December 15, 2012 - Top Import Wine under $15 in Canada

SPARKLING

88 Pellegrino Zebo Moscato N/V

Sicily, Italy

BC $15.00

A frizzante style with 6% alcohol. Nice fresh floral, peach, spicy, honey, red apple aromas. Crisp, juicy, fresh, somewhat sweet palate with good acidity. Pear, honey, spicy, rose, ginger, peach and mango flavours. Good fruit and balance in a fun, light fizz for summer. (AG-ST)

87 Anna Spinato Prosecco Organic N/V

Veneto, Italy

BC $14.99

Light lees, floral, pear, honey aromas with a bit of baked citrus rind. Fresh, crisp, juicy, somewhat foamy mousse entry with some sweetness. Baked pear, honey, nutty, floral, apple skin and candied grapefruit rind flavours. Good intensity with some lees length and not too sweet. Good solid value for prosecco. (AG-ST)

WHITE

88 Michel Torino Cuma Organic Torrontés 2011

Cafayate, Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North, Argentina

BC $14.00 specialty listing, MB $12.00, NF $12.00, NS $12.00

This offers pure spicy, nectarine, honey and lemon aromas. Fresh, crisp, juicy, round and succulent palate with ginger, melon, lemon, nectarine and spicy ginger flavours. A bit oily and light on the aroma concentration but offers good balance and finesse in a true Cafayate style. Good value here. (AG-ST)

88 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva La Gloria 2011

Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile

BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $15.00 private wine shops, NB $15.00, NS $15.00, ON $13.95, QC $14.25

The Veramonte style is fresh and crisp mixing gooseberry, dried herbs and lemongrass with tropical fruit nuances, minerality and along fresh finish. Clean and pure you get a lot of wine here for a little money. A perfect wine for West Coast shellfish. (AG)

88 Marrenon Classique Blanc Grenache Vermentino 2011 Grenache Blanc - Vermentino

Provence, South of France, France

BC $14.00 speculative listing - Seacove Group

Floral, honey, quince, ripe pear and baked apple aromas. Fresh, juicy, round, full palate with honey, lemon, baked pear, melon rind, apple skin and slate flavours. Good fruit, intensity and balance at a great price. Good value. (AG-ST)

88 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Riesling 2012

Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia

BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $17.00 private wine shops, MB $15.00, NB $19.00, ON $17.00

Open fresh slate and lime rind nose with bits of green apple skin and mineral aromas. The attack is fresh and fruity with more juicy green apple, citrus spicy, nectarine flavours. A clean, fresh style of riesling tailor-made for Pan Asian foods or serve liberally as an apéritif. (AG-ST)

87 Oteros Ramos Classic Gritos Malbec 2008

Mendoza, Argentina

BC $0.00 special order - OST Trading

Black cherry, plum, spicy, savoury, meaty, light barnyard, tobacco, licorice aromas. Round, dry, smooth, fresh palate with earthy, inky, resin, peppery, tobacco, meaty, black cherry, slightly stemmy palate. Solid if somewhat short and simple. (AG-ST)

87 Marani Mtsvane Dry White N/V

Kakheti, Georgia

BC $12.00 specialty listing

Expect a clean fresh aromatic Georgian white with baked pear, light marzipan, honey, apple skin aromas. The attack is elegant, soft and slightly oily with more baked pear, honey, spicy, light lees, quince, orange and guava flavours. Good flavours and balance and a steal at this price. Try with your favourite Pan Asian dishes. (AG-ST)

87 Wine Man Tsinandali Dry White 2007 Rkatsiteli - Mtsvane

Georgia

BC $14.00 special order - OST Trading

Fresh green apple, floral, nectarine skin aromas with honey, lemon, pear aromas. Fresh, dry, full, slightly spritz-y palate with apple skin, honey, floral, nutty, quince and raisin flavours. A bit soft on the finish but has good fruit intensity with an austerity and length that is intriguing. Still in fine shape but ready to drink. (AG-ST)

87 Las Perdices Torrontes 2011

Agrelo District, Luján de Cuyo, Northern Region, Mendoza, Argentina

MB $16.00, ON $13.00

Spicy, melon, guava, honey, light lees and matchstick aromas. Dry, fresh, elegant, slightly soft palate but creamy with ginger, earthy, mineral, mango, spices and light lees. Good solid effort but a bit muddled and warm on the finish. (AG-ST)

87 Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2011

Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile

BC $13.00 specialty listing, AB $15.00, MB $13.00, NF $13.00, NS $12.95, SK $13.10

A blend of Casablanca and Limari fruit, this has honey, green apple, lees, light garlic, nutty, citrus, passion fruit aromas. Fresh, juicy, round, off dry palate with creamy, grapefruit, nectarine, green apple, vanilla, guava with light garlic lees flavours. Good juicy style with some complexity. A continued fine value and effort. Great party wine. (AG)

87 Castaño C Macabeo Chardonnay 2011 Chardonnay - Macabeo

Yecla, Valencia and Murcia, Spain

BC $12.00 speculative listing - The Delf Group

Pear, citrus, green apple and nectarine aromas. Fresh, juicy, delicate and off-dry palate with green apple, floral, lime, honey and peach flavours. Simple, elegant and fruity, a great summer and seafood offering that offers continued great value. (AG-ST)

87 Ruffino Orvieto Classico 2010 Procanico - Verdello - Malvasia - Grechetto - Drupeggio

Umbria, Italy

BC $11.99 General

Umbrian white wine can punch above its weight as this Orvieto Classico does with its distinctively fresh style. A mix of grechetto, procanico and verdello that is long on freshness with buttery, nutty, pear and mineral aromas and flavours. Perfect for crab cakes. (AG)

87 Max Mann Riesling Classic 2010

Nahe, Germany

BC $15.00 speculative listing - International Cellars

Green apple skin, matchstick, slate, green peach, floral, light almond aromas. Crisp, juicy, odd-dry palate with honey, floral, green apple, nectarine and light lees flavours. A bit soft and lean but solid fruit. (AG-ST)

87 Graffigna Centenario Pinot Grigio Reserve 2011

San Juan, Argentina

BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $13.50 private wine stores, MB $14.25, NB $15.00, NF $15.00, ON $13.00, SK $15.00

Very floral, spicy, ginger, peach, grapefruit, matchstick and green guava aromas. Dry, fresh, elegant, slightly lean but juicy palate with guava, grapefruit, nectarine, grassy, floral, spicy flavours. A bit light on the finish but juicy with the intensity to go with spice Asian cuisine. (AG-ST)

87 Hardys Stamp Series Riesling Gewurztraminer 2011 Riesling - Gewurztraminer

South Eastern Australia, Australia

BC $10.50 specialty listing, NB $13.00, NS $13.50, ON $10.00, PEI $13.00, QC $11.00, YK $12.55

Aromatic white wines can be very versatile with Thai/Chinese/Indian menus and this edition from Oz hits all the right notes. The nose is spicy with floral, red apple and peach notes. The attack is just off-dry to cool down spicy dishes with bits of lemon and lime rind, apricot skin with lemon meringue and a hint of petrol in the finish. A fun white you can serve solo or with appetizers and or spicy dishes. (AG-ST)

87 St. Hallett Poacher's Semillon Sauvignon 2010 Sémillon - Sauvignon Blanc

Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $13.00 private wine shops, MB $14.00, NF $16.00, NS $16.00, ON $14.15, QC $15.10

Love the new edition of this classic sémillon sauvignon blanc blend. Love the nettle guava green lime tropical fruit nose with bits of asparagus that spill onto the palate. The attack is dry and elegant with more fresh grassy, floral, nutty honey fruit. Perfect for West Coast shellfish or oysters. Great value all under screwcap. (AG-ST)

87 Finca La Linda Torrontes 2010

Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North, Argentina

BC $14.00 speculative listing - Pacific Wine and Spirits, AB $15.00 private wine shops, NF $13.00

Floral, honey, lemon, nectarine, spices and ginger aromas. Fresh, juicy, elegant, off dry, creamy palate with rose, nectarine, spicy, ginger, slate and lemon flavours. Good finesse in an easy drinking consumer style. Good value. (AG-ST)

RED

89 M. Chapoutier Domaine de Bila-Haut Rouge 2010 Syrah - Grenache - Carignan

Côtes du Roussillon, Roussillon, South of France, France

BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $17.00 private wine shops, QC $16.35

Another great version of this wine made from bio-dynamically grown fruit in Roussillon. Love the peppery, liquorice, black raspberry jam and chocolate, gamey aromas. The attack is so smooth and polished but in a fresh, elegant style with more chocolate, tobacco, pepper, black cherry, liquorice root and smoky, meaty flavours and all with plenty of acidity and length. Love the value in this electric red. (AG-ST)

88 Periquita 2009 Castelão - Trincadeira - Aragonés

Vinho Regional Terras do Sado, Setùbal Peninsula, Central and Southern Portugal, Portugal

BC $9.99 specialty listing, ON $9.20 general listing, QC $12.00

Periquita wasn't always a drinkable wine but things have changed in Portugal. There not making New World wine but they are making much better Old World wine. That said bright fruit greets your nose with bits of spice and dried herbs. The plate is soft and juicy with more red and black fruits with a cedar and earthy finish. (AG-ST)

88 Mezzomondo Salento 2010

Puglia, Italy

BC $10.00 specialty listing

Fittingly fragrant the number one pick is 100 per cent negroamaro an indigenous grape grown in Apulia. Blackberries, plums, dark chocolate with a savoury undertone over deliver for the price. So round and fun to drink; it's ridiculous value for $10. You can even age this another three years and it will improve. (AG-ST)

88 Marrenon Classique Rouge Syrah Grenache 2010 Syrah - Grenache

Luberon, Provence, South of France, France

BC $14.00 speculative listing - Seacove Group

Open peppery, meaty, spicy, black cherry nose with liquorice root and savoury garrigue notes. The attack is full and smooth with light tannins and balanced acidity. Black cherry jam, plum, liquorice, pepper, tobacco, gamey flavours. Good fruit and intensity and excellent value. Try with any game or fowl dish. Super value. (AG-ST)

87 Cono Sur Organic Pinot Noir 2010

Valle del Colchagua, Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile

BC $15.00 retail

Not as bright and fruity as the non-organic edition but this wine has a bit more character from its cherry mushroom caraway seed aromas to its earthy, red fruits and dried herb flavours. Pair this with salmon or pork tenderloin or duck pizza. (ST)

87 Frescobaldi Remole Chianti 2010

Tuscany, Italy

BC $14.00 specialty listing, AB $15.00 private wine shops, NS $17.00, ON $12.45

Dry peppery, liquorice root and black cherry aromas with a whiff of balsamic and tobacco. The attack is fresh and round with elegant motes of cherry jam, prune, liquorice, black olive, dried herb flavours. Finish is a bit tart and warm has solid fruit. Best with lamb or turkey. (AG-ST)

87 Nuevo Mundo Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec

Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile

BC $15.00 specialty listing

This is a 75/25 mix of organically grown cabernet sauvignon and malbec that comes off De Martino's Isla de Maipo vineyards. The nose is fresh and clean with pleasing red fruit and spice notes. The attack is soft and balanced with fairly meaty, leafy black-fruit flavours and some rustic but not overpowering tannins. Try this with hearty fall vegetable dishes and or grilled meats. Good value. (AG-ST)

87 Terra Andina Cabernet - Merlot 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot

Region del Valle Central, Chile

BC $10.00 specialty listing

A tasty upgrade on previous editions albeit in a friendly commercial jacket. The attack is soft with a mix of sweet dark fruits, dried herbs, black olives and cedar plum notes. The tannins are soft. Try this spaghetti Bolognese or chicken cacciatore. (AG-ST)

87 Alain Brumont Merlot-Tannat 2010 Merlot - Tannat

Cotes de Gascogne, Sud-Ouest, France

BC $15.00 specialty listing, AB $18.00 private wine shops, QC $16.00

Cherry jam, prune, peppery, barnyard, leather, meaty, spicy, resin aromas. Fresh, smooth, juicy palate with savoury, meaty, cherry, plum, tobacco, barnyard, earthy, leather, peppery, spice flavours. Very warm, gamey finish but solid fruit here. (AG-ST)

87 Bodega Palacio Quemado Tempranillo 2011

Ribera del Guadiana, Extremadura and the Southwest, Spain

BC $14.00 speculative - Pacific Wine and Spirits

Spicy, black cherry, earthy, tobacco, plum, licorice and pepper aromas. Dry, fresh, elegant and juicy but delicate palate with peppery, sausage meat, black cherry, orange, tea, fig and spicy herb flavours. Good finesse in a forward style for current drinking. Solid value. (AG-ST)