Top 12 Wine Picks for December

In Time for the Holidays

Hello and Welcome Back. As promised, here is the simpler list of the best bargains in B.C. Liquor Stores for the month of December. I have added some explanations of why I chose these wines from the huge number of wines that are on sale this month.

You will see that the majority of the top 12 are from the ripe fruit forward red category but the very best deals are in the white wines on offer.

TOP 12 VALUE WINE PICKS FOR DECEMBER

Ripe Fruit Forward Reds

TOP PICK #12 BLACK SAGE VYD. CABERNET FRANC 2020 - OKANAGAN VALLEY, CANADA $32.99 reduced to $26.99 until Dec. 30 - 750 ml.

This is a top pick this month because I think that Cabernet Franc is one of the success stories for red wines in B.C. . Perhaps it is the liveliness of the acidity found here or the achieved ripeness but there are many excellent Cabernet Franc examples. This grape doesn’t have the star power of cabernet sauvignon or merlot but the wines can be delightful and compete favourably on price when compared to those from other parts of the world.

When I worked in a VQA wine store (which sold only B.C. wine) over a period of seven years I got to taste the Black Sage Vineyards red wines regularly. I found that they were literally hit or miss, i.e. a particular vintage might have an outstanding cabernet sauvignon and a sub par merlot. There was never a year that was all hits or all misses. But hit or miss is not all a bad thing because there were hits and this cabernet franc is certainly on the hits list. 2020 is an excellent year for Okanagan wines.

On the nose, typical very "dusty" fruit with sage, Mediterranean herb, preserved cherries, pencil shavings, raspberry, baked red fruit pie. It showed a little tannic grip but had some length and good cabernet franc character. More graceful than forceful, this subtle cab franc has an interesting layered finish, with a supporting acidity that provides interest and frames the fruit well. Reminds me somewhat of a right bank Bordeaux especially St. Emilion. 

Cabernet franc is the genetic parent of cabernet sauvignon and is typically lighter and softer. B.C. generally does a great job on cabernet franc. They are well worth trying starting with this one. Tasted ✓ 90 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU: 593038

TOP PICK #11 SUNROCK VINEYARDS SHIRAZ 2020 - OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C $34.99 reduced to $25.99 until Dec. 30 - 750 ml.

Sunrock Vineyards is part of the Okanagan Estates group of wineries that include Jackson-Triggs, See Ya Later Ranch, Sumac Ridge and Inniskillin. The vineyards are in the Southern Okanagan at the Northern tip of the Sonoran desert now known as the Osoyoos Lake Bench and possess an ideal South facing gentle slope, Due to the site being adjacent to a massive outcropping known as “Sunrock” that reflects the sun’s rays during the day and holds the desert heat well after sundown, ripening potential is extended into late October, producing wines of great ripeness, concentration and varietal expression.

Begins almost port-like, with dense syrah fruit, some floral notes, lifted, subtle bramble and briar. The aroma is much more Rhone Valley, France than Australian with blue fruit, black fruit, white pepper. This follows through on the palate with classy complex, not too jammy shiraz fruit with moderate tannins and muffled alcohol. It shows graceful, savoury, flavour changes, and it lingers a while. Overall, more about subtlety than, big bodied impact. You could hold for an additional 2 to 5 years to see how it developed.  Drinks like a Rhone syrah costing half again as much. Tasted ✓ 90 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU:365635

TOP PICK #10 SAN PEDRO 1865 LAS MORADAS SINGLE VINEYARD CARMENERE 2020 - MAULE VALLEY, CHILE

$25.99 reduced to 20.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

Here is a mid-weight wine similar to most from Bordeaux, of exemplary balance and interest at a giveaway price. Given all the elements delivered here, this wine should be half again as much. Carmenere is less familiar to most wine drinkers but is well worth exploring if you like this wine style.

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 particularly big bodied. Great, great value here, it just seems to slide so easily out of the glass. Highly recommended. Tasted ✓ 90 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU 771394

TOP PICK #9 TRIVENTO GOLDEN RESERVE MALBEC 2020 - LUJAN DE CUYO, ARGENTINA

$27.99 reduced to 22.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

Lujan de Cujo is the original malbec area that made Argentina’s reputation for this grape. malbecs from this area tend more towards black fruits than a typical malbec and often have richer more layered fruit. Of the fifteen or so malbecs that I have tasted from B.C. Liquor Stores, still my favourite.

Inky looking in the glass and on the nose it has blueberries, blackberries, lilac cedar, black plums and some licorice notes. The flavours here are black plum and mission fig with a very silky texture, soft tannins, good flavour intensity and a very long lingering finish. This has the typical qualities of a Lujan de Cujo area malbec, i.e. black fruit intensity and a long, elaborated finish. There’s nothing missing here. A really fine malbec. The best I have had yet from the LDB lineup. Tasted ✓ 91 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU: 1669

TOP PICK #8 THREE FINGER JACK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - EASTSIDE RIDGE LODI, USA

$24.99 reduced to 19.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

A perfectly fine way to get your dense, slightly smoky, fruit forward but balanced California cab fix at a bargain price.

Big Rich flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant, some earthiness and caramel/cedar barrel notes.  What sets this wine apart from many a typical big jammy CA cabernet though is the distinct cabernet character. Full bodied on the palate with some medium tannins, and balancing acidity. If this is your kind of cabernet, well worth trying. Some real intensity and a touch of oak related spiciness in the mix. Can’t help but think of BBQ beef ribs and such to go with this. Tasted ✓ 88 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU: 83488

TOP WINE PICK #7 RAVENSWOOD OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2021 LODI, CALIFORNIA, USA

$25.99 reduced to $19.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

Delivers big rich zinfandel flavour with some follow on complexity in the finish. The price drop is a significant one.

The extra richness and depth of flavour from old vines is very evident here. The aromas and flavours include ripe black plums, baking spices, ripe berries, jam, cola and typical smoky cigar box notes. Most of all this arrives in the ending as the mid-palate is more smooth and straight forward. This is the distinctly bigger brother to the Ravenswood Vintner’s blend wine. If you like big California cabernets you will probably like this too. Big price drop this month. Tasted ✓ 89 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU: 599381

TOP PICK #6 CIGAR BOX PINOT NOIR - CHILE

$16.99 reduced to $12.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

Slightly smoky and spicy mid-weight balanced pinot noir character here below $15.00 makes this a top pick for December.

Pinot noir under $20.00 that is lighter, supple, balanced and has good pinot noir fruit character is a rarity. Chile usually gets closest to clearing the bar and this one certainly does. It is well named as the pinot noir fruit is a little spicy with notes of chocolate, tobacco leaf and baking spices (cloves, cinnamon). Although it is not my personal favourite pinot noir style, it is very enjoyable, interesting, balanced pinot noir, has no adverse flavours and is fair value at the regular price. It is an outstanding bargain at the deeply discounted price this month. Tasted ✓ 87 Points Find Store Nearest You SKU 234901

Savoury Fruit Reds

TOP PICK #5 UMANI RONCHI MEDORO SANGIOVESE 2021 - MARCHE, ITALY $14.99 reduced to 11.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

Simple but honest, varietally correct sangiovese at this price will not come along very often.

Pale in colour, this is simple, honest sangiovese, the grape best known as the main component in Chianti. Easy and delightful, with aromas of light plum and cherry, leather, hard red candy, vanilla and sarsaparilla. In its flavours, cherry, cherry pit, tobacco, softer tannins, good acidity and savoury herbs. It’s small scale but flavourful, balanced and organically grown. Not overly complex or lengthy or elaborate but earthy and honest with a clean crisp finish. This is an authentic wine that would match with pizza, red sauce pasta and grilled meats. A great introduction to sangiovese and an amazing deal this month. Drinks like it should cost $20.00. Highly recommended. Tasted ✓ 88 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU: 113592

TOP PICK #4 GRAO VASCO - DAO,PORTUGAL $10.99 reduced to 8.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

With wines under $12.00 or so, wine drinkers have to be realistic. You are very unlikely to find something grand, complex or fascinating under the cork at that price level.

When assessing very economically priced wines, I find it more realistic and useful to look for what’s NOT there. No factory wine taste, no medicinal tang, no candied fruit flavours, no watered down taste, no mouth puckering tannins or savage acidity. Each to their own but any smug satisfaction I may enjoy drinking a wine costing as little as one figure, the party is definitely spoiled if the wine has something negative that I have to put up with.

It’s ultimately about value for money not just price, so as the list of absentee negatives (medicinal tang, candied fruit…) grows, I think, so does the wine’s relative worth.

Viewed through that lens, here is a great value wine. Grao Vasco has the advantage of being based mainly on a couple of indigenous grapes - touriga nacional and tinto roriz that are inherently flavourful and rich. The wine also seems to be non-vintage so they are able to blend multiple vintages to create a consistent wine.

The wine is very simple with cherry, wood and a touch of tar as well as tobacco on the nose. Likewise on the flavour, dry and savoury with some plum as well. For under $10.00, you have enjoyable, cheap and cheerful, complementary accompaniment for pizza or lasagna. Save money and enjoy. Tasted ✓ 86 Points Find Store Nearest You  SKU: 14977

Lighter, Fruity Reds

TOP PICK #3 TERRANOBLE RESERVA PINOT NOIR VEGAN 2022 - CASABLANCA VALLEY, CHILE 

$20.99 reduced to $14.99 until December 30 - 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 than that 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 Points

Find Store Nearest You    SKU: 495595

Crisp, Dry Whites

TOP PICK #2 VINA LEYDA SAUVIGNON BLANC RESERVE 2022 - LEYDA VALLEY, CHILE

$16.99 reduced to $12.99 until December 30 - 750 ml. 

I doubt this wine will be offered at this price again. $12.99 and 90 points? It’s just too good. You would be well advised to stock up on this one.

Begins with some lighter gooseberry and struck flint. Very crisp, clean, pure flavours with a gentle attack more French in style than New Zealand. As it warmed a little, it revealed mandarin, white peach, melon rind and citrus peel, all superbly balanced, that continued into its longish finish. Unbelievable value at this month's sale price.  A good time to invest.

Leyda Valley is a small sub-area of the San Antonio Valley, part of the bigger Aconcagua wine region. Right on the Pacific Ocean, this cool-climate region produces vibrant, fresh wines. Tasted ✓ 90 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU:542472

TOP PICK #1 RAPITALA ORGANIC GRILLO 2021 - SICILIA, ITALY   $17.99 reduced to $11.99 until December 30 - 750 ml.

Despite the label change, the wine remains consistent in quality and on a dramatic discount this month.

The grape here is called grillo and as the wine comes from Sicily, expect dynamic flavours and a good dash of minerality. Light-bodied, fresh and tangy with green olive and citrus zest notes. The wine is well balanced, unpretentious and enjoyable. Tasted ✓ 87 Points

Find Store Nearest You SKU: 68516

A Guide to Good, Affordable Wine Glasses

Having some useful wine glasses definitely enhances your wine experience. You don’t need to get too fancy but just below is a guide to some glasses you might be best to avoid as well as those you might want to seek out, all without breaking the budget. This Pro Tip was in my post from April 2022.

Until next time.