Top Picks Under 20 Bucks

Over the past few months I have been compiling a list of recommended wines that I have tried at wineries and restaurants. This list includes my top picks for wines under 20 bucks. Many of these wines can be found at local supermarkets, such as Safeway, QFC and also Costco (one of the best places to buy wine). These wines all have one thing in common; they rock. Here are my recommended red and white wines under 20 bucks.

2010 Columbia Crest H3 Pinot Gris- Nice white raisin and cantaloupe on the nose. Palate is smooth and balanced. Cantaloupe, lychee, starfruit, and nutmeg. Refreshing and drink now. -91

2013 Julia's Dazzle Rose- Made from Pinot Grigio grapes that are grown in The Benches, Longshadows famed vineyard. Roses and grapefruit on the nose. Palate is crisp and delicious. Minerals, strawberry, guava and a ton of character. Maybe even vanilla cream. I'd say this is the most delicious and best made Washington rose I've ever had. Drink now. -93

2012 Dunham Lewis Vineyard Riesling- Pushing the 20 dollar price point. Pear and lemon on the nose. Lime and slate great acidity. Nice richness and fantastic value. Drink now.- 92

2012 Poets Leap Riesling- Pushing 20 bucks here. Fresh flowers, white peach and pear on the nose. Minerals on this off dry effort. Not the best Poets Leap I've had but better than the 2013. Really hard to find a better WA Riesling. Pear, white peach, cantaloupe, ripe pear and red delicious apple flavors. Balance and winemaking is there. Nice effervescence. -93

2012 Chateau St Michelle 'Mimi' Chardonnay- This is from Horse Heaven Hills. Tropical fruits on the nose. Palate has butter, golden delicious apple and minerals. Rounded out and smooth. Very solid, drink now.- 90

2013 Chateau St Michelle ‘Cold Creek’ Riesling- Excellent aromatics, getting lime and lemon. This is serious stuff for the price. Off dry with a little bit of sweetness. Pear and lemon with great minerality on the palate. Drink now.-92

2011 Chateau St. Michelle ‘Cold Creek’ Chardonnay- Definitely pushing the 20 dollar price point. Pear and apple with light oak on the nose. Nice oak integration on the palate with green apple, butter and pear. Drink now. -91

2012 L'Ecole Number 41 Chardonnay- This one is probably more than 20 bucks, but barely over that price. Pale color with oak, butter and tropical fruit on the nose. Palate is vibrant with oak, cream, cantaloupe, pear and butter. Rock solid. -92

2012 Alexandria Nicole Chardonnay- Pushing the 20 dollar price point. Light spice on the nose with rich pear and golden delicious. Palate is viscous and rich. Pear, golden delicious and cantaloupes with vanilla and oak. Solid effort, drink now. -91

2013 Alexandria Nicole ‘Crawford Vineyard’ Viognier- Perfumed nose of orange blossoms, white peach, and honeysuckle. Almost a gardenia on the nose. Palate has good structure and light saccharin flavors with ripe pear and red delicious. Drink now. -90

2012 Chandler Reach Viognier- nice nose of honeysuckle, pear and golden delicious. Vibrant acidity with ripe pear, red delicious, and white peach. Impressive. Drink now. -91

2012 Cougar Crest Viognier- Orange blossom and grapefruit on the nose. Palate has great acidity and minerality. Meyer lemon and green melon flavors. Refreshing. Drink now. -91

2012 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc- Lemongrass and grapefruit on the nose. Palate is bright with minerals and grapefruit, slate, pear in this refreshing quaff. Drink now. -90

2012 Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc- somewhat muted nose with light orange and grapefruit. Palate is bright with good minerality along pear, green papaya and cantaloupe. Drink now. -89

2012 Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc- Pale color with oak, grapefruit and melon notes. Palate has good acidity with pear, gooseberry and grapefruit flavors. Very solid, drink now. -89

2013 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc- Classic New Zealand Sav Blanc. Lemongrass and grapefruit on the nose. Tangy palate with gooseberry, white peach, pear and lemon rind. Delicious. Drink now. -91

2012 Chateau St. Michelle H3 Cabernet- blackberry and oak ov nose. Palette is rich and has blackberry and black cherry. With figs. -90

2011 Chateau St. Michelle H3 Cabernet- complex nose with smoke, blackberry, cassis and oak. Palate is viscous and soft. Blackberry, anise, black cherry, black olive and chocolate on the palate. Very nice. -91

2011 Columbia Crest H3 Les Cheveaux- Columbia Crest uses fruit in this blend that is slightly below their Reserve tier. For many wineries, this wine would be their reserve blend. 75% Syrah and 25% Merlot. Cloves, cigar box and dark fruits on the nose. Good depth on the open palate with red cherry, blackberry, vanilla and black olive along fine grained tannins. Well-structured, this could cellar well for a couple of years, but why wait? -90 points

2010 Chateau St Michelle Indian Wells 'Red Blend' - This is a blend of 60% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 6% Cab, 3% Grenache, 2% Malbec and 1% a combination of Cinsault and Mouvedre. Dark color with red cherry and dates in the nose. A bit of a fruit bomb. Palate has a ton of character and flavors of red cherry, guava, pomegranate and chocolate. This is a must buy considering the price, drink now. -90

2009 Chateau St Michelle ‘Canoe Ridge’ Merlot- Red cherry and anise on the nose with oak. Palate is rich and soft. Plum, red cherry and boysenberry flavors. Impressive. -91

2010 Chateau St. Michelle Cold Creek Merlot- Rich color with spice, prune and oak. Palate also has a nice spice component with the red cherry and pomegranate. Drink now. -91

2010 Gordon Estates Syrah- Hard to find a more complex Syrah for around 20 bucks. This is a crack and pour. Brooding, dark color, with black pepper and oak on the nose, leading to beef jerky, blackberry and plum flavors. Blended with 7% Cab which contributes to the rich fruit flavors and adds structure. Excellent value, pick up a few while you can. - 92 points

2012 Wines of Substance Syrah- Muted nose with black cherry and smoked meats. Palate is smooth and exhibits classic WA Syrah flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, smoked meats and sage. Would like a bit more richness but a good price for the bottle. Very solid. Drink now. -89

2011 Pendulum- This is a Washington red blend that offers good value. Cab with 25 percent Merlot. Nose somewhat muted with some light fruit flavors. Palate has strong acidity with blackberry and smoked meats. Also 4 percent Syrah with some Tempranillo. Very nice. -90

2010 Waterbrook Reserve Malbec- rich, dark color. Nose has smoked meats and blackberry. Palate is viscous and has violets, black pepper, blackberry and figs. Drink now. -90

2010 Airfield Estates Cabernet- A great Northwest winery that produces everything from Coinoise to Cab. The winery is known for small production and attention to detail for a fraction of Napa labels. Dark color with blackberry, cassis, dark cherry with oak. Similarly attractive palate with dark cherry, blackberry, tomato and olive collected with some medium tannins. Drinking great now. -90 points

2011 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet- One of the best Cabernets for the price. The grand estates Cab been a great value wine for years. You’d be hard pressed to find a better Cabernet in this price range. Plum and cherry with oak and buttered toast on the nose. Palate is well-balanced and has fig, vanilla and cherry preserves. Excellent effort. -87 points

2011 Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet- Complex nose with nutmeg, coffee, chocolate and stewed plum with the oak. Cassis, blackberry and anise with coffee on the palate. Great acidity suggests you could wait a few years before opening this one, but drinking nicely now. 10% Syrah was added in this cool vintage.- 90 points

2009 Chandler Reach Corella- Some translucence on the reddish brown color. Blend of 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot. Perfumed nose of rose petals, smokey oak, and blackberry. Palate is vibrant with great balance. Ripe strawberry and raspberry. Very tasty. Drink now. -92

2008 Chandler Reach Ventoso- 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet. Brownish red hue with cherry cough syrup nose. Palate is smooth with fig, red cherry and oak. Nice complexity and slightly vegetal. Drink now. -90

2011 Michael David Petit Petit- Pushing the 20 dollar price point here. California Petite Syrah and Petite Verdot. Blueberry and blackberry jam on the nose. Palate has blackberry and spice. Straightforward but serious richness with black fruit with black tea. Drink now. -89

2011 Terrazas de las Andes Reserva Malbec- plum, cranberry and baking spices on the nose. Palate has good viscosity with tons of fruit. Plum, dark cherry and raspberry with good balance. Drinking good now. -90

2010 Kepos di Ampelia- This one is slightly over the 20 dollar price point but if you can pick up a bottle, it is well-worth it. Made from Grenache, Mouvedre, Carignan, and Alicante Bouchet. Fragrant nose with rose petals, spiced plum and red cherry. Palate is delicious. Red cherry, guava, pomegranate and raspberry with minerals and lavender. Crack and pour, this is delicious juice. -92

2008 Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva- Oak with blackberry and smoke on the nose. Palate is rich and needs 30 or more minutes of decanting to open up. Blackberry, black cherry and cola gives this an atypical flavor profile for this wine. Very tasty, with good viscosity. Drink now or cellar for 2 years. -91