20 Under $20 in BC : April 2016

Great value pairings

Writing this column always makes me hungry, because the WineAlign West crew always seem to tie their under $20 values to their stomachs. But when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Every day of the week we want great values to pair with our dinners, lunches and yes – breakfast. And we don’t want to spend big bucks to dine well daily. Here are 20 from around the globe to pair with the first hint of the patio and BBQ this month.

~ TR

Anthony Gismondi

Hope springs eternal when it comes to finding great wine selling for less than $20 in BC but the reality is most are closer to good, than great, and even they are getting harder to find. This month I begin with Esquinas de Argento 2015 Pinot Grigio Cool Climate Selection, a delicate, fresh, apéritif white from Argentina’s Tunuyán region of the Uco Valley. The Argento folks have their pulse on simplicity and freshness and they do it by using high altitude fruit.

Across the Atlantic and much farther north, for your first barbecue red of the season go classic with the Delas 2013 Côtes Du Ventoux. This 80/20 grenache syrah blend is packed with smooth, peppery, juicy fruit. Try it with barbecue ribs.

While you are heating up the barbecue reach for a bottle of Loosen Bros 2014 Dr. L Riesling. This is the perfect aperitif white with its soft, easy-sipping styling and fresh red apple, lime, orange and honey flavours.

Winemaker Giorgio Flessati, hails from the Trentino region in Northern Italy but has become an unabashed Elqui Valley crusader. His 60/40 carmenère/syrah Falernia Reserva 2013 is a delicious bottle of ripe, red wine that will work with spicy ribs.

Still in Chile we can easily vouch for the Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2014 blend is 92/6/1/1 cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and syrah, all grown at Puente Alto 650, metres above sea level, and at Pirque some 570 metres high. It’s tasty stuff with savoury, cassis, meaty, coffee black fruit flavours all in balance. Steak or game dishes are the match.

Rhys Pender MW

A nice mixed bag of selections this month mostly focusing on my increased desire for crisp wines to sip in the warm spring afternoon sun before it plummets behind the mountain. These are some serious wines for less than $20.

We’re starting off with a couple of local whites that are fresh and crisp, complex, powerful, and have a bit of textural richness. These are nice on their own but particularly good with some grilled seafood. Semillon is one of my favourite varieties, yet all too rare. Mike Bartier is doing a great job making drinkable and age-worthy wines. Try the Bartier Brothers 2014 Semillon while putting a few bottles away for five or so years for a nice surprise.

From just up the road from me in the Similkameen Valley comes the Orofino Hendsbee Vineyard 2013 Riesling. It is dry, racy, steely, mineral, long and so damn refreshing.

Sun means rosé and to me it should be dry and a bit crunchy and fresh but just be very drinkable without having to think about it too much. The Gassier Sables d’Azur 2014 Rosé is just such a wine.

For a little richer white, try the Lopez de Haro 2014 Rioja Blanco. The little bit of oak treatment and some ripeness make this a great wine for our Sunday rotisserie chicken. Just enough gumption to stand up to the chicken but still plenty of freshness to keep it lively.

Another delicious white with good texture and weight and plenty of complexity is the Villa Locatelli 2013 Friulano. Friulano may be trendy but it is probably because it is delicious. A great interesting fish and shellfish wine.

DJ Kearney

Relaxed wine with no ego is what I demanded from my five supreme value wines this month. Three whites and two reds that stimulate the appetite, uplift spring meals and appeal to the mind just as much as the tastebuds.

First is a perennial favourite from Portugal’s Setúbal (say Stoo-bal) Peninsula that shows how Moscatel can make alluring dry wines. The Jose Marie da Fonseca 2014 Albis is in a lovely state of openness now, with aromatic rose and peach character on nose and palate. Dry with a good jolt of acidity its perfumed character needs quince paste crostini or orange-y scallop ceviche.

There’s no question that the Savoie is the next big thing, and if you are unfamiliar with the secret region that nestles in Alpine hills and valleys, Domaine de la Rosière 2014 Jongieux (sort of sounds like jon-jhoo) is a delicious way to meet the jacquère grape. Subtle and savoury, you’ll find that soft cheese or rustic pâté unlocks its fruit layers.

Vouvray for under $20 bucks is a find, especially when it’s a succulent, off-dry beauty like Bougrier’s offering from the high-quality 2014 vintage. It begs for crispy pork belly or top take-away sushi. You could drink La Bastide 2014 with pork belly too, or a push towards a simple spring dinner of chunky pâté de campagne, crusty baguette and frisée salad. Take the time to smell this much-loved bargain, and note its herbal resin and breezy fruit aromas.

Elegant, silky, and kirshy sums up Domaine Paul Autard’s 2014 Côtes-du-Rhône red, saturated with equal amounts of fruit and stones. Take the time to dwell on the nose of this sensational red. Relax, eat simple, real food and drink some value wines that lack a shred of pretense.

Treve Ring

One of the biggest benefits of being the theme region for Vancouver International Wine Festival is the uptick of wines sold in the province immediately following the festival. Frescobaldi Attems 2014 Ribolla Gialla Venezia Giulia is one that caught my attention recently, highlighting the diversity of ribolla gialla in this herbal, earthy and oily slicked white, all lifted with brisk citrus acidity.

Similarly, Concerto Reggiano 2014 Lambrusco was a memorable drink, due to the striking contrast between its deep and dark hue and light and crisp acidity. A blend of 85/15 Lambrusco Salamino and Lambrusco Ancelotta filled with black wine gums, florals, balsamic and tart raspberries, textured with crunchy acidity and a fine grip of tannins.

A new grape, and a new kind of (bedazzled!) label for me came courtesy of Farnese Fantini Cuvée Cococciola Spumante. This Abruzzo fizz is from 20-30 year old cococciola grapes, produced in the charmat method and bottled to be fresh, lively and light. In addition to its distinctive bejewelled label, the squat bowling pin bottle allows for more of the wine to be submerged in ice at a time – smartly, since this value buy is best chilled for your next party for a crowd.

France’s Village level Louis Jadot 2012 Beaujolais-Villages Combe aux Jacques is peppered with fine dusky spices, dried florals and shows darker berry fruit, with a finely structured grip, an excellent example of this quality level just below Cru. With partial grapes sourced from Cru Régnié, and partial carbonic maceration, this shapes the joyful raspberry and cherry tart fruitiness with an herbal, dusty and rustic edge. #GoGamayGo.

If you’re firing up the BBQ for a braai, crack the top off Boekenhoutskloof 2014 The Wolftrap. Pointed black fruits, thorns and smoked meats rule this syrah/mourvèdre/viognier blend from Franschoek on the Western Cape of South Africa. Tobacco and tar take over the ripe palate, one supported by smoothed, sticky tannins and ready for chargrilled red meat.

WineAlign in BC

In addition to our popular 20 Under $20 shopping guide, we publish the monthly Critics’ Picks report which highlights a dozen of our favourites from the last month (at any price point), as well as Rhys Pender’s BC Wine Report, a look at all things in the BC Wine Industry. Treve Ring pens a wandering wine column in Treve’s Travels, capturing her thoughts and tastes from the road. Lastly, Anthony Gismondi closes out the month with his Final Blend column – an expert insight into wine culture and trends, honed by more than 25 years experience as an influential critic.

Editors Note: You can find complete critic reviews by clicking on any of the highlighted wine names, bottle images or links. Paid subscribers to WineAlign see all critics reviews immediately. Non-paid members wait 60 days to see new reviews. Premium membership has its privileges; like first access to great wines!