Finding class in a glass — five gorgeous wines for less than $20
Masterful blends from South Africa and Mexico among affordable gems
A mammoth outpouring of new, and mainly pricey, wines floods Vintages shelves on Nov. 8. With all the luxury offerings, it is more of a challenge to find affordable excellence in my tastings.
However, we have persisted and found five gorgeous wines, all under $20, shown with bottle images and full reviews. The Cathedral Cellar in South Africa shows so much class in the glass it is hard to believe it is $15.95.
And we have our first ever Mexican superstar. Yes, we have La Cetto reds on our shelves, but they are rather hot and lack finesse. Not so with the Don Luis Seleccion from La Cetto. It’s a masterful blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and petit verdot and is a joy to sip.
Let’s look at a few more amazing whites in the release.
For you New Zealand savvy freaks, my top pick is Sacred Hill Halo 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (#278631, $21.95, 90) with tropical guava, pineapple and gooseberry zestiness. It beat out the Seresin Momo, which I found too sour in its grapefruit grassiness.
Ontario offers the return of the ever popular Featherstone 2013 Black Sheep Riesling (#80234, $16.95, 90) with its sweet/sour tangerine and lime candy notes. And Hidden Bench 2012 Chardonnay (#68817, $28.95, 91) dishes up rich butterscotch, toasted cashews and golden apple in a big and fat style for those who adore lots of oak.
It would be fun to taste the Beringer and the Latour with friends and try to guess which is from California and which one is from France
If you are thinking gift giving, you can step up to Beringer Private Reserve 2012 Chardonnay (#26682, $44.95, 92/93) with its smoky cashews, coconut and poached apple elegance from Napa California. It makes a fascinating comparison to Louis Latour Caradeux Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru 2011 (#390500, $44.95, 92) from Burgundy, with the same toasted almonds and smoky apple, with a peach component added. It would be fun to taste the Beringer and the Latour blind with wine loving friends and try to guess which is from California and which from France. And by blind tasting, I do not mean bags over your heads. The bags (or tinfoil) go over the bottles! Next week: Amazing monster reds.