Reds $15 and Under

NEW YORK—When I started working at a wine magazine in the mid-1990s, $10 was the magic number. You could still find serious wines well under that price from time to time, where now it’s as anomalous as getting hit by a meteor or finding an honest realtor. These days, $15 is my mental ceiling for the big-time value category. And who doesn’t want a bargain? A rich guy I know—who could drink Château Latour every night if he wanted—told me it really irks him to pay more than 20 bucks for a bottle of wine. In his mind, wine should be inexpensive.

He’s right of course, but here’s a wine-world paradox: It’s much easier to make 500 cases of a stellar boutique wine that gets big ratings than it is to make 50,000 cases of a serious-minded wine valued at under $15. For the former, just buy expensive land and hire a good consultant; it’s something people do every year in Napa and Bordeaux, among other places. But for the latter, be prepared for a constant struggle to source the right grapes and to keep quality high despite the production level.

As I see it, Chateau Ste Michelle, the Washington State winery, does this better than most. Their brands include an eponymous label as well as Columbia Crest and Snoqualmie—all of which frequently deliver really nice red wines in the bargain sweet spot.

In a recent tasting of 25 reds under $15, Snoqualmie Merlot Columbia Valley 2005 ($10) stood out for its pretty nose (it smells of roses), as well as its nice cherry character on the palate. This is not the more typical plum-and-chocolate-type Merlot, but it’s appealing.

Hayman & Hill Meritage 2005 ($15), a Bordeaux-style blend from Monterey County, California, also rated well. It has a more typical Merlot nose (one of its component grapes) and features bright red-fruit flavors like sour cherries. This wine needs time to open up, so decant it for 30 minutes or so before serving.

The best of all the bottles we tasted was Torres Coronas 2004 ($12), made mostly from Tempranillo, with a little Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. This offering from Spain’s most venerable wine family is really lovely. The earthy nose has floral highlights, and the wine has a great mouth-feel and a lasting finish. The vanilla, plum, and berry notes stay with you and unfold pleasantly all the way. This kind of wine may not be under 10 bucks anymore, but it’s pretty darn close.

Ted Loos, Executive Editor of Art & Auction magazine, is the former features editor of Wine Spectator and has written on wine for Bon Appétit, Town & Country, and many other publications. He's the author of Town & Country Wine Companion: A Tasting Guide and Journal (Hearst Books; $12.95), published this fall.