DIRT CHEAP WINES — BUT YOU’D NEVER KNOW IT
Sure, it’s nice to splurge on a top Napa Cabernet, hedonistic Super-Tuscan or Grand Cru Burgundy once in a while — but these wines cost a small fortune these days. It can be almost as fun to find a dirt-cheap drop that’s so good it automatically becomes your go-to bottle. You know, the kind of wine you can’t wait to tell your friends about. I’ve been keeping a short list of such thrillers for a few months now, and here are my top five:
2015 Cavit Collection Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT, Veneto, Italy (LCBO 99218 $12.95, available in store and online)
This classically styled Italian white zips across the palate with poise and restraint, upheld by a tightly wound core of gentle lemon and Granny Smith apple. It’s crisp and refreshing, reliable vintage to vintage and widely available here in Ontario. Crack the screw cap and pour a glass alongside a bowl of nuts, Margherita pizza or an easy Caprese salad. (Yes, your favourite summer bottle can also be your favourite fall wine.)
Score: 90
2015 Hardy’s Stamp Series Chardonnay-Semillon, Australia (LCBO #335638 $9.95, available in stores and online)
This surprisingly smart white hammers home the idea that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great glass of wine these days — you just have to buy from a trustworthy producer. Showing far more complexity and composure than most 10-buck wines, this bottle starts with salty sea breeze and fresh white grapefruit aromas that lead to a lively attack of brisk citrus, salted lime and grapefruit pith. Pour it and sip alongside a turkey and brie sandwich.
Score: 91
2015 Casas del Bosque Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile (Vintages Essential #974717 $14.95 available in store and online)
Casablanca Valley is to Chile as Marlborough is to New Zealand for Sauvignon Blanc — the place to look for full-throttle thrills. And winemaker Grant Phelps teases a sophisticated expression of that grape variety in this deeply undervalued drop. Think fresh kiwi fruit and ruby grapefruit notes that unfold slowly to reveal a touch of crystalized ginger, lemon oil and white pepper. The finish is astringent and long, making it a marvellous food wine for, say, miso-and-ginger-glazed salmon.
Score: 92
2015 Marius Rouge Pays D’Oc, France (LCBO 470096 $12.95, available in store and online)
Michel Chapoutier, who heads the famous Maison M. Chapoutier winery in the Rhone, created this wine as a tribute to his grandfather, Marius. And it’s an exciting new listing in Ontario. It tastes silky-smooth and polished with juicy flavours of wild berries without losing the subtly savory and refined elegance for which Chapoutier’s wines are known. So appealing and such great value. This classic bistro wine makes me instantly crave steak frites.
Score: 94
2007 Monasterio de las Viñas Gran Reserva, Carinena, Spain (Vintages Essential #82024 $17.95, available in store and online)
Seldom do you find a nine-year old wine on shelves under $20, let alone one that’s in its prime and drinks like a $40 bottle. But all of that’s true here. This stunning Gran Reserva still tastes gorgeously youthful, with lots of smooth, ripe fruit expressed as macerated crushed berries and plum purée. And all that depth and extract is imbued with leather, earth, grilled meat and cigar box from two years in oak and three years in bottle before release. Incredible wine at a steal of a price. Takes almost any hearty meal up a notch.
Score: 93+