Our Bargain Wine Picks of the Week – June 27, 2011

This is a series of weekly bargain wine picks by the members of the Vintage Wine Tasting Club. We meet every other month for a formal tasting session but in between we communicate with each other whenever we discover a great wine bargain. We love the sport of bargain wine hunting. Here are our bargain wine picks from the past week.

Alamos Malbec 2010 – Costco for $6.39 – Joe’s Pick
Normal price is $7.99, with coupon $6.39, and this will last until July 3 at Costco stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. We tried this wine Saturday at a family gathering, and when we told them what we paid for the wine they were quite surprised. Even at the regular price at Costco this wine is a terrific bargain. It is a nice red wine with typical Malbec characteristics. It is medium in body and has a nice finish. Have it with barbecued chicken or beef. 86 Points.

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Costco for $18.99
The 2008 has just been released and I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of this wine by Constellation Brands. We certainly enjoyed the 2007, and we think the 2008 is even better. It has a much richer aroma than the 2007 and I think a bit more deep in flavors as well. The suggested retail price on this wine is $28, and that means this price at Costco is a huge discount. Costco usually buys a truckload of this wine and, at least once during the year, has a coupon deal for a few dollars off. When I see that coupon sale, I am going to stock up on a case and drink if over the next several years. I have some of the Mondavi 2005 and 2007 in my cellar and it will really be fun to do a vertical tasting with the Vintage Wine Tasters.

In the “Nothing to Write Home About” category

Altocedro Tempranillo 2009 at Costco
I really got excited when I saw this wine at Costco for $11.49. Altocedro Winery in Argentina makes excellent wines and I love Spanish Tempranillo wines. Sad to say, but this wine does not hold a candle to my favorite Spanish Tempranillo wines. It is way too acidic for my palate. If you are looking for a good Spanish Tempranillo, stick with Prima from the Toro region that Costco has on the shelves at some stores for $12.89. Outstanding and it was in my June 6 picks.

By the way, I have written about the Vigilance wines in past posts and one that Janelle likes very much is the Vigilance Cimarron. This past week, noted wine writer Dan Berger wrote a nice piece in the Napa Register about this wine and the wines of Lake County. Vigilance is one of BevMo’s Vineyard Partners and you can buy the Cimarron at BevMo for $12.99. A great deal!