Pro Tips & Wine Bargains in B.C. #10 Part 1 - Wine Picks
Great Value Wine Picks for November
Ripe Fruit Forward Reds Style (think ripe cherries)
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DOÑA PAULA LOS CARDOS MALBEC - ARGENTINA
$12.99 reduced to 8.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
A single digit priced malbec? Could it be worthwhile? Happy to say that this is quite pleasant and drinkable with no off-flavours, lingering medicinal tangs or impassable tannins. So what separates it from other Argentinian malbecs at twice the price? As you might expect it’s a little simpler, a little plainer, and has less distinct malbec character than the higher priced models but the main difference here is chiefly that it has less intensity and it is definitely lighter bodied. Other than that it is well balanced with pleasing fruit components and satisfying - what the English would call “cheap and cheerful”. The price here is unbeatable. Worth loading up on this one. Tasted ✓ 87
Find Store Nearest You SKU 633628
SAN PEDRO 1865 LAS MORADAS SINGLE VINEYARD CARMENERE - MAULE VALLEY, CHILE
$25.99 reduced to 20.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
The aroma here is of a lovely, slightly “dusty” red plum skin fruit with some floral notes (lilac). The graceful balance in this wine is apparent even on the first whiff. The taste follows through with rounded, generous, floral tinged berry fruit with a good mouthwatering acidity and very soft, silky tannins. The intensity of flavour here is about medium for a red wine and is not big bodied. Great, great value here, it just seems to slide so easily out of the glass. Highly recommended. Tasted ✓ 90
Find Store Nearest You SKU 771394
MALBADO MALBEC - LUJÁN DE CUYO, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
$22.99 - 750 ml.
Wines from Luján du Cuyo are a little different than the majority of Argentinian malbecs and this wine demonstrates that difference. Luján de Cuyo is a sub-region of Mendoza in Argentina. In 1993 it became Argentina’s first official wine appellation and it’s wines were responsible for putting Argentinian malbecs on the world wine map. The vineyards are at especially high altitudes of 700m – 1100m producing large day and night-time temperature variations like the Okanagan Valley. Malbec from this area usually shows more black fruits like blueberry, blackberry and dark plums as it does in this wine.
In the glass the wine shows plums, prunes, wet wood, and plum jam both on the aroma and the flavour. A good extra intensity of silky focused fruit sets it apart and the finish is long and fades slowly. Tasted ✓ 90
Find Store Nearest You SKU 495601
BAROSSA VALLEY ESTATE GRENACHE SHIRAZ MOURVEDRE - BAROSSA, AUSTRALIA
$21.99 - 750 ml
This wine is a blend of three grapes - grenache, syrah (called shiraz in Australia) and mourvedre (called mataro in Australia and monastrell in Spain). You’ll find variations of the GSM blend produced around the world, mostly in warmer climates. This style excels in warmer wine regions. The GSM blend originated in the Côtes-du-Rhone region of France where these grapes are three of the most important. There is something about the combination of the lively, supple grenache vs. the rounder, deeper notes of syrah and mourvedre that gives such wines complexity and they are very appealing.
This is a smooth blend and a good introduction to GSM. The grenache is distinct on the nose and on the flavour. There are fuller bodied spicy notes from the syrah and a darker fruit twist from the mourvedre on the ending. Well priced for a good example of GSM. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 520205
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LIBERTY SCHOOL CABERNET SAUVIGNON - PASO ROBLES, USA
$24.99 reduced to 22.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
From the very warm Paso Robles area in California, lots of darker red fruit notes here along with touches of chocolate, leather and oaky notes. Well balanced with a long finish. Approaching its peak it also shows a lot of extra flavour drifts such as liquorice, anise and cola. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU 527184
PETER LEHMANN PORTRAIT SHIRAZ - BAROSSA, AUSTRALIA
$22.99 reduced to 19.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml
Very much in the Lehmann style with very big intense syrah fruit, softer acidity and smoothed tannins. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 144937
SEGREDOS DE SAO MIGUEL - ALENTEJANO PORTUGAL
$14.99 reduced to $12.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Tasted ✓ 88
QUID PRO QUO - CASA SANTOS LIMA ALENTEJANO, - PORTUGAL
$15.99 reduced to 12.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
If you like bigger but soft edged fruit forward reds with some complexity, this blend or Portuguese red grapes has the whole package including dried plums and fruit leather. The wine has good deep, red fruit intensity, rounded tannins, excellent balance and some real interest. The value for money and value for pleasure here is amazing. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 62235
Find Store Nearest You SKU 167370
Savoury Fruit Reds Style (plenty of fruit - but think cranberry, tomato sauce or fruit leather)
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CHAPOUTIER BELLERUCHE CÔTES-DU-RHONE, FRANCE
$22.99 - 750 ml.
The main grapes here are grenache and syrah. Rich liquorice notes with preserved red plums and some white pepper on the aroma and the taste. The wine shows good Côtes-du-Rhone character. The intensity and body here are both medium. The finish is long and stays focused, riding on soft approachable tannins. This wine is fairly robust. So if you enjoy a bigger California cabernet, you might want to see what the same style tastes like using different grapes. Good value and very consistent. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 0476846
BOUTINOT LES COTEAUX - CÔTES-DU-RHONE VILLAGES, FRANCE
$21.99 - 750 ml.
Another interesting and well priced wine from the Côtes du Rhone, an area that consistently provides great value in reds and whites alike. Your nose should find much going on here including cherry, bramble fruit, dry Mediterranean spices, tar/liquorice, black plum, wood ash and raspberries. On the flavour, it is biggish bodied with good length, balancing acidity, not too grippy tannins and black plum on the finish. Shows good Côtes du Rhone character. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 48934
A Step Out Savoury Red Wine
GIOVANNI ROSSO NEBBIOLO - LANGHE, ITALY
$29.99 - 750 ml.
Sometimes called “baby Barolo”, Langhe Nebbiolo is meant to be consumed shortly after release. Nebbiolo is the same grape used in it’s more serious and long lived cousin wines Barolo and Barbaresco. So, when it is good it gives you a great idea of why the senior wines are so well regarded.
This wine is actually light bodied and with the same depth of flavour as a pinot noir but the fruit flavour profile is much different. Here the the fruit is savoury/earthy/liquorice, a little spicy though it shares pinot noir’s supple elegance. The finish is long and the ending has drifting notes of tobacco, rose petal and cured meats. A lovely wine, ready to drink at a fraction of the cost of Barolo or Barbaresco. Well worth a try. The winery emphasizes organic and biodynamic wine growing and winemaking practices. Tasted ✓ 90
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 779702
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MAS DE SAINTE CROIX TENDRE COTES-DU-RHONE VILLAGES VALREAS - FRANCE
$20.99 reduced to 18.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
A robust grenache/syrah blend, this is a wine that shows savoury berry fruit concentration. It is slightly grippy on tannins at first but it opens up fairly quickly (and quicker with a double decant) to show a bigger, smoother texture. A touch of tar and blackberry bramble in the finish along with some alcohol heat. By blackberry bramble I mean the taste of a smaller, ripe blackberry where you taste the less sweet outside of the berry equally with the ripe fruit interior. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 253110
COLUMBIA CREST H3 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - HORSE HEAVEN HILLS, USA
$22.99 reduced to 20.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
The fanciful name Horse Heaven Hills is actually the name of the AVA (American Viticultural Area - equivalent to European legally designated Appellation areas), in Washington state. Washington state makes some great Bordeaux variety (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot…) red wines. This is an excellent example. The 2017 vintagw of this wine won Wine of the Year in it’s annual state competition. The style here sits somewhere between typical California and typical Bordeaux and has some real complexity. Well worth a try. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU 790378
SANGRE DE TORO TORRES - CATALUNYA, SPAIN
$16.99 reduced to $11.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Quite savoury, dry herbs, touch of smoke, simple,clean balanced flavours Tasted ✓ 87
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 6585
Lighter Fruity Reds Style (light to medium bodied, savoury or ripe fruit)
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OAK BAY/ST. HUBERTUS GAMAY NOIR OKANAGAN VLY., CANADA
$21.99 - 750 ml.
This wine is an overlooked gem from the Okanagan. Gamay is the grape used in Beaujolois and this wine drinks like a very good one. Simple but silky on the texture as gamay should be with red fruits that show clarity of flavour, some real intensity and frictionless tannins. Gamay is not generally complex or structured i.e. not a wine to think about but that’s just fine. Its enduring appeal is that it is a very easy drinking pleasure and this is a great example at about half the price of a comparable Beaujolais. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 462515
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TERRANOBLE RESERVA PINOT NOIR VEGAN - CASABLANCA VALLEY, CHILE
$18.99 reduced to $15.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Chile can produce some very lovely pinot noirs at the higher end. They also manage to offer a number of entry level, sub $20.00 versions but they typically lack “stuffing” i.e. some flavour intensity and at least some range of complexity. This wine definitely delivers a little more in the glass and is good value. Decent pinot noir from anywhere, depending on what you like of course, usually starts in the $20.00-$25.00 range.
The oak touch here is very light and the flavours are simple and savoury with a slight cherry cough drop note in the background but also some silkiness in the texture. This wine came together and improved a lot when it had been opened for a while so you might consider decanting or double decanting it to soften and unite the flavours. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 495595
Medium Bodied, Smooth Whites Style (little/no oak, easy drinking, fresh or savoury fruit, various grapes)
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YALUMBA VIOGNIER Y SERIES - AUSTRALIA
$19.99 - 750 ml.
Spring flower notes on the nose along with apricot, peach and almond notes, make this a great wine to try and it is also vegan. In the glass, the stone fruit notes follow through along with a balanced, pleasant, creamy texture and some length in the finish. This is a very consistent wine and an affordable small luxury. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 624502
WILD GOOSE - AUTUMN GOLD WHITE BLEND - OKANAGAN VLY., CANADA
$19.99 - 750 ml.
Everyday priced white blends can often be pleasant but a yawn. This wine stands out and has been very successful for this B.C. winery from Okanagan Falls year in and year out. The slightly off-dry aromatic blend here is gewürztraminer, riesling and pinot Blanc. Apple, a bit of honey, stone fruits, citrus peel and rose petals are found on the nose and on the palate. Well balanced, rounded and with a balanced acidity that keeps you going back to that next sip. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 414755
KEN FORRESTER OLD VINE RESERVE CHENIN BLANC - STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA
$22.99 - 750 ml.
The grape chenin blanc may not be that familiar to you but this is an ideal way to make its acquaintence.
Pear and apricot notes lead here along with ripe apple, citrus peel and chamomile. The older vines this wine is made from average 35 years of age and contribute to its complexity and great length of the finish. The wine is very finely balanced and detailed in its flavours
This 2021 vintage currently on B.C. liquor store shelves was awarded a Best in Show award at the 2022 version of the highly respected Decanter World Wine Awards, receiving whopping 97 points. Tasted ✓ 91
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 120202
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A Step Out - Medium Bodied Smooth Whites
T & V CAREME TERRE BRULEE CHENIN BLANC - SOUTH AFRICA
$21.99 reduced to 19.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
The grape here is chenin blanc. It makes wines of great variety and complexity in the Loire Valley in France. It is also grown here in B.C. And if this is not a familiar grape to you, this would be a great introduction. Though a dry wine, it has rounded, lush, floral flavours of honey, lime peel and peach. Slightly tangy and perfectly balanced, the richness of the fruit is very appealing. Very well priced now on sale. Tasted ✓ 90
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 182934
LOUIS BERNARD COTES DU RHONE BLANC, FRANCE
$16.99 reduced to 14.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
The grapes in this unoaked wine are a blend of probably less familiar Southern Rhone varieties such as Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc & Clairette but the result is delicious, light to medium bodied, and well balanced with flavours of pear and melon notes, with a decently long finish. Good value at the regular price. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 589432
CHAPOUTIER BILA HAUT BLANC ROUSSILLON, FRANCE
$19.99 reduced to 16.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Pale gold in colour. On the nose slightly candied lemon and lemon pith and a touch of Parmesan rind. The taste is similar with some silkiness, and good intensity. It lingers in the finish very pleasantly with lemon notes and a touch of green olive and some citrus zing. The grapes here may not be that familiar here including Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne and Macabeu but the result is delightful. A rose by any other name. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 175042
DEVILS LAIR HONEYBOMB CHARDONNAY - MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA
$24.99 Reduced to $22.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Despite the curious Honeybomb name, the wine is actually dry. This chardonnay, has a bit of everything including, apricots/peaches, orange peel, some toasty notes and supple chardonnay fruit. A very pleasing remarkably balanced wine that finishes with a good juicy acidity. There are not a lot of chardonnays in B.C. liquor stores that are this good at this price. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 77725
Richer, Oak Influenced Whites Style (fuller, buttery, with citrus, vanilla, tropical fruit, more…)
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J LOHR RIVERSTONE CHARDONNAY - ARROYO SECO, MONTEREY CALIFORNIA, USA
$24.99 reduced to $23.49 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Chardonnay styles are really quite varied, from the light and airy, elegant, chalky realms of Chablis to the big alcohol, buttery, tropical fruit laden, plank-licking, oak-troll-under-the-bridge versions still to be found sometimes from California. If the latter style is your idea of what all California chardonnay is about, here is one that will show you how widely different California chardonnay styles can actually be.
This wine comes from the Arroyo Seco AVA (American Viticultural Area) in Monterey County, California. Because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the breezes that ventilate the valley where the grapes are grown, the area has a cool climate with warm days and much cooler nights.
The result is a light to medium-bodied, supple and complex wine containing aromas and flavours of vanilla, apple, citrus peel, caramel and white peaches. Very well balanced with lovely clean, pure flavours and a balanced finish. Worth investigating. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 258699
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ALAMOS CHARDONNAY - MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
$15.99 reduced to $14.49 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Lighter, balanced, clean chardonnay flavours with lemon, apple and a touch of vanilla oak. Very consistent and good value here. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 467969
Crisp, Dry Whites (Sauvignon Blanc & Similar)
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FONTANAFREDDA BRICCOTONDO ARNEIS - LANGHE, ITALY
$19.99 Reduced to $15.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Arneis is the grape here and Langhe is the area that encompasses a geographical zone that includes the famous Italian reds Barolo and Barbaresco. This version of is very lean, crisp, floral and focused with citrus, mineral and fresh herb notes. The flavours are lean but very persistent in the long finish in a way that reminds me of the Greek grape Assyrtiko. A great Summer and seafood wine and a real bargain. Tasted ✓ 89
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 438943
STONELEIGH LATITUDE SAUVIGNON BLANC - MARLBOROUGH , NEW ZEALAND
$22.99 Reduced to $20.99 until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc - very forward with very grassy gooseberry and wet wool, almost nutty aromas and a super crisp finish. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 462333
Aromatic Whites (usually dry but smell sweeter than they taste - honey, peaches, fragrant floral notes, more…)
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DR LOOSEN RIESLING - MOSEL, GERMANY
$17.99 reduced to 15.99 On sale until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
A good introduction to German riesling from a top producer. This wine always consistent Dr. L wine as it is known, shows very typical notes of citrus (lime & lemon), yellow apple, and a touch of pear. An off dry wine, the finish has a good juicy acidity. Light, easy, simple and refreshing with 8.5% alcohol. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 599274
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FORT BERENS RIESLING - LILLOOET B.C., CANADA
$21.99 reduced to 20.99 On sale until Nov. 26 - 750 ml.
Not your typical off-dry German style riesling but a crisp mix of apple, citrus peel and pear notes with a balanced, mouth watering acidity. Delightful. Widely available. Tasted ✓ 88
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 641357
Rosé Style (crisp, fresh flavours & nuances from citrus to tart red fruit to herbal depending on grape(s) used)
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SIERRA SALINAS BOBAL ROSADO - SPAIN
$10.99 Reduced to $9.99 until Nov 26 - 750 ml
If you are still enjoying Rosé through the Autumn, this wine delivers notes of citrus, watermelon, light strawberry and more with no off putting tang or bitterness to spoil the party. Well balanced with good acidity and the price is unbeatable. Widely available. Tasted ✓ 87
Find Store Nearest You SKU: 102866