Good wine can be easy to find and affordable

Let's start with some inexpensive but easily accessible wine. Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay 2015 can be found under $13. It shows green apple and tropical fruits modified by subtle oak-driven cinnamon and vanilla from barrel aging, medium body and balanced acidity at opening. Flavors repeat through medium finish, 88 McD points. Buena Vista Carneros Chards 2013-15 are drinking well; the 2013 especially considering its under $21 price tag.

Very rich and opulent. Long but cool growing season allowed above-average ripening. These engendered ripe flavors of pineapple, pear and mango. Cool, very long season provided sufficient acid to carry all. Won double gold at San Fran Chronicle, 90 McD. 

Some reds: I found an Aussie Pinot Noir from Adelaide Hills, Riposte The Dagger 2016 by Tim Knappstein. He uses dueling terms on his Riposte labels: Sabre, Rapier, Cutlass, etc. RRs know I just love catchy names! These were well reviewed by Halliday, 94 points, and very favorably priced under $20. Had to give one a try and happy I did. A lot of wine at this price.

Crimson-colored, cherry and plum nose, ripe cherries, blackberries, French oak spices and smooth tannins on the palate with a long, clean, elegant finish. Don't miss this! 

M. Chapoutier has struck again with Bila Haut Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2015. Deep garnet-red with black cherry, gravel and licorice aromas, good structure, 90 McD under $14. This is M. Chapoutier's entry-level wine and a fine value. If you want to revel in one of Chapoutier's top dogs, take a look at Ermitage L'Ermite 2011. This spiked after the likely suspects RP and JR fawned all over it. In November 2013 it surged from $275/bottle to $453, then fell off the cliff to $231 when the equally well-received 2014 hit print.

I wish I had bought some at the low end. It again rebounded to $367 in 2015. The price has now declined into the $281 range. It can be found by diligent searchers under $240. I was given a few ounces to sample. The wine still needs a few in the cellar, but it is stunning and worth the candle for big-buck buckaroos.

By the way, the lowest scores since 1996 were 90 in 2002 and 92 in 2008. Most of the time it is well above 94 points. 

When the "lyin" Washington Post wrote, "KWV the Legend of Big Bill Red Blend 2014, priced under $10, from S. Africa's Cape Region, gets 94 points," I felt compelled to provide you, my reader pals, with the straight scoop. KWV, home to Cathedral Cellar, is one of S. Africa's oldest and the largest diverse producer. Big Bill is either named for a boxer or the famous 20K-liter oak vat named for him, depending on your fable choice.

These cost less than $9. Look for strawberry, cherry, pepper and dark chocolate aromas. On the palate, fruit, smooth tannins and a decent frame that run into a very nice medium finish with more chocolate, 88 McD plus 2 price points.

Seems like the editor of the wine and food section of the Post actually learned something in journalism school.