Budget Vino

BudgetVino.com's 10 best budget wines of 2009

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to name what I believe to be the 10 best budget wines of 2009. These wines will always deliver, and will never disappoint. I unfortunately have not had the time to review all of them on BudgetVino.com this year, but rest assured that I (or in the case of the whites, my friends) have consumed many bottles of each numerous times, and think they are all fantastic. They each offer incredible value for their modest prices.

Since some of these wines are lacking a BudgetVino.com review, I am including a link to where you can get more information on each wine, or buy a bottle if interested. Please note the stated vintage for each wine in the list, as I’ve found the quality of some of these wines to be extremely year dependent. For example, the 2006 Cellar No. 8 Cab is a big disappointment when compared to the 2007 offering.

I present the list in no particular order

1. Chalone Vineyard 2007 (Monterey County) Chardonnay

http://shop.safeway.com/dnet/RichProductInformation.aspx?promo_window=1&bpn=189055812

2. 2008 Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1048553

3.  Cellar No. 8 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=cellar+no.+8&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=cellar+no.+8&N=0&ProductID=15431

4.  St. Francis Red 2006 (48% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 3% Zinfandel and 6 % Mixed Blacks (Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Alicante, Malbec)

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=st.+francis+red&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=st.+francis+red&N=0&ProductID=19591

5. Peachy Canyon Incredible Red Zinfandel 2006

http://shop.safeway.com/dnet/RichProductInformation.aspx?promo_window=1&bpn=189051141

6.  Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=liberty+school&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=liberty+school&N=0&ProductID=753

7. Castle Rock Pinot Noir Monterrey 2006

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=castle+rock&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=castle+rock&N=0&ProductID=21796

8.  Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=bogle&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=bogle&N=0&ProductID=759

9. Pascual Toso Malbec Maipu Valley 2008

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1046680

10.  2006 Monte Antico Tuscan

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1046246

Think a wine should be added to the list? Agree or disagree with my choices? Leave a comment and let me know.

 

A party pleaser- Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to my friends Ivan and Alison's house for their daughters 5th birthday party. Every year there are more and more children, and the party gets louder and louder. The adults become more bystanders than participants. My friends and I hide in the living room, sip wine, and talk about how poorly behaved everyones children are. 

Knowing that there would be a large collection of young children at the party, it was imperative that there was enough wine for all the adults to make it through the 3 hours of festivities. I emailed Alison earlier in the week and realized that she was going to need some backup bottles. Given we were going to have pizza and rich snacks, I knew a Cab would be the best option. My choice this time- Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon. I bought the 2007 Paso Robles vintage back on Thanksgiving, and it was well received. Not wanting to take any risks, I picked up a couple bottles, then headed over to the party. As assumed, the wine went over really well. People generally liked that it was a little on the heavier side, was not too dry, and had a nice smooth finish. All in all it was a party pleaser. I liked it so much that I just bought another bottle for dinner tonight!

Safeway is currently selling the Liberty School Cab for $12 a bottle, but I've also seen it go as low as $9. At $12 it's still worth the money.

Recommendation- Definitely buy it