Enjoying a good vintage doesn’t have to be pricey — or pretentious

I’m sorry. I’ve got some bad news.

Just because a wine receives a high score doesn’t mean you’ll like it.

I’m not being facetious. If you like big, bold, jammy styles of fruit-forward red wine and taste a high scoring red Burgundy, you’ll probably find it thin, too dry and wonder what all the fuss is about — especially if the latter costs what you deem to be a small fortune.

Same holds true if you like, say, rich, butterscotch-scented Chardonnays from sun-drenched areas of the world and taste a glass of high-scoring Chablis for the first time. It might taste bland, tart and a bit basic to you — and probably seem overpriced.

That’s where tasting notes come in. They qualify the score, revealing what to expect stylistically. An explanation of the wine’s expression matters to almost everyone except maybe most seasoned wine drinkers who are very familiar with various wine styles.

Scores in this column factor in price too because price matters. A $20 Californian Cabernet isn’t the same as a $100 one, so they shouldn’t be judged by the same yardstick. The same thing holds true for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and all the rest. Comparing apples to apples is the fairest approach. Otherwise, it’s too easy to overlook inexpensive wines entirely.

When I taste a wine professionally, I taste for typicity of style, balance and purity as well as complexity, concentration and length. And I compare that assessment against other wines of that style and price point. Given I taste wine for a living, I can draw on that context.

Drinking well doesn’t have to be pricey or pretentious. It just takes a little know-how and a clear sense of your personal taste. Sure, there’s a time to spend a lot on a special bottle, but that’s not every day. So most wines in this column aren’t super expensive and they’re always well-priced for what they are. Because value and price are not the same thing. Frankly, there has never been a better time to fall in love with wine because the industry has never been broader, more diverse or more competitive, which pushes quality up and weeds out mediocrity. Of course, there’s still swill on the shelf at every price point. But there’s a lot of excellence, too, and value to be found.

Here’s a roundup of five highscoring wines now at the LCBO, the first of which is on special.

The 2020 Waterdog Red by José Maria da Fonseca from the Setúbal Peninsula in Portugal (LCBO, $11.30 till Oct. 9, regular $12.80) delivers outstanding value. Made from two native Portuguese grape varieties, Castelão and Touriga Nacional, it exudes wild blueberries, cigar box and a powdery floral fragrance. The entry is smooth, sweetcentred and accessible with ripe, muddled blueberry and blackberry flavour imbued with hazelnut, sunwarmed violet and leather before tapering to a long black olive finish. Score: 93

The 2021 Dona Paula Estate Malbec from the Uco Valley, Argentina (LCBO, $16.10) is a bold, full-bodied red with oodles of muddled black forest fruit and poached plum richness laced with elegant allusion of violet, graphite and chalk on the nose and palate. Serious-tasting but affordable, this marvellous Malbec packs plenty of value for money. Score: 92

Lovers of fine French fizz will find outstanding value in the NV Champagne Victoire Brut Prestige from France in the 375-ml size (LCBO, $22.65). This classic blend of 40 per cent Chardonnay, 40 per cent Pinot Noir and 20 per cent Pinot Meunier suggests French tarte Tatin — butter pastry and caramelized apples — on the nose and palate along with lacy notes of lemon zest and toasty, nutty marzipan that persists on the finish. Score: 92

The 2020 Stel and Mar Cabernet

Sauvignon from Lodi, Calif. (LCBO, $17.95) starts with rich scents of cherry-almond and coffee that lead to a crush of hedonistic Lodi fruit. Sun-drenched flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant power in then cascade with caramel, toasted nut, mocha and peppercorn that lingers. Score: 92

And lovers of white Burgundy will appreciate the 2019 Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay AOC from Beaune (Vintages Essential, $30.95). This smart, impeccably balanced Burgundy streams in silky, saturated and beautifully poised as flavours flit from fruit to pastry to vanilla cream with cool mineral undertones. This crisp and satisfying sipper from one of the world’s most coveted fine-wine regions drinks like a bottle worth more than its price. Score: 95

CAROLYN EVANS HAMMOND IS A TORONTO-BASED WINE WRITER AND A FREELANCE CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST FOR THE STAR. WINERIES OCCASIONALLY SPONSOR SEGMENTS ON HER YOUTUBE SERIES YET THEY HAVE NO ROLE IN THE SELECTION OF THE WINES SHE CHOOSES TO REVIEW OR HER OPINIONS OF THOSE WINES. REACH HER VIA EMAIL: CAROLYN@CAROLYNEVANSHAMMOND.COM