If your sense of Spanish red wines is framed exclusively around the tempranillo grape and the age-worthy and complex bottles produced in Rioja, Ribera del Duero or elsewhere, there’s much more to discover. Sommeliers and the wine trade have long embraced other offbeat grapes that are producing interesting wines that traditionally offer tremendous value. Thankfully these often overlooked wines are gaining more traction at liquor stores as well.
Bodegas Atalaya winery’s portfolio fits the bill. Based in Almansa, which is located halfway between La Mancha and the Mediterranean coast and immediately north of Jumilla, it farms old parcels of monastrell, garnacha and tintorera to produce full-bodied and concentrated red wines like Laya, an affordable selection that is well represented in several Canadian provinces.
It’s not a subtle wine. Instead, this blend of grenache and monastrell (better known as mourvèdre) offers an abundance of savoury fruit as part of its complex and concentrated character. It’s the sort of wine that has the stuffing to stand up to a lot of meaty fare. A wine whose flavour profile and expression seems even more appealing during cooler months.
A change in the weather means a change of step with the foods we eat and the wines we enjoy. Alongside Laya, there’s a mix of wines made around the world, using different grape varieties and winemaking methods. The common thread is, to my taste at least, these strike me as remarkably well suited to enjoy in the coming weeks and months.
Alois Lageder Chardonnay 2020 (Italy), $19.95
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This introductory chardonnay from the family-owned winery in Alto Adige in northern Italy is zesty and vibrant, with citrus and pear notes that carry through to a persistent finish. Focused and refined, it’s a terrific unoaked chardonnay offering great value for its price. Drink now to 2024. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.
Blason de Bourgogne Aligoté 2020 (France), $18.95
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This dry and enjoyable white wine is marked by bright citrus fruit with some yeasty accents. A simple and inviting white, this boasts decent concentration, refreshment and length. It is a terrific house-wine candidate. Drink now to 2024. Available in Ontario.
Duckhorn Decoy Merlot 2019 (United States), $34.95
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This is a rich and concentrated merlot from one of California’s biggest champions of merlot. Made in Sonoma County, its plush texture and layers of juicy dark fruit make for a red with mass appeal, but there’s also winning complexity (thanks to spice and earthy notes) that add interest to the nose and palate. Drink now to 2025. Available at the above price in Ontario, $37.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $34.25 in Quebec.
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Fitz Brut 2018 (Canada), $34.99
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Since selling CedarCreek Estate Winery, the Fitzpatrick family has focused on making wines from its Greata Ranch Vineyard near Peachland in the Okanagan Valley. They have a keen interest in sparkling-wine production and have made this label more serious in style thanks to additional aging prior to release. A blend of mostly chardonnay with 25-per-cent pinot noir and 2-per-cent pinot meunier forms the base wine prior to secondary fermentation in the bottle and three years aging to gain a richer texture and toasty flavours to accent the pear and apple fruit notes. Drink now to 2026. Available at the above price in British Columbia or $33.50 direct, fitzwine.com
Graffigna Pinot Grigio 2021 (Argentina), $13.95
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Graffigna’s take on pinot grigio is riper, with more weight and texture than many similarly priced examples. The flavours suggest a mix of crisp citrus and apple with peach and tropical fruit for a fresh and pleasing style of white wine that’s simple but enjoyable. Drink now. Available at the above price in Ontario, $13.99 in British Columbia ($11.99 until Oct. 29), various prices in Alberta, $17.49 in Saskatchewan, $13.99 in Manitoba, $16.29 in Nova Scotia, $16.50 in Prince Edward Island, $17 in Newfoundland.
Laya 2020 (Spain), $16.95
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Big and bold, Laya is a grenache blend from Almansa in Castilla-La Mancha. Its rustic full-bodied style makes it well suited to cooler nights and comfort food. The fruit is ripe and concentrated, suggesting kirsch and blackberry jam, with peppery, coffee and earthy accents. The overall impression is easygoing; a wine that is equally enjoyable served out of a jam jar or decanted and served in an elegant crystal stem. Drink now to 2025. Available at the above price in Ontario, $17.99 in British Columbia ($16.99 until Oct. 29), various prices in Alberta, $14.99 in Manitoba, $17.20 in Quebec (2021 vintage).
Pascual Toso Malbec 2020 (Argentina), $15.20
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A family-owned estate in Mendoza, Pascual Toso has been producing wine since 1890. This richly flavoured red delivers the more traditional style of malbec, with oak-derived flavours making the first impression. Smoke and chocolate notes combine with ripe dark-fruit flavours for a rich and concentrated red with a soft and round texture. Made for mass appeal, this dry red is easy to appreciate. Drink now to 2025. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta.
Spier Signature Merlot 2019 (South Africa), $13.99
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This enjoyable red wine offers a crowd-pleasing mix of juicy dark fruit with some savoury and herbal notes. The grapes comes from a variety of vineyards in South Africa, including ones located in Paarl, Stellenbosch and Swartland, and the finished wine is a blend of tank and barrel fermented components to offer a balanced and easy-to-appreciate wine. Drink now. Available at the above price in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.
Tedeschi Capitel Nicalo Valpolicella Superiore 2019 (Italy), $17.95
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The Tedeschi family makes an extensive series of wines from its vineyards in the Valpolicella region of Veneto, Italy. This one blends native red-wine grapes into a ripe and rewarding red wine with a pleasant core of cherry and plum rounded out by pepper and cedar notes. This has a robust character with nice depth and vibrant acidity that carries through to a refreshing finish. Drink now to 2026. Available at the above price in Ontario, $16.55 in Quebec, $24.99 in New Brunswick.
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