LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: June 11

Beso de Vino 2011 Seleccion (Cariñena, Spain)

Sale $8.95, Regular $9.95
Discount (until June 21): $1.00
LCBO # 231787 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: A wine at twice the price—generous dark berries and lovely spice.
Pairs with: Grilled meats, pizza, charcuterie, grilled vegetables.
Good for: At this price, good for anything! Especially burgers and BBQ.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink: Now.

Why we're drinking this
This is kitsch wine with a kick—a carefully concocted brand complete with cute bull on the label and an invitation to “have fun” and “fall in love.” Beso de Vino means “kiss of wine.” The cartoon bull on the label is named Antonio. Apparently, he kissed the wine, fell in love and now runs around the world to spread the good word. What’s this got to do with the wine inside the bottle? Absolutly nothing. But you can follow Antonio on Twitter, if you like. Kitsch aside, this is a solid wine from Spain’s Cariñena region. It’s made with 85% Syrah and 15% Garnacha, aged three months in French oak barrels. It’s been rated a whopping 90 points by Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate (2009 vintage) and Stephen Tanzer at WineAccess.com.

Tasting note
You don’t see performance like this from the average “critter” wine, but Antonio really comes through on this one. Perfumed with black berries and dark fruit—black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, plum—and some warm spices. Soft and supple in the mouth, with generous fruit, firm acidity and a bit of black pepper. A clean, medium-bodied wine. Well balanced, concentrated and medium-plus length. This wine is a ridiculous value. It should be your house wine for the summer, at least for any outdoor grilling activities.

Find it at your LCBO
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This week's selection by kwäf Taste Bud Dick Snyder