Another quality foursome this week of great-value wines, including one of my favourite deals on planet earth.

Babich 2019 Malborough Sauvignon Blanc – Malborough, New Zealand ($17.95 — on sale for $14.95)

Dating to 1912, Babich is the oldest family-owned wine company in New Zealand. And their experience shows. Machine harvested but tasting hand-picked in its quality, Babich’s Malborough Sauvignon Blanc is annually produced in a richer, fuller style with a slight malolactic fermentation to soften the texture. And this edition of takes full advantage of a superb 2019 harvest. There’s the traditional gooseberry and citrus notes, but there’s also Granny Smith apple and some minerality hanging out for the lengthy finish. If you have any fondness for Sauvignon Blanc but you dislike this one, well, you’re just weird. 91

Southbrook 2017 Organic Merlot — Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario ($22.95 or $114.75 for a six-pack)
Traditionally only made available for restaurants, Southbrook is currently offering this wine for online orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. As you’re apt to find at Southbrook, this is an unfiltered organic creation from winemaker Ann Sperling. I was waiting for some gameyness of those unfiltered compounds to hit me, but there were just intriguing, savoury wild berry flavours. I found it a bit tight to start, so a good decanting will help it open up, while also serving to strain all that sediment.

“It was bottled specifically for a restaurant offering, but also as a wine that would be fresher and more fruit forward,” says Sperling. “It has 15% Gamay blended into it to bring out that fruit component. It’s not oaky at all. Medium-bodied with those blue fruits coming through. Pair it with a lamb burger or something off the grill with a cheese component.” 88.5

Rocca delle Macie Chianti 2016 Riserva — Tuscany, Italy ($15.95)
Primarily Sangiovese fortified with 5% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The nose is quite engaging—less about fruit and more about herbs, earth and spice—and certainly benefits from richest vintage I remember in some time. On the palate, a rustic, earthy cherry emerges, while the texture benefits from two years of oak aging. The finish is not the longest, though. Nice pizza pairing and decent value here. 87

Rocca delle Macie Chianti 2017 Classico —Tuscany. Italy ($18.95)
Consisting of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot, the 2017 vintage is one of lower quantity but higher quality. A bit darker and richer than normal, with dried red fruit, dried prune, currants, dark cherry and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, with a medium-plus finish. There’s still a young zippy bite to it, which is one of the reasons this wine is not ideally suited to sipping, but clearly shines with food. Longer finish than its Riserva sister, with softer tannins and a more elegant texture. This one’s only going to improve over the next couple of years if you can cellar it. 88.5