I think there are bunch of wine drinkers here so we might get some discussions in this thread. To me Bordeaux and Burgundy are super hyped wine regions. I can say the same things for Napa Cabernets and Oregon Pinot Noirs too. It's outrageous to pay $100+ for a Grand Cru Burgundy and get a mediocre wine. I can find really complex and multi-dimensional Syrah/Grenache blends from southern France in $10-15 range. There are many excellent wines under $10 from the same region. By the way, some Oregon pinots have a price tag of $150, thanks to the Burgundy hype! Wine Magazines and critics are also helping in creating hype in the market. I'm lucky that in the store I go to, I can taste some of these hyped wines by the glass without shelling out huge $$$. Recently, I tasted an Australian Shiraz rated 95 by wine spectator and 97 by Parker. The bottle price was $70--I wouldn't even pay $10 for that wine. I can get 90% of the experience from a $6/bottle Shiraz from Trader Joe's. Chinook
www.smokingloon.com this wine is inexpensive and quite good. rosemont would be my second choice. opus one is the ulitmate wine if price is not an issue. best, surfer
To me, ultimate red wine is a Nebbiolo based wine from Piedmont in Italy. Even though, top producers from Barolo and Barbaresco ask high prices for their wines, they're still not as outrageous as hyped up regions of France. However, once in a while you might get a great $20-30 bottle of Barbaresco or Nebbiolo. Once, one tastes a decent Nebbiolo, there's no going back to Napa Cabernets or Bordeaux Chinook