Last week TheLushLife.ca published its annual Best Value Wines list. This week follows up of 18 more bottles featuring solid quality-price ratios, including a few near-misses from that TOP 40 list.

All prices below are regular retail price and do not include the temporary HST savings for Ontarians visiting the LCBO or ordering from the wine’s provincial agent (the latter of which is listed beside the rating of each wine).

Anciano No. 7 Reserva Rioja 2018 — Rioja, Spain ($17)
Both the alcohol (13%) and sugar (2 g/L) are subdued in this popular Tempranillo. Cinnamon stick, cassis, balsamic, anise, smoke, dried red cherry and red currant notes awaken the senses. On the palate it’s traditionally softer than your traditional Rioja wine, but the acid seems unusually low for this particular vintage, which tastes like it’s in a drink-now stage of its life. (AWSM) 88

Argento Estate Reserve Organic Malbec 2021 — Argentina ($15.95)
Herbaceous, sweet blackcurrant/blackberry and plum fruit and some tobacco smoke in this smooth, medium+ bodied organic red. It underwent just a few months of oak aging, which has kept it fresh. 14% alc., 5 g/L sugar. (Profile) 88

Astoria Prosecco — Veneto, Italy ($17.95)
Hints of orange skin, sweet lemon and peach on the nose, with almond, pear, apple and a streak of minerality added on the palate. There’s a nice density and persistence to the bubbles and decent length on the finish. A safe and reliable crowd pleaser. (Lifford) 87

Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 — Mendoza, Argentina ($21.95)
A smooth, juicy 91% Cabernet Sauvignon with 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot thrown into the mix, blended from four vineyards averaging about 3,500 feet in elevation. Dark fruits and a well-integrated 13.5% alcohol. Just 3 g/L of sugar and medium tannins at most. On sale for $17.95 until Jan. 5. (Noble) 89

Château Hyot 2020 — Bordeaux, France ($15.95)
A near-miss to the TOP 40 list. I cannot express how important it is to decant this in advance. My initial tasting showed chalky, dusty dark red fruit. I moved on to sample other wines and revisited this on day two, and then day three. In each tasting it was subsequently softer and more integrated. (Majestic) 88

Cigar Box 2023 Pinot Noir — Casablanca Valley, Chile ($14.95)
The tagline for the Cigar Box brand of wines is “bold wines for bold living,” but the illustration of an open cigar box on the label and the chunky lettering that accompanies it is something I wish would undergo a rebranding. That personal aesthetic opinion aside, this rather robust Pinot Noir, a hand-picked product of old vines, opens with a funky, smoky dried raspberry/cherry note, before airing out to also reveal strawberry, oak spice and vanilla. The tannins are medium-soft, while the palate offers a baking spice-laced dark red fruit. 13% alc, 6 g/L of sugar. (Lifford) 87

Cono Sur Organic Pinot Noir 2022 — Casablanca Valley, Chile ($15.95)
Cherry, cranberry and strawberry on the nose. Tart, savoury red fruit and medium-bodied on the palate—a little weightier and snappier than your prototypical Pinot, but still round and juicy, with a medium-length finish. 14% alc., 3 g/L sugar. (AWSM) 87

Dandelion Menagerie of the Barossa 2022 — Barossa Valley, Australia ($21.95)
This medium+ bodied blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro (Mouvedre) boasts the alluring bouquet of a ground-up handful of rose petals with raspberries, leather, oak chips and herbs. Silky soft tannins but tart acidity follow in the glass. There’s a little chalkiness on the finish. Vegan-friendly. 14.5% alc., 3 g/L. sugar. (Profile) 90

Dandelion Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz 2021 — South Australia ($20.95)
Many of the vines of the Lionheart Shiraz are more than 100 years of age, planted in some of the oldest soils on earth. The nose is coffee, blackberry and plum pudding. In the mouth, it’s a velvety textured wine, with spice, vanilla and more of those dark fruits, with a dry 3 g/L sugar. Firm tannins, medium acidity and the 14.5% alcohol are all in balance. One of those wines that grows on you the deeper you get into the glass. (Profile) 90

Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2023 — Languedoc, France ($16.95)
Named for the north-to-south planting of its vines to protect the grapes from the midday sun, this pale-gold white offers notes of acacia, pear and apricot. On the palate it straddles between tangy freshness and mineral-driven smoothness, with a rounded, medium-bodied mouthfeel, good acid and piles of food-pairing flexibility, including grilled fish and Asian fare. (Lifford) 88

Mitolo Jester Shiraz 2021 — McLaren Vale, Australia ($22.95)
On the nose there’s a deep, ripe, brooding blackcurrant, plum, dark cherry, dark chocolate and a little menthol, and every bit of the 14.9% alcohol the LCBO declares. The palate is dry (3 g/L of sugar) and vibrant with baking spices and more of that dark fruit, although the alcohol remains a touch hot. On sale for $18.95 until Jan. 5. (Noble) 89

Planeta Plumbago Nero d’Avola 2021 — Sicily, Italy ($24.95)
Named after a wildflower that grows around Planeta’s cellar in Sicily, this was a near-miss to the 2024 Best Value List. I’m still pondering whether it should have been included. The nose is jam-packed with intriguing dark depth—it would rate a 94 if on its aromas alone!—with dried tart cherry, blackcurrants, ripe blackberries, black olives and cocoa. The palate is well balanced between that lush fruit and acidity. A great match for Mediterranean cuisine. Decanting is highly suggested, as this was a far more integrated wine when being sampled a day later. (Noble) 90

San Felice Chianti Classico 2022 — Tuscany, Italy ($20.95)
A Vintages Essential release, this was another near-miss to the 2024 Best Value list. It’s very smooth for a Chianti at this price point, with cherry, cranberry, raspberry, earth, thyme and light spices to the nose and the expected mouth-watering Chianti acidity lifting those red fruit tastes and aromas on the palate. Tannins provide a slight grip on the herbal, earthy finish. On sale for $17.45 until Jan. 5. (Noble) 89

Villa Sandi Blanc de Blanc Brut Prosecco — Veneto, Italy ($14.95)
Clean, mineral, unpretentious through and through—this wine thrives on its subtlety. There are hints of white flowers, citrus and Granny Smith apple to the nose, with just as even keeled a palate, and good persistence to those bright bubbles through the finish. A modest 11.5% alc., with 10 g/L of sugar. (Profile) 88

Villa Wolf Pinot Noir 2022 — Pfalz, Germany ($17.95)
A floral, albeit restrained, perfume of dried plum, cherry and strawberry arrive arm in arm with pepper and baking spices. Light bodied, the palate is dominated by sour cherry, with a spicy mid-palate. (Lifford) 87

Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz 2022 — Clare Valley / McLaren Valley, Australia ($24.95)
This is crazily juicy—like it was fresh-squeezed—with an eclectic aroma of ripe cherry, plum and blueberry/blackberry fruit, along with mocha and vanilla tossed into the mix. The lushness of this wine is primarily derived from its Clare Valley component, with the peppery aspects owing to its McLaren Valley grapes. But this edition seems to lack some of that minty/eucalyptus freshness I’m used to in this wine. Still, the finish is long, and its appeal should be widespread. And for gift-givers, this is a good-looking label! (Profile) 89

Wapisa Malbec 2022 — Patagonia, Argentina ($21.95)
Produced in Patagonia in southern Argentina, not far from the Pacific and the Antarctic, this is a leaner Malbec than you’re probably used to. Its complex nose is composed of a floral lavender and tart cherry, pepper, spearmint and a dash of salinity. It’s also not hiding its 13.9% alcohol. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied at most—and dry, at just 3g/L of sugar—with an almost Gamay-like texture, acidity and body weight. An intriguing wine. (DB Wines) 89 

Yellow Tail Bubbles — South Australia, Australia ($14.95)
A sweet sparkling white with peach, pear and apple pie notes and a creamy bubbly palate. The 20 g/L of sugar content stands out and is too sweet for my liking for a sparkling wine, but it can certainly be a good option for mimosas or other cocktails—or simply for those with a sweeter palate than this critic. Untwisting the plastic coil wrapped around the neck of the cap in order to open the bottle is not the simplest endeavour. However, what remains is the most effective seal I’ve seen on a sparkling wine—an easy-to-use resealable cap that Yellow Tail has been employing for more than a decade. On sale for just $13.05 until Jan. 5. (Dandurand) 86