The Best Age-Worthy Wines Under $30
Perhaps due to the stuffy reputation of wine cellars, there’s a common assumption that only expensive bottles are worth stashing away, but that’s far from the truth. Affordable wines can also benefit from this treatment.
As Anna-Christina Cabrales, our tasting director, explains in Wine Enthusiast’s December 2023 issue, “accessible, age-worthy wines inspire us to explore.”
When we come across a bottle of wine that’s delicious now, but will be even better in a few years, we call them Cellar Selections—wines that exhibit pedigree, structure and staying power for years and, even, decades to come.
“These wines make us raise our eyebrows and say, ‘You’ve got potential,’” Cabrales writes. “Our discerning reviewers commonly describe sensing a reservoir of untapped energy—one that no amount of quick decanting can release.”
With this in mind, we rounded up 10 of our recent favorites.
Among them is a surprising 2023 Gamay Noir from the Central California winery Lucy.
“The freshness of Gamay Noir in its youth is a beautiful thing, but that buoyant zip of acidity and crisp juiciness of the fruit also indicates that the wine will evolve in intriguing ways in your cellar,” says Matt Kettmann, the Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviewed the wine. “It will certainly be a noticeably different wine with a few years under its belt, but expect that fruit to give way to the grape’s inherent earthiness and the acid to smooth out over time.”
Kettmann often keeps an eye out for affordable Pinot Noirs to tuck away, like a 2022 bottle from Union Sacre in Paso Robles, made from Monterey grapes.
“Due to a varietal profile that balances herb, fruit and spice, Pinot Noir is one of the best choices to lay down and track in your cellar,” he says. “Even with just the tiniest bit of patience, you’ll notice different aromas and flavors emerge as soon as one year, and then those will only compound with time, picking up secondary and tertiary notes of mushroom, moss and forest as the years go by.”
Christina Pickard, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews wines from Australia, California and Great Britain, also likes Pinot Noirs for aging. One of her recent finds is a 2022 bottle from Craggy Range, in New Zealand.
“Windswept Martinborough, with its heavy gravel and clay soils, produces low yields of concentrated grapes whose thick skins make for sturdy tannins,” Pickard says. “Pinots from this part of New Zealand, therefore, often age beautifully for decades.”
She adds, “Craggy’s version is approachable young but clearly has the structure to withstand several more years of bottle age. At $30, it’s a bargain!”
There are even some bottles on the list that are wonderful now and will take on delightful characteristics in the future, such as a 2022 Shiraz from Small Victories in Eden Valley, Australia.
“This oh-so-modern Shiraz, from the comparatively cool Barossa subregion Eden Valley, is drinking deliciously right now,” Pickard says. “I don’t see it being one to plonk in a cellar to gather dust, but if you were to leave it another few years, until perhaps 2028 latest, it should gain more spicy, earthy complexity.”
Read on for the full list.
Ovum 2021 Memorista Riesling (Elkton Oregon)
A pear aroma is surrounded by a bouquet of apple blossoms, fresh pine cones and the sweet spice of daphne flowers. Lemon cake and juniper berry flavors are joined by something akin to anise or caraway seeds. Elevated acidity makes the Memorista vibrate on the palate. Enjoy this remarkable Riesling now–2034. 96 points. Cellar Selection. — Michael Alberty
$25
Ovum
Lucy 2023 Gamay Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands)
This wine was exciting enough upon opening, but it showed further depth and nuance over three days, ensuring that it’s going to be a winner for years to come. Aromas of raspberry, lilac and dark loam lead from the nose into a snappy palate of juicy berry, crushed rock and peppery spices. All of those elements elevate with patience. 95 points. Cellar Selection. — Matt Kettmann
$29.95
K&L Wines
Union Sacre 2022 Pinot Noir (Monterey)
This prodcuer, usually focuses on white and orange wine, makes a banger of a Pinot Noir, at least for those who seek juicy freshness. Crisp aromas of red cherry, mace and geranium oil decorate the nose, while the snappy palate picks up raspberry and ample texture, with more sharp spice to balance the joyous fruit. 94 points. Cellar Selection. — M.K.
$25.99
Flask Fine Wine & Whiskey
Quady North 2021 4-2,A Syrah (Rogue Valley)
From its bright acidity to its crisp, clean mouthfeel, this exciting Syrah overdelivers on quality for a modest price. A bowl of Bing cherries is sandwiched between aromas of bone marrow and coffee served with a touch of vanilla cream. The wine’s dark plum, blackberry, cinnamon and cedar flavors are delightful. 94 points. Editor’s Choice. — M.A.
$28.95
Avalon Wine
Weninger 2022 vom Kalk Furmint (Austria)
This shows a tasty reduction at first, followed by the notes of peach, ginger and yellow plum tied to a bony frame. It is beautifully complex, combining intensity with drinking pleasure, with an alluring mineral grip, and a mouthwatering edge that bring immediate enjoyment. It’s superlong and harmonious. 94 points. Editor’s Choice. — Aleks Zecevic
$27
Flor Wines
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