Once again, we continue our series focusing on high quality wines, with wide distribution, that can be found for $20 or less. So add them to your shopping list, scoff at those more expensive bottles, and enjoy quality, even on a budget. Happy drinking!

 

Harken 2015 Chardonnay

Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay

Region: California

Price: 10-15

Tasting Notes:

Pineapples, pears, vanilla, and buttery oak rise up from a glass. Rather rich and round on the palate, flavors of pineapple, peach, and pear come forth with accents of vanilla and creamy oak. A friendly Chardonnay with solid balance, great buy.

Rating: 90

Moobuzz 2014 Chardonnay

Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay

Region: Monterey County, Ca

Price: 10-15

Tasting Notes:

Ripe pears and apples greet the senses, followed by sweet spice and creamy oak. Flavors of pear, green apple, and citrus fruit unfurl on the palate with accents of clove, creamy oak, and caramel. A wine with a nice acidity that perks up rich flavors, it calls for a lobster bisque as a companion.

Rating: 90

Fortress 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape(s): Cabernet

Region: Sonoma County, Ca

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

Blackberries, black cherries, and cassis come together with dark chocolate and smoky oak on the nose. Lots of black fruit envelops the palate, along with accents of dark chocolate, clove, and smoky oak. Rich fruit and a nice structure make this wine a good candidate for a few years in the cellar or to have with a nice rib-eye now.

Rating: 90

Norton 2014 Reserva Malbec

Grape(s):  Malbec

Region: Argentina

Price: 10-15

Tasting Notes:

A classic nose of blackberries, black cherries, earth, rose petals greets the senses. Cocoa tannins frame lots of blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry flavors that open up into floral earth and smoke on the palate. Rich fruit and an almost creamy texture make this an inviting Malbec. Fans of the variety will find plenty to like here.

Rating: 90