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!

Chalk Hill 2016 Chardonnay

Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay

Region: Sonoma County, California

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of apples, peaches, and mangoes interweave with suggestions of vanilla and toasted almonds on the nose. The palate is fairly rich, with apple, peach, and creamy notes melding together nicely. Lush and round, match it up with crab cakes.

Rating: 90

 

St. Supery 2017 Sauvignon Blanc

Grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Napa Valley, Ca

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

A bouquet of passions fruits, limes, grapefruits, and fresh herbs greets the senses. A sip delivers flavors of passion fruit, ruby red grapefruit, and melon that move toward suggestions of wet stone and herbs. A bit of roundness on the palate balances out the wine’s fresh acidity, making it a good match for scallops.

Rating: 90

 

Folie a Deux 2017 Pinot Noir

Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Sonoma County, Ca

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

Aromatics of red fruit, smoky oak, and nutmeg rise up from a glass. A mix of strawberry, cherry, and pomegranate flavors mingle among notes of brown spice, smoke, and floral earth on the palate. A wine that’s quite supple with a balanced acidity and offers great“old school Pinot” character, open a bottle when you enjoy a roast duck.

Rating: 90

Wild Thing 2015 “Old Vine” Zinfandel

Grape(s): Zinfandel, Carignane, & Petite Sirah

Region: Mendocino County, Ca

Price: 15-20

Tasting Notes:

Waves of blackberries, blueberries, and cherries rise up from a glass, backed up by suggestions of vanilla and spice. The palate offers flavors of cherry, blackberry, and plum that flow into elements of clove, smoke, and vanilla. Medium-bodied with lovely fruit character, this is rather elegant (not jammy at all). Pair it with a margarita pizza.

Rating: 90