Four-star wine options from around the world

Between the Winnipeg Wine Festival and other recent tastings, I’ve been lucky enough to try some pretty darn good new/new-to-me wines over the past couple of months.

Here are six four-star wines that made an impression when tasted. And while I offered a half-dozen Thanksgiving wine options in last week’s Uncorked, all the following wines except for the big, bold Phantom Creek Petite Cuvée red blend would also be a hit at the big fall feast this weekend.

The Albariño grape is most commonly grown in Spain and Portugal; it’s rare to find one from South Africa, but if the Spier 2024 Signature Collection Albariño (Stellenbosch, South Africa — $18, The Winehouse) is any indication of what can be done with the grape there, producers should think about growing more of it.

Medium gold in appearance, the wine brings fleshy red apple, lemon zest, pear and subtle floral and nutty notes. It’s medium-bodied and dry, with a hint of viscosity from time aging on the lees (spent yeast cells); flavour-wise this unoaked white brings bright peach, nectarine, red apple and pear, plus a hint of spice and a medium-length finish (at 13 per cent alcohol). 4/5

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New in our market is the Aubert & Mathieu 2024 Hautes Pistes Chardonnay (Pays D’Oc, France — $24.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), a southern French Chardonnay that’s medium straw in appearance and offers fresh pear, apricot, floral, ripe red apple and subtle tropical fruit and spice notes on the nose, with a dab of marmalade aromas in there as well.

It’s light-plus-bodied and dry, with a touch of vanilla and spice (from barrel fermentation and then six months in 500-litre barrels) coming alongside pear, apricot, red apple and mango notes, with a modest lemon component coming with modest acidity and a medium-length finish (it’s 13 per cent alcohol). 4/5

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From the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley comes the Moraine 2025 Pinot Gris (Okanagan Valley, B.C. — $26.99, Liquor Marts and beyond); it’s pale gold in appearance, and has plenty going on aromatically, with red apple, peach, tropical fruit (think pineapple and guava) and spice.

On the almost off-dry, light-plus-bodied and viscous palate the ripe tree and stone fruit flavours show really well, with big tropical fruit notes and some spice fleshing things out and, at 13.5 per cent alcohol, a modest length finish. 4/5

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In addition to their Australian operations, Torbreck Vintners has ventured across the water to New Zealand, and is now making wine there under the name Escarpment in the Martinborough region on the country’s north island. The Escarpment 2022 Pinot Noir (Martinborough, New Zealand — $32.99, De Nardi Wines) is pale brick in appearance, bringing aromas of earth, cherry, raspberry, plum, cedar and spice.

It’s dry and light-plus-bodied, with cherry, cola, red licorice, plum and spice flavours as well as white pepper and black tea notes, light tannins and acidity and a medium-length finish, Chill for 15 minutes and drink now. 4/5

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Spanish Riojas are typically hearty and rustic reds made from the Tempranillo grape; the Librares 2025 Garnacha (Rioja, Spain — $24.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is quite the different animal. Made entirely from the Garnacha grape, the wine is medium brick-ish ruby in appearance, and brings deep, juicy blackberry, plum, blueberry and cocoa notes aromatically.

It’s a dry, medium-plus-bodied red that leads with dark berry flavours, is complemented by a subtle cocoa/white pepper note, offers modest acidity and, at 14 per cent alcohol, some warmth on the finish. A more progressive style red from Rioja, with no real oak influence flavour-wise — drink now, slightly chilled. 4/5

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Among the impressive offerings at this year’s Winnipeg Wine Festival was the Phantom Creek 2021 Petite Cuvée (Okanagan Valley, B.C. — $43.99, Liquor Mart and beyond), a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec grapes (a 42-34-22-2 split, respectively) grown in the southern Okanagan Valley. The wine is dark cherry red in appearance, with deep cassis, plum, dark chocolate, raspberry and vanilla aromas.

It’s a dense, chewy and full-bodied red, with ripe cherry, blackberry and raspberry flavours along with hints of herbal and slightly smoky notes, medium tannins and, at 15 per cent alcohol, a warm and punchy finish. Drink now after letting this open up in your glass for about half an hour, or cellar for four to seven years. 4/5

ben.sigurdson@winnipegfreepress.com