Singing the praises of Tuscan wines is easy. Italy's most well-known wine denomination, Chianti, is there, and Tuscany also produces the big, pricey and highly regarded "Super Tuscans".
Chianti had a pretty mediocre reputation for many years and Italian wine authorities were not too fussy about who put "Chianti" on their label - so a lot of godawful plonk got through. However regulations are both tighter and more carefully observed these days, so the likelihood of getting a bad Chianti is lower, and the chance of a really good one is better than ever.
There's little representation from the Super Tuscans, but you may want to splash out $114.95 for Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi 2004, which scored a shocking 97 points from Wine Spectator's James Suckling, who calls it "the greatest Saffredi ever made". It's certainly not ready yet with very big, even overpowering, tannins still, but the fruit is incredibly ripe on this big blend of cab sauv, merlot and alicante... I'd say sit on it for a few years.
If you want big but ready now and for less money, look to the other featured region of this release: California. There are some very good California reds - all big, all the time - including some good deals in the $20s.
Also worth a try are a couple of whites from a winery I just recently visited: Southbrook. Niagara's newest "flashy" winery opened last summer and has not only a striking building, but some decent wines too.
If the weather does hit the 20s soon like they promise at Environment Canada, there are a couple of roses worth chilling: one Old World (France) and one New World (New Zealand).
To get a hold of any of these wines, visit the LCBO website to check availability near you.
Tenuta Il Corno Chianti Classico Fiorentini 2006. $14.95 ** TOP VALUE RED**
Tuscany, Italy
Quite rich and dark nose with earthy notes - it's not too fruity but there are some cherries in there. Ripe and smooth on the palate, which has cherry fruit, dried flowers and a little bit of earth. 87 points.
Domaine Saint Prix Bourgogne Aligote 2007. $17.95 ** TOP VALUE WHITE**
Burgundy, France
How to compete with chardonnay in Burgundy? Aligote, which tends towards higher acidity, is always relatively cheap and when the winemaker can coax out the fruit, it's a winner. Muted but fresh and mineral nose with apple notes. Smooth, fairly full and with more apple on the palate. There are also some lemon notes on this fresh effort with a nice finish too. 87/88 points
The Sparkling Wines
Dehu Pere & Fils Grande Reserve Brut Champagne. $59.95
Champagne, France
Rich and honeyed nose with nougat, brioche and apple. Fairly full on the palate, it is a little on the sweetish side for a brut and there are citrus notes, lemon rind and hint of aged notes - darker and earthier - that come from this non-vintage having been aged 5 years before release. This would be interesting if you wanted to dip your toe into the world of aged vintages at a more reasonable price. But bear in mind that it's really just a hint. 88 points.
Pierre Sparr Brut Rose Cremant d'Alsace. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Alsace, France
These heavyweight Alsacian producers have a finger in every pie - and here's a terrific sparkling rose from a producer better known for riesling and gewurz. Terrific pale salmon colour, fresh nose with light red fruit notes. Quite rich on the palate, which has zesty acidity keeping it fresh. There's also a citrus hint and a slight sweet edge. Good fresh finish. Good value. 88 points.
The White Wines
Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay 2006. $21.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
VQA Niagara on the Lake
The chic new joint with the pointless but fun wall perpendicular to Niagara Stone Road delivers a fine quality chard here. Lovely nose with a caramel hint. It's smooth and rather full on the palate - there's lemon, white fruit, apple and a bit of smoke. Good finish. 89 points
Southbrook Triomphe Sauvignon Blanc 2007. $18.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
VQA Niagara on the Lake
Dark and grassy nose with some surprising apple fruit. Full and fresh on the palate, which is nicely smooth and not over the top. Great acidity keeps it lively. Good finish. 88 points
La Crema Chardonnay 2007. $29.95
Sonoma, California
Beautiful nose with nicely balanced oaky notes of vanilla and a hint of caramel over muted ripe white fruit, and there's even a bit of smoke. The fruit's full and fresh on the palate, which has more caramel notes. Good medium body and the lovely finish has a hint of marshmallow. 90 points.
Camelback Pinot Grigio 2008. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Sunbury, Victoria
A warm climate for PG for sure, so this Aussie take is not northern Italian in style. Very rich nose with fresh apple and even a grassy hint. It's full and slightly round on the palate, which has citrus notes and more apple. Interestingly rich for a pinot grigio, this one's as New World as it gets. 88 points.
Antoine Moltes & Fils Gaentzbrunnen Terroir Riesling 2006. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Alsace, France
Lovely rich nose with a swirl of fruit aromas including lemon, peach and apple. Acidity is high, but it's still smooth on the palate, where the rich interplay of flavours continues. Lovely finish of lemon and peach. 89 points.
Chateau Roquetaillade La Grange 2007. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Bordeaux, France
From the Graves AC, this semillon/sauvignon blend is a good example of the Bordeaux approach. Fresh nose with green apple and a hint of grass - nothing over the top. Fairly big on the palate, which is very dry. There are some grassy notes and there's more lemon. Nice finish. 87 points.
Domaine des Aubuisieres Cuvee de Silex Vouvray 2008. $17.95
Loire Valley, France
Light fresh nose with a few aromatic floral notes as well as fresh apple. This chenin blanc is fairly full and fruity on the palate - acidity is high, there's ripe sweet lemon and some more apple. Fresh lingering finish. 87 points
Licia Albarino 2007. $19.95
Rias Baixas, Spain
Fairly dark nose and not as aromatic as expected of this, Spain's greatest white grape. There are nevertheless the expected floral and peach notes. Fairly full on the palate, which is balanced with the high acidity typical of the grape. Apple and peach fruit, as well as a bit of citrus. Rich and full mouthfeel, this is a great wine to pair with seafood. 87/88 points.
Selected Tuscan Reds
Casa Emma Chianti Classico. $19.95
Rich and dark nose with floral notes, cherry fruit and a hint of rubber tire. Smooth and lighter than expected on the palate. Tannins are fairly soft and the acidity is moderately high. It's not overly fruity on the palate - a good wine for rich Italian food. 87/88 points.
Cennatoio Chianti Classico 2006. $24.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Muted nose of dried fruit with some secondary floral and spice. Smooth and muted on the palate, which has good tannins, fresh acidity and cherry fruit. This tastes "serious". 89 points.
Fassati Pasiteo Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2005. $24.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Rich and dark nose with ripe cherry, dried flowers and a hint of wood. Acidity and tannins are both high, making a nice counterbalance to the very ripe fruit. Good finish. 88/89 points.
Fattoria Poggio Alloro Chianti 2007. $15.95
Quite bold nose of dark cherry and berry fruit, as well as herbal notes. Very restrained fruit on the palate, which verges on austere with the flavour shifting to sour cherry. Nice finish. 87 points.
La Castellaccia Chianti Colli Senesi 2007. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Rich and ripe nose with cherry fruit and a herbal note. Tannins are high but acidity about medium. It's full bodied on the palate and the fruit takes a sour turn (but in a good way). This one would work wonders with a rich pasta dish. 88 points.
Rocca Delle Macie Campomaccione Morellino Di Scansano 2006. $18.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Rich, full nose with darker floral notes over dark cherries and earth from this very reliable producer. Smooth, fresh and tasty on the palate, with lighter cherry fruit and a bit of tobacco. Acidity and tannins are both elevated, and the finish is good. 88 points.
Scopetani Risasso Chianti Rufina 2006. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Fresh nose with nevertheless ripe dark red fruit. Darker still on the palate, which is smooth, medium bodied and dry. Easy drinking and with a lively, fresh finish. 86/87 points.
Selected California Reds
Heavyweight cabs like Caymus and Dominus Napanook meritage blend are out this week, and are as big, full, rich and fruity as ever. Duckhorn Merlot, which has a rock solid reputation for merlot delivers again, with chocolate and woody notes and a super smooth palate. If you want that big ripe Cali taste and are prepared to go over the fifty buck mark, you won't be disappointed. There are a few great choices closer to ground level too.
Kelti Brook Merlot 2004. $23.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Sonoma Coast
Rich and fruity nose, with lots of ripe cherry and plum. Very pleasant on the smooth palate, which has good secondary notes of tobacco, a great balance of acidity and tannins and plenty of red fruit giving it good complexity. Nice finish. 89 points.
Line Shack Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $23.95
Central Coast
Yet another rich and fruity nose with lots of dark berries. Super smooth on the palate, which is very full bodied. The tannins are fairly soft and the acidity is a little higher than expected. Secondary notes include black tea and tobacco. 88 points.
Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $32.95
Napa, Sonoma & Mendocino
The significance of the multi-county blend of grapes is unclear, but they chose the bunches well. This one is actually a meritage blend, with some cab franc and merlot as well, but California permits single varietal labelling if the main grape constitutes at least 75%. Good nose of dark red fruit - blackberries plus an earthy, even musky note. Full bodied and dark on the palate, with very ripe fruit. Both acidity and tannins are high, and there are oaky notes as well as tobacco. Even some pencil lead and a meaty quality to the finish. A serious New World cab with some Old World notes. 89 points.
Rutherford Hill Merlot 2004. $34.95
Napa
Lovely rich nose with cherry and dark berry fruit plus notes of pencil shavings. Acidity and tannins are both elevated, yet the wine is very smooth on the palate (I underlined that in my note). Ripe cherry fruit, some chocolate and an earthy hint round out this full bodied and serious Cali merlot. 90 points.
Sanctuary Usibelli Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. $34.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Napa
Beautiful rich and ripe nose with cherries, cedar and a herbal note. Super smooth and ripe on the palate, which has more cherry, a bit of tobacco, more cedar and there's a hint of pencil lead on the lingering finish. 91 points.
Sebasitani Merlot 2005. $25.95
Sonoma
Very ripe nose with dark red berry fruit and some chocolate. Darker and dusty notes on the palate, which is mainly cherry fruit with some earthy undertones. Nice finish. 88 points.
The Other Reds
Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. $13.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Mendoza, Argentina
Here's a relatively simple but full bodied and well priced offering from value-priced Mendoza. Lots of red berry fruit with moderate acidity and tannins make this lean towards easy drinking. Not much in the way of secondary notes, but it's still pretty big for a simple wine. 86 points.
Jim Jim (The Down-Underdog) Shiraz 2007. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
South Australia
Well the dreadful pun on Down Under tells you this is not in the same league as, say, Penfold's, but whaddya want for fifteen bucks? Big and quite dark nose with blackberry fruit. There are also tobacco notes and some spice to give it some complexity. Very ripe fruit, very big Aussie shiraz. 87 points.
Louis Latour Marsannay 2006. $26.95
Burgundy, France
Great pale ruby colour: elegant looking. Light cherry fruit with little secondary development on the nose. Acidity and tannins are both elevated but there's a good balance. On the palate it's delicate, light, fruity but not overly so. It could be more complex, and probably will be if you leave it a couple of years... 88 points.
Monte Del Fra Corvina 2006. $15.95
Lake Garda, Italy
There are few places in the world more beautiful than the lake district north of Milan - imagine Muskoka with mountains, palm trees, lizards sunning themselves, picturesque old villages, great food...um, actually scratch that: it's nothing like Muskoka. Although the area does support hardier palms (so, after all, does Vancouver) it is one of the cooler regions of Italy. The grape is corvina - which is used in Valpolicella made just down the road in the Veneto. Expect a light and fruity nose - mainly cherry - and a medium bodied palate with a sour note on the fresh cherry fruit. Fresh, simple, fruity and fun. 87 points.
Manga del Brujo 2006. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Calatayud, Spain
This mainly old-vines garnacha (grenache) offers a rich and bold nose with a slightly cooked note. On the palate, its full and complex, with cherry, blueberry, some tobacco and earth. Great finish with good length. 88 points
Some Roses
Selini Cellar Selection Cabernet Franc Rose 2008. $16.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Big ripe and berry fruit-filled nose that screams out "New World". On the palate it's juicy, with cherry fruit joining the berries and there's a lingering finish: a big girl rose. 88 points.
Chateau Val Joanis Tradition Syrah Rose 2008. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Rhone Valley, France
Super pale and salmon coloured: you're back in the Old World. Fresh raspberry nose, but it's somewhat muted. Smooth and medium bodied on the palate, there's plenty of light berry fruit. Acidity is crisp: Chilled on a hot day - perfect. 87 points.
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