Top 20 under $20 at the LCBO (March)

Your Guide to the Best Values, Limited Time Offers & Bonus Air Miles selections at the LCBO
by Steve Thurlow

Steve Thurlow

You may recall that my February report noted a large number of discontinued wines. Well, house cleaning has continued at the LCBO with many more wines being discontinued and selling at big discounts to clear inventory. Among these again were sadly some of my favourites. For whatever reason they did not sell in sufficient quantities to keep their place on the shelf, so they will soon make an exit. Some of these discontinued wines have already sold out, but I have listed below a few that will be around for the next couple of weeks or so. There are ten new wines on the Top 50 for you to try.

In March there are many wines on promotion such that five wines, already on the list, have Bonus Air Miles (BAMs) that apply or are on sale (LTO), making these wines even more attractive for the next four weeks or so; all this will surely make your March drinking more affordable.

The Top 20 under $20 are best buys among the 1600 or so wines in LCBO Wines and the VINTAGES Essentials Collection. This month I selected most from wines on Steve’s Top 50, a standing WineAlign list based on quality/price ratio. You can read below in detail how the Top 50 works, but it does fluctuate as new wines arrive and as discounts show up through Limited Time Offers (LTOs).

The month’s discount period runs until March 28th. So don’t hesitate. Thanks to WineAlign’s inventory tracking, I was able to ensure that there were stocks available, when we published, of every wine that I highlight.

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

Reds

Volcanes Summit Reserva 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Chile ($6.45 was $10.95) Top 50 March – Discontinued at LCBO: There is an Italian feel to this Chilean red blend with notable acidity and minerality giving it freshness. Try with pepperoni pizza. Around 4500 bottles remain.

Montes Limited Selection 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($6.95 was $13.95) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: A full-bodied fragrant red that would be good with a juicy steak. About 1000 bottles remain.

Callia Alta 2013 Malbec, San Juan, Argentina ($6.95 was $11.85) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: The San Juan wine region is about 2 hours drive north of Mendoza, which is source for most Argentine reds. A midweight vibrant slightly spicy malbec. About 1200 bottles remain.

Obikwa 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa ($6.95 was $9.45) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: A well-balanced fruity cabernet that’s midweight. Try with grilled meats or hard mature cheese. About 2500 bottles remain.

Citra 2013 Sangiovese Terre Di Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy ($7.75 + 4BAMs): A midweight dry vibrant red great with tomato sauces.

Casa Lapostolle 2012 Gran Seleccion Carmenere, Rapel Valley, Chile ($7.95 was $15.20) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: An elegant structured Chilean red that’s great with a steak. About 900 bottles remain.

Spadafora 2012 Terrano Rosso, Calabria, Italy $8.40 New to Top 50: A new listing that shows plummy fresh aromas with no oak and a midweight juicy palate. Try with burgers.

Fuzion Alta 2013 Reserva Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina $8.95 was $9.95 New to Top 50- March LTO: A soft light to midweight red that should be great with pizza or meaty pasta sauces.

Tic Tok Pocketwatch 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Ranges, New South Wales, Australia ($8.95 was $13.00) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: A modern quite lean cabernet from 2 cooler areas of New South Wales. Try with lamb cutlets. About 6000 bottles remain.

Mas De Montagnes 2010 Cotes Du Roussillon Villages, France ($10.90 was $13.15) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: This only lasted a year on the LCBO shelves. Pity since it is a soft midweight red with lots of flavour and a lot of rustic charm. About 1400 bottles remain.

Farnese Casale Vecchio 2013 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy ($11.00 + 4BAMs) Top 50 March: A classy Italian fullbodied red whose price and style should appeal to Ripasso lovers.

Cusumano 2013 Syrah, Sicily, Italy ($11.95 + 4BAMs): Top 50 March: A midweight cool climate syrah that’s well-balanced flavourful and very fruity.

Cusumano 2013 Nero d’Avola, Sicily, Italy ($11.95 + 4BAMs) A delicious Sicilian red with soft zesty lemony tone to the ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit aromas and flavours.

K W V 2012 Roodeberg, Western Cape, South Africa ($12.45 + 7 BAMs): Medium bodied Cape classic that’s been great value for years. Try with rack of lamb.

Guardian 2012 Reserva Red, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($13.65) Top 50 March: A complex red cabernet blend finely balanced and fruity long lingering finish with some fine tannin. Try with a steak.

Errazuriz Max Reserva 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Aconcagua Valley, Chile ($18.95 + 12 BAMs): One of the best vintages ever of this classic very authentic Chilean cabernet. Try with a thick beef stew.

Whites

Two Oceans 2012 Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa ($6.95 was $10.25) Top 50 March – Discontinued at LCBO: Lots of flavour, structure and good length for such an inexpensive wine. About 2200 bottles remain.

Grant Burge 2012 Summers Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills/Eden Valley, South Australia ($10.95 was $18.20) New to Top 50 – Discontinued at LCBO: A delicious midweight lightly oaked chardonnay from cool high altitude vineyards. About 1000 bottles remain.

Fleur Du Cap 2013 Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa ($12.80 + 8 BAMs) A rich smooth intense old style chardonnay with well-integrated oak spice. Try with fish and chips.

Mascota Vineyards O P I 2013 Chardonnay, Argentina ($12.95 + 4BAMs) Top 50 March: A rich flavourful chardonnay with just a touch of oak and a firm dry finish.

How does a wine get selected for the Top 20 under $20.

There are three ways that a wine gets into this monthly report of wines that are always in the stores either on the LCBO “General List” or the VINTAGES Essential Collection.

– On Sale (LTO’s or Limited Time Offers): Every four weeks the LCBO discounts around 200 wines. I have looked through the current batch and have highlighted some of my favourites that offer better value at present…. so stock up now.

– Bonus Air Miles (BAM’s): If you collect Air Miles then you will be getting Bonus Air Miles on another 150 or so wines…a few of these have a special appeal for a while.

– Steve’s Top 50: Wines that have moved onto my Top 50 Best Values this month. This is on an-on going WineAlign selection (Top 50,) that mathematically calculates value by comparing the price and rating of all the wines on the LCBO General List. You can access the report any time and read more about it now.

The Rest of Steve’s Top 50

There are another 35 wines on the Top 50 list so if you did not find all you need above for your current needs dip into the Top 50 LCBO and VINTAGES Essentials wines. There will surely be something inexpensive that suits your taste.

To be included in the Top 50 for value a wine must be inexpensive while also having a high score, indicating high quality. I use a mathematical model to make the Top 50 selections from the wines in our database. I review the list every month to include newly listed and recently tasted vintages of current listings as well as monitoring the value of those put on sale for a limited time.

Before value wine shopping remember to consult the Top 50 (Click on Wine =>Top 50 Value Wines to be taken directly to the list), since it is always changing. If you find that there is a new wine on the shelf or a new vintage that we have not reviewed, let us know. Moreover if you disagree with our reviews, tell us please us. And if you think our reviews are accurate, send us some feedback since it’s good to hear that you agree with us.

The Top 50 changes all the time, so remember to check before shopping. I will be back next month with more news on value arrivals to Essentials and the LCBO.

Cheers!

Steve Thurlow

Top 20 Under $20
Top 50 Value Wines