EVEN MORE Bargains 2026
Continuing several previous years of reporting on bargain wines mainly from Trader Joe’s, Aldi and Costco, we’ll start 2026 with a couple of wines from the Costco CASE SALE. These are still the same price going on at least two years now. I will continue to add to this post for the remainder of 2026.
I’ve written reviews on both of these wines previously but, the Casa Santos Lima is a new vintage and the very generic nature and presumably enormous quantity produced of esteban martin, even if all of their wine is from the same batch, just the fact that they’ve been releasing the same vintage for several years now suggests that it might be maturing or changing. So, here’s the current reviews. 2023 Casa Santos Lima Red Blend Vinho Regional Lisboa PORTUGAL (13.5% abv) $59.99 per case of 12 at Costco equals $5 per bottle. In previous posts regarding the 2021, I’ve noticed and explained that although delicious upon opening, it evolves and develops that very special allure I call “desert island wine” after being open a few days. Just in the 10 minutes that this 2023 version has been in my glass having not tasted or swirled it yet, the nose has filled the room. Here goes! This is what wine smells like and way more. The initial whiff is just plain vinaceous but in seconds, another whiff is filled with complex tropical fruit phenols and energy just waiting to pop. In the mouth, pop it does with lively acid, edgy fresh fruit and the distinct sensation of grape skins. Not tannic; more of a fresh bitter mouth feel. Lovely right now, I’ll try to keep my hands off of it and see what it tastes like tomorrow and the next day.
Although the esteban martin in the European Wine Box was a 2022 and maybe a different cuvee, 2021 esteban martin Grenache-Syrah Varietal de Espagña SPAIN (13.5% abv) $49.99 per case of 12 at Costco equals $4.17 per bottle was given a 92 point James Suckling rating. How is it possible to ship a 45 pound case of wine halfway around the world, pay tariffs, taxes and markups and still sell it for less than many brands of bottled water? The nose just blossoms out bright, fresh, exotic and captivating. The palate seems lighter than I remember, but still absolutely delicious with just enough texture to cleanse the palate. Like the Casa Santos Lima, I’ll try to stay focused on the next project and let this air for a day or two as well. UPDATE: Both of these wines not only hold well, but I do believe that they actually have a richer feel and more pronounced character with no loss of freshness after a couple of days with the caps screwed on half full bottles.
By the way, although these epitomize what I crave in wine character, Alice is not normally a fan of raw, fresh, edgy and unsettled wines like I am, but she too loved these wines.
TASTED 5/24/2026
I’m a big fan of Aglianico from Basilicata in Sothern Italy. It is too rustic to please Alice but I love that aspect of some wines that bring back memories of food and family when my grandparents were alive. 2018 Messer Oto Cantina Madonna Delle Grazie Aglianico del Vulture DOC Basilicata ITALY (13.5% abv) $14.99 sale price at Village Corner is just such a wine. It is very dark, rich and concentrated; almost bitter. The nose reminds me of dried dates and wild berry jam. It makes no pretense of finesse. It speaks of the place it was grown with loads of edgy black fruit essence and a homey dryness that welcomes the rich texture. It is a joy to drink now at age 8 yet seems in many ways like a very young wine. I’ve got four more bottles, three of which I’ll drink over the next year or two. On a hunch, I’m going to keep one bottle way beyond that to see what this wine is like when fully mature should I be lucky enough to live that long.
TASTED 5/21/2026
We opened a couple of generic California Cabs which right after opening were both pretty generic and non descript. However, as they sat for a couple of days with increasing amount of air between the wine and the cork, they got better and better. As the 2023 Rickshaw California Cabernet Sauvignon CA (13.5% abv) !!.99 at the Village Corner aired, it really picked up spice and texture. By the time we finished the last drop it was pretty rich, layered and left a very satisfying dry spice on the palate. The 2023 Forever Vineyards California Cabernet Sauvignon CA (13.5% abv) $12.99 at Total Wine really picked up a remarkable ripe fruit port-like concentration. Even the nose had an amplified fruit liqueur component flowed nicely into more focused exotic nuances finishing almost like a ruby port. Both really nice wines that both got even better when I blended my last glass amping up the texture and spice of the Rickshaw and totally enticing one’s olfactory facilities by the exotic ripe fruit of the Forever.
TASTED 5/7/2026
Though I generally avoid Total Wine because of their deceptive (dishonest?)* pricing tactics of offering sale prices that you need to “activate” before coming to the store, we decided to stop in to see what was going on in the big box world of moderate priced Cabernet. We found tons of interesting wines and put together a nice case of Cabs but, as usual, the fact that we paid $10 more than advertised, left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Our first bottle today is 2023 Santa Anna Homage Cabernet Sauvignon ARGENTINA (12.5% abv) $8.99 at Total Wine which came on the heels of an Argentina Malbec. The Santa Anna smells and feels much riper and denser than the 12.5% abv suggests. It exhibits an exotic brown spice in the nose along with very ripe cassis, blackberry and juicy ripe blueberry. I’m amazed at the very firm mouth filling tannin and the extent to which it really smooths out and leaves the palate soft and plump. Though the winery is in Mendoza, there is no indication of the origin of the grapes. It is a surprisingly well made complex wine for a generic Cab of moderate price.
*Unfortunately most stores are now engaged in this store vs customer “gotcha” view that the customer is the enemy. Apparently someone at Total Wine got wind of my assessment and sent me a $31 refund. I have no idea why is wasn’t just $10 which is what I figured they owed me. No complaints but I wonder if to get the advertised values you have to complain and make a fuss. As far as I know, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Village Corner and Mega Bev are about the only stores we frequent that haven’t resorted to such tactics. Even Meijer has succumbed.
TASTED 4/29/2026
If yesterday’s surprise was stratospheric, then, today’s must be meteoric! To get an idea of this wines provenance see “Old Ports Never Die” posted January 11, 2024. Of the 60+ cases of wine that we hauled away from a distressed home sale, most of the reds were pretty tired. The 1985 Johnson’s Alexander Valley Winery California Cabernet Sauvignon CA (12.5%) free when acquired about 20 years ago, was no exception. I had so little respect for the wine at the time, that I left several bottles in the racks in our wine cellar when we moved from Holland to Ann Arbor. I wonder if the new owners of our condo ever drank it. So tonight with our weekly fondue and on a roll with old wine (see yesterday’s post 4/28/2026 below) how could I open anything else? Well SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!! The cork extracted with an AH-SO in tact and it decanted showing a beautiful deep burnt sienna influenced gem like brilliance. Alice took a whiff and proclaimed it wonderful. I figured her jubilance would last about as long as it took for the wine to reach the tip of her tongue. But, to my surprise, woooooo, she claimed it very special with enticingly complex layers of spice, fruit and dusty earth. She stated that she was tasting history. That particularly caught my attention. The nose reminded me of great old classed Bordeaux with subtleties of olive oil, black fruit, cassis, forest floor, tobacco and spice. On the palate, more of the same comes through with a remarkably supple mouth feel for a wine of this age. It is certainly one of the best older wines we’ve opened to date. I am in the process of contacting the winery. I’d like to know where the grapes came from because the label etiquette is contradictory. I’m also curious to know a bit of the history of this small family owned winery that was founded in 1974 that I’ve never visited nor ever heard of until we acquired these bottles.
UPDATE: The original owners have passed but their daughter, Ellen Johnson, has run the winery since graduating from college in oenology quite a few years ago. In 1985, all of the wines were made from estate fruit. A few years back, all of the vineyards burned to the ground so they have not replanted and use the facility mainly for events.
TASTED 4/28/2026
I had a dream last night that we were drinking very old wines from our cellar. So, I just had to test the waters tonight. As Gomer Pyle used to say “SURPRISE SURPRISE!”. With a lamb stew I secretly opened a bottle of 2011-13 Michigan Vintner Lake Michigan Shore Chambourcin/Cab Franc. This is one of the best wines we’ve ever made and it’s remarkable balance and longevity owes to the last minute blending that we did. If you remember, 2011 was a very difficult year viticulturally. Lots of rain, cool and not much sun even into late October. The grapes were just under 20 brix, with strong acid. Back in those days, we were not selling any wine commercially so we always had several vintages of wine in tanks, barrels and fermenters in various stages of maturity. So, when 2012 came along with its lush ripe fruit, rich body, lower than usual acidity and firm texture, well, we drank nothing but 2012 for better than a year. As our stock of mature wine started to dwindle around 2014-5 we thought maybe it was time to bottle up the 2011 which had been in barrels for close to three years. If my memory serves me, we had three barrels of 2011 Chambourcin and two barrels of 2011 Cab Franc. We blended them together. The LeRoux’s and I felt it was pretty good and would certainly get us through until the 2013’s were mature. I asked Alice for her two cents and she proclaimed it “piss water” and asked why we would even consider bottling such a distasteful wine. Well, on reflection, she was right. It wasn’t much of a wine to begin with and the three years in new oak hadn’t done it any favors other than infuse it with a charred vanilla nuance that both Tom LeRoux and I really liked. But Alice was right. The wine had no fruit and no vitality. So we were all set up to bottle at that point and we needed to do something quick. We still had a 25 gallon tank of un-oaked 2013 Chambourcin that was bursting with bright edgy fruit. We added that to the cuvee and bingo! We had a really nice wine with loads of fresh fruit plus a mature oak nuanced character. So here we are in 2026 with a fully mature, yet fresh and fruity Vinifera/Hybrid blend that demonstrates the class of Cab Franc and the decidedly Michigan terroir brought out in the Chambourcin. Even Alice, my biggest critic, had to agree that this was and still is one of the best wines we ever made. Not including our time or cost of equipment, we might have something like $3 a bottle invested. What a bargain!
TASTED 4/20/2026
We finally got over to Niemann Harvest Market in the Briarwood Mall. By and large, we were less than impressed and probably will not shop there in the future. Prices are very high but quality and variety is not as good as Plum Market or Whole Foods. Though the store is pretty large, there are a lot of normal grocery items that they do not carry. On the positive side, the Lake Perch was fresh and tasty, though $29.99 lb. I asked for a soft shell crab to be cleaned and the seafood person said he had no idea how to clean it. No problem, I know how. It was a very plump, juicy, meaty, great tasting devil. The posted price was $12.99 each but it scanned at $22.00. However, I found out that they don’t have anything like they do at Meijer, Publix, Busch’s etc. where you punch in a phone number and get the special prices. To get the deals, you need to pre-shop on your computer before you come to the store. No thanks! Meijer is starting to do that with many deep discount items as does Kroger too. What kind of marketing idiot wouldn’t want you to buy something in the store that is not on a pre-shopping list simply because it looks good? I never read the adds. When I was in the grocery business we lived and died by “incremental sales”. I guess today’s MBA figures that shoppers don’t have an impulsive reaction to delicious looking food. Alice picked out a couple of bottles of Malbec. First we tried 2024 Tilia organic Malbec ARGENTINA (13% abv) $13.49. The nose is very typical Argentina Malbec with lots of bright red fruit scents, minerals and spice. On the palate, fresh acidity carries pleasant fruit, spice and soft tannin. It couldn’t be more typical of the genre. She also picked out a wine that appeared to be priced at $4.94 but I see on the receipt was actually $5.49. NV Frontera (Concha y Toro) Malbec, Valle Central, CHILE (12% abv) $5.49 even at the regular price is quite a value. It is every bit as typical Malbec as was the Tilia. It is softer and rounder than the Tilia and maybe a tad less spicy but it has plenty of character, texture, ripe fruit and a very pleasant finish. This IS a bargain.
TASTED 3/17/2026
While in Bradenton Florida we mainly bought wine from ABC Liquors on Manatee Avenue. They give $10 off on $100 purchase regardless of bottles. Makes sense to discount on dollars rather than bottles. One of the wines Alice picked up was 2021 Flying Cloud Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon CA (14% abv) $19.99 at ABC Liquors. Maybe $20 isn’t exactly bargain priced, but to get very special single appellation wine these days usually will cost quite a bit more. As soon as I poured a couple of glasses, Alice and I looked at each other with that “holy shit, this is something different”. All of the wines from ABC were good but this was in a different class. The nose tells the story. It has that hard to put into words exotic, compelling, special combination of depth, complexity and class that evokes memories of many other pleasant flavors. It does the same on the palate; earth, black fruit, tar, tobacco, compost and and peppery spiciness. It is perfectly balanced. Though not “big”, it is so focused that it demands attention. It has all the attributes of very expensive wine.
TASTED 2/28/2026
It’s been ages since we’ve enjoyed a bottle of Soave (see August 20, 2017 “Does Anyone Still Drink Soave?”). Interestingly, like our Rude Tasters group back in August of 2017 when we tasted the 2015 vintage, Dick Scheer’s Wednesday tasting group also loved the 2024 INAMA Soave Classico (100% Garganega) Veneto ITALY (12% abv) about $17 at the Village Corner. Tonight with a chicken/kale casserole we thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It would appear that the winemaking has not changed in the past decade nor probably for many decades. It possesses that soft toffee, torrone, almond bouquet yet offers an amazingly refreshing spring rain purity reminding me of my very first observations about NE Italy’s white wines. There are certainly minerals and herbs just at the perceptible level keeping it mostly clean and transparent. Though not a big or complex wine, it is just so perfectly balanced that one cannot help but give it a big mmmmmm as one sips. Dick felt that the winery employs just a touch of süssreserve (sterile grape juice). It is certainly mellower than most Italian dry whites. $17 is hardly a bargain, but it gives a lot of pleasure on which you really can’t put a price.
TASTED 2/21/2026
A few days ago, I went through the cellar and picked out a dozen decent wines that I felt we needed to drink. Not necessarily rare wines or old wines but good wines for nice meals. One that caught my eye was 2010 Château LaFleur Plaisance (80% Merlot/20% Cab Sauv) Montagne Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux FR (14% abv) current vintage under $20. This is a wine I sold while working for Great Lakes so besides buying at wholesale, I definitely got a commission and probably some other perk on top. So, it was truly a bargain when I bought a case in about 2013 or so for something like $7-$8. This is a perfect example of how an inexpensive petite château can mature into an absolutely compelling bottle of fine wine. Why spend the big bucks for Grand Crus Classé grade? After decanting, the instant I stuck my nose near the decanter a whole host of Right Bank memories unfolded. This wine is absolutely quintessential Bordeaux Merlot. The color is a very deep maturing red and in the glass, that combination of compost, forest, toast, tobacco superimposed on berry jam captures the essence of the terroir. The palate is soft and silky yet rich and satisfying. As it slides across the palate, it picks up texture finishing very soft but not insignificant. One couldn’t ask for a more enjoyable wine to accompany a meal. We have one left to enjoy sooner than later.
IN ADDITION: A couple of days later, I opened a 2010 Château Du Ragon Bordeaux Supérieur FR (13% abv). Alice found it unpleasantly old. I enjoyed it but would agree that its best days were well behind. I think I had a full case of this at one time so we must have enjoyed most of the bottles while still in their prime. Like all vintages, some wines mature gracefully and some just get old. I wouldn’t save any 2010’s at this point enjoying the best while still in their prime and the others before they go over the hill.
TASTED 1/29/2026
So after a dinner of spaghetti with Bolognese sauce accompanied by a brisk fresh Barbara d’Asti, it was time to lay back and enjoy something that hits the sweet spot. 2019 Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5% abv) CA about $17 at MegaBev hit that spot beautifully. The nose is perfect! Loaded up with fine honed cassis, concentrated sweet cherry extract and sweet oak the nose is both powerful and classy. There is something about the best vineyards made by experienced winemaking teams that capture everything the grape has to offer. Even the oak is remarkable. I’d bet it is American oak. Ever notice how Rioja is oakier than oaky yet, the oak neither interferes with the fruit nor does it in any way detract from the elegance and breed of the wine. It reinforces and adds complexity. Most Rioja producers use American oak. On the palate, this wine does have the personality of a Rioja yet the structure and black fruit essence is all California. There is plenty of tannin but it goes pretty much unnoticed finishing with a fruit memory that has lip licking indulgence. This epitomizes a few characteristics that I love about the best California wines from the best vineyards made with great expertise. First of all, it is highly complex with great depth. It is balanced. Nothing lacking and nothing over done. It is the hallmark of tradition. Wines have been produced from this legendary vineyard by Kenwood for over 40 years. They know what they are doing in the vineyard and in the winery. Most importantly, it is a proven star. Back when many of us were earning $10 and hour, this was $17 and quite a luxury to enjoy. Today, with inflation, it is an absolute steal! I know it is only January, but clearly this is the best Cab we’ve had this year.
TASTED 1/11/2026
This wine may not seem bargain priced, but based on the price of comparable wines from this legendary Spanish cooperative, I was very surprised to find it at a decent price at Costco. Unfortunately, I waited too long to try it and it is now out of stock at our store. 2018 CVNE (Compañia Vinicola del Norte de Españna) “Cune” Rioja Gran Reserva SPAIN (14% abv) $19.99 at Costco hails from the same producer as the CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva which these days sells for $80+. The Imperial is only produced from select higher altitude vineyards in the very best vintages. This wine is also only produced in the very best vintages but not necessarily from the same vineyards. So, at a fourth the price of the Imperial, I figured that I’d give it a try. To my pleasure, it is classic traditional Rioja in every way. Distinct dusty oiled mahogany wood scents with black berry and strawberry scents follow with more terra cotta and long rich wet wood and tannin to the end. It certainly resembles the Imperial but may not exhibit quite as classy or elegant a stature. Though not a top Rioja, it is a good one and very typical. I’m not wowed but would certainly buy it again for $20 if it becomes available.
Enjoy in Good Health!
A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner
PS In the above photo, you’ll notice a huge stack of Château Petit Freylon 2023 Kirkland Bordeaux Superieur. This is a Cab based wine and right now tastes more like a young California Cab than a Bordeaux. I know this sounds stupid when talking about a $6.99 wine, but I believe it is age worthy and worth putting a few in the cellar.
