It’s always fun to buy a wine for the price of a song and find it really sings. But here’s the real music: This column starts with not one but two sub-$10 great value reds — one from Portugal and the other from Spain. Next come four other wines to know about including two gems from Ontario.
2023 RUA N2 Red Blend Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal
New to the LCBO, this sumptuous blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional and Aragonez — Tempranillo in Spain — exudes a warm, almost beguiling perfume. Cherry-chocolate-fig aromas echo on the palate layered with earthy blackberry, cacao, dried fig and a quiet, umami-rich hint of hoisin. A touch of texture on the finish holds the fruit in place. Named after Portugal’s longest and most scenic road, Rua N2, and showing what looks like Lisbon at dusk on the label, this wine takes you there. Perfect with a little Fado music in the background. (13.5% alc. 9 g/L sugar)
2024 Castillo do Luna Organic Tempranillo Cabernet D.O. Utiel-Requena, Spain
For something affordable and organic, this new Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvignon blend is a smart pick. Each glassful opens with sumptuous yet discreetly vibrant scents of stewed damsons, muddled berries and soft leather with a pinch of pink peppercorn. Then, it sweeps in with an immediate richness cloaking the palate, but the wine isn’t heavy at all. It’s just comfortably plush and well-balanced with loads of ripe fruit that tastes lifted but plummy and pure. Drinks well above its price. Serve it with tapas for a fun night in. (12.5% alc., 4 g/L sugar)
2022 Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Franc VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
(LCBO 17290 $17.95 till Oct. 12, reg. $19.95)
From right here in Ontario comes a wine that could pass for a California Cabernet. It’s a mouth-filling rush of dark berries with remarkable depth. A warm breath of wild-blueberry cobbler and spice leads into a lush crush of dark fruit that tastes almost sweet — though it’s bone dry. Berry-rich and sun-drenched, each sip glides in with sure satisfaction. There’s hedonism here, yet nuance too: Cocoa powder, clove, nutmeg and a subtle biscuity note add a cerebral layer to the fruit. Fabulous with roast beef and potatoes. (14% alc., 3g/L sugar)
NV Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Brut Prosecco DOC, Treviso, Italy
This Prosecco is a cut above many sub-$20 expressions on shelf. Energetic but elegant, consistent and poised — almost ballerina-like — each silvery-gold sip starts with a soft, almost ethereal fragrance that drifts from Granny Smith to Bosc pear to white blossom. The attack is fresh and invigorating, an orchard-fruit thrill that’s bracing but balanced. Easy to enjoy, with an airy — almost undetectable — kiss of sweetness, this bottle gets the party started. Serve it on its own or with cicchetti, the classic bar snacks of Venice. (11% alc., 12 g/L sugar)
NV Labrusca Lini 910 Lambrusco Rosso Secco, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
This bottle could change the way you think about Lambrusco. Its deep, opaque purple hue hints at the intensity to come. Aromas of dried cranberry, field strawberry and rubbed oregano with a sprinkle of salt and pepper draw you in. Then, the wine slips in with immediate appeal — bone dry and invigorating, effervescent yet generously fruited. Beetroot and cranberry meet violet and star anise before gliding back to the cranberry note found on the nose. Served chilled with thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano or Prosciutto and warm crusty bread. (10.5% alc., 9 g/L sugar)
2021 Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Chardonnay VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Ontario
This seductive expression of Ontario Chardonnay shines pale gold in the glass and exudes creamy-toasty aromas before bathing the palate in a satin elegance. Tingling acidity balances a generous crème brûlée and apple tart centre. Then, those flavours gradually reveal praline, hazelnut, sweet butter and a whisper of cool oyster shell that’s felt as much as tasted on the finish. Not long, but undeniably compelling. Pair it with duck confit — if you’re feeling ambitious, roast turkey or sautéed mushrooms on toasted brioche. (13% alc. 2g/L sugar)
