Top 20 Value Wines of the Year

We've selected the top 20 wines for 2015 that we feel represent the best value to the consumer. Though all wines selected are priced at $20 or less, with this list we allowed ourselves to be subjective as to what "value" represents. Prices shown do not include taxes unless marked.

#1 - Bodegas Catena 2013 Alamos Chardonnay - $13.99
Offers fantastic value, keeping it simple with a focus on the balance of  clean, crisp orchard fruit and rich, malolactic and barrel fermentation characters. Sourced from the high altitude vineyards of Mendoza, the wine does spend 6 months in a combination of American and French oak, imparting a myriad of spices on the finish and texture on the palate, balancing the bright, apple and peach flavours. 
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#2 - Cellar Hand 2014 Free Run White - $15.90 (including tax)
The nose offers ripe, delicate aromas of tropical and orchard fruit, most notably: pineapple, mango, apricot and nectarine. The medium-bodied palate follows with similar fruit flavours and added citrus notes and acidity.
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#3 - Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2014 Gewurztraminer - $14.99
Aromas and flavours of peaches, lemons, apples, oranges blossoms, stonefruit and spice on the rounded, pleasant nose and the well-balanced, long-lasting, off-dry palate.
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#4 - Chateau Des Charmes 2012 Gamay Noir 'Droit' - $16.95 (including tax)
An excellent Gamay with a rich nose of black cherry, cola, mineral and warm, spicy earth aromas. On the palate, despite the 3.5g/l of residual sugar (adding texture and body), a thin vein of citrus acidity runs through to the Christmas Cake and oak-infused finish, contrasting the ripe, spicy raspberry flavours.
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#5 - The Painted Wolf Wines 2014 The Den Chenin Blanc - $13.29
A refreshing, well-balanced and extremely well-priced Chenin Blanc from South Africa with zesty citrus, rich apple and light mineral aromas on the nose. The palate opens with a kick of zesty citrus fruit that quickly transitions to creamy, off-dry texture mid-palate and then circles back to tongue-tingling citrus zest for the (slightly) spicy finish.
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#6 - Viña Chela 2013 Reserve Malbec - $14.99
A supremely smooth and balanced wine for the price point with an unapologetic, easy-going demeanour that focuses on pleasant, juicy and savoury aromas of sweet plums, spiced mocha and fig on the nose and delivers a food-friendly blend of blue fruits, toasted oak and savoury spices on the medium-bodied palate. Wild berry acidity and lingering licorice notes keep the finish refreshing and engaging.
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#7 - Dominio Del Plata 2014 Crios Torrontés - $15.49
An aromatic, well-balanced Torrontés with floral and fresh orchard fruit aromas on the nose followed by a medium-bodied, mineral-infused palate with Asian pear, apple and white peach flavours.
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#8 - Pascual Toso 2013 Malbec - $13.29
A fruit-forward Malbec with ripe'n'tangy blackberry and chocolate-cherry liqueur aromas followed by a bright, yet, approachable palate of similar flavours and added earth, spice, vanilla and light oak notes. Finish is short, though, a touch of spice lingers on the tongue.
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#9 - Calliope Wines 2014 Viognier - $15.99
A nice blend of orchard and tropical fruit grace the generous nose and the mouth-watering, full-bodied palate. Look for ripe melons and white peaches with refreshing citrus acidity and mineral notes to compliment the tropical and orchard fruit characters.
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#10 - Michel Torino 2014 Cuma Torrontés - $13.49
A clean, crisp, organically produced Torrontés with an attention-getting jolt of equal parts zesty, citrus peel and zingy spice on the palate. This is (mostly) balanced by a peach-infused, creamy texture. Finishes crisp and mouth-watering with lingering citrus notes.
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#11 - Michel Torino 2013 Don David Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - $13.99
Opens with a dense nose of cassis, blackberry, anise, pepper, toasted oak and Brazil nut aromas. Followed by a palate with similar flavours and a full-ish body from residual sugar that just stops short of being too sweet thanks to well-proportioned, fresh berry acidity and impressive, dusty tannins - especially for the price-point.
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#12 - Weingut Gunderloch 2013 Fritz's Riesling - $15.69
An aromatic, fruity Riesling designed for the off-dry loving export market with an emphasis on ripe, citrus and orchard fruit aromas and flavours and zesty, mineral-laced acidity. Finishes sweet with lingering spice and lemon-lime notes.
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#13 - Stag's Hollow Winery 2014 Riesling - $20
A lovely balance of pure, orchard fruit flavours and racy citrus and stonefruit characters - often times, difficult components to meld together harmoniously. It transforms as it moves across your palate, starting fruity, then turning metallic and then finishes with mouth-watering, citrus peel notes.
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#14 - Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2014 Pinot Blanc - $17.90 (including tax)
Opens with delicate, white peach, straw and soft, green apple aromas that sit gently in the glass. An upfront, in-your-face palate follows that takes these delicate notes and explodes them into every corner of your mouth with shards of minerals and citrus acidity happily balanced by a touch of residual sugar and honeydew flavours.
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#15 - Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2014 Gewurztraminer - $17.11
An off-dry palate where the initial citrus tartness is overtaken by lychee and papaya fruit through to the bright and spicy, mineral-infused finish. The nose offers a nice combination of light floral and peach skin aromas.
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#16 - Stag's Hollow Winery 2014 Sauvignon Blanc - $20
A vibrant and racy Sauvignon Blanc, on the nose, with grassy notes and citrus and peach pit aromas and a faint, susurrus of brioche that gets a touch louder as the wine warms in the glass. A pleasantly rich and layered palate follows, with a nice blend of acid, apple, passion fruit, stonefruit, lees, and gooseberry components.
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#17 - Fort Berens Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - $15.99
You get is a lean, mean, Pinot Grigio-style machine that, despite its display of ripe melon fruit on the nose, is otherwise a vessel for raw, intense, tart orchard and citrus fruit. There are also layers of herbs and minerals adding depth and length to the finish. Enjoy this wine in its youth. 
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#18 - Fairview Cellars 2013 Sauvignon Blanc - $20 (including taxes)
he nose of this Sauvignon Blanc doesn't appear until the wine has warmed in the glass, which many of us won't wait to experience. If you do, it's a nose fuelled by apples, citrus and stonefruit aromas. Instead, we'll enjoy this tasty wine, with our favourite seafood dish or a hard cheese plate and appreciate the multitudes of textures on the palate.
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#19 - Flagstone 2012 Longitude - $13.99
Vibrant, intense, dark and red fruit aromas and fresh, mint-chocolate notes greet you on the nose of this well-priced, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend from the Western Cape. The palate is both juicy and bright with sweet, spicy plum, blackberry and cherry cola flavours balancing the mouth-watering, wild berry acidity.
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#20 - Monte Creek Ranch 2014 Chardonnay - $15.99 (including taxes)
A partially oaked, medium bodied Chardonnay from Kamloops-based winery Monte Creek Ranch, opening with muted aromas of apple skins, grapefruit flesh and a little bit of smoky flint on the nose. Palate is a little disjointed at the moment with acidic, bitter, mineral and fruit elements not yet fully in-synch. Another 6 months of bottle age should promote further integration.
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca