Wine of the Week for October 2, 2006

Deakin Estate Chardonnay 2005 - $10.05
Style: W1
Australia

Wow, they're giving away Chardonnay. That was my reaction to this delectable wine when I saw the price. There's lots of ripe apple and lemon on the nose along with a good bit of spice and just a touch of caramel. Full and juicy on the palate with spicy notes, lemon and baked apple flavours, soft acidity, and a smokey close. Very good body and length. A great package that will go well with salmon, cream sauces or BBQ chicken. (LCBO 588418)


And now, the bad news…

It’s getting a lot tougher to find decent wine at a decent price on LCBO shelves these days. I was at a tasting of General List products last week and tasted nearly 100 products. I came away with 1 white wine under $14 that I felt I could recommend. The rest were $14 - $16 dollars. There are a number of reasons for this, some of which I have addressed in my newsletter. The main culprits, I think, are the agency's emphasis on cheap bulk wines (house brands, tetra-paks) and so-called “premium” wines – those priced around the $15 level. This leaves the $9-$12 range pretty lean. I’ll keep looking, but my guess is I’ll have to raise my ceiling from $12 to $15.