inbottles.com

The okie in me is dying to say this first: I’m gonna tell you what, that Sean Thackery sure can blend the shit out of wine, which is to say that Sean Thackery works ancient texts on wine (apparently he’s familiar with seven languages) to help create a special blend called Pleiades. Though the varietals may vary from year to year in this wine, a core list generally appears: syrah, sangiovese, mourvèdre, barbera, carignane, petite sirah and viognier. Thackery blends to taste and doesn’t keep records of what he puts in (or so he says). A very thin tightrope, indeed. The wine itself is juicy, complex, and subtle, with a mouthfeel that defines balance. If you can find it, buy it. ($22). **

Let me just go ahead and say it, $12 pinot noirs from anywhere generally stink. Cue our friends from Corsica (an island way the hell off the coast of France in the Mediterranean Sea) making it all better. Bright, fruity, with a lovely acidic frame, this is a wine that really redefines value. Seriously, I could see this wine at $25-30 and still think I was getting a deal. ($12). **

amancaya is the second wine of bodegas caro, which is an argentinian joint venture started by the catena family and domaines barons de rothschild-lafite. don’t let the second wine part scare you off, this 50/50 blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon is truly one of the best value wines out there. precise and balanced with tobacco, currants, blackberry, and a decently tannic frame, this is a wine i can highly recommend. Buy it. ($15) ***