Reds Under $50

wines

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

Hold onto your hat. This is an extraordinarily seductive expression of Moulin-a-Vent. Dense and compact but also incredibly plush and dynamic, it makes a huge statement, a bit like meeting the goddess of black cherries. Interlocking fine tannins and remarkable minerality in the dazzling, almost endless finish. From totally destemmed fruit. Cold maceration for four days. Long fermentation. Aged 11 months in used Burgundian barrels. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSMade from 100% destemmed fruit and aged for 11 months in barrels (10% new), the 2023 Moulin-à-Vent La Rochelle is suave on the palate, layered with complex notes of stewed black cherries, licorice, black pepper, confit orange and spice. Full-bodied, the wine opens with a rounded, velvety profile that gracefully tapers, shaped by well-integrated, smooth-coated tannins, ascending toward a refined, complete finish. This is another beautiful effort from Anita.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2023 Moulin-à-Vent La Rochelle was very reduced on the nose, although there are black plummy fruit aromas coiled up here. The palate is plush and luxurious. Its acidity counters the richness of the 2023 acts more like a 2022! Kirsch and blood orange notes arise toward the finish as it gradually fans out. This is an intense Gamay that requires a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2023 Il Bruciato boasts a dark purple hue and exudes baked aromas of plum, pie spice, balsamic, and rich earth. Full-bodied, the palate is generous and rounded, with supple ripe tannins providing a fleshy sensation through the finish. I would prefer to enjoy this while it retains some freshness over the near term. This vintage is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc, 19% Merlot, and the remainder Syrah and Petit Verdot. 860,000 bottles produced.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe Marchesi Antinori 2023 Bolgheri Rosso Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato is an easy blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The 2023 vintage reveals a more powerful and riper character compared to 2022. Baked flavors do come through in this latest vintage with prune and cooked plum. But you also get added sweetness from the barrel aging that imparts dustings of cinnamon and nutmeg. The tannins are soft and accessible.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP