Cheap Wine Reviews

Crane Lake Merlot 2003

Well, you came to this site for cheap wine. Welcome to the “Wine less than $5” category. Crane Lake wine, around these parts, is CHEAP. I’m talking $3.34 cheap. Think of it. You can get a whole case of the stuff for 40 bucks! But would you want to…?

Crane Lake Wine

My answer: sure, why not. It isn’t really that bad.

Tasting notes:
Very wet, with almost no structure. The second glass I had was chilled, which was much better in my opinion. Very light oak.

All-in-all, if you want to impress someone with a large quantity of wine on your premises, Crane Lake wine is the wine to do it with! Otherwise, I would try something like Marcus James or “2 buck-Chuck” that are in the same price range.

Price: $3.33
Wine enjoyed with: Sausage and cheese

Posted

in

, , ,

by

linuxdave

Tags:

Comments

161 responses to “Crane Lake Merlot 2003”

  1. Kell Avatar
    Kell

    Well, I’m sitting here mid-NaNoWriMo with a class of Crane Lake’s 2003 Petit Shiraz. Almost no tannins, which normally would be a minus, but as a late night creativity beverage, I’m actually welcoming someething softer. Medium bodied. Nice. Got it for $3.00. I’d buy it again, even for $4.50.

  2. David K. Henrickson Avatar
    David K. Henrickson

    Crane Lake cabernet~ Great Choice! I introduced my wine snob friend to this, not telling him that a magnum cost me only $8.00. He thought it was very tasty, “full-bodied” where his words. Definately reccomend this bottle of grapes.

  3. Char Wilson Avatar
    Char Wilson

    Is Crane Lake sold in Florida, specifically in zip code 34239?

  4. P Shanahan Avatar
    P Shanahan

    $2.99 Petit Syrah. Wondeful varietal character for the price, some sweet fruit, lacking a bit in structure but some tannins present. A bit flabby, better at a cooler temperature. Low alcohol for a petit syrah.

  5. Jack Berezny Avatar
    Jack Berezny

    Tried the Crane Lake Merlot and “not that bad” is a bit of an overstatement. There is an acid bite and lack of depth to the wine. Although the nose is very fragrant, the color and clarity excellent, it lacks a warmth and depth. Good cooking wine as it complements red meat flavors very well.

  6. Nicole G Avatar
    Nicole G

    I just happened to buy a bottle of Crane Lake Cabernet because it was on sale. I gave a glass to my parents (avid wine drinkers) and they enjoyed it. I found it at Meijers 3 for $10! And to think I almost passed it up because of the low price!

  7. Steve Avatar
    Steve

    I am a bitchy wine snob of a man, and my mother in law abandoned a bottle of Crane Lake Sangiovese about 3 weeks ago when she made some stew with it…about 1/4th a bottle. I had no preconceptions or idea what it was, but it was open, so I poured it. It ROCKS! Maybe because I’m slightly drunk (2 glasses in)…but doooood….WTF?!?!

  8. Kathe Helbig Avatar
    Kathe Helbig

    Is Crane Lake wine made by the Charles Shaw Vineard?

  9. linuxdave Avatar
    linuxdave

    Kathe, I don’t think it is. Similar prices, though!

  10. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly

    I love Crane Lake wines, get a bottle at the corner store for $4.99. The sangiovese is my favorite but Cabernet & Merlot also very good. The only exception I’ve found that super cheap wine can be very nice. Try it! Way better, less sweet than 2 buck chuck.

  11. rocky Avatar
    rocky

    Have tried all Crane Lake wines (all that I know of) in substantial quantities. Pinot Grigio – very light; Prefer Sauvignon Blanc. Sangiovese – best of the reds.

  12. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    I’ve been enjoying the Cabernet Sauvignon, until I opened a bottle last week, and after having 2 glasses I was sick as a dog!! I was nauseous for the next 4 days as well. I thought, maybe a flulke, so the following week, I thought I would try it again out of the same bottle. I felt sick after only a half of a glass…and today, I am still feeling nauseous. I checked the number on the bottom of the bottle, and it differed from 3 of the other bottles I bought. I wonder if I just got a bad bottle…has anyone ever experienced something like this??

  13. Bill Link Avatar
    Bill Link

    Of all the inexpensive wines I’ve tried, Crane Lake is my favorite. I have bought a couple of cases of the cab to use as a cooking wine but I keep drinking it. For a simple red it is much better than the jug wines and not much more costly.

  14. Lee Scott Avatar
    Lee Scott

    I have been told by a wine store owner that Crane Lake and Charles Shaw are the same wine; but since Trader Joes has the Charles Shaw francise, the Crane Lake brand is the same wine and sold in other stores.

  15. D.A. Farquar Avatar
    D.A. Farquar

    I have been drinking Charles Shaw $2 buck chuck for the past several years and have found it highly drinkable. I enjoy drinking a bottle while BBQing. BevMO has a similar wine for around $2.49, which tastes an awful lot like $2buckChuck. Try it and you will like it!

  16. Neil Isaacson Avatar
    Neil Isaacson

    I discovered this wine last weekend on a lark looking for something else at Rite Aid. They had a variety of choices and I chose the Sangiovese. I have had a couple other value wines from Albertoni ($4) and Luna ($5) I get from a discount grocer. Typically they run about 50% retail. I think this Sangiovese fares well with the others. This is the only one I tried but liked it enough to go back for several more bottles for the shelf.

    Cheers!

  17. Mark AND Donna Avatar
    Mark AND Donna

    My wife brought the crane lake 2004 Merlot on the advice if a person she met at the store. WE don’t buy cheap wines, but we did on a lark. We were pleasantly suprised. We found the Merlot smooth and a great complament to dinner. A little light on the tannins but still tastey.

  18. eileen Avatar
    eileen

    We tried the 2004 Merlot, the Chardonnay -also the Sangiovese at a BBQ We had last week….I am not a wine expert, but some of the guests where. They loved the light body of all of the wines. I better hurry over to Longs Drug store and get some before all my guests go (They are going to get some cases…) I prefer the Merlot and the Chardonnay – as they are not acidy.

  19. Shelby Avatar
    Shelby

    I frequently enjoy the Crane Lake cabernet, as it is $3.33/bottle at my local grocer and highly drinkable for a cheap red wine. In fact, it is the only red wine under $6/bottle that I find drinkable. I actually find it comparable to a lot of wines that cost three times as much. It is a bit heavy, and lacks depth and the subtle flavors of a more sophisticated wine, but for a “daily drinker” it’s not so bad! The other Crane Lake I like is the Sauvignon Blanc. It is actually very good. I had it with some shrimp salad that had apples in it, and it was a great pairing.

  20. John W. Buscher Avatar
    John W. Buscher

    You can’t beat these Crane Lake wines for the price. I could drink a lot of wine at this price.
    I haven’t seen a Zinfandel by Crane Lake. I wonder if they make one. And, what is Sangiovese? A most remarkable taste. Wish I new what it was.

  21. Frank Gaba Avatar
    Frank Gaba

    had a wine party …some frinds brought this wine Crane lake they said they lliked it ..
    we were serving top dollar wines and iam not sure if we were drunk or not but this dam wine tasted great……better yet when we found it under 5 bucks a bottle..so we are a little embarrassed when we buy it ..but

  22. alice Avatar
    alice

    just bought 3 bottles of Crane Lake Merlot. Will let you know.

  23. Neil Avatar
    Neil

    John W. —

    I believe the Sangiovese has Italian origins and the typical base used in Chianti – 70%, then blended with one or two others.

    The Luna I spoke of is quite excellent. Tho I was paying five bucks, I saw the same bottle/vintage at a local deli for $22! Yippee for me. Hope it returns next year to my outlet. I am holding on to a couple bottles until. Look for it as it is much better than the Crane Lake. But for the price CL is still a good buy.

  24. ANGELA LUCAS, FULLERTON CALIFORNIA Avatar
    ANGELA LUCAS, FULLERTON CALIFORNIA

    Please help…I hope!
    I had crane lake merlot in San Fran. and have not been able to even locate a single store that sells it near this aea….after paying shipping from a website, well the cost just goes up.

  25. Liz Brown Avatar
    Liz Brown

    I am a daily red wine (predominantly Cab Savs) drinker who seeks out good cheap bottles at my local farmer’s market (Dekalb GA Farmers Market – great plac!) and today they had bottles of Crane Lake on sale for $3.00 a bottle. I always buy 12 bottles at a time to get the 10% discount, so the bottle of cab was $2.70! I was expecting sour grapes… but what a surprise to find a light, uncomplicated, kinda merlot-ey cabernet for such a GREAT price! I love the French Bordeauxs that are cheapo (Like Mouton Cadet) but this little label might just find a permanent place on my rack. Kudos Crane Lake. where is your website???

  26. Betty Avatar
    Betty

    You can buy this at Winco Stores for $1.98 per bottle. They do make a white zinfandel which we enjoy tremendously

  27. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Angela – I live in the East Bay and my local wine shop sells it – on Alcatraz and Telegraph in North Oakland (almost to Berkeley). Right now it is on sale for $3.99 a bottle. I am drinking it right now and impressed for its price. That’s why I googled it…

  28. Jack Maloney Avatar
    Jack Maloney

    Bought two bottles of Chardonnay from “Rays” in Jacksonville, Oregon for 3.99 per. Four of us loved it.
    I’m back home now in Los Altos, Ca and wondering where I can buy it locally.

  29. andrew mustapich Avatar
    andrew mustapich

    We rent cottages on Cedar Creek Lake and place Crane Lake wines in the rentals for our guests to enjoy. We have not had any complaints but received many compliments on the wine.

  30. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    I stumbled across Crane Lake’s White Zinfindel in a small wine shop in North Carolina. Now that I’m back home in Delaware, I’m wondering where I can find more of this wine locally… it was light, crisp and surprisingly drinkable for such a sweet price!

  31. Chuck Crossno Avatar
    Chuck Crossno

    A wine-loving friend of mine poured me a glass of the Crane Lake Shiraz, and asked me my opinion, with out telling me what I was drinking. I’m a lover of big, full-bodied reds, and I was pleasantly suprised. I’ve bought case-lots of the Shiraz and the Pettie Shira, and I’ve not been disappointed. It’s a great inexpensive wine, that with decanting, drinks like a much more expensive wine. And given the amount of wine that gets consumed around my house, finding a drinkable red at these prices…$3.99 locally…I’m a very happy man!

  32. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    Received the ’04 Crane Lake Merlot as a host’s gift. Had no idea of the price. I enjoyed it among friends a few weeks later with tuna steaks. I thought it was a delightful bottle, with great nose and soft taste that wasn’t overly cloying. It went very well with the tuna, white pototoes w/dill and steamed veggies. I highly recommend it.

  33. linda Avatar
    linda

    I love Charles Shaw Merlot, but would like to try Crane Lake Merlot, where in VA can I find it?

  34. Carnu Gee Avatar
    Carnu Gee

    My husband travels all over the world and visits wineries when he has time off. We tried Crane Lake as our table wine ..and we REALLY liked it. We are red wine drinkers and have a little wine cellar with some wonderful wines, but this wine is GR8!!!

    Meijer in Michigan 3/$10.00 I bought 4 cases.

  35. Carnu Gee Avatar
    Carnu Gee

    I have a question: Why is Crane Lake so cheap? I have heard many “urban legends: divorce, new name pending….too many grapes…??

  36. Jeremy Avatar
    Jeremy

    An answer for Carnu, to the “why is Crane Lake so cheap?” query.

    The answer is: Fred Franzia and his Bronco Wine Co. Like his Charles Shaw label, Crane Lake is mass-produced from California grapes shipped to his plant in Ceres (near Modesro). For pictures and information, see the 15. November Wine Spectator (pp. 168-75). As with most wines from Bronco, the price is simply a result of the collision of Fred’s business savvy/model and grape glut.

    That said, Meijer in northern Indiana currently has Crane Lake priced at 3/$8. At $32 a case, it’s tough to complain about…am currently swilling my way through a case of the Shiraz. Good juice. That (the 05) and the 04 Merlot are both very reasonable table wines.

    …and if anyone knows of a font of Crane Lake Sangiovese around South Bend, please do be so kind as to share.

  37. Sofia Golightly Avatar
    Sofia Golightly

    My husband and I are wine collectors and travel to sonoma and napa often. Since most of our friends aren’t familiar with wine we decided not to use our $300.00 case for thanksgiving and bought a $30.00 case of Crane Creek. They loved it! They all assumed we spent a fortune on it! Haha suckers! It does the trick in a pinch.

  38. Robert Whiteside Avatar
    Robert Whiteside

    Can I buy Crane Lake wine direct?

  39. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    The look of the bottle is cleverly done to suggest a higher price. This wine should work well as an affordable sharing or gift wine for the next few years, until our secret is known. I’m sure there will be some pleasant competition too, as other companies see the sense in the combination of an upscale look, with a good tasting product.

  40. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    I discovered Crane Lake about two years ago. I definitely qualify as a “wine snob,” although I don’t overlook good wines at great prices, and Crane Lake is definitely one. I have gone back many, many times for bottles of their Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc. Both are great table wines, and are honest expressions of each grape. My experiences with their Chardonnay and Petite Sirah were also very good. My only complaint is that, because they are wines that are bought in bulk and then bottled, there’s a lot of bottle variation – from one bottle to the next, even in the same vintage, it really is a different wine. But, they are consistent 85 – 86 point wines in my opinion, and of the dozens of bottles I’ve had, only one single bottle dissappointed me, and even that one was pleasent to drink.

  41. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    In response to Jeremy: Crane Lake Sangiovese is abundant at Sahara Mart, here in Bloomington (IN).

  42. Peter J. Smith Avatar
    Peter J. Smith

    2004 Merlot has been real good, we just bought out 2nd case. We bought a case of the Sangiovese on the recommendation of a friend, haven’t tried it yet.
    $3 a bottle in Rite Aid in Northern Nevada.
    Sauvingnon Blanc has more body than I like.
    Cab S. was not as good IMHO
    P.

  43. Francheska Avatar
    Francheska

    I tried the 04 Merlot at a party the other night and loved it! I was so impressed I came to do a net search for it and found this board. I am thrilled to hear the price is so inexpensive. I plan on buying some.

  44. Rich Hare Avatar
    Rich Hare

    I’ve been drinking Crane Lake for a few years now. It’s definitely not a $20 wine, but beats anything I can find for $10 and under.

    The 2002 Merlot was WONDERFUL. The 2003 wouldn’t ruin your cooking too much, and the 2004 is Good. I have three bottles of the 2002 left, and have opened one tonight to have with some Prime Rib… and it is everything I remember it to be. Oh how I wish I could buy a few more cases.

    Rich

  45. Veronica Avatar
    Veronica

    it’s decent stuff. HiTime Wine Cellars carries it for $3 I think. http://www.hitimewine.net

  46. Ron Avatar
    Ron

    Where can I find Cranes Lake in central Florida?

  47. Brandon Avatar
    Brandon

    I just picked up a mixed case at food for less off of I-5 at exit 469 in Stockton, CA @ $1.98 a bottle.

  48. Ande' Avatar
    Ande’

    I have had several nice and expensive wines, I have had some expensive and not so nice wines, and also cheap and awful too. However, Crane Lake is nice on the taste buds and the wallet. I think it is not top of the line of course, but does someone even expect that with a wine at this wonderful price? I enjoy, all the reds—I am not much of a white wine fan, often too sweet for me, but I do enjoy a good dry white.

    I highly recommend Crane Lake! It is a staple in our house for the consistent evening wine and for cooking. I have even brought it to friend’s houses. In my opinion it compares quite well with many wines in the up to $10 range.

    I like it better than Charles Shaw and I have both regularly.
    ¡salud!

  49. Dead Head Bill Avatar
    Dead Head Bill

    Bought 10 cases of this (merlot & Cabernet) 2 years ago for a party we were having. No complaints. Now even buy it periodically to save a few bucks during the week. About $3.99 in North Jersey. Good deal.

  50. Jeannie Avatar
    Jeannie

    We love the marlot, I did a wine tasting and It won hands down.. How funny, I love it ! This proves it, you dont have to speend alot of money for a great wine….

1 2 3 4
Newer Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *