Big Basin Vineyards Red Altitude 2292 Coastview Vineyard Monterey County 2018

Did you miss this terrific Merlot-led blend from “one of the most dynamic up-and-coming wineries” in California? The price drops 66% when you order just two bottles, and shipping is included on three-plus – making it easy to add an exciting 92 pointer to your rack.

Hard-to-please critic Antonio Galloni is a big fan of Big Basin, and so are we – especially the wines they make from Coastview Vineyard. If you’ve been lucky enough to taste the Chardonnay and Pinot, you know that these vines perched at 2,290 feet in the Gabilan Mountains above Monterey Bay yield surprisingly joyous fruit – not austere, at least not in the hands of founder Bradley Brown and his small team. Yes, the 2018 “Altitude 2292” blend has a thrilling quality with lots of lithe layers and mountain lift, but it’s also full of fruit-forward, juicy satisfaction. Galloni rated this 92 points in 2024, and it has only gained since then, now punching well above our under-$30 price. 

And hey, it’s reasonable of the winery to charge $89. This is a labor of love: farming in an inconvenient (and stunning) location, up high on quartz and limestone soils; 42% whole cluster fermentation and native yeast; extra-gentle handling; 21 months in French oak; bottled unfiltered; and finally, hand-dipped in black wax. Only 10 barrels were produced. It’s rare to find this level of care and sense of terroir for $29.95.

The composition is 57% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, co-fermented for aromatic nuance and softer tannins. The wine pours almost opaque, and the gorgeous nose will probably make you salivate… pretty purple berries sink into minerals, then lemon curd evolves into salty capers, offset by sweet and cooling honeydew melon. The palate keeps all of this going in a “deceptively medium-bodied frame,” as Galloni noted. Dense, bubbling blackberry pie filling is pulled taut by eucalyptus and black pepper before hitting a jackpot of crushed raspberry on the finish. Galloni observed that the freshness is “quite impressive… leaving the mouth salivating.” That drool-inducing tension makes this such a great food wine.

At 66% off, definitely get enough so you can cellar extra and keep opening them over the next five years.