Best Reviewed
Best wine under $12
- Best bargain red wine Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2005 *Est. $11
- Best bargain white wine Aveleda Vinho Verde Quinta da Aveleda *Est. $6
- Top budget red, suitable for aging Yellow Tail The Reserve Shiraz 2005 *Est. $11
- Best "box" white wine Dtour 2004 Macon-Villages *Est. $40
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Best bargain red wine
- Best-value red wine less than $15
- Velvety mouthfeel
- Well-balanced and complex
- More flavor and character due to old vines
- Consistently good from year to year
- High alcohol content
We found reviews of Las Rocas Garnacha in Gary Vaynerchuk's Wine Library video series, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Dr.Vino.com and Wine.com. We appreciate Vaynerchuk's shoot-from-the-hip approach, and Parker, the world's most influential wine critic, offers particularly evocative descriptions. Parker is, however, known to prefer "big" wines with plenty of fruit and alcohol. Although we appreciate the candid ratings posted to Wine.com, we wish the site calculated each wine's average rating in consumer reviews.
All the reviews we read concur: Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha is among the best values in red wine less than $15. Two credible reviewers say it's smooth, balanced and very well made. This Spanish Garnacha (better known as Grenache) is said to be unusually complex for an $11 wine, with a bouquet of strawberries that gives way to black cherry, licorice, black pepper and even a hint of white truffle. We read enthusiastic reviews of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages, so we're confident that this wine is reliable from year to year. Consumers posting to Wine.com agree that, no matter the vintage, this wine is an excellent value.
Our Sources
1. Wine Advocate
Robert Parker writes that this wine "has a splendid perfume of spice box, lavender, kirsch and blueberry" and is difficult to resist.
Review: Review of Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005, Robert Parker
Gary Vaynerchuk says that this wine is exceptionally blended and very well made, although he doesn't like it quite as much as the Wine Advocate's Robert Parker does.
Review: 90+ Point Wines Under $10, Gary Vaynerchuk, Oct. 23, 2006
3. Dr. Vino.com
Tyler Colman reviews an earlier vintage of Las Rocas and finds it complex, with an "impressive finish for a wine at this price point."
Review: Review of Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2003, Tyler Colman, Nov. 17, 2006
4. Corkd.com
This wine earns an average score of 89.3 out of 100 in six consumer reviews. Reviewers say it's a great wine for the price, although some say it needs to be decanted about an hour before being served.
Review: 2005 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha, Contributors to Cork'd
5. Wine.com
This wine e-tailer lets you sort wines by combined ratings in major wine publications. Las Rocas Garnacha has earned a high average rating in 13 consumer reviews posted here.
Review: Reviews of Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2005, Contributors to Wine.com
