Another in a trio of Robert Parker 90 point bottles under $20 Canadian we got a few weeks ago.  This is a luscious wine, a mix of monastrell and syrah, makes you envious the Spanish can produce such quality at such prices (this would be a $45 Okanagan wine easy) and it was every inch as “succulent on the palate” as Mr P claimed.  But, truly, “aromas of incense”?  I don’t know about you but a) incense doesn’t inspire the appetite or palate and b) incense is as varied as wine; sandalwood and rose are as far apart as chocolate liqueur and Cynar.  I’m sure it’s just the repetitiveness of describing spice a thousand different ways that drives him to such inane notes.  Here, instead, I will simply write “an artful depth of both fruit and spice” and call it a day.

We drank this one night with a home-made thin crust pizza with chorizo and then, the next night, a leek, potato, bacon and cheese soup.  Beautiful with both.  It didn’t measure up to greatness but it was 100% pleasure.  Oh, and a well-designed label to boot.

Price: $19.99 at BC Liquor.

Market Liquidity: It is, as the master noted, an outstanding value.