. Lots of Sour cherries, red plums, leather and chocolate. Pronounced flavor intensity. Long finish.

Score: 94 points

Got this for mother's day, and mom wanted to open it today. I feel the nose is a little underwhelming in intensity, but maybe it needs time to open up, however the wine really shines on the palate. Drinking on its own, but probably great with bolognese.

Price: $8.99

Region: Pays d'Oc IGP, France

Blend: 65% Chardonnay 35% Viognier

ABV: 13%

Appearance: medium lemon with slight pink

Nose: Roses, peach, red apple, pear, lemon cream, butter, cloves, white flowers, nutmeg. Medium+ aromatic intensity. Simple nose.

Palate: medium body, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium intensity, medium+ finish. Flavors of stone fruits, green fruits and cream.

Score: 85 points

Good for a cheap white, but nothing special. Reminds me of Franzia buttery chard.

Price:$11.99

Region: Ventoux, Rhône Valley, France

Grapes: Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and 10% Clairette (can't find specific blend)

ABV: 13%

Appearance: pale ruby

Nose: pomegranate, redcurrant, violets, cranberry, sour cherry, raspberries, strawberries, blueberry, black plum, white flowers, potting soil, orange peel, lemon peel, dried cranberries, green peppercorn, fennel, earth, minerals. Medium+ intensity.

Palate: medium body, medium alcohol, medium tannin, medium+ acidity. Flavors of crushed red berries, pepper, and fennel. Medium+ intensity. Medium+ finish

Score: 90 points

A nice bright and fresh light red. Easy to drink on its own, great summer sipper.

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Price: $19.99

Region: Sardinia, Italy

Grapes: 100% Cannonau (aka Garnacha, Grenache)

ABV: 14%

Appearance: pale garnet

Nose: red cherry, red plum, blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, prune, fig, raisin, violet, lavender, roses, liquorice, mint, black pepper, forest floor, orange, tomato leaf, nutmeg, cinnamon, mushroom, meat. Medium+ intensity

Palate: medium tannin, medium acidity, medium+ body. Mostly red fruit, with a little bit of dark fruit, earth and spice. Medium+ intensity, Medium+ finish.

Score: 91.5 points

Very pretty nose but falls flat on the palate. Any Grenache fans should give it a try.

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Price: $10.99

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 12%

Appearance: medium greenish gold

Nose: bruised apple, lime juice, lime zest, tangerine, pear, passionfruit, melon, pineapple, sweaty socks, onion, the sea, jalapeno, grass, gasoline, white flowers. Almost burns your nostrils. Medium+ intensity

Palate: medium body, high acidity, medium alcohol. Flavors of lemon juice, pineapple, green apple, passionfruit, melon, pineapple, grass. Some of the funky aromas don't really transfer to palate. Medium intensity, medium+ finish. Very tangy, could almost be used as a salad dressing

Score: 85 points

Good chance this wine is past due, given it's color, but from what I looked up it's fermented with skins. Not sure how much of the unpleasant aromas come from age or it being "natural"

Price: $19.99

Region: Mont-Avril, Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

ABV: 14%

Appearance: medium intensity ruby

Nose: red cherry, redcurrant, strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, nutmeg, clove, rhubarb, vanilla, oolong tea, mushroom, violets, forest floor. Medium+ intensity.

Palate: medium body, medium- velvety tannin, high alcohol, medium+ acidity. Bursting red cherries and strawberry, hints of spices, vanilla and tea, with a touch earthiness. Fruit forward. Medium+ intensity. Medium+ finish

Score: 91 points

Nice for a bourgogne level Pinot. Surprisingly alcoholic and fruity for burgundy. personal would have liked more acidity and earth. Barely makes the cutoff for this sub

Price: $9.99

Region: Bordeaux, France

Blend: 100% Sauvignon (probably all Blanc, but maybe some gris?)

ABV: 12%

Appearance: medium lemon

Nose: green apple, pear, peach, lime, lemon zest, white flowers, wet stones, saline, gasoline, green bell pepper, honeysuckle. Medium intensity

Palate: medium- body, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, medium finish. Green fruits and minerals, not that much going on.

Score: 85 points

Not bad for the price, almost feels like a riesling with the gasoline and lime notes.

Price: $17.99

Region: Montagne Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

Blend: Merlot and Cabernet Franc (can't find specific blend, but I've seen it's around 90% Merlot and 10% CF)

ABV: 14.5%

Appearance: deep garnet

Nose: medium+ intensity, blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, black plum, red cherry, strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, prunes, wet leaves, mushroom, earth, meat, cloves, nutmeg, chocolate, black pepper, liquorice, dried herbs, leather.

Palate: high (but silky) tannin, medium+ acidity, high alcohol. Full body. Black fruit, earth, leather, spice on the palate. Medium+ flavor intensity. Very silky texture. Alcohol well integrated. Medium+ finish.

Score: 92 points

Great wine for the price, opens up really nicely after a half hour. Probably would be better in a few years

Price: $18.99

Region: Sonoma Coast, California, USA

Varietal: Chardonnay

Winemaking: 100% French oak, 25% New, partial malolactic fermentation, sur lie age with battonage for 9 months.

Appearance: pale gold

Nose: pear, green apple, pineapple, mango, lemon cream, butter, vanilla, white tea, grass, cloves, nutmeg, white flowers, wet stones, almonds. Medium+ aromatic intensity

Palate: medium+ body, high alcohol, medium acidity. Creamy texture, flavors of green fruits, tropical fruits, some cream and citrus. Medium finish and medium+ intensity

Score: 89 points

Decent Cali Chardonnay for the price

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Price: $13.99

Region: Douro, Portugal

Blend: 40% Touriga Nacional, 40% Touriga Franc, 20% Tinta Roriz (aka Aragonez, Tempranillo)

ABV: 14.5%

Appearance: deep purple

Nose:black plum, blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, red cherry, pomegranate, violets, lavender, roses, mint, black pepper, green bell pepper, dark chocolate, vanilla, fig, pencil shavings. Pronounced intensity.

Palate: high alcohol, medium+ tannins, medium acidity, medium+ body. Flavors of black fruits, mint and dark chocolate, silky texture. Medium+ finish

Score: 90 points

A nice fruit forward and floral douro, but it feels a little bit too ripe.

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Price: $15.99

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.8%

Appearance: deep ruby-purple

Nose: cassis, blackberry, black plum, black cherry, thyme, gunpowder, vanilla, chocolate, green bell pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cedar, mint  Medium+ intensity

Palate: medium+ tannin, medium acidity, high alcohol, medium+ body. Lots of black fruit and chocolate on the palate. Medium+ finish and intensity.

Score: 90 points

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Price:$9.99

Region: Provence, France

Grapes: can't find any specific info but likely typical Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault blend.

ABV: 12.5%

Appearance: medium pink-orange

Nose: watermelon, strawberry, red cherry, grapefruit, white peach, saline, wet stones, white pepper, white flowers. Medium intensity

Palate:medium alcohol, medium+ acidity, medium+ body, medium finish and intensity. Light red fruits, hints of citrus and stone fruit with a mineral and saline backbone.

Score: 86 points