Ever stare at a $6,000 bottle of Petrus and think “I’ll literally never know what that tastes like”? Same. You don’t actually need to drop six grand to experience these legendary trophy wines. Professional critics have been quietly pointing out affordable alternatives for years that taste shockingly similar to the icons. We’re talking wines made by the same families, from the same dirt, sometimes by the exact same winemaking teams.
So I’m counting down 10 affordable wines that deliver that multi-thousand-dollar experience without requiring you to sell your car. From a $15 bottle critics call “Sine Qua Non on a budget” to an $85 Oregon Pinot Noir that literally beat DRC’s $7,000 La Tâche in a blind tasting (yes, really), this is your shopping list for drinking like a billionaire on a normal person budget.
I’m Dustin, and I’ve tasted thousands of wines—my mission is to make wine accessible and fun for everyone by cutting through the snobbery and complication with honest, helpful reviews for non-wine people.
Join my newsletter to get all the wines I reviewed! 👉 https://wineguydustin.com/
Buy my wife’s book here : https://amzn.to/4lbg141
My studio gear: https://tr.ee/nw3WA8
Great Wines under $25!: https://tr.ee/d5WGqF
Want to taste for yourself?: https://linktr.ee/wineguydustin/shop
BUY THE WINES HERE ⬇️⬇️
10. The “Rutherford Dust” Cabernet
Trophy: Opus One http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/BnrAL9
Affordable: Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
9. The Complex Champagne
Trophy: Krug Grande Cuvée http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/9LRQkQ
Affordable: Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve
8. The “Poor Man’s Mouton”
Trophy: Château Mouton Rothschild http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/GKeqWB
Affordable: Château Lynch-Bages http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/JKGQnN
7. The Master’s Apprentice (Amarone Style)
Trophy: Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/09WOqL
Affordable: Monte Santoccio Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
6. The Sweet Wine Rivalry
Trophy: Château d’Yquem http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/RGBaMy
Affordable: Château Climens http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/QjoeMz
5. The Aristocratic Neighbor
Trophy: Château Lafite Rothschild http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/556LvD
Affordable: Château Duhart-Milon http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/190OvB
4. The Cult Wine Value
Trophy: Sine Qua Non http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/WynKMn
Affordable: Domaine Lafage ‘Bastide Miraflors’
3. The Napa Legend
Trophy: Screaming Eagle http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/Oeg5MG
Affordable: Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/N9ZP7N
2. The Pinot Noir Upset
Trophy: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti / DRC http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/K0197z
Affordable: Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir
1. The Merlot Masterpiece
Trophy: Pétrus http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/556Loo
Affordable: Château Trotanoy http://westgarthwines.sjv.io/190OJ6
TIMESTAMP
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:30 Opus One Red Wine, California ($450) Alternative
00:03:34 Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne, France ($300) Alternative
00:04:28 Château Mouton Rothschild Red Wine, Bordeaux France ($600-$900) Alternative
00:05:36 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone Red Wine, Italy ($500) Alternative
00:07:31 Château d’Yquem Red Wine, Sauternes France ($400) Alternative
00:08:50 Château Lafite Rothschild Red Wine, Bordeaux France ($700) Alternative
00:09:51 Sine Qua Non Red Wine, California ($300-$500) Alternative
00:11:04 Screaming Eagle Red Wine, Napa Valley ($5,000++) Alternative
00:12:11 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Red Wine, France ($25,000++) Alternative
00:13:49 Petrus Red Wine, Bordeaux France ($6,000++) Alternative
Watch my other videos here!
🍷 I BLIND TASTED Boxed Wine vs Bottled Wine
🍷 I Found The BEST Costco White Wine Under $20
🍷 Sommelier Ranked Every Costco Wine (Ultimate Costco Wine Tier List) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkfkgLQJnMg
🍷 I Rank Every Red Italian Wine at Trader Joe’s (There Were 23!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24-npw_9SPo&t=480s
🍷 I Took On 21 Bottles of Trader Joe’s Pinot Noir in One Sitting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKhsSc4lx4s&t=203s
🍷 How I wish ORDERING WINE was explained to me as a beginner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSxtx0vux4I&t=22s
🍷 Sommelier Ranked $400 of Trader Joe’s Bordeaux Wine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKaousRwylg
🍷 I Tested Costco vs. Trader Joe’s Cabernet Sauvignon: Which One Is Best? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qvuj5zlhWE&t=5s
🍷 Is a $300 Champagne Really Worth It? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i4s-ZD1mdk&t=782s
29 Comments
Remember buying opus @ $120. It was worth the price then. I won’t touch it now
Great information, especially on the Oregon PN.
I’m five weeks pregnant so I will have to wait before I can try any of these! But I will be looking forward to it until then!
Another good show, but my limit is $50.00 for wine.
What happened to the $10-15 options? Kind of misleading title..
Buenas opciones 🍷
13:32 I once heard a MW say that the judgment of paris went the way it did because concentration was highly prized in french wine back in the day. Between that and this sometimes I wonder if score-based blind tastings end up being a case of New Coke.
Of course you post this just as I walk out of Total Wine with 3 left bank Bordeauxs… 😅
Very helpful video, Dustin!!! I always appreciate your videos.
Great video, a lot of those prizes are just unreal and highly inflated by many things outside the quality of the wine itself, there are alternatives if you know where to look!
Great Video thanks! ❤
Pronunciation of chateau d'Yquem was good 👍
Love your alternative suggestions. I will say that I wouldn't pick Krug as the unattainable Champagne, though, as it's less than Dom Perigonon or on par with Veuve Grande Dame pricewise, and can occasionally be found even in good grocery store wine departments (the Publix near where I work has some in their cooler!) — that title would go to Salon le Mesnil. Only made in declared vintages (they made wine in 44 years between 1905 and 2015, though they've made more in the past couple decades, only skipping 2009 and 2010 since 2005, and some of those haven't been released yet), it's a unicorn bottle for Champage, and absolutely amazing. There is a Krug made right there, the Krug Clos de Mesnil, which is a similar unicorn (and one I've not tried). My sidestep wine would be Robert Mocuit blanc de blancs, also from the grand cru village of Le Mesnil Sur Oger, and offering a vintage wine for around $125, or a nonvintage for under $100. Same village, same racy acidity, less aging, but also 1/10 the price. Not easy to find, but not crazy.
The Heidsieck is absolutely excellent, and I'll recommend people try it, especially if they can find it for under $90.
Also, for people looking to taste some of these wines, there are a number of large open-to-the-public tastings hosted by wine critics (ie, James Suckling) and magazines (Wine Spectator; they do a roadshow version, but the big tasting is in New York City in late October) where they might be found! That's where I've tried several of the billionaire wines on this list, including the Salon (my wallet, and my wife, won't let me buy thousand-dollar bottles. Lol I hide the hundred-dollar ones from her!). Expect to spend the cost of a couple of great bottles of wine on the ticket, but it's well worth it.
Another great video! Another great alternative to Château d'Yquem (correct pronunciation BTW) is Château Suduiraut, also nice Sauternes. And some second bottlings do a great job of emulating the big brother, most notably San Guidalberto for Sassicaia!
I sense wines have become like a Ferrari, where you just can’t buy one (or a bottle). You need to request to be put on a waiting list and then be invited to purchase (if your bank account allows it).
Great video, I agree with a lot of the comparisons, especially Charles Heidsieck which is a favorite of mine. I recently visited Bordeaux and had the chance to tour the Yquem estate and try some older wines from their cellars. An absolutely unforgettable experience! Highly recommend if you’re ever in Bordeaux. While the wines are very expensive, the tour was only about $90 and includes a tasting.
Btw, Petrus is pronounce “petroos” and Trotanoy “trotan-wah” I met Christian Mouiex a few months ago at a tasting, the owner of these two estates. His family also owns the Napa estate Dominus, which is an absolute stunning Napa wine.
Waiting for the sequel: 9 cheap wines that taste like the 9 cheap wines that taste like the most expensive wine on earth
MR. DUSTIN, 1st time to see a podcast of yours and I must say very impressed with your research and presentation! Just as good as a Petrus wine!!!
de is not pronounced day. You should know this.
Great episode!
Your pronunciation of Petrus is so weird…
Learn some french my friend. It is difficult to take your expertise seriously if you don’t know how the object of your attention is pronounced, or if you don’t care.
I really like the video, some excellent tips here that I never thought about! Happy to hear my fave 1st growth Chateau Haut Brion has not cheaper competitors it´s still no 1 hehehe!!!
Nice video! 👍 But my dude, worth it to learn a little French … 🍇🍇 At least your pronunciation of d'Yquem was OK …
As a wine lover on a budget,those prices are why i was forced to basically cease my exploration of wine and transition to an exploration of beer..
With wine,i started on the grocery bottom shelf and it ended at he grocery store midshelf..
However with beer,i can google 'ten most highly ranked beers' and i can afford each one,if i can find them..
Wine is a luxury,i realize that but just sucks to be excited about something that you are priced out of..
Prehaps i priced out quicker than most but i suppose at some point up the line we all do.
Semillon is a white wine
Great video Dustin. When you’ve made your first $Million through your channel, you should redo the video as a taste off.
Lynch Bages vs Echo, at 1/3 $$$?
Visiting Mayacamas was the highlight of our trip to Napa last year. A guided ATV tour of the property was amazing, and they let us taste wines going back 20 years!