Monday, July 5, 2010

Value Wines: $15 and Below

Our Value Wines section is designed to be an on-going, ever-changing reference to the best valued wines available to purchasers in BC and Ontario. Many of the wines are available in the other Provinces and in the United States as well, but the "value" reflects the price one pays here.

The following wines are commonly available for $15 or less. Also see our $10 and Below and $20 and Below sections.


Generation Seven Wines 2009 Red - $14
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Country: Canada
Notes: No lengthy oak program needed for this fun and easy-drinking wine that offers a spectrum of aromas and flavours framed nicely by soft, smooth tannins and a strong acidic kick. Well balanced with a steady finish of lingering spice.
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Generation Seven Wines 2009 White - $14
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Country: Canada
Notes: Fresh, flavourful and fun. This white blend, a new release (and new brand) from Niagara-On-The-Lake producer Chateau des Charmes, packs a punch of crisp acidity with good concentration of fruit flavours and aromas.
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Cupcake Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay - $15
Region: Central Coast
Country: USA
Notes: A good value at $14.99 but not a Chardonnay for the ABC crowd with its ample oak influence on the palate and big MLF notes on the nose. The creamy texture could use more acidity and/or mineral characters to make a more harmonious balance.
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M. Chapoutier 2009 Les Vignes de Bila-Haut - $15
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Country: France
Notes: A feminine wine that boasts of the hot Mediterranean coastal region terroir from where it originated.
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St. Hallett 2007 Gamekeepers Reserve - $15
Region: Barossa
Country: Australia
Notes: A Shiraz-Grenache blend. nose offered notes of coffee, raspberry, and black licorice. The palate was jammy and continued with raspberry, tar, and expresso. The finish was long and peppery. Overall this wine was smooth and bold, very fruit forward and very new world.
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Palo Alto 2008 Reserva - $15
Region: Maule Valley
Country: Chile
Notes: Named for the thorny flowering trees that are dotted all over the hillsides of the Maule Valley, this is a complex wine at a bargain price. A nose of cassis, leather and notes of tobacco. The palate shows dark fruits with firm yet balanced acidity and medium tannins.
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Xanadu Wines 2007 Next of Kin Cabernet Sauvignon - $15
Region: Margaret River
Country: Australia
Notes: A solid, cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River producer Xanadu Wines. Good concentration of cassis, dark cherry, vanilla and earth characters on the bright nose and well-balanced palate.
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Las Moras 2007 Reserve Tannat - $15
Region: San Juan
Country: Argentina
Notes: On the nose this inky-purple coloured wine offers youthful aromas of blueberries, white pepper, pencil shavings and toasted-oak notes. The high-minus bodied palate offers flavours of oak, white pepper, dark fruit and cooking spice notes.
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Undurraga 2008 Sibaris Pinot Noir - $15
Region: Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Notes: Nice fruit intensity on the nose of wild berries , light cedar and a hint of spice. Red berries, ripe tannins, medium acidity, medium body and a decent finish greet you on the palate.
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