Rombauer, Ramey, and Flowers are all good and in your price range. And available at HEB (when it's open). If you want to spend a little more, Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch, Kistler, and Paul Hobbs are all very solid. Believe it or not, the La Crema wines are also very good for their price point ($25-ish).
I’m not sure how to put this except the Rousseau exceeded my expectations and was one of the best wines I’ve ever had. The price has always turned me off but I had a special occasion and found a reasonable deal and went for it. I’ll do it again. It was that good.
I’ve had a lot of Leflaive but that 2005 was outstanding. Youthful, vibrant, and focused. I have no idea how long that stuff may last, but it had another 10-15 years at least. With that said it might be at its peak. Hell if I know I haven’t had any 30 yr old Leflaives to compare it to. But if you come across one, don’t hesitate. Consistently the best white burgundy made, in my opinion, of course.
The Rayas was also sensational. I’ve been fortunate to have had a few of these over the years and there’s never been a bad one. Especially if you’re into the white Rhônes.
Got a nice long weekend set up. Wed dinner at Jeju, Thurs brunch at Nice Matin, Fri dinner at EMP, Sat dinner at Sushi Sho, Sunday doing Family Meal for brunch then seeing Harry Potter in the evening, and Mon dinner at Semma. I’ll post pics.
Just another note on this. The Judge can easily hang in with the best of white burgundy and might even win wine of the night in a side-by-side blind tasting. Highly recommended. Marcassin is the only other California Chardonnay in the same sphere and maybe some of the Auberts. You won’t find this anywhere near $375 on the secondary market. This is a great offer for anyone that might want to impress a wife/date/significant other. Panties will drop.
Roumier was amazing. 25 years old and easily has 25 more in it. Still had some vibrant cherry and red fruits but has evolved to show a ton of tertiary. Excellent wine and built to last. The Coche was also outstanding. Easily the best non-Grand Cru I’ve ever had. Makes me think the Corton Charlemagne might be worth a visit one day even priced as ridiculous as it is.
Had a nice little weekend. Unfortunately the 1961 was oxidized, and the rest of the Moutons weren’t shining their brightest. However the Rhône lineup was fucking spectacular. 1990 Krug Clos de Mesnil is the best champagne I’ve ever had, twice. Hands down. It might by the best wine I’ve ever had. This was my first Roumier Bonnes Mares and it was amazing. Oh, and white burgundy was had by all. 2002 Leflaive was the star of that show. The 85 Cristal was a magnum and was special as well. And lastly, Egon Mueller makes the best Riesling in the world. I don’t think second place is close.
La Crema has some good Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The Costco / Kirkland wines are very good for their price point.
K Vintners out of Washington for Syrah / Rhone varietals (he also does some Cab and Malbec stuff).
Lingua Franca out of Oregon for Pinot Noir.
3D flight path from FR24. Likely loss of hydraulics for the control surfaces and damage to the horizontal stabilizer - they were probably trying to fly using only thrust to control pitch. That must have been an absolutely terrifying stretch for everyone on board.