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Red wine recommendations

Posted on 2/16/25 at 4:24 pm
Posted by Creolesote
Member since Feb 2025
179 posts
Posted on 2/16/25 at 4:24 pm
So Iam pushing 70 now and recall the business meals in the 90’s where we had great wine. I recall that we always went to a BV Rutherford Cab. Or a Simi. Deep, mellow, rich and like a fine bourbon or cigar. And not that expensive. Now it seems like red wine tastes too new and young and light and fruity. Yes I balk at paying more than $25 a bottle but frankly a Liberty Creek tastes better to than the Sterling I’m drinking tonight at thrice the price.

Is it me? Or do I need a refresher course. Is the old $20 now $40? Help out and old fool here. You guys will be me soon enough.
Posted by chryso
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2008
13054 posts
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:00 pm to
If you have a total wine near you go in and talk to them. Tell them what you like and they can steer you towards some lesser expensive bottles that you will probably like.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
43086 posts
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:14 pm to
try reds from bogle particularly the red blend and the petit syrah. Wonderful wine at less than 10 bucks a bottle

those are really all I buy as we only drink wine about once a month
Posted by RichJ
The Land of the CoonAss
Member since Nov 2016
4088 posts
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:17 pm to
I’ve been enjoying J Lohr Pinot Noir for the last several years, can usually find it for less than $20 bottle
Posted by SammyTiger
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Feb 2009
75261 posts
Posted on 2/16/25 at 5:38 pm to
Yes, things are more expensive now than they were in the 90s
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
123577 posts
Posted on 2/16/25 at 8:59 pm to
Red wine takes pretty big jumps at various price points.

The problem I see from what you are posting are Napa cabs.

Napa cabs have drastically increased in price to where they are, in my opinion, hugely overpriced and generally not worth it. Everyone knows them so they all want them.

The trick is to identify the wines you like, then find undervalued regions. With Cab you can look to Washington State, South America as well.
Posted by deltafarmer
Member since Dec 2019
787 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 5:07 am to
I recommend you try Nola Grace cabs. I bought a bottle last year because of the name. I buy it now because I really like it. It costs around $12/bottle. Wine is about what you like, not about what an expert tells you you should like.
Posted by BilbeauTBaggins
probably stuck in traffic
Member since May 2021
7135 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 8:28 am to
I like Total Wine for their prices and availability on cheaper wines. I've decided if I'm going to try and enjoy a bottle of wine with whatever I'm eating, it can't be from the USA. We did samplings at Solera a few months back and I realized all the wines I liked were from Europe, primarily France. I would say try to find someplace that has discount wine by the glass, learn about where it's from, and give it an actual taste.
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
86771 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 8:42 am to
quote:

If you have a total wine near you go in and talk to them. Tell them what you like and they can steer you towards some lesser expensive bottles that you will probably like.


TW is poo for recommendations. They push their preferred partner brands and that's it.
Posted by runforrestrun
Baton Rouge
Member since May 2013
948 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 8:48 am to
Bonanza is our go to. A very balanced cab from the same makers as Caymus. Costco has it for $17
Posted by FleetFox504
Member since Nov 2013
387 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 9:02 am to
Bonanza is disgusting. Bulk grapes not Caymus grapes. So many additives
Posted by Pettifogger
I don't really care, Margaret
Member since Feb 2012
83316 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 9:28 am to
Regardless of how you feel about Wagner, OP doesn't sound like he's looking for that. Bonanza, Caymus, et al are not balanced, they're fruit bombs and in the very modern style he seems to be trying to escape.

OP, it is going to be hard to find less expensive wine especially in more traditional styles because most of the less expensive variants are chasing what is popular - and right now that is bright, fruity, etc.

It won't be Cab, but more restrained wineries entry level blends may be to your liking - Chappellet (Mountain Cuvee), Ridge (Three Valleys), etc. - and they're in the 20-40 range.
Posted by VABuckeye
NOVA
Member since Dec 2007
37479 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 9:43 am to
quote:

Yes I balk at paying more than $25 a bottle but frankly a Liberty Creek tastes better to than the Sterling I’m drinking tonight at thrice the price.


While the views are beautiful on that plateau Sterling is not a producer of what I'd call good wines. More like mass produced wines.
Posted by VABuckeye
NOVA
Member since Dec 2007
37479 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 10:14 am to
quote:

Now it seems like red wine tastes too new and young


No offense but if you're buying young wines they're going to taste like young wines.
Posted by Grillades
Member since Nov 2009
594 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 12:52 pm to
Try some of the $25/bottle left bank Bordeaux wines. MUCH better value than Cali cabernet-based wines. Left Bank Bordeaux blends, in general, are much more balanced compared to modern Napa cabs.

As a side note, I quit buying California wines. The prices for mid-grade wines are insane compared to France, Spain, and Italy. That doesn't mean that there are not any good California wines any longer. There certainly are but the price-to-quality ratio is way out of whack at the moment, IMO. Like you, I am not a fan of the modern Cali style, either.
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
123577 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 1:01 pm to
quote:

Bonanza is our go to.


Gross
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
123577 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 1:02 pm to
quote:


Try some of the $25/bottle left bank Bordeaux wines.


Lilian Ladouys is a GREAT value for Bordeaux
Posted by Inside the Eye
Member since Sep 2018
280 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 4:07 pm to
Go to TW and just walk around looking at labels. If something catches your eye and is in your price range then give it a try. I can tell you that I've found some inexpensive wines that drink better than wines that cost 4x as much.
Posted by VABuckeye
NOVA
Member since Dec 2007
37479 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 5:04 pm to
Yeah. I’d be looking at $25-$30 Chianti Classico at TW.
Posted by Demshoes
Up in here
Member since Aug 2015
10506 posts
Posted on 2/17/25 at 6:48 pm to
Love French, Italian, Spanish. Some great Argentinian wines out there too.
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