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From Up! Magazine Features
The International Value Wine Awards
is a Canadian-based competition run by up! sister publication
Wine
Access magazine.
The judges—leading independent wine writers and critics, all—span the nation and include three of
The following paragraphs list the top values on the planet—14 countries in all submitted almost 1,000 wines in 30
categories.
The premise of the International Value Wine Awards is to find the best value wines in Canada that sell “somewhere” for less than $25—a threshold chosen due to the fact that, as far as we can ascertain, 97 per cent of all wines sold in Canada sell for less than $25.
Since prices range across the country, they’ll differ slightly from those posted here. We have i
ncluded the lowest price we could find and
rounded it up or down to give you a base price. It’s possible you will find it for a few pennies less, but be prepared to pay a dollar or two more,
depending upon where you live.
We have also tried to taste the latest vintage, but only assessed what wineries entered. If the vintage is sold out or has disappeared from shelves, our advice is to try the next one; it is likely to be just as good, because quality at this level is not so much vintage-reliant as it is driven by a winery’s philosophy.
And be quick—wines we highly recommend tend to go up in price.
The following winners are just the highlights of the
obsessively profound, 45-page analysis featured in the October/November issue of Wine Access. Go to
wineaccess.ca for much
more value wine winners, awards info and to buy the issue.
Best Cabernet Sauvignon
89 Points
Santa Julia 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
Maipu,
BC $14, ON $14, QC $15
We are used to Santa Julia delivering value, so it’s no surprise its Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva jumped to the top of this category. It’s 100-per cent cabernet sauvignon from the Maipu region of
Best Merlot
89 Points
C J Pask 2005 Gimblett Road Merlot
ON $15
Best Pinot Noir
88 Points
Spy Valley 2005 Pinot Noir
$25 (suggested winery price)
Best Shiraz/Syrah
92 Points
Nugan Estate 2005 McLaren Parish
AB $24
The 2004 vintage won the same category at the 2006 IVWA, showing that the Nugan wines, though new to
Best Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blends
88 Points
Promised Land 2005
The 2004 vintage won this category at the 2006 IVWA and this is a very similar wine, with its fragrant, shiraz-dominated nose of cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of spice. Medium-bodied and delightfully smooth, with great integration and a peppery finish. Best 2007 to 2012. —
ST
Best Other Red Blend,
Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux Style
90 Points
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005
Proprietors’ Reserve Meritage Red
ON $25
As it’s been for some years, the open JT nose of cloves, black cherry jam and vanilla entice. On the palate, a soft, round entry precedes a rich, smoky, coffee mocha, savoury, black olive flavour. It’s a blend that does well most years in the south Okanagan.
—
AG
Best Other Red Blend,
Non-traditional Red Blends
89 Points
Trivento 2005 Cabernet/Malbec Reserve
BC $13, MB $12, ON $13, NF $14
The judges applauded this red that delivers, from its white pepper nose to its blackberry jam and meaty aromas. On the palate, the entry is fat with savoury, coffee, black cherry jam flavours, flecked with licorice. Incredible flavour intensity for the price. A super barbecue red. —
AG
89 Points
Waterbrook 2005 Melange
$15 (suggested winery price)
I would say that a blend of sauvignon (33 per cent), sangiovese (26 per cent) and merlot (25 per cent), plus some syrah and cabernet franc, qualifies as a melange,
Best Carmenère
87 Points
Ventisquero Yali 2006 Carmenère Reserve
Valle del Colchagua, Valle
$13 (suggested winery price)
The trademark eucalyptus and licorice nose is hard to miss and, as usual, it challenged our judges to find the best expression. Ventisquero is relatively new to
Best Malbec
91 Points
Kaiken 2005 Malbec
AB $18, ON $19
Round after round, the Kaiken wowed the judges. It would appear Aurelio Montes has put the magic back into malbec, but he had to go to Argentina to do it, hence “Kaiken,” named after the wild goose that flies back and forth over the Andes between Chile and Argentina. Rich, savoury, soft flavours streaked with licorice, pepper, black cherry jam, coffee and cardamom. —
AG
Best Sangiovese
88 Points
Antinori 2004 Peppoli Chianti
AB $20, MB $25, ON $20, NF $25,
Antinori grabbed the sangiovese prize with his elegantly styled Chianti Classico.
Peppoli blends 90 per cent sangiovese with 10 per cent merlot and syrah. The wine
Best Tempranillo
90 Points
Torres 2004 Celeste
Ribera del Duero,
BC $25, ON $15
One hundred per cent tempranillo, matured in French and American oak, this is a rich wine with ripe, dense fruit, held in a beautifully smooth palate, with big tannins showing up on the finish. The nose shows prune and cassis fruit with earthy tones, mid- to full-bodied; it will benefit from a few years in the cellar. Excellent length. Best 2009 to 2012. —
ST
Best Zinfandel
89 Points
Clos du Bois 2005 Zinfandel
North Coast,
MB $22, QC $23, NF $24
The 2003 vintage was “Best USA Red” and “Best Zin” at the 2006 IVWA, showing
the consistency of this wine. Beautiful, rich, round nose of ripe fruit, nicely blended
with French oak spice and some leather and mocha notes. Full-bodied yet supple, with a big finish. —
ST
Best Other Red Varietal
89 Points
Nugan Estate 2005 Manuka Grove Durif
AB $25
A lot of complexity for a wine at this price, with a nose of cassis, bramble, cedar with tar and earth components. Well-balanced and super-smooth, with excellent length. Impressive, to say the least.
—
ST
Best Rosé
88 Points
Angove’s 2007 Nine Vines Rosé
$15 (suggested winery price)
This fun, lively, spicy grenache/syrah blend is packed with bright earthy, mineral,
Best Oaked Chardonnay
92 Points
Cathedral Cellar 2005 Chardonnay
Paarl,
Coastal
ON $15, MB $15, NS $12
This wine and winemaker, Tania Joubert, have been winning accolades all over the world with this rich, ripe, lively chardonnay with beautiful racy acidity and great depth considering the price. Expect aromas of ripe apple, lemon and tropical fruit with mineral freshness. Rich and creamy, with the fruit well-balanced by lemony acidity. Excellent length. —
ST
Best Un-oaked Chardonnay
87 Points
Gravitas 2006 Chardonnay
ON $24
Gravitas is one of
Best Aromatic Whites—Varietals and Blends
89 Points
Wild Goose 2006 Gewürztraminer
BC $19
Always crisp and elegant, the Goose Gewürztraminer specializes in floral, spicy, litchi, rose petal aromas and ginger, oily, peachy, mineral flavours with flecks of sausage meat. Impressive styling for the price.
—
AG
Best White Blends
88 Points
St Hallett 2006 Poacher’s Blend
BC $13, AB $14, MB $12, QC $15
Sourced from mostly Barossa and
Best Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio
88 Points
Loredona 2006 Pinot Grigio
$17 (suggested winery price)
Loredona turned out to be a pleasant surprise in what was a tough group of competitors. Its cool
Best Sauvignon Blanc
88 Points
Mount Riley 2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Judged just a nose ahead of the rest of the field of fine sauvignons, this displays ripe passion fruit and gooseberry, with juicy lemony acidity refreshing the palate. Elegant and quite rich, but still fresh, crisp and lively right through to the finish.
—
ST
Best Riesling
89 Points
St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein 2006
Riesling Spätlese
AB $18, QC $15, ON $21
Quintessential
Best Sparkling
88 Points
Wyndham Estate N/V Bin 222 Sparkling Chardonnay
South
BC $15, MB $14, ON $12,
QC $14, NS $14, NF $13
In 2005, it was
TOP 25 KILLER VALUES
W
e left no stone unturned to come up with our absolute list of killer values. The final compilation reflects a number of mathematical
applications that took into account the score and price of the wine as it relates to all wine scores and prices in the entire competition. Enough said: this is the list everyone is looking for.
—
AG
1. Cathedral Cellar 2005 Chardonnay
Paarl
Coastal Region,
92 Points $15
2. Farnese 2006 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
88 Points
$7
3. Castillo de Almansa 2003 Reserva
Almansa
Castilla-
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