Budget Wine Review 1

2009 Blason de Bourgogne Montagny 1er Cru- $8.99 Trader Joe's.  This was very inexpensive for a white Burgundy (one of my favorite white wines) but just too one-dimensional. Light lemon nose with lemon and tart apple on the palate, it lacks minerality, depth or finish. Worth a try if you want an inexpensive white Burgundy that is decent but not very interesting.  At least you won’t have to put up with the excessive butter and oak that are found in some California Chardonnays. It is worth the price, but I don't plan to buy anymore, however. (I tried a second bottle of the 2009 a year later, in January 2013 when I grabed it by mistake instead of the Jacques Bourguignon Chablis.  I got a bit more aroma this time, still lemon and some melon along with the apple on the palate.  It is okay but not one I would look forward to drinking.) Pass.

2009 Jacques Bourguignon Chablis-$8.99 Trader Joe's. Great with seafood.  It does not have the minerality or complexity of a really good and expensive Chablis. Straw in color with medium body, it is very dry but smooth, extremely well-balanced, with lemon on the nose and lemon and green apple on the palate.  It is certainly one of the better white wines on the market for under $10. I really liked it! At this price, it is very difficult to find a really dry white wine that is so well balanced and almost impossible to find a French Chablis that is this enjoyable to drink. Buy one ASAP if you like dry white wines and then a case or more if you like it.  Very highly recommended.
Addendum: January, 2013. I recently tried the 2011 (Now $9.99) and it was off.  I tried a second bottle of the 2011 and it was fairly good and can be mildly recommended. It is not the gret deal that the 2009 was, though.

2009 Epicuro Agliancco Beneventano IGT, Compania, Italy- $4.99 Trader Joe's. Would you believe a wine this decent at this price? This one comes from Southern Italy, the region of Campania.  Dark purple in color, with a nice nose, it is a smooth, well-balanced wine with good tannin and acid with blackberry on the palate plus a hint of pepper.  Almost all wines under $5 are very one dimensional.  This one is not.  The 2009 is probably my favorite red wine for under $5.  The wine expert at our local TJ’s told the story of how a customer took this wine to a blind tasting of Italian red wines and it came out top, over many more expensive wines in the $20 range.  BTW I tried the 2008 back in May 2011 and did not find it nearly as good, so be sure to look for the 2009.  Epicuro's Angliancco  seems to vary from year to year.  Great bargain.  Will buy more of the 2009, not the 2008.  (Please see Addendum below.) The 2009 is moderately recommended for the price. 

I was curious enough to look this up:  The Aglianico (ahl-YAHN-eh-koe) vine originated in Greece and was brought to Italy by Greek settlers in the 6^th Century. Aglianico was famous in the ancient world for its part in Falernum, a wine revered by kings. It has been making a comeback after being nearly devastated by Phylloxera in the 19th century.  Aglianico is described as being full bodied, with firm acid and tannins and good aging potential.  It is deep garnet in color and can have some chocolate and plum aroma.  It is sometimes too tannic and concentrated to drink without aging although some newer wineries are using techniques to make them drinkable when younger.  It has a tendency to be complex. Aglianico is an important grape in the Campania region of Italy and is southern Italy's greatest grape.  It also grows in South Australia and Eastern Greece.

Addendum 9/18/2012: I just had a bottle of the 2010 Epicuro Aglianico Beneventano IGT and it was more fruit forward than the 2009, had less tannin, was not as balanced nor as interesting as the 2009 but it was better than the 2008.  It is still recommended as a drinkable wine for under $5, but seems to vary from year to year.  It is difficult to find a palatable wine for under $5 and almost impossible to find one that I would look forward to drinking.  This one, regardless of year, is worth investigating and is the best of the Epicuro $4.99 wines. The 2010 is mildly recommended at this price