The Lion, the Witch and the Cheapo

One of these three roars, one stinks and the other is, well, plain cheap.
Lets start with the best. The Mildara, Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000 is a chewy, woody, but fairly complex wine at the same time. It is aging well. Definitely worth the money at $20 a bottle. I give a solid "GOOD".
The LaPlaya, Block Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 is a big disappointment. It is just so very plain, not even the usual Chilean fruit comes through. Ugh. An OK wine but crap for value at $16. Don't waste your money.
For a lark, I picked up a bottle of the cheapest wine on the shelf. The Casal Thaulero, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti, 2005 is surprising because for $6.95 you get an OK, very quaffable wine. The initial mouthful is actually good, but it blows off to just OK by the second glass. Hey, even if you only drink the first glass and cook with the rest, you haven't really lost anything. California may have its much maligned but actually drinkable "Two Buck Chuck", but this is our own bargain!
Cheers!