Hello to all my wine friends,
A look at this new release reveals there are many wines of value from little known wine regions in Argentina, Chile and Italy. I must admit that I will have more whites on my shopping list this week...I know, reds are my thing, but these whites are worth it.
Chablis; This Chablis appellation is located in the Burgundy region of France. All Chablis are made with 100% Chardonnay grape. The cool climate of this region produces wines with more acidity and less fruity flavours than Chardonnay wines grown in warmer climates (like California or South Africa). Chablis is characterized by its greenish-yellow color and racy green apple-like acidity with flavours of green apple, citrus fruits, nutty, light honey, steely and some minerality. There are four Chablis appellations. In their order of quality, we have Grand Cru, followed by Premier Cru, AOC Chablis and at the lowest end of the classification is Petit Chablis. All of Chablis Grand Cru vineyards and Premier Cru vineyards are planted on soil composed of limestone, clay and fossilized oyster shells. Chablis can age for 5 years and up to 10 years for Grand Cru. Suggested pairing with Chablis is; roasted chicken, pork, white fish, lobster, crab and oysters.
My first wine "wow" moment occurred when I was about 22 or 23 years old, while travelling with a group of friends. We were returning from a ski weekend in Vermont and had stopped at a very nice wine shop where I wanted to spend my remaining US dollars, approx 30-35$. On a recommendation from the wine clerk, I bought a William Fèvre, either Grand Cru or Premier Cru. When I finally drank this wine, I could not believe how spectacular and complex it was. It was then that I realized I had a lot to learn about wine. So began this journey.
All that to say, I will be buying a couple of Domaine de la Tour Monts-Mains Chablis 1er Cru 2008 (159731) at $29.95, one for this summer, the other to be enjoyed in a few years.
Northern Italy's Whites; Now this is a category of wines which rarely find its way into our stores. Wine in the regions of Collio, Friuli, Alto Adige, Lombardy, Trentino and Liguria, to be more specific, are very aromatic, refreshing with good acidity. Again like Chablis this is a cool climate with very rugged landscape. My friend Brenna will remember, about ten years ago, I couldn’t get enough of Bollini Chardonnay from Trentino which was lightly oaked, crisp and refreshing at about $16. These are definitely great wines for spring and summer with suggested pairings of; salads, white meat, seafood, vegetable risotto or to enjoy on their own. Here are my picks; Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio 2009 from Alto Adige (681429) at $18.95, S. Christina Massoni Lugana 2009 from Lombardia (200097) at $17.95 and Terenzuola Vermentino 2009 from Liguria (205823) at $17.95.
Today’s Outstanding Value; It is always nice to find a wine were quality and price are well in your favour, like Choncha Y Toro Maycas Del Limari Reserva Syrah 2009 from Chile’s Limari Valley (209916) at $14.95. It is definitely worth tracking down. Three reviews given by WineAlign sommeliers rate it at; 91%, 91% and 90%. Enough said, I do not believe that this wine will be on the shelf too long.
My top three wines from this release:
1-Domaine de la Tour Monts-Mains Chablis 1er Cru 2008 from France (159731) at $29.95
2-Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars Featherstone Riesling 2009 from Ontario (092353) at $24.95
3-Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate 2006 from California (089282) at $44.95
My top three wines for their value:
1-Concha Y Toro Maycas Del Limari Reserva Syrah 2009 from Chile (209916) at $14.95
2-S. Cristina Massoni Lugana 2009 from Italy (200097) at $17.95
3-Terenzuola Vermentino 2009 from Italy (205823) at $17.95
These wines did not make my shoping list but are worth considering:
Red Wines;
1-Roodney Strong Merlot 2006 from California (497933) at $22.95
2-La Crema Pinot Noir 2008 from California (719435) at $29.95
3-Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate 2006 from California (089284) at $44.95
White Wines;
1-Concha Y Toro Maycas Del Limari Reserva Chardonnay from Chile (162040) at $19.95
2-Astrolabe Voyage Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from New Zealand (010421) at $21.95
My team and I will be back for next New Release March 19, 2011.
Cheers
Paul Forget, YWG
No comments:
Post a Comment