Another year has passed and it was an eventful one, filled with travel and work and everything else that makes up life. Instead of sampling 600-800 wines as we would with a wine event heavy year, our field of view was once again smaller. This year it was in the neighborhood of 200-300. Some made a more memorable impression, and from those we present our 20 top wines from the
Our #1 Wine of 2023
past year.
As always this is based solely on our opinions, and we only have a staff of two. Value is the primary driver here, but having said that there are always wines that are simply too sublime not to include, even though they might strain the budget a bit. Our self-imposed limit is $100, however this list is comfortably in the affordable category and tremendous value bottles abound. You’ll find many under $20. As 2024 begins we look forward to many more opportunities to taste the best values the world has to offer.
Here are the wines. If you click on a highlighted wine’s name you’ll go to the detailed review. If there is no link associated with the wine, then the review for that wine is not published yet, but we’ll update this list when it does.
1. 2020 Montes Wings Carmenere – This is made from vineyards in the Colchagua Valley, located on steep slopes 200 meters above the valley floor. 2020 was a dry season. The grapes were harvested by hand, and bunches were also hand selected prior to destemming. After a cool soak for 5-7 days grapes were fermented for 12-15 days. The juice was left in contact with the skins for some time while and was tasted daily. The final wine was aged in French barrels, a mixture of new, second and third year. There is a dash of Cabernet Franc in the juice.
The wine is very dark purple red in color. Aromas of bell pepper, black pepper, blackberry and caramel define a seriously complex and rich wine. You get the same on the palate. This is luscious, long, complex and integrated beautifully. World class without a doubt, it was the favorite of the night for both Cheri and I, as well as several others who attended our tasting party. Comments from guests included “rich and fragrant”. $55 and worth every penny. If you don’t think Carmenere can compete with the more well know great varietals, try this and change your mind.
2. 2020 Raft Merlot – The color is a medium, dark ruby red. The nose is rich and resplendent with berries, cherry
and red plum. You also get tobacco, tar and umami. On the palate the wine is lush and smooth, yet still vibrant. Tannins are medium+ and build throughout. The core of fruit is really beautiful, and it holds right until the end of the long finish. This is one excellent wine. $30
3. 2020 Silk & Spice Red– This is a blend of Touriga Nacional (35%), Alicante Bouschet (35%), Baga (25%) and Tinta Roriz (5%). There is no wood involved here, and the complexity 
they get without it is mesmerizing. Dark purple red in color, the wine offers an abundance of aromas. We picked up, plum, blackberry, espresso, brush, herbs, vanilla and mint. It is full bodied, with a rich palate that delivers through the mid-palate and all the way to the end. Medium tannins, medium acidity and the finish is extremely long. This is delicious. Under $15.
4. 2019 Montes Toscanini Grand Tannat – A very dark wine, purple red and opaque. The nose is complex, with floral notes, pine, chocolate and mulling spice mixing with the
dark fruits. The palate is fruit driven, with brisk tannins, excellent balance and a very long finish. This is a baby still and will benefit from decanting. There’s also a little bit of a savory component. Here is a wine that will stand up to wild game, a boar ragout or your favorite cut of steak right off the grill. Excellent wine. SRP $59 and worth that price.
5. 2019 Coquerel Estate Cabernet Franc – Here we have a dark purple and opaque wine. The juice spends 22 months in French oak,
all 250 cases of it. The nose is complex and rich, with dark berries, some strawberry, tobacco, some spice near the end and a little whiff of something phenolic. On the palate it is full bodied with brisk tannins. This wine really delivers, especially as it opens up and blooms. It’s a big wine but one with an edge. Clearly a world class Cabernet Franc. Highly recommended. $54 and worth every penny.
6. 2022 Marichal Sauvignon Blanc – Pale golden yellow in color, this wine has a bright nose of apple, pear, lemon and white flowers. 
On the palate the pear is prominent, along with some herbal notes and a touch of grassiness. This is really smooth and has a nice acid edge to it that keeps it all balanced. We tasted this with a small group, and several found some savory notes. Around $15 and very much worth it. This is a delightful wine.
7. NV Basta Spirit Vermut Flores Rosé – if you have not enjoyed a glass of good Vermouth then you should try something new. This wine is made from a rosé made from Tannat. It is infused with roots, barks, herbs, fruits and
flowers. It is spicy on the nose, full of floral aromas and incredibly complex. If you’re a Simon and Garfunkel fan you’ll appreciate the Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, although the Parsley from the famous song is missing. It is sweet and bitter at the same time. This can be served cold, at room temperature, on the rocks or in many other ways. I enjoy it simply by itself, at room temperature. SRP is $16.
8. 2018 Ceretto Barolo – This wine is more of a cherry red. The nose is rich, richer in fruit than the Ceretto Barbaresco we tasted at the same time. You get lots of cherry,
floral and some wood notes. Tannins are medium. This is drinking well right now, and the next ten years are probably its sweet spot. It has medium+ body, elegance and great length. 2018 was a lighter vintage in terms of intensity. This is also a blend, made from 7 vineyards in 5 different villages. Delicious and a worthy choice for a top Nebbiolo that you can enjoy in the near to mid-term. SRP is $75.
9. 2021 Art of Earth Organic Cabernet Sauvignon – This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 
wine sees only stainless steel. There is no oak here. The juice is a medium, ruby red color. A rich nose is resplendent with blackberry, currant, cherry, ripe strawberry, herbal notes, tobacco and more. On the palate it is equally complex. It has good balance and length. When you consider the price and no oak treatment, you scratch your head a little bit wondering where all this is coming from. But don’t worry about that and just enjoy the wine. It is a screaming value at $12.
10. 2022 Masciarelli Rosate Colline Teatine – 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, the grapes are pressed and
then the juice does not see any skin contact. The wine is vinified in only stainless steel. The resulting color is a vibrant salmon pink, with more color than your average Rosé. On the nose there is a lot going on, with light berries and notes of lychee, blood orange and red grapefruit, along with floral notes. It is a little unexpected. The palate is fruit driven, smoother than expected but still very fresh. It finishes really long. This is excellent, a great summer wine and an elevated Rosé. $14
11. 2018 Chateau Puygueraud – We’ve been pulling some 2018 Bordeaux from our cellar lately and they are starting to hit their prime, drinking beautifully. This one is dark purple red, with just a hint of funk on the nose. Deep blackberry
and currant flavors dominate the palate, along with some herbal notes. There’s a touch of menthol as well. This is quite tannic and obviously still a baby. It is full bodied and very, very long. Enjoyable now and will last a decade. $20
12. 2021 Ron Rubin Brands Pam’s Unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon – Medium red 
color with a nose of plum, cherry and berry. To say this is fruit forward is an understatement. It’s leaning toward the tart side, but in a good, fresh way. The palate is pure fruit, and it really is simply delicious. A long finish caps it off. It’s not complex, but it isn’t trying to be. What is does try to be is wonderfully fruity, and it succeeds with excess. We were comparing this to the unoaked Cab from Art of Earth at #9, intending to include one, but they’re both too good to not make the list. $16
13. 2018 Marchesi Discardo Valpolicella Ripasso – A medium dark, purple red wine, this has some amber hues as well. The nose is full of cherry, berry fruit, tobacco, oak and
coffee. This is wonderfully complex, smooth and full bodied. The fruit core remains in control throughout. Just enough acid to keep it well balanced. Tannins are medium, and well integrated. The finish is long. This is a pretty delightful red wine, and a good example of how much you can get in a quality bottle of Valpolicella Ripasso. $28
14. 2019 Casa Ferrierinha Callabriga – This wine is a premium red blend, 14% alcohol,
and very dark, purple red in color. Long legs cascade down the glass as a rich nose of blackberry, black pepper, tobacco and menthol emerge. It is full bodied with a beautiful fruit core. Medium+ tannins build throughout. There is good acid and balance and it is very long. Overall this is an excellent wine. I would decant for an hour before serving. $35 SRP and worth it.
15. 2019 Cuvee Impresario – This was a featured wine on our river cruise on the Rhine, 
and it was the best red available on the ship. We drank it every day. Aromas of dark berries and spice with a beautiful fruit core, it is just full bodied, with medium tannins and a very long finish. Surprising depth from an Austrian red, but maybe global warming is at work here. $35
16. 2022 Ostatu Rioja Blanco – The color is a pale straw, and the wine has a rich nose of stone fruit, lychee and lots of minerality. There is a beautiful mouthfeel with some body and structure. This has brisk acid that keeps it
fresh and the overall sensation is a little tangy. Fruit lingers throughout, and lemon comes in at the end. You sense a touch of effervescence as well. It is very refreshing, a little different and a great summer white. I love white Rioja, a very underappreciated varietal. Primarily made from the Viura grape, wines are generally under $20 and of very high quality. Where red Rioja represents some of the best values in red wine on the planet, you can say really the same on the white side. $19
17. 2021 Ceretto Langhe Arneis Biange – this is a light straw in color, with a slight effervescence. It’s really complex, with strong
minerality, pear, some citrus, pineapple and lemon. There’s also a grassy element hanging in the background. Ceretto makes a lot of this, with 200 acres under vine. This sheer volume of vineyard requires a long pick, anywhere from 14-20 days. They keep each day’s pick separate, in a separate tank. Over the course of the picking the result is stronger acidity in the early days and and more structure in the later ones. At the end they blend the different wines with a goal of consistency, medium acidity, freshness and a delicate but complex profile. We’d say they succeeded across the board. This is delicious, and Cheri really liked it. Considering she rarely likes anything white, that is high praise indeed. At $25 SRP this is a great wine.
18. 2020 Primus Carmenere – Very dark in color, this was the darkest of the six wines we tried in a tasting of Chilean Carmenere. The nose is full of rich
fruit, red and black and ripe. The wine is rich on the palate, with notes of balsam and herbs. Cherry fruit shines through. Tannins are medium+. A guest described the wine as “smooth and silky” as well as noting oak on the nose. This is a good wine and great value at this price. $21
19. NV Domaine Bousquet Traditionnelle Rose Sparkling Wine – Organic, like all Bousquet wines, this juice is a pale orange color, with a touch of salmony pink. It also has 
small and abundant bubbles. The nose brings some cherry fruit, some orange and some toast. This has a hint of a more traditional champagne on the nose than the Brut, but it combines with the orange and cherry to become something diferent entirely. The orange comes through on the palate, and the wine is fun, refreshing and delicious. It is also not bone dry, with a touch of sweetness that works beautifully. I really like this. $18
20. 2021 Borgogno Barbera d’Alba – The color is a dark purple red towards a dusty
ruby. The nose brings dark berry fruit, herbs, and some forest floor. Full bodied, the palate is rich with a solid fruit core, medium tannins and a smooth entry. It’s a balanced wine with a very long finish. This is a very enjoyable bottle of red. Solid, delicious and a good value. You can also put this down for a few years. $33
There are so many great values on this list it is impossible to go wrong. Whether you like red or white, robust or elegant, modern or rustic, there is something that will impress. Obviously there are hundreds of other wines which could have made the list, but you have to draw the line somewhere. There are also a number of wines which would be at or near the top of this list from a quality perspective, but which don’t meet our $100 limit. Here is one you should consider:
2019 Ceretto Barbaresco Bernadot – This is a different animal, from a single, higher altitude vineyard. It is a
medium dark ruby in color. There is an unbelievable core of fruit here, evident in the nose as well as on the palate. A little tar and floral notes add to a classic Barbaresco profile, but one cloaked in pure cherry and berry fruit. Medium ++ tannins are brisk but integrated. The acid holds everything in line and keeps it fresh. It has great length, and is a spectacular wine. World class in every sense, this carries an SRP of $160. We never go over $100 retail for a bottle of wine, it’s just something we don’t do. We have many bottles that do retail over that, but we’ve purchased them on sale. We bought this, and we did blow through our $100 limit. We might buy more. It is very much worth it.
Here’s wishing you a great 2024! There are so many wines to discover.
A votre santé!
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