John Szabo
Happy New year!
As the last bubbles of champagne burst and fade away like early morning dreams in the hazy distance of memory, the first release of the new year brings a sobering dose of reason, that is, reasonable prices. The customary ‘good value’ lineup has been trotted out by the LCBO, designed to keep you imbibing though the pocket book be little slimmer (even though you may not be). And also as expected, the countries with a reputation for offering a solid mouthful for a fair a price top the list of the top ten smart buys, namely places like Chile and Australia. Benign climates and low production costs mean that decent wine can be made for prices well below those of countries with more variable, marginal climates and higher labour and production costs. While the New World generally has the edge in this category, you’ll also notice a couple of Old World countries in the top ten list: Portugal and Greece. Both of these wine producing nations are in the fringe of consumer consciousness, but should certainly front of mind for savvy consumers looking for a more traditional flavour profile at attractive prices.
All in all, there is more than enough sunshine-filled wines to choose from to keep you satisfied through the coldest months, while you await the return of verdant landscapes promised by the ancient pagan symbol of an evergreen tree in your living room.
Top Ten Smart Buys:
9. 2007 LOS VASCOS CABERNET SAUVIGNON Colchagua $13.95 *** (88 pts)
8. 2004 TSANTALI RESERVE RAPSANI AO $18.95 **1/2 (89 pts)
7. 2006 GROVE STREET CABERNET SAUVIGNON Sonoma County $17.95 *** (89 pts)
6. 2007 ZEEPAARD SHIRAZ Western Australia $16.95 *** (89 pts)
5. 2006 QUINTA DO RONCÃO RESERVA DOC Douro $13.95 *** (88 pts)
4. 2008 VIÑA MAIPO RESERVA CARMÉNÈRE Rapel Valley $12.95 *** (88 pts)
3. 2008 TABALÍ RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC Limarí Valley $12.95 *** (88 pts)
2. 2005 LA FÉE VIOLINE CAHORS AC $12.95 *** (88 pts)
1. 2008 D’ARENBERG THE STUMP JUMP GRENACHE/SHIRAZ/MOURVÈDRE McLaren Vale, South Australia $14.95 *** (89 pts)
Cheers,
John Szabo
You can see all of John’s reviews for the almost 100 wines in January 9th Vintages release here.
Filed under: Featured Articles, Wine, First In Line, John Szabo, Smart Buys, Vintages
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