Over the past six months Sunfish Cellars has been offering deals on wines with their cost plus $4. That means some outstanding deals expecially as you go up the ladder in pricing. Maybe not the best deal around the country on stuff under $30 but the more expensive wines are stellar deals.
My 2nd top wine of 2024
- 2020 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor – Chile, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto (8/30/2024)
Day 1: Natural cork. By far the best vintage of this wine in years. Powerful wine with blueberries, dark cherry, oak, spice, mild dill, charcoal and tobacco. Long and complex finish and nice acidity. This is amazing on a pop and pour but will age for 15 plus years. Buy!!! 95 points
Day 2: Wow! Cigar, oak, blueberries, dark cherry, menthol, spice, gravel, earth and bell pepper. Super complex wine and this will drink well for 20 plus years if you can be that patient. Amazing now. 96 points
Day 3: Wow again. Holding form from day 2 with some really nice Bordeaux like character. Gravel, cigar, dust, cherry, blueberries, menthol, spice, mild oak and earth. 96 points
Recommendation: This wine will be drinking well as a pop and pour or aging for 15 to 20 years. (96 points) $88 with tax and in stock
- 2021 Grosgrain Vineyards Petit Grosgrain – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (11/8/2024)
Nice wine with spice, raspberries, floral, minerals and earthy notes. Solid wine. (92 points) $27.50 with tax and in stock
- 2021 Big Table Farm Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (11/18/2024)
Day 1: Cranberry, floral, minerals, spice and earth. Nothing off the charts on day 1 but this is a wine that has shown to improve with time. 90 points
Day 2: Much better and approachable. Strawberries, mulberries, soy, damp earth, sour cherry, dried flowers and mushrooms. Very rustic wine overall and nice acidity. Medium plus finish. Well worth the price. 93 points
Day 3: Very consistent with day 2. An outstanding Pinot with long term potential. Love the rustic nature of this wine.
Recommendation: A solid for sure and drink through 2034. (93 points) $48 with tax and in stock
- 2017 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus – USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (12/16/2024)
Day 1: Natural cork. Big style on this particular bottle but super balanced. Tobacco, spice, dark cherry, minerals, earth, mild wood and dust. Complex and medium plus finish. Had to open another bottle as Morelli’s in St. Paul offering this for $38.97 on their Monday Madness deal. 93+ points
Day 2: Menthol, tobacco, bell pepper, blue currants, sour cherry, earth, wood and dust. Very nicely balanced wine and medium plus finish. Nice acidity to boot. Outstanding value under $45.00 in my market. 94 points
Day 4: This continues to be impressive even on day 4. Chery, blueberries, wood, tobacco, bell pepper, spice, earth, dust and minerals. Complex and medium plus finish. 94 points
Recommendation: An easy but especially in the MN market where this was $43 with tax.
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot (94 points) Price under $40 which is incredible as no better US Bordeaux Blend for the money.
- 2021 Big Table Farm Chardonnay The Wild Bee – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (1/29/2025)
Day 2: This is a beautiful wine with neutral oak aging. Diam 10 closure. Lemon, white flowers, orange peel, exotic spices, dust and minerals. While certainly not Chablis it has some similarities which I love. Nice acidity on the medium finish. (93 points) $33 and in stock
- 2021 Idda Etna Rosso – Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (2/8/2025)
Day 1: Michael Miller at Sunfish Cellars recommended this wine and at a great price to boot. Outstanding and will be going back for more. Light color but don’t let that fool you. Very flavorful with dried cherry, mild spice, floral, minerals, rust, earth and bramble. Medium plus finish and the tracker average right now is really accurate on this wine. Beautiful. 94 points
Day 2: Beautiful wine with perfume, sour cherry, a touch of spice, floral, clay, rust, earth and bramble. Nice acidity and a pretty wine. Medium plus finish. 94 points (94 points) $51.06 with tax Excellent - 2019 Monte Zovo Amarone della Valpolicella – Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella (2/8/2025)
Dried cherries, floral, mild spice, earth and dusty finish. Medium finish. Nice wine. (92 points) Under $50 - 2017 Bodegas Valdemar Rioja Conde de Valdemar Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (2/8/2025)
New oak with dark fruits, spice, blueberries, dust and floral notes. Medium finish. Young but long term potential. 91+ (91 points) Under $20