Year after year, a small handful of wines keep appearing on my annual Best Values list. One of that group is Casa Santos Lima’s Confidencial Reserva red blend from Lisboa, Portugal, distributed in Ontario by Majestic Wine Cellars.

Apart from its exceptional bang for the buck, here’s another reason to be a fan of this wine: In a world where it seems like every commodity and service on Planet Earth went up in price significantly during the Pandemic—and then stayed there—the cost of Confidencial, after moving from $14.95 to $16.95, has recently dropped a dollar, acknowledging that their shipping costs have been reduced and that that savings should be passed along to the customer.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Casa Santos Lima Executive Board Member and Senior International Manager Ricardo Pinto Correia.

TLL: I’ve always been impressed with the quality-price ratio of your Confidencial Reserva. At just $15.95, I’m guessing you hear a lot about its value from other people as well.
RPC: “Definitely! In blind tastings, it’s common to hear both clients and consumers say, ‘Are sure that price is correct!?’”

You’ve got an undisclosed blend of 10+ grape varieties in this wine. Do you ever change the recipe?
“It’s the same 10+ grapes every harvest, but depending on the year and quality of harvest, we might opt for different percentages between those grapes. But overall, nothing changes significantly.”

How long have you been producing it?
“We just celebrated a decade.”

Casa Santos Lima winery in Aldeia Galega da Merceana, Portugal.

How many bottles are produced annually?
“We produce 400,000 bottles, distributed across five continents—roughly 1/4 of which goes to Canada alone!”

You have several Portuguese red blends in your portfolio, but what makes the Confidencial Reserva special?
“It honestly comes from a passion and vision to create a wine to please and surprise. The soil is predominantly clay and limestone, and the hills on which these grapes are grown receive excellent sun exposure and are fanned by mild Atlantic Ocean breezes. The resulting wine has a deep ruby colour and a generous nose of wild berries with a refreshing touch of coconut. On the palate, it’s refreshing and bold, with a delicate aftertaste.”

What other Casa Santos Lima wines can we find at the LCBO?
“Beyond the Confidencial, we have the following currently listed—all from the Lisboa region and all between $10 and $15: LAB Red, Colossal Reserva (red), Passion of Portugal Reserva (red), White Blend Portugal and Red Blend Portugal—currently our best seller overall.”

Casa Santos Lima Chief Winemaker Vasco Martins.

Among your winery honours, which are you the proudest of?
“We’ve been the most-awarded company at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles from 1994 to 2023, and have been ranked as the Best Portuguese Producer at AWC Vienna every year since 2013, at Mundus Vini since 2020, and at Berliner Wine Trophy since 2019.”

Give me one of your favourite food pairings for the Confidencial.
“Char-grilled red meat with gravy and oven-roasted potatoes would pair brilliantly. The tannins will melt with the soft structure of the dressing and the flavours elevate the taste of the grilled meat.”