VIN GRECO: The last of the summer wine (bargains)

Having been living with inflation for some time, we can appreciate it when we can find decent wines at a good price. Sometimes they are on clearance, marked down 20 per cent roughly, and sometimes they are simply wines worth celebrating and enjoying for the value they represent.

The August 19 Vintages Release comes with the headline, Smart Buys, reminiscent of the traditional February release after the excesses of the holidays. About a third of the wines are priced at or below the $20 mark.

As usual, though we receive a good percentage of the California wines on the release, few of them retail here below $20. Likewise, as usual, we receive very few wines from Ontario or elsewhere in Canada.

 That said, there is a terrific Canadian white wine on the regular shelves. Eastdell Pinot Grigio 2021, $14.95, took the Platinum medal at the 2023 National Wine Awards of Canada. Compared to most Pinot Grigios, this wine has a bigger, rounder mouthfeel – one critic describes it as juicy and fleshy. It is a beautiful white wine with all the crispness you could wish for on the finish.

Another value on the regular shelves is from Chile. Though the shelf label may not tell you that the Farpoint Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is on sale, it was originally $16.20 but now is just $13.05. At even its regular price it was an excellent buy – smooth and balanced, with dark berry and mocha notes, it is a pleasure to drink.

A gold medal winner from the National Wine Awards can be found at the Colio store in Pino’s. The Colio Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 50 Rows Vineyard 2020, $19.95, is a substantial, full-bodied wine with some herbal and black currant notes.

But back to the values in Vintages. Spain is a great starting point. There are several tempranillo-based selections, beginning with the Puelles Reserva 2014, $19.95, from Rioja, described by winecurrent.com as “velvety on the palate with delicious flavours of dark cherry, blackberry, dry dill and crushed black peppercorn heating up the long, savoury and delicious chalky finish.” -  93.

A younger version of Rioja is ‘Crianza’, which undergoes less aging than a reserva. The medium-bodied  Muriel Fincas De La Villa Crianza 2019, $16.95, is “juicy and elegant with a bright fruity finish” says critic James Suckling – 91.

Borsao Zarish Shiraz 2018, $18.95, is not a typical wine for Spain, as it is made from the Syrah grape, but it is yummy. This rich red offers flavours of “fig cake, baked black currant, dried mint and mocha. Creamy and balanced with supple tannins showing on the lightly spiced finish.” - 91. (winespectator.com)

Equally rare is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain. Alvarez de Toledo Marques de Toro Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, is new to the LCBO. James Suckling references cherry, plum and clove on the nose and calls it “balanced and fruit-forward with a fresh finish”. -91. If that doesn’t sway you, how about the price - $13.95!

In store now at the same price is the Romeo Verdejo 2021, white wine. Fresh and clean, it has impressions of ample orchard fruit including apple and pear and peach. Sip and savour!

In its turn, Italy is well-represented particularly with Puglia’s Primitivo, Zinfandel’s twin.

The generous Italian critic, Luca Maroni gave the Winemakers Collection Gran Maestoso Primitivo 2019, $16.95 a 98!  More down-to-earth is the bronze medal from the 2021 International Wine Competition. There it was described as ”ripe with a helping of mocha to baked black red fruits – Supple tannins and fleshy fruit.”

Rocca delle Macie is a well-known name in Chianti, but it also produces Pietra Pura Mandus Primitivo di Manduria in Puglia. The wine, $18.95, spends 4 months in French oak barrels, and the result is a smoky, balanced wine carrying notes of ripe cherry, leather, cacao and vanilla.  

Masserie Pisari Primitivo 2021, $16.95, is described by sommelier Jane Staples as “a full-bodied, smooth red wine with aromas and flavours of ripe dark berries, plums, tobacco leaf and fennel. The grapes are grown on hills just 10 minutes from the Mediterranean, whose gentle night breezes ensure an excellent acidity in the wines from that region.” -  89.

As for white wines, I am interested in trying the Barbanera Inbianco Sangiovese 2021, $16.95, a white wine actually made from the red Sangiovese grape. As with ‘Blanc de Noir’ champagnes, there is no contact with the red grape skins, and the result is what vintages explains is a “floral, rich, fresh wine, with tangy orange citrus, subtle dark cherry and mineral” flavours” – it has a 96 from Luca Maroni.

Also $16.95 is the I Balzi Bio Grillo 2021 from Sicily. The French wine guide Gilbert & Guillard gave it a Gold in 2022, and remarked on its “fruity nose coupled with candy tones”, saying “the palate is lightly styled, easy-drinking and soft.”

France, too, offers us some interesting wines.

Domaine de Geais Côtes du Marmandais 2019, $18.95, from the southwest has a 90 from the Wine Enthusiast, which tells us that in this distinctive organic wine “an eclectic mix of Abouriou, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah come together in a fruity, juicy wine, bright with succulent acidity and freshness. The wine's grape chorus sings well and will be ready from 2024”.

Domaine Gouron Chinon 2020, $17.95 “shows solid and complex aromatics that introduce a palate where classic cabernet franc flavours are well layered and delicious. The acid is perfectly calibrated to the fruit and the tannins are well integrated.” – 92, Rod Phillips.

Courtois La Source Côtes du Rhône 2021, $15.95: “Delicate aromas of floral and exotic spice notes mingle with black currant and strawberry on the nose. It coats the palate with mild flavours of racy red cherry/berry fruit along [with] hints of black juicy Bing cherry and notions of Ribena and plenty of racy acidity. It's a simple wine with few rough edges and is easily sipped on its own or poured with your favourite appetizers.” -  90, winecurrent.com

With white wine, seek out the Famille Perrin Réserve Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2022, $17.95, which the winemaker describes as having a “seductive translucent pale-yellow color with delicate green reflections. This wine opens up with a very expressive nose with beautiful aromas combining floral and mineral notes. Well balanced and dense, the palate has a powerful attack and reveals superb aromas of lemon, bergamot and hawthorn before ending with a long finish.” Trust him!

Also consider the reliable Paul Mas Single Vineyard Collection Réserve Viognier 2021, $16.95, from the Languedoc region. From decanter.com we learn that “there's a lovely balance here: lively peach aromas and flavours, and white floral fragrance, but also a ripe roundness from the subtle oak influence… Easy drinking and expressive.” – 90.

Two Rosés are also new to the LCBO, one from the Loire, and one from Provence. Bougrier Pure Loire Rosé de Loire 2022, $16.95, is bright and breezy, with the LCBO suggesting that it is carries a bold range of flavours suggestive of cherry, strawberry, citrus and mineral.

The Belles d’Eguilles Rosé 2022, $17.95, from Provence has great promise. Of the 2020 vintage, Roger Voss of the Wine Enthusiast wrote, “with a dominance of Syrah, this wine has structure and ripe red-berry and plum fruits. Freshness balances with the ripeness and density” He gave it an 89 and suggested a retail price of $26… American! 

From South America, don’t overlook Chile’s Escudo Rojo Reserva Chardonnay 2021,$19.95. This wine is in Chateau Lafite Rothschild’s portfolio, and these wines always over-deliver. James Suckling suggests rich lees with some oatmeal, pastry and ripe pineapple, with fresh acidity and good flavors and weight to the mid-palate. – 92.

From Argentina comes the Infinito Winemaker’s Selection Malbec 2018, $16.95. The Wine Enthusiast detects a lightly tarry note along with berry fruit on the nose, leading to plum, cassis and raspberry flavours on the palate. The finish introduces some light tannic bite. -  92.

There’s clearly lots to savour on the August 19 release, including several sparkling wines. Check things out – it shouldn’t break the bank.