Here we go again, my semi-annual list of the best buys from the BCLDB for this winter season. My list is of course subjective and there are plenty other great wines out there to discover, but nonetheless these are some of the wines that gave me the greatest pleasure for a great price. And if you’re anything like me and most other consumers, we are always looking not for the greatest wine at any price (don’t you just wish!) but rather for the best quality-price ratio (QPR) wines we can find. So here are ten+ wines I stand behind and can highly recommend.
All these wines are available at BCL stores, although you may need to hunt around to find which stores stock which specific wines, and some will likely sell out. This year, rather than sticking to a strict cut-off price, I have targeted $30 plus the 15% federal and provincial taxes as a ‘loose’ price ceiling. Where wines are currently on sale at the BCL, I have noted the discount in brackets. And remember, no one pays me or gives me free samples to select the wines. I buy them out of my own pocket, just like you will need to do. Also, since the latest available vintage will typically be on the shelves, I don’t provide vintage information, unless otherwise specifically noted. Note that the wines are listed in ascending order by price (excluding taxes), not by ranking or preference. And perhaps surprisingly, no French wines this time round, although there certainly could have been.
1. Sophenia Altosur Malbec, Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Argentina $19 (-$3) This delicious, juicy yet elegant Malbec scored 97 Points and Best in Show at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards. Outrageous value for the quality, as is its sibling Altosur Red Blend, also available at the BCL and also currently discounted to just $18.
2. La Mascota Cabernet Franc, Mendoza, Argentina $19 Yet another insane value for money Argentine red, this time from the Cabernet Franc grape, which is lately doing wonders in Argentina. Elegant, smooth, supple and so tasty, you’ll want to buy it by the case.
3. Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino, Jerez, Spain $19.50 (-$1.50) A longstanding, ultra-reliable standard bearer for bone-dry Fino sherry. Crisp, tangy and refreshing, with salinity, acidity and green olive flavours that marry so well with all kinds of tapas, shellfish, charcuterie. Keep it in the fridge, drink it chilled and youngest available. Lovely Jerez terroir purity.
4. El Esteco Blend de Extremos Cabernets, Calchaquies, Argentina $20 The third Argentine red wine in my lineup, and a steal at the price for this high-altitude blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from two different vineyards in the Calchaqui Valleys of Argentina’s far north. Offers intense aromatics and flavours on a smooth, supple structure, with fine-grained tannins.
5. Umani Ronchi Casal di Serra Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Italy $22 Always unbeatable value entry-level Verdicchio from this reliable producer. Bright citrus and stone fruit with mineral aromatics on a beam of fresh acidity and a bitter nutty finish, which works well with food. Or trade up to another Verdicchio, see below…
6. Culmina Decora Riesling, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, BC $24 A delicate yet complex classic dry Riesling from one of BC’s finest estates, until recently owned by the pioneering Triggs family. Elegant, perfectly balanced fruit and acidity, and refreshing. Classy.
7. Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Miamup, Margaret River, Australia $28 (-$4) A complex, beautifully aromatic, savoury yet smooth wine from Western Australia’s famed Margaret River, one of that country’s very best regions for Cabernet Sauvignon. Velvety tannins. Great sale price.
8. Sartarelli Tralivio Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Italy $28 Yes, another Verdicchio, one of my favourite Italian white wine grapes. Produced from Sartarelli’s oldest vineyards, this features notes of acacia, apricot and almond, with balanced acidity and texture on the palate. An elegant Italian white wine that will develop with time in the bottle.
9. Daschbosch Massiesdrift Steen Chenin Blanc, Breedekloof, South Africa $30 A terrific example of old-vine Cape Chenin, this off a Certified Heritage Vineyard planted in 1962. Beautiful, complex notes of hibiscus, quince, honey cantelope, lime and gravelly minerality underpinning the rich, full-bodied, viscous taste.
10. Castello di Gabbiano Cavaliere d’Oro Chianti Classico Riserva 2016, Tuscany, Italy $30 If you can still find it, nab the 2016, perhaps the best Chianti vintage so far this century. Rich, ripe, savoury fruit and leather, earth, game notes, with the sour cherry succulence so typical of Sangiovese. Good value, and especially so when it sometimes goes on sale.
10+. Rivera Il Falcone Castel del Monte Riserva, Puglia, Italy $31 Bonus wine. A deep, complex red wine from a blend of the autochthonous Uva di Troia and Montepulciano grapes, offering up sour cherry, tar, liquorice and tobacco leaf notes and a fine-grained tannic backbone. Great with winter fare such as meat and game stews or a mushroom risotto.