The Best Inexpensive Wines Available Now

Bob, yes, I believe those would count as a meritage. As the term is made up, I think the bottler could slap the name on any blend. It's supposedly a term created by blending the words merit + heritage, but I find it a stretch to apply those terms more than any other. I think they just liked the "Frenchness" sound of the term the marketing folks came up with!

2000 Bordeau Christian Mouiex Merlot $5.95 at Costco. Absolute steal. Complex with hints of currants and blackberries. Nice finish. The 2001 is not bad either. Christian is the owner/winemaker at Chateau Petrus. This stuff can even be cellared for probably up to 4-5 years, but drinkable now. This is our everyday wine now, with Chateau Potensac 2000 Medoc our Saturday night wine at $19.95 per bottle and our once a month special wine being 1990 Lynch Bages, and our aniversary wine the Mouton 1982

Thanks for the tip, Schubertmaniac. I have a cellar full of "B2K", but nothing that can be drank now, so I'll pick up some of the Mouiex.. have seen it, but not tried it.

Doug: Besides Port, I've developed a taste for Duoros. Two that I've had recently and REALLY like are:

2000 Quinta do Vallado Duoro
2000 Quinta do Crasto Duoro Reserva

[being out of work, at least for a few months, ain't such a bad thing...getting caught up on wines, audio, friends, etc.!]

Santa Rita (Chile) Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon from 1999 (2000 is ok, too). A year ago it was available on Wine.com for about $14/bottle. Have surprised a few wine enthusiast friends who thought it would be in the ~$30 range...

Red diamond Merlot from Oregon Coast...on the best merlots around for $10 per bottle...served at Goodfellas...one of the best restaurants in Minneapolis...a real sleeper...