Gordon's Gin

Not my favorite gin, but my favorite affordable gin. If money were no object, I'd go for the Citadel every time, but this fellow, very decent at about $18 for 1.75 liters, makes a nearly ideal gin and tonic. And who's using gin for anything else, anyway?

Carril de Cotos Tinto 2002

It's incredible the kind of quality that can be found in spain for $8. Take this chunky, dark purple tempranillo for instance. It's just great, and head and shoulders above what one could find almost anywhere else at a similar price point.

Andeluna Cab Sav 2003

This Andeluna's entry level cab bottling. At $10, it's also top notch. I could drink great big cabs like this all the time. It's almost case-worthy.

Las Rocas 2001 Old Vines Garnacha

I'd been hanging on to this boy for the past couple of years--you might remember it caused a sensation a few years back because of some outrageously glowing press coverage.
Anyway, I paid about $13 back in the day, and finally cracked it the other night. What can I say? Nice, but not mindblowing. In fact, I seem to recall it being better back in 2003. I bought a bottle of the 2003 vintage at $15 the other day, so we'll see if that tastes any better.