Now I know that the regs state that the wine must be available in a retail store and I know for a fact i've seen some of these there. But I just wanted to throw this out there since I saw this in a magazine as an advertisement. If it's improper by all means feel free to discard this post.

https://www.wsjwine.com/individual_o...?promo=2001008
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I really only drink reds, and mostly cabs, temperanillo..like the tannin to be firm. My current favorites:

Borsao Crianza 2005 Spanish temperanillo $13
Foppiano 2004 (i think or maybe 05) cab, russian river valley, CA $14
Odfjell 05 Chile Cab $10
Tres Picos, spanish red, 07 (better than the 06), $14

cant miss go to Hess Select $16. i think its a CA cab.

Ive been reading a lot on pjwines.com. good info there and lots of good suggestions, especially for cheaper wines.
hope this helps.
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Familiar with the Tres Picos and is pretty good.

Have you had the Maques de Carceres Reserva? That is under $20 and quite good. Needs a few hours to breathe though.
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thanks for the tip. ive picked it up a few times and almost brought a bottle home, but not yet. now i will.
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Make sure it's the Reserva, the regular production bottle is OK, but nothing special. They also make a Gran Reserva for around $30, which I have never tried.

If you are a Spanish wine lover, you must try Muga; have you had one yet?
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I agree with you, Johnny, regarding the Mark West Pinot. It's very hard to find a good Pinot for less than $20, but Mark West is one of them. Just make sure to look at the label very carefully. A lot of people "discovered" Mark West, and I guess they ran into a shortage of juice. One recent vintage of MW was made from Italian grapes ! I hate when wineries do this...so check your Mark West label very carefully and make sure it's from the Central Coast of California. I inadvertantly drank some of the Italian Mark West and it wasn't good.
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Another well priced Pinot Noir made from Central Coast fruit, and a much better wine than Mark West, IMO, is Echelon, or even Estancia. Both should be in the $14-20 range on Right Coast. Sebastiani bottlings as well.
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Thanks for the heads-up on the above. That's a very good point!
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Another new find, from Spain, with a very reasonable price tag!

Taja Reserva Jumilla 2003

Wine Spectator: 90 Points - Deep loamy and gamy flavors wrap around cherry and kirsch fruit in this dense red. Sun-baked and solid, with well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. A traditional style. Monastrell (Mourvedre), Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Merlot. Drink now through 2015.

Retail Price: $9.99!
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Haven't had Echelon, but I love everything Estancia makes. Thier Pinot is from Monterey (as is their Chardonnay I believe) so it has a different flavor profile than Mark West, but it is very reliable and a great bargain. It was my go-to Pinot at one point. Their cabernet from Paso Robles is good too.

If I may make a suggestion for an even greater value, Meridian Pinot can be found for as low as $6.99 and it's worth much more than that....great wine for the price.
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2 buck chuck from trader joe's :-)
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Actually, I'll drink 2BC before I drink the highly touted Tres Picos, which I find heavily manipulated, overly extracted, with too much residual sugar to make the wine palatable. 2BC Chard is actually a nice wine and a great value, fools a number of experienced palates in a blind tasting. Their reds are OK, but avoid Syrah (its just crap).
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JohnnyFlake,

Nice point score, but that "sun baked" descriptor rings a bell for me, and not a good one at that. Means way overripe fruit. Same as that Tres Picos above.
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Why would you sign this post in my name, JohnnyFlake???
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It wasn't signed with your name, simply a reply to your post (instead of posting 2 separate replies).
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never tried a muga. see em all the time and see,ms as tho they can get pricey. is there a good inexpensive muga?

also...i just tried a new one, CA red Kelley Creek 2006 tributary. really liked this one. just a nice rounded tannin taste full of flavor. im not sophisticated with the wine palate.
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No problem! It just looks like my name was used, the way the post turned out.

Johnny
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LOL... Is there a good cheap Cohiba? It's all relative. Buy the oldest Muga you can afford. They really age well. I mean $30 bucks for a one bottle shouldn't break you... Maybe not a wine for a daily quaffer for most, but if you like Spanish wine, this would be a step up.

Needs at least an hour to breathe.
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Another great wine, that's a bit hard to find, but well worth the search!!!

This wine will cost you between $13 and $16 a bottle, depending on where your located.

Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Wine Advocate: 90 Points - One of the finest bargains in California Cabernet Sauvignon must be Louis M. Martini's outstanding 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma... Fabulously sweet aromas of black currants, licorice, and cedar soar from the glass of this medium to full-bodied wine. With silky tannins as well as surprising concentration, depth, and texture, this 2006 should drink well for 8-10 years.

Now owned by the Gallo family, but still run by Michael Martini, the quality of these wines merits serious attention.
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You need to learn how to "read" Parker reviews and then apply that to your own taste preferences. For example, that cedar note SOARING from the glass indicates large amount of oak present. If you like lots of oak, great, this wine is for you. If not, the point score in this case is meaningless. And I would also question "sweet aromas" note and licorice, means a noticeable amount of residual sugar in wine; if you like your wine dry, then this may not be a wine for you.

But in general, Louis Martini wines are pretty solid and worth tracking down. I have not had this particular wine so can't comment beyind the tasting note you posted.

Another label you should try is Steltzner, year in and year out one of the best values around. Their Claret should be under $20 and if anything, I'll take it over L. Martini any day of the week, Parker review or not. Once you move up to $40-50 per bottle range, L. Martini is definitely a wine to seek out, they are on par with almost anything at or double the price. Their Monte Rosso Vineyard bottlings, Zin and Ca, are seriously great wines.
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Parker is usually accurate in dry wine descriptions; it's whether something he describes is the kind of wine you like...
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