Hop on this rabbit for $53.88 a CASE
I’m always on the quest for wine bargains. Sure, Napa cabs can be great but they’re often expensive. Ditto many Burgundies. We need a wine for Sunday – Thursday.
Behold Colonia Las Liebres (Rabbit Colony), our current house red. I bought a bottle for $8 and thought it was remarkably decent. Then I hunted on the web and found it for $5 a PJ Wine (map it) in Manhattan. But wait, it gets better: there’s a case discount that brings it to $4.49 a bottle or the insanely low price of $53.88 a case. I had two cases delivered yesterday. I figure that should get me through the end of February. Oh wait, that’s Wednesday. OK, maybe a little longer.
The wine is an unoaked, unfiltered bonarda from Mendoza, Argentina. It is an unbelievable value. It has some bright purple fruit balanced against pleasant acidity and easy tannins. It’s gulpable. It’s now my official burrito wine but I’ve had it with pasta and would love to try it with barbeque. Is it a little bit rustic? Try it and let me know your thoughts…It’s made by Marco de Grazia et al. at Altos de las Hormigas in Argentinta (Michael Skurnik, importer). Scoop up as much as you plan to consume between now and July. And say adios to Two Buck Chuck.
(note: the 06 label has the same image but with a white background)
tags: wine | value wine
On February 28th, 2007 at 12:32 pm ,Anonymous wrote:
Perfect timing! Our wine group of 15 years (Pullman Brown Baggers) is tasting South American wines this week. We’ll try some and let you know how it’s received.
On March 2nd, 2007 at 7:42 pm ,David wrote:
I’m a big fan of your blog and so jumped on this one. I made the trek up to PJ’s in upper, upper Manhattan and scored a couple of bottles. At 4.99, I wasn’t expecting much, but this stuff tastes like…nothing (crickets). “Gulpable” is an apt description, but i’d rather slap down an extra fiver and get something with at least a smidgen of character.
On March 3rd, 2007 at 10:04 am ,Dr. Vino wrote:
Hey David,
Sorry this one didn’t work out for you! But I am honored that you put in the effort to go to 208th Steet to check it out. If you want to drop by the next meetup I’d be happy to chat with you about your wine preferences and see if we can get something more to your liking. Cheers,
Tyler
On March 5th, 2007 at 2:32 pm ,mark wrote:
I was so happy to see your post. When I asked a new local wine store for his six best under-$10 recommendations, Colonia Las Liebres 2006 was one. It was the first bottle I tried, and I agree with you, at $6.00 (his sale price), It was an amazing value. I rushed back to buy another half case. A few days later, I found it in another shop for $4.99, and cleared out their stock (sadly, only eight bottles).
Last week I located eight bottles of the 2005 out-of-town, and asked a friend to pick them up. I look forward to seeing how it compares with the ’06.
On March 12th, 2007 at 7:32 pm ,David wrote:
While not a huge fan of the Colonia, I can point you toward another deal (also at PJ’s for you NYers). Panarroz Jumilla ($6) ain’t the best wine I ever had, but for the price is really hard to beat. This Spanish gem has some nice cherry fruit and a decent finish for a cheapie.
On June 19th, 2008 at 11:39 am ,John wrote:
I recently discovered your blog (which is an excellent and helpful read) and in scanning some of the older postings found your piece on Colonia. I searched many wine & spirit shops in Middle Tennessee to no avail, until I stumbled upon the 2006 at a brand new shop in Franklin, TN. (For those unfamiliar with the area Franklin is, for the most part, tres upscale — lots of country celebs live in the area.) My excitement was tempered by the price — $19! I explained to the owner about your experience, he said he’d check with his distributor. I’ll jump on it if I can find it for less.
On July 29th, 2008 at 10:38 pm ,Dr. Vino wrote:
John,
Wow, that is incredible–3x the price!
And to think that the Argentine peso is the rare currency to have declined against the US dollar!