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

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161 responses to “Crane Lake Merlot 2003”

  1. michael Avatar
    michael

    I’m confused. My bottle of 04 Crane Lake Petite Sirah says “vinted and bottled by crane lake cellar, napa, ca.” Says nothing about Modesto. So is it or is it not owned by Franzia-Bronco?

  2. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Great wine, I normally dont buy California wine,but a friend “WHO IS REAL CHEAP WITH HER MONEY and loves merlot” bought it and I had a taste. It is very good wine, especially for the price.
    Keep promoting, and DONT change your price ! CHEERS……

  3. collette Avatar
    collette

    Picked up Crane Lake Merlot (in Fort Collins , CO)because I was low an cash and having a dinner party….the guests wrote down the name so they could look for it in Seattle. I had to confess how inexpensive it was. It’s a very smooth wine!

  4. Jesse Avatar
    Jesse

    I love Crane Lake. Here is how I buy wine…and I have quite a bit of it.

    If I’m buying wine to drink now, I’ll usually go with the cheaper wines because they are ready to drink….NOW!!! The bottles over 20 bucks usually require a couple of years or so before they are ready to drink. Crane Lake rocks for last minute guests. Nobody complains and usually ask. for the name of it.

  5. TC Avatar
    TC

    Having gone through numerous bottles of Crane Lake in all the varietals offered, I can easily say the best value of all is the Petite Sirah. It’s fruit forward and rather big, especially at 3.33 per. Easily the peer of several wines ten times the price.

    Now that’s not to say the others are not good values. For cryin out loud man, 3 for 10 bucks is a screamin deal for any of these wines.

    And EVERY RITE-AID carries these great value wines.

    Stack em high, watch em fly…

  6. Tisha Avatar
    Tisha

    My favorite wine is Crane Lake and I love the Merlot, being the Merlot fan that I am. My boyfriend is a wine snob, and likes the 30. Merlots, but I am hooked on Crane Lake.
    I get my stash of Merlot at Rite Aid here in Bellevue WA. The Merlot is very velvety, lush, and has a dry down of berry.
    Cheers!

  7. digital-bear Avatar
    digital-bear

    Just finished the Cabernet 2003. Had it with roasted chicken. On the nose, it’s not as nuanced and balanced as a more expensive wine. (But neither are the $10 wines from Robert Mondavi, Beringer, Yellow Tail, etc.)

    But, to drink it, it’s fine – very tasty. Nice color too.

    Easy to find in Detroit area – Meijer was 3/$10 – on sale. $5.49 at Kroger. I just paid $3.99 at V.G.’s Food, 18 and Ryan in /Sterling Heights.

  8. Ric Avatar
    Ric

    For anyone having trouble finding this awesome wine…BIG LOTS carries all the varietals for $3 a pop. Long live CRIZZANE LIZZAKE!!!

  9. Aaron Avatar
    Aaron

    -so, i guess we are all crane lake freaks? kind of nice that not everyone knows the secret–also that it is owned by halliburton.

  10. Oscarschic Avatar
    Oscarschic

    50/50 at my house. I didn’t find the wine to be that bad, but my husband hated it. He said it smelled and tasted like vinegar. Although I admit the tart finish is a down side – the overall fruity flavor and hint of oak far outweighs it in my opinion. 3/$10.00 at my local liquor store – I will keep it around for when my ignorant brother and his girlfriend come over. They are wanabe wine snobs now that they have gone to their first wine tasting!

  11. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    We got Crane Lake 2004 Merlot from a guest and we thought it was good for the money. Would love to buy in MA. Any store reccomendation?
    THanks

  12. Gerard Avatar
    Gerard

    Just snagged six bottles each of merlot/cabsauv/shiraz @3fo8$ from a Meijer in Detroit, pleasantly surprised, good juice and great value compared to the wine prices here in Canada. My boozy red nosed wine loving brother Pierre was shocked at the quality for the price. Thumbs up for Crane Lake and cheers to the overall quality of California grapes!

  13. Jane Avatar
    Jane

    Crane Lake Sangiovese is the best of all. $3.99 in the Memphis area.

  14. Susan Shelton Avatar
    Susan Shelton

    Where can you purchase Crane Lake in Texas?

  15. Rich Avatar
    Rich

    I’m working my way joyfully through our 4th case of Crane Cab, this last one being 2004, which I find to have a bit less body than the 2003s. Hopefully they are still around. For $30/case, it can’t be beat and if fools my supposed wine snob friends every time.

    Cheers!

  16. pam smith Avatar
    pam smith

    i really like crane lake white zin. it’s good. almost like beringers. i am having a hard time finding it in local stores . i life in suffolk county long island,ny. anyone know where i can find It?

  17. Josh Avatar
    Josh

    I was just introduced to Crane Lakes at a little store in Auburn CA. called Ikeda’s. What an amazing wine! Typically I do not purchase cheaper bottles of wine but I thought I would give this a try ~ best move I have ever made. I just went back and purchased 6 cases – I have enjoyed all their wines and will be back. Cheers

  18. Shelby Avatar
    Shelby

    Susan – where in Texas are you located? In Houston, you can buy Crane Lake at Fiesta grocery stores. It’s 3 for $10. They have all the varietals. You can also get it by the bottle or glass at Ziggy’s Healthy Grill.

  19. JOHN Avatar
    JOHN

    I found Crane Lake Merlot very tasty. I am a wine lover. Though I have a ten cent pocket book. I have tasted wines from bottles ranging from $30 – $150 a bottle, and I have found Crane Lake Merlot to be light on the tannins, but I like that from time to time, The Cabernet was heavier and well rounded. I have tried a few varieties of Crane Lake and they are worth the price. @ 2.49 a bottle, where can you go wrong???? Wonderful Wine for the typical everyday consumer.

    John. Napa Valley of California.

  20. Don Avatar
    Don

    I’ve been drinking Crane Lake merlot/sauvignon 2004 for 6 month now and love them! I just purchased 3 cases of each from Meijer for $24 a case. For under 3 dollars YOU CAN’T BEAT IT!

  21. Jay Avatar
    Jay

    We bought two cases at Wal-Mart for $1.97 a bottle. This is great wine at almost any price, but for less than $2.00 a bottle !!!
    Interesting enough, the wine also sells in Hong Kong, China, where it sells for about $18 a case. could it be that it is imported from China ??????

  22. Bernard Avatar
    Bernard

    How does this wine age? Any reports on the 2005’s?

  23. Jay Avatar
    Jay

    Bernard,
    This is not a wine that I put on the shelf for a later day. When I said that it a great wine, I meant, of course, that it is cheap and thus “great” for casual drinking. We had several bottles at a pasta feed with good friends and did not hear a single complaint and lots of positive comments by surprised drinkers.
    How does it age? Buy some and try to keep it on the shelf for a couple years. Is that worth the space? Not in my “cellar”.

  24. Brooke Avatar
    Brooke

    I googled this wine because I was wondering if anyone else had gotten ill from Crane Lake wine. I was sick to my stomach after two glasses for 24 hours straight ( not to mention the pounding headache). I noticed one other person was also sick from the wine. I wasn’t crazy about the wine but maybe thats because there was something wrong with it! Still have several bottles which I am afraid to drink. Oh Well.

  25. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    $1.98 at WinCo in California. Tastes like nothing.

  26. jANE mCvAY Avatar
    jANE mCvAY

    CRANE LAKE: Oh, Chard! I got so sick on it, for 2 days, I too don’t want to try the reds I bought. My guess on the cause, a high level of sulfites. Cheap & Dirty, cloudy wine needs lots of clarifying sulfites. A bit in the cooking’ll be fine, I bet

  27. Walter Palmer Avatar
    Walter Palmer

    I love all Crane Lake Reds. Especially the Cab. Many 7 8 and 10 dollar wines do not match Crane Lake. Not so familiar with the whites but the Chardonnay was excellent. Hard to find in Boston but better than 2 buck chuck which i also drink

  28. D. Eckert Avatar
    D. Eckert

    $1.98 at Winco supermarket SF bay area. Tried the petit sirah and found it to be OK and drinkable. 83 pts on my rating.

  29. LARRY GRITZINGER Avatar
    LARRY GRITZINGER

    We love the Merlot! Own Moosehead Lodge in Northern Michigan and are in the process of making it our house wine. Have had visitors from all over the country. Wine snobs and slobs agree…..it was great… Good enough to impress our guests.

  30. Eileen M Avatar
    Eileen M

    Am looking for Crane Lake Merlot in Rockland County, New York…Friend bought all 21 bottles which were left in store about 100 miles away.

  31. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    I drink the White Zinfandel for $3.99 per bottle. It is quite bold, but otherwise very good. I no longer buy Sutter Home.

  32. vicki Avatar
    vicki

    I recd 2 bottles of Crane Lake as part of a thank you gift. Both bottles were great. I have been looking for a retail store to purchase more in Nebraska or even Western Iowa. So far my search has been futile. Any ideas where I can purchase Crane in my area?

  33. Dameon Avatar
    Dameon

    I sorta stumbled on these by accident. 3 for $10 @ Meijer. Caught my eye that they are not magnums and have real corks. So, we gave em’ a whirl. We like wine, nothing like a good Turning Leaf or Smoking Loon. These are very good wines, I’m wondering when they’ll up the prices. Snatch em’ up. Nice mellow Cab, not very dry. Excellent Merlot and the White Zin is good not too sweet. Gonna try the Chardonnay. I have a Chefs degree and have had some of the best wines to cook with, this is a good wine to cook with and to use as a dinner wine. One for the food, one for the Chef. LOL

  34. Neal Myers Fort Wayne, IN Avatar
    Neal Myers Fort Wayne, IN

    Neither an expert nor a wine snob… but for the money Crane Lake’s Merlot 2005 is great. Having tried many inexpensive wines this rates up there… If not at the top… Bought two bottles of Merlot and I bet tomorrow I’ll buy two more…

    Enjoy!

  35. Tracy Eller Fort Wayne, IN Avatar
    Tracy Eller Fort Wayne, IN

    I bought this wine for the first time yesterday. I was taking it over to a friends to have with dinner. I thought it was a great deal at only 4.99. But to my surprise when I went to pay it came up only 3.25. It was such a great deal for such an easy drinking wine that i stopped today to buy the last two bottles they had.

  36. A Avatar
    A

    Hi , I was wondering , how would you rate California House Reserve Cabernet Dry Red Wine ?
    As well as Peller Estates Proprietor’s Reserve Selection – Cabernet Merlot (Dry medium bodies , fruity richness)

    thanks

  37. helen Avatar
    helen

    I bought Crane Lake as a joke for a friend who is a bird watcher. She also claims to actually LIKE yellow tail – so i figured at $3.99 i had nothing to lose. To my surprise – the wine was “not bad”. I’m not saying I am buying cases of this – but if someone needs a wine for a GROUP of people this is DEFINITELY ACCPETABLE – way better than gnarly head or yellowtail – & it even has a cute label with the bird! It is NOT a full bodied “chewy” CAB – but more a lighter bodied RED – that is NOT unpleasant. In an earlier post someone recommended to slight chill it – which may not be a bad idea.

  38. van c. miller Avatar
    van c. miller

    Does anybody know if this wine is sold anywhere close to Minneapolis/St Paul?

    van c

  39. Jeffrey Hemingway Avatar
    Jeffrey Hemingway

    I love the Crane Lake merlot. The only issue I have is that the next day my sinuses have lots of pressure. I did some digging and found that if too much yeast is used in the process, the sinuses will react. I still purchase Kendall Jackson from time to time for comparison and a change but suffer through the sinus reaction due to cost.

  40. Kirk Avatar
    Kirk

    I enjoy red wines, but am not an expert on wine. With that being said, I do know that if you get cheap wine you can be left sorely disapointed no matter how “refined” your tastes are. I bought a 2003 Merlot by Crane Lake for $3.99 the other day figuring if it was bad…just close your eyes, it might help! I actually found it to be a nice flavored wine. Not much depth, but for a glass of red after work, or as been mentioned a group in a pinch, you cant go wrong. Are there better bottles? Absolutely. Better for less than $10? I would put this one up against any of them.

  41. Rick Avatar
    Rick

    Drink a lot of Crane Lake reds purchased at Meijer. For $2 to $3 they are extremely drinkable. I will bring them as gifts along with a “good” wine and let my hosts do the comparison themselves. I think you need to get above $15 a bottle before you can find stuff that drinks reliably better than Crane Lake.

  42. Josh from IL Avatar
    Josh from IL

    I’m not a huge wine drinker, but like it from time to time. My wife is a wine snob, along with her friends. I purchased a bottle of Crane Lake Shiraz 2006 for $4.99 at the local grocery store. Now again I’m not a huge wine drinker and just got it so I could bring something to the party and told nobody not even my wife what I paid. They loved it, as did I. I went back the next day and purchased a case of it. Probably the most wine this store has sold in 3 months. I loved the smooth, slightly blackberry, slight hint of pepper at the start and smooth after taste that doesn’t stick around. if your looking for a good, cheap bottle look no further.

  43. Stephen Avatar
    Stephen

    The Crane Lake Petit Sirah has become our favorite everyday dinner wine. Haven’t had a bad bottle yet, and we’ve been through at least 3 cases.

  44. dan payne Avatar
    dan payne

    We get Crane Lake in San Diego for $2 per bottle. Really curious on who makes it. Tastes so good for the money; would hate to find out one day that it’s actually “soilent green” or something like that. For that price I’ll drink transmission fluid and like it.

  45. Brad Avatar
    Brad

    I’m afraid have to join brooke and jane
    in saying I got sick off this wine.

    I picked p a bottle of the merlot and petite sirah
    I only had a few glasses of each before it hit me.
    Pounding headach,nauseous stomach, diarrhea.

    never again.

  46. joe miller Avatar
    joe miller

    who wholesales crane lake in new orleans. i am a retailer and would like to buy some thanks

  47. john nicoletti Avatar
    john nicoletti

    Received three bottles of Crane lake from my cousin in Scottsdale AZ. Cab, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Not a big fan of chardonnay, but the Cab, and Merlot were great. Knowing my cousin is s wine drinker, figured he spent some bucks on the wine. Surprise, when I went to the website. Three bucks a bottle? Will be ordering by the case. This is a real nice wine. Forget the price. If it tastes good to you, than it is a good wine. No snobbery here.

  48. vio Avatar
    vio

    Found this wine at Costco wholesale club. $3.99 a bottle. I drink merlots mostly and of course I had to try this. I thought it was great. I keep several bottle on hand. Though I switched over to the cabernet for Crane Lake because I thought it had a little more body that is more characteristic of some heavier merlots. All in all, I am just a social wine drinker not an expert. Like the rest of the club, its more of a thrill to find a good cheap wine than it is to tell someone you spent a fortune!

  49. JLH Avatar
    JLH

    The wine distributor recommended the sangiovese so I got Sangiovese 2005. I used my wine opener that I have had and used for ages. The kind that goes on either side of the cork and you pull, so you don’t get pieces of cork. The neck of the bottle exploded and glass went everywhere. Needless to say it was undrinkable, but if they use cheap bottles I shudder about the rest of the product.

  50. Jared Avatar
    Jared

    I drink 2 bottles of Crane Lake every night I decide to drink. The stuff is amazing. When my local grocery store is out of the “discount wine” (which it really shouldnt be disctount wine cause its delicious) I end up buying more expensive wine. And it’s always way worse than Crane Lake stuff. Just for the record I only drink the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I think the Petit Sirah is too bitter, but maybe thats how all Petit Sirah’s taste. I am not really a wine expert.

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