Reds Under $50

wines

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

Very aromatic, with raspberry, orange peel and floral aromas. Nice transparency. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a crisp, crunchy finish. Drinkable now, but better from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSA fresh, expressive red, this also exhibits tension, lending energy to its black currant, cherry, licorice and cedar flavors. Graphite and salty accents add detail on the long, tightly wound finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033. 15,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The young unoaked Mencía, the eponymous 2022 Merayo is varietal and juicy, with notes of licorice, wild berries, flowers and herbs. It has a moderate 13.28% alcohol and a velvety mouthfeel. It’s from old vines and was fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and kept in tank for two to three months. 85,000 bottles produced. It was bottled unoaked in March 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPFresh, fragrant nose of red berries, sour cherries and some stemmy herbs. This is juicy and medium-bodied on the palate with a vibrant, crunchy feel to the simple red berry fruit. Juicy and easy finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 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