These should be bestsellers, but aren’t

Truth told, there’s a lot of terrible wine out there. Harsh, unappealing bottles that taste hollow or hot, angular or shrill. No wonder we gravitate toward wines we know and names we trust.

But bestsellers don’t always deliver the best value for money.

So, this week, I’m sharing five little known wonders that overdeliver — starting with a velvety Californian Cabernet that’s brand new to Ontario.

And it’s a great time to try it because it’s $2 off at the LCBO from Aug. 16 to Sept. 12.

The wine is by a couple of Toronto natives — Chris Noll and Justin Dumitrescu — who founded a brand called Stel + Mar, named after their young children Stella and Marcus.

The 2019 Stel + Mar Cabernet

Sauvignon from Lodi, Calif. (LCBO 20808, $15.95 till Sept. 12, reg. $17.95), is a stunning buy. If you like big, bold reds that drench the palate with a cashmere crush of complex fruit, this wine is for you. The entry calls to mind muddled blackberries laced with blackcurrant liqueur and a touch of creamy vanilla. Then the flavours veer toward dark chocolate, toasted nuts and roasted coffee that persist on the finish.

This is a well-made Californian classic at an affordable price. Score: 94

The Stel + Mar Cabernet sports a cool label too — a print of a woman on a beach with a dog by Toronto artist Stephanie Cheng who has done work for such artists as Radiohead, Lizzo and Childish Gambino, among others.

Also new to the LCBO is the shockingly good value 2019 Hopetown Wine Co. Hill House Craft Red VQA Ontario

(LCBO 20258, $13.95). This pure Merlot draws you in with heady aromas of cherries swirled in melted chocolate. Then, it sweeps in with a silky, fruit-laden entry that’s dry, well-balanced and mediumbodied. The flavours echo the choco-cherry aromas found on the nose but become more defined in the palate. Red tart cherry, poached black cherry, bittersweet dark and creamy milk chocolate taste clean and articulate and then taper toward a lingering note of slate. Brilliant buy. Score: 93

Fans of crisp Italian whites will want to taste the new 2020 Luccarelli Bianco IGP from Puglia (LCBO 19921, $8.30). In a world awash in mediocre whites, this eightbuck blend of Malvasia Bianca, Chardonnay and Bombino Bianco is a bit of steal. Swirl the glass and experience its intense sliced lemon and sea salt scents. Then, let it rush in with generous yet poised intensity — a cool, crisp lick of citric zeal laced with light allusions of orange peel, candied ginger and cool stone. This beautifully balanced white tastes shinybright, polished and pristine. Wonderfully easy to enjoy on its own but versatile at the table, it offers outstanding value. Score: 93

The LCBO has also just released the NV Roscato Rossa Dolce IGT Provincia di Pava from Italy (LCBO 493254, $12.45), which is going gangbusters south of the border. This sweet, gently fizzy red with just seven per cent alcohol is a bestseller in the United States — for good reason. It’s a delicious, gluggable red that works as a cocktail style wine — you can even pour this over ice. But it’s also delicious with picnics, charcuterie and other casual fare. Expect sweet-crisp wild berry flavours that taste lively and quenching, lifted and sheer. It’s not fancy, but it’s definitely a smart crowd-pleaser to keep in the door of the fridge. Score: 91

And for those looking for an inexpensive jammy red worth every cent, reach for the NV Smoky Bay Winery Shiraz from South Eastern Australia (LCBO 17650 $9.70). Ripe, smooth and full of fruit, this lush red with no hard edges is sure to appeal to those looking for an easy-drinking red that won’t break the bank. Score: 91

I assure you all these five wines are undervalued. So, snap them up now, before they catch on and our friendly neighbourhood liquor giant ups the prices.

Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Toronto-based wine writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Wineries occasionally sponsor segments on her YouTube series yet they have no role in the selection of the wines she chooses to review or her opinions of those wines. Reach her via email: carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com