Reds Under $50

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The smoky, savory and meaty nose pulls you into this remarkably firmly structured Morgon for the 2021 vintage. Both fleshy and tannic, this is packed with wild-blackberry fruit. So much drive and energy! From vines planted in 1965. Matured in oak casks. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2021 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières was bottled after 12 months in used barrels plus four months in tank. This has a beautiful nose of wilted rose petal-infused vivacious red fruit and with time, touches of desiccated orange peel. The medium-bodied palate has ripe tannins, granular in texture, and very fine backbone, yet elegance from start to finish. This is a joyful, effervescent Javernières from one of its best exponents.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2021 Morgon offers open-knit raspberry and crushed strawberry fruit on the nose. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins, fine acidity and quite spicy red berry fruit mixed with white pepper towards the finish. Great potential here.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromas of cherries, plums and berries mingled with hints of peony introduce the 2021 Morgon, a medium to full-bodied, ample wine that’s a touch firmer and more structured than its Fleurie counterpart.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90+ RP

The 2021 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières takes more time to open on the nose compared to the regular Morgon. This is more introspective with scents of melted tar and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-tuned tannins. There is a touch of spiciness and greenness but these elements are nuanced and merely lend complexity. A healthy dash of black pepper completes a very fine and cerebral Morgon.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2021 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières is a taut, structured wine that will demand a little patience, even in this giving vintage. Offering up aromas of plums, red berries, sweet spices and licorice, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and vibrant, with powdery tannins and tangy acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

Most of the Pena El Gato range is wooded, but this one was fermented and aged in a day amphora. Sourced from the same 1917 vineyard as the Vinas Centenarias bottling, it’s earthy, firm and complex, with sappy tannis and plum and bramble fruit. 2023-30Tim Atkin | 94 TA

The 2021 Barbaresco is exquisite. Bright and delineated, with tons of energy, the 2021 bristles with saline-infused energy. Red berry fruit, blood orange, chalk, mint and white pepper lend tons of energy to this deceptively mid-weight, nervy young Barbaresco. Vineyard sites are Ovello, Cole and Loreto.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2021 Chianti Classico is a fabulous introduction to this range from Le Cinciole. Brisk acids and veins of tannin give the 2021 its shape and plenty of overall energy. Expressive floral and savory overtones lend tons of character. The 2021 was vinified in cement and aged in cask for a year, followed by a year in cement. This mid-weight Chianti Classico is a winner.Vinous Media | 92 VMA juicy, vivid and crunchy Chianti Classico expressing aromas of strawberries, raspberries and mild spices, following through to a medium body with fine tannins. Succulent and crisp with sour cherry character in the mouthwatering finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JS

The delightful Moccagatta 2021 Barbaresco shows bright primary aromas of redcurrant, rose and wild strawberry, or "fragolino" in Italian. The wine is finely textured and graceful with a medium finish that feels glossy and bright. This Barbaresco sees a brief 12 months in barrique, and production is 10,000 bottles. Fruit is blended from Barbaresco (Muncagota and Ronchi) and Neive (Cottà and Basarin).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPA tangy Barbaresco that shows pretty notes of sour cherries, orange rind, allspice and ground coriander on the nose. Medium-bodied, zesty and chewy, with firm yet fine tannins. Attractive already but better from 2026.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2021 Barbaresco is superb. Dark and layered, the 2021 offers up an exotic mélange of black fruit, mocha, spice, new leather, cedar, pipe tobacco and incense. This juicy Barbaresco captures the essence of the Moccagatta house style.Vinous Media | 90 VMThis is rich and dense, with plum, cherry, tar and menthol flavors wrapped in an embrace of vanilla, coconut and toasty oak. Balanced and lively, with a firm, lingering finish. Decant now or wait a few more years for this to absorb the oak. Best from 2027 through 2042. 500 cases made, 167 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2021 Zinfandel Old Vines shows plenty of Lodi exuberance. Succulent red/purplish fruit, leather and sweet spice are front and center, with bright acids that perk things up on the mid-palate and finish. The 2021 is delicious and also a terrific value.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

The 2021 Chianti Classico is one of the wines of the vintage in the Chianti Classico ’Annata’ category. Rich, layered and super-expressive, the 2021 offers up red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and spice race across the palate. The Montesecondo Chianti Classico raises the simple question of why there aren’t more wines like this.Vinous Media | 94 VMEx-jazz musician Silvio Messana makes a variety of wines of the natural ilk – but only one Chianti Classico. It blends fruit from two distinct vineyards in San Casciano – a hot site in the extreme north at just 120 metres, the other in the far south surrounded by forest at a cooler 500 metres. The aggregate is a fantastically textured, layered and appetising annata, offering a sumptuousness of black cherry and raspberry fruit without being heavy. This is broadened by verbena, mineral and woodland accents, while the citrussy acidity is well integrated, and chalky tannins give a firm, tight frame.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2021 Dellamesola, from soils in Bramaterra, is a potent, young wine that needs time in the cellar. Dark cherry, plum, licorice, menthol and dried herbs are all dialed up. This is an especially potent style of Bramaterra, built on fruit intensity rather than nuance. The Dellamesola is mostly Nebbiolo with a bit of Croatina and Vespolina, aged 12 months in cask.Vinous Media | 93 VM

While understated and delicate in the glass, the 2021 Nero d’Avola Siccagno is impossible to ignore. Crushed blackberries, tangerine, lavender, chalk dust and sweet spice form its dazzling bouquet. It’s round, soft-textured, quite juicy in character and has depths of tart wild berry fruit. Sour citrus adds contrast and tension throughout. The 2021 finishes with staining length, leaving a lingering web of fine tannins and salted licorice. Just a baby today, I expect the 2021 to flesh out beautifully with a few years of cellaring.Vinous Media | 93+ VMA single-variety Nero d’Avola, Siccagno displays a dark ruby colour and opens up to deep aromas of crushed blackberries, chocolate-covered hazelnuts, leather, and a whiff of tar. The darkest wine in the range, firm acidity and slightly dusty tannins provide the backbone for layers of undergrowth-tinged black fruits, a lively progression with a medium to long finish lifted by anchovy-like salinity. Slightly more rustic than the Frappato-based wines, it will show best with some bottle ageing. Aged for 16 months in large oak casks.Decanter | 92 DEC

In the low-yielding 2021 vintage, Peju turned out a wonderfully vibrant, compact, and energetic Cabernet, which includes 5% Petit Verdot and was aged 18 months in 40% French and American oak. A solid wine, well-knit, with a firm baseline of taut, fine-grained tannins and loads of dark black and huckleberry fruits. All the elements are in harmony and it continues to be one of the best value Napa Cabernets on the market.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of ripe black and blue fruit with spicy undertones, hints of blue flowers and cocoa. Full-bodied, fruit-forward, creamy and layered with silky tannins on the sleek, even palate. Smooth and lingering. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSIn contrast to the tannic Cabernet Franc, Peju’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is more supple and approachable. Floral, mint, cassis and black cherry notes appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate even includes hints of mocha and dark chocolate. Soft, dusty tannins mark the finish, joined by hints of toasted coconut.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has a slightly darker, more concentrated profile, giving up plenty of blackcurrants, scorched earth, and tobacco notes, with nicely integrated oak. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with ripe, velvety tannins, this voluptuous yet still focused and nicely structured Cabernet will keep for a solid 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRichly flavored and generous, this wine has a firm structure. Flavors of vanilla cream, blackberry, cassis, cedar and cracked pepper are carried by firm, fine-grained tannins and a long finish. The wine could benefit from decanting so hold until 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Ride leaps with vivacious notes of crushed blackberries, juicy black plums, and Morello cherries, followed by hints of camphor and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate is refreshing and taut, with bags of crunchy black fruits and a long finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

Juicy and engaging, with heavy mulled raspberry and blood orange flavors coursing through, carried by a bright mineral edge and a flurry of red tea and savory notes. The long, lingering finish has nice latent tension. Drink now through 2030. 2,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWell balanced, tangy and lightly tannic, this lively wine will be versatile in food pairings. Its red cherry and dried cranberry notes are delicious and appetizing, while the influence of new French barrels stays nicely subtle.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA fresh and crunchy pinot with lovely cherry, hibiscus and light orange peel character with hints of earth and cedar. Medium body. Fine tannins and a delicious finish. Delicate is the word. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

Rich cherries, cassis, fresh olives and dark spices. Svelte, fine tannins on the medium- to full-bodied palate, showing lots of juicy berries and a linear, extensive finish. Excellent length, focus and structure here. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThis is another robust wine from Tenuta Luce with immediate notes of maple syrup and brown sugar. Made with a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Sangiovese, the 2021 Lucente releases aromas of cherry cola, Tootsie Roll and toasted hazelnut. With 300,000 bottles made, you get a big and burley red wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPA sweetly scented blend of wild blueberries and dusty sage gains complexity through cardamon and ground clove hints as the 2021 La Vite Lucente emerges from the glass. This is soothingly round and pure in style. A wave of ripe red and blue fruits easily wash across the palate, leaving a tactile mineral tinge and spice. Fine tannins frame the finish without slowing its momentum, and the 2021 tapers off long and staining with a steely minerality that lingers. The Lucente is a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese geared toward early consumption.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Fresh aromatics of red fruit, dusty currant, and petrichor with ripe raspberries and fresh mint. The palate is lively and elegant, with cut strawberries, wintergreen, and crushed stone. There is ample structure with lovely acidity, and for the price, this wine feels like you’re stealing.Decanter | 92 DECAromas of ripe plums and blackberries with sweet spices and cedar. Full-bodied with polished, chalky tannins and juicy dark berries in the middle. Round and compact with a chocolaty finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

The appellation 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, and smaller portions of Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. It’s another fabulous wine from this estate, offering pure cr me de cassis, classy oak, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, plush, integrated tannin, and the vintage’s fresher, focused style, it tastes like it costs three times the price. Drink bottles over the coming decades. Bravo.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDAromas of ripe blackcurrants, dried raspberries, spices, cedar and bark. Full-bodied with a mellow, fruit-forward character and creamy texture to the tannins. Delicious and smooth with a velvety finish. Better from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon deftly balances hints of vanilla and cedary oak against notes of ripe cherries and cassis. While not overly complex, it’s harmonious and supple, a medium to full-bodied wine that will complement a meal rather than overpower it, yet it still has ample concentration, richness and depth. Drink it over the next 10 - 15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The 2021 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains) is a gorgeous wine that captures the essence of the house style. Bright, lifted and wonderfully transparent, the 2021 is all class. Sweet spice and citrus accents complement a core of bright red-toned fruit. Whole cluster accents add layers of nuance. This is such a gorgeous Pinot.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Dusty, floral and impossible to ignore, the 2021 Rosso di Montalcino lifts from the glass with a gorgeous bouquet of rose petals, dried cherries and autumnal spice. Silky yet pure and lifted, it flows across the palate with a tactile blend of red wild berries and minerals. The 2021 takes on a saline tinge while finishing long and staining, leaving a coating of fine tannins that promise many years of positive evolution. This is a massive success for the vintage.Vinous Media | 93 VMThese wines from Voliero are expressive of their southern locale. The 2021 Rosso Di Montalcino is fresh with sun-ripened herbs, tobacco, and perfectly ripe red plum, and on the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, with a core of fleshy fruit, ripe tannins, and a structured finish that never turns bitter. A lovely wine with a lot to offer, it will be great to drink over the next 5 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

The 2022 Malbec originates from the Uco Valley and is a blend of various regions and winemaking techniques. Purple in hue. The nose reveals enticing notes ranging from crushed plums to violets atop a faintly herbal backdrop. Indulgent and juicy, the plush texture and refreshing flow lead to a rich and satisfyingly long-lasting palate. This wine is built upon different components that come together to achieve a relatively complex flavor.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Aromas of wild raspberries cascade out of the glass with fresh rose, wild herbs and subtle earth notes. The lively palate pops with sour red cherries that are balanced by hints of anise and underbrush. Elegant tannins frame the wine perfectly. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WELanghe Nebbiolo is a terrific category of wine that is taking on enormous steam. You get the lovely character of the elegant grape but delivered here with more immediacy and ease of drinking. The Elvio Cogno 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is the type of bottle you hope to find at your neighborhood trattoria or pizzeria. The wine shows a brilliant ruby hue with fragrant rose, violet and sweet cherry. Production is 15,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPSourced from Nebbiolo grown just outside the Barolo zone on sandy soils, this Langhe Nebbiolo is primed and ready to be enjoyed now. Vinified in stainless steel with a portion of whole-bunch fruit and 30% undergoing carbonic maceration, it flaunts a beautiful perfume of wild strawberry and floral notes. In the mouth it has good intensity of juicy red fruits with a touch of herbs. Textural, sapid and vertical.Decanter | 92 DECNo written review provided. | 92 W&SThe 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is an homage to Valter’s grandfather and was fermented and aged only in stainless steel. The 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is a pale ruby, with notes of ripe wild strawberry, cinnamon, and white pepper. It is lifted, fresh, and medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and a good clean finish. Another fresh example to serve with salumi and as an aperitif, with a light chill, it is easy to drink and approachable. Drink over the next 5-6 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDDried herbs, dark chocolate and bark with red and dark berries on offer here. Medium-bodied, juicy and crunchy with a flavorful, citrusy finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JSJust a touch earthy in aroma, giving way to succulent cherry, raspberry, floral and woodsy flavors. Balanced and firm, with a lingering, spicy finish. Decant. Drink now. 1,500 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

An opaque purple blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, the 2022 Il Bruciato is luxurious with notes of blackberry liqueur and some blue fruit coming through along with notes of violets, olive, and black licorice. Full-bodied, with a weightless and seamless feel, it has no harsh edges and offers ripe tannins with a supple texture, fresh acidity, and clean ripeness through a rather long finish. This gorgeous wine checks a lot of boxes and is drinking beautifully now. It offers a lot of finesse as well as a wide drinking window. Drink 2024-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe popular Marchesi Antinori 2022 Bolgheri Rosso Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that offers generous black fruit, prune, black plum, spice and light toast. The wine tapers down to mid-weight texture on the palate, and this little pause in intensity happily serves to elevate its food-friendly appeal. This hot vintage reveals ripe fruit characteristics with soft tannins and an accessible style available over an ample 750,000-bottle production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The 2022 Languedoc Les Darons brings more density and richness, with ripe black cherries, wild strawberry, ground pepper, and floral notes in a medium to full-bodied, pure, beautifully balanced package. The purity and balance here are top-notch. The blend is 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and the rest Carignan, from old vines, with the aging in concrete. This is going to be a smoking value.Jeb Dunnuck | 92-94 JDA well-made red from old grenache with notes of cherries, blueberries, stones and black pepper. Medium body with fine, firm tannins. Textured and balanced with a compact and juicy peppery finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

Matthieu Baudry’s 2023 Chinon “les Granges” comes in this year at a svelte twelve percent octane. As I have noted before, these vines are a shade over twenty-five years of age, planted on sandy and gravelly soils down close to the river. The 2023 les Granges offers up a beautiful, wide open bouquet of cassis, dark berries, tree bark, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a hint of juniper berry in the upper register. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and already generous on the attack, with a good core of fruit, lovely soil inflection, modest tannins and fine focus and balance on the long and complex finish. This is just lovely Chinon! 2024-2045. 92.John Gilman | 92 JG

A vivid and crunchy pinot with lots of sea salt, strawberries and hibiscus with hints of violets and sandalwood. Notes of fresh flower stem. it’s medium-bodied with pretty fruit and a long, bright finish with plenty of energy. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS