Jammany Hall

2021 Super Expensive Wines and Their Affordable Mates

It’s hard to believe that the simple combination of sugar, water, and yeast can result in some ridiculously expensive liquid.  And some of this liquid is exceedingly rare and valuable. 

There are people around the world with the cash to acquire some of this magic grape juice, because the prices I’m quoting in this article are real and the going rate for these wines. 

So, somebody is buying it.

Maybe it’ll be you someday after your tech startup takes off, or you nail that winning lottery number, or your inheritance comes in.  If you’re fortunate enough to become rich and you want to experience some of this crazy expensive wine, go for it. 

Many of these wines aren’t bought to be consumed but are collector’s items that the owners use as an investment.  In other words, these bottles will sit in a wine cellar.

Personally, if I’m dropping $20,000 on a bottle of wine, that bottle will be opened and enjoyed. 

I guess you can compare it to the desire to own insanely expensive houses or cars.  It’s cool that your Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ can reach speeds of 305 mph (490 kph), but you aren’t going to have many chances to let it really run hard unless you take that beast out to the track. 

Fun to drive, awesome to look at, but other than being a target for thieves, it doesn’t hold much utility.

Let’s have fun oohing and ahhing at some super expensive wines.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you hanging by teasing you and failing to offer you some alternatives.

So, here’s how we’ll check out these wines and their affordable counterparts.

First, we’ll go over the wine variety (ex. Chardonnay, Merlot, etc.) and what you should expect regarding the variety’s taste and aroma notes.  Regardless of the price of the wine, all wines of a particular variety should have common taste and aroma notes. 

In other words, a bottle of chardonnay that retails for $5,000 should share common taste and aroma notes with a bottle that you can pick up for $12.

Next, I’ll show the expensive wine and its price and rating.  All prices are as listed for sale during the writing of this article. (6/1/2021)

Finally, we’ll look at wines that are of the same grape variety and are best values in their grape variety.  These wines are affordable and will give you the same basic flavor profiles as the super expensive wine.

I’d like to give credit to the folks over at Wine Searcher (www.wine-searcher.com) for the pricing and rating information.

Red Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet Sauvignon variety of grape is the top planted grape in the world.  One of the reasons for such widespread use of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety is its adaptability to different climates and soils. 

In fact, this grape variety can be grown from Canada to Australia and almost all points in between.  There are slight differences in the taste and aroma notes between the different regions, but the basic notes are present regardless of region.

You can expect to taste the following in your Cabernet Sauvignon:

Expect your Cabernet Sauvignon to be dry and full-bodied, with a good amount of tannin.

Most Expensive Cabernet Sauvignon: 

Best Value Cabernet Sauvignon:

Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir variety of grape is also widely grown around the world, although it’s more temperature-sensitive than the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.  Pinot Noirs tend to be grown in relatively cooler climates, as found in norther France, Oregon (US), Northern California (US), and certain regions of Australia and New Zealand.

As a cooler climate wine, Pinot Nir grapes don’t have the longer ripening times that are common with warm climate grapes.  A shorter ripening cycle results in less sugar production, which yields a slightly lower alcohol level.  The thin skin of this grape causes this wine to be less tannic, so it’s a good choice for those preferring a less bitter taste.

You can expect to taste the following in your Pinot Noir:

Expect your Pinot Noir to be dry and medium-bodied, with low tannin levels.

Most Expensive Pinot Noir:

Best Value Pinot Noir:

Merlot

Merlot is a super popular grape variety that is used by itself or as part of a blended wine.  In fact, the Merlot grape is a close relative of Cabernet Sauvignon, so these grapes are often used together in blends. 

Merlot is the third most-widely planted grape in the world, and just like Cabernet Sauvignon, it can be grown in a wide range of climates and soils.

You can expect to taste the following in your Merlot:

Expect your Merlot to be dry and full-bodied, high in alcohol, with velvety tannin notes.

Most Expensive Merlot:

Best Value Merlot:

Syrah AKA Shiraz

Syrah is rich, powerful, full bodied red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France.

The name Syrah or Shiraz is often thought to be a grape produced in Iran due to the city in Iran with the same name.  However, evidence shows that the grape is from the southeastern region of France and is derived from two local French grapes.

Syrah is one of the world’s most popular red wines, and it’s grown in many wine regions across the globe.    

You can expect to taste the following in your Syrah:

Expect your Syrah to be dry and full-bodied, high in alcohol, with medium-high tannin notes.

Most Expensive Syrah/Shiraz:

Best Value Syrah/Shiraz:

Sangiovese

The Sangiovese grape is Italy’s most grown variety.  This grape is often the backbone of many famous Italian wines, such as Chianti.

Sangiovese is an especially flexible grape, as it easily takes on different taste and aroma characteristics depending on the soil and climate of the vineyard.

You can expect to taste the following in your Sangiovese:

Expect your Sangiovese to be bone dry, medium-body, medium-tannin, and high alcohol.

Most Expensive Sangiovese:

Best Value Sangiovese:

Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a hugely popular wine in the US, and probably the second most requested at bars and restaurants after Chardonnay.  

Zinfandel grapes produce a bold and full bodied wine, thanks to the high sugar content of the grape.   If you remember from earlier wine articles here on Jammany Hall, a high sugar content often results in a high alcohol wine.  Where the average wine falls into the 11-13.5% range, Zinfandels can often exceed 15%.

You can expect to taste the following in your Zinfandel:

Expect your Zinfandel to be dry, medium-full body, with medium-high tannin, and high alcohol.

Most Expensive Zinfandel:

Best Value Zinfandel:

White Wines

Chardonnay

Chances are that you’ll hear people at bars and restaurants order Chardonnay more than any other wine.  Part of the reason is that most people (not you, of course!) aren’t familiar with wine varieties and tend to go with what they’ve heard others order.

For those in the know (like you!), Chardonnay is a fantastic white wine due to its ability to “do what the winemaker asks.” 

Chardonnay grapes are very flexible, and this makes it easy for winemakers to tweak the taste and flavor profiles through certain techniques.

Of course, Chardonnay grapes have a common taste and flavor profile no matter how the winemaker fools around with the product.

You can expect to taste the following in your Zinfandel:

Expect your Chardonnay to be dry, medium-bodied, no tannins, and medium-high alcohol.

Most Expensive Chardonnay:

Best Value Chardonnay:

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc has been described as an “honest” wine by top wine experts.  They say this because Sauvignon Blanc is rarely put in oak or other wooden barrels but tend to be fermented in stainless steel.

If you remember from other articles, wines fermented within wooden barrels will often take on characteristics from the wood.  This is a major technique that winemakers use to play with the taste and aroma profile.

Also, Sauvignon Blanc wines are enjoyed as young wines, meaning they are usually bottled and enjoyed within one year of harvesting.

Because it is such a basic wine, experts often recommend it as a “beginner’s wine” due to the ease with which the tastes and aromas can be detected.

You can expect to taste the following in your Sauvignon Blanc:

Most Expensive Sauvignon Blanc:

Best Value Sauvignon Blanc:

Pinot Grigio AKA Pinot Gris

Pinot Grigio is the Italian translation of Pinot Gris.  So, if you come across either of the names in a wine’s description, they’re the same grape.

As with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio is meant to be consumed relatively soon after fermentation and bottling.  Long aging periods can detract from Pinot Grigio’s fresh and crisp flavor, as would fermentation in wooden barrels.  Pinot Grigio is typically fermented in stainless steel containers before being bottled.

You can expect to taste the following in your Sauvignon Blanc:

You can expect your Pinot Grigio to be dry, medium-light body, no tannin, medium alcohol.

Most Expensive Pinot Grigio:

Best Value Pinot Grigio:

Riesling

You know that you can’t go wrong ordering Riesling once you know that the top rated wine experts have deemed Rieslings to be the world’s finest white wine grape. 

Riesling is Germany’s most popular grape.  It’s a light-skinned and very fruit-forward variety with interesting citrus notes.

It’s also quite flexible and can be tweaked by the winemaker to produce tastes that range from bone-dry to super sweet.

You can expect to taste the following in your Riesling:

Most Expensive Riesling:

Best Value Riesling:

Muscat

Here in the US, you’ll likely come across Muscat in its Italian translation of Moscato.  The Muscat grape is an ancient variety that has been used for thousands of years in the Mediterranean region. 

The Muscat grape was popular during the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The Muscat grape lends itself to the winemaker’s touch and can be developed through techniques to produce a wine that becomes a representative of the region and winemaker.

You can expect to taste the following in your Muscat:

Expect your Muscat to be off-dry, light-bodied, no tannin, low alcohol.

Most Expensive Muscat:

Best Value Muscat:

Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer is a wine that isn’t quite as common as some of the other wines we’ve been exploring throughout this article. 

In fact, there are only 35,000 acres of Gewürztraminer under cultivation, while Chardonnay plantings are over 10 times that number with 500,000 acres under cultivation.

Gewürztraminer is a pink-skinned grape variety that produces some of the world’s most distinctive aromatic wines. Its intense floral scent and sweet-spice flavors is adored by fans.  

You can expect to taste the following in your Gewürztraminer:

Depending on the region, expect your Gewürztraminer to be dry or overly sweet, full-bodied, no tannin, and low alcohol.

Most Expensive Gewürztraminer:

Best Value Gewürztraminer:

Takeaway

So, there you have it.

I’ve given you a dozen types of wine to consider, as well as choices between high-priced and best-value selections.

Now its your turn to get out there and give them a go.

Have some fun with the wine you order and invite your friends to try and identify the tastes and aromas of each wine.

Keep checking Jammany Hall for more interesting articles on the things that help to make your life better!