By Gaby Israel
Great Whites under $20
Here are 3 different white wines. Two from France that are more similar in their Old World style and one from Argentina that is more modern. All three are perfect for the spring.
2010 Catena Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina – $19.95
2009 Michel Picard Chardonnay Bourgogne, A.C., Burgundy, France – $17.95
2009 Saget La Perrier Marie de Beauregard Vouvray – $17.95
Great Reds Under $20
From Italy to France and Spain and all the way south to South Africa, some great reds for the spring and summer. All of these wines received very supportive reviews from the critics. Only the 2009 Jorio doesn’t seem to have consensus – Antonio Galloni from RP gave it 90 while Natalie MacLean gave it 86 – these two grades deliver a different message to us as consumers- must try and judge it yourself!
The 2009 Côtes Du Rhône-Villages seems promising and for a very fair price. The two wines from Spain are both great. The 2005 Imaz is more traditional Rioja, whereas the 2007 Rotllán from Priorat is probably more modern in style – and when you have an opportunity to try a Priorat wine that received such a positive review and it costs $18, you don’t say ‘no’.
2009 Jorio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – $13.95
2009 Château De Bord La Croix De Frégère Laudun, Brotte, Aimé Et Pascal Fayolle, Prop.-Récolt., A.C., Côtes Du Rhône-Villages, France – $16.95
2005 Coto De Imaz Reserva – $19.95
2007 Rotllán Torra Crianza, D.O.C., Priorat, Spain – $17.95
2008 Spier Creative Block 3, W.O., Coastal Region, South Africa – $19.95
Great Reds for $20 – $23
Two very different wines for $23. The 2009 Vacqueyras is more powerful, where as the 2004 Rioja is yet again a traditional Gran Reserva: elegant and more ready to drink wine. Both wines are excellent value-for-the-money. I have the 2001 Bordón Gran Reserva and would love to try them side by side. Both wines can be enjoyed with BBQ meats.
2009 Domaine de la Colline St-Jean Vacqueyras – $22.95
2004 Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva Bodegas Franco-Espanolas, D.O.C.A., Rioja, Spain: – $22.95
For Deeper Pockets…
The hunt for the great 2006 Brunellos continues. Here are two excellent examples of what this classic vintage can provide. Both wines received outstanding reviews from the critics (94 and 93+ respectively). Both wines can be cellared for another 12-14+ years. They are not cheap, but their GPCi makes it an attractive offering. I’d buy 2 + 2.
2006 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino – $47.95
2006 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino – $46.95
By Gaby Israel
Gaby has been providing wine tasting notes and buying recommendations for several years now.
The name WineGPCi (pronounced Wine Gypsy) was given by his friends. GPCi stands for Gaby’s Potential Cellaring Index. While searching for “treasures for the cellar” without going to the bank, the GPCi was initially used to calculate the ratio between the price of the wine and the number of years it can potentially be cellared for; trying to find the wines that had the smallest index/ratio possible.
Any good wine that had a GPCi of 3.5 and under, was worth buying (mainly if you were planning to develop a cellar). Many years and “750 bottles in the cellar” after, his knowledge, experience and passion continued to grow. He continues to focus on helping the consumer finding “logical” ways of buying wines and planning the budget for it.
His great passion for wine revolves around old-world wines such as Spain, France and Italy while experimenting the new world exciting regions of Chile, Argentina, Australia, Canada, the US and others.
Posted with permission of the LCBO.
