Let one of these wines become your new crush
Shakespeare said love is a madness most discreet. The same could be said for wine. Some bottles evoke a certain quiet rapture. Perhaps it’s their power, elegance or kaleidoscopic complexity. But that feeling can drive us to wed ourselves to cherished cuvees and fall head over heels with new ones. And some wineries are built on love.
Chile’s Santa Carolina winery was named after the wife of founder Luis Pereira, Carolina Iniguez. Santa Margherita, the Italian winery famous for its Pinot Grigio, was named after founder Count Gaetano Marzotto’s wife. And a new virtual winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the works called “Amo” — Italian for “I love.” The winery by the Colaneri family has a vision to create wines that celebrate love in all its forms. From the evocative packaging to the plans to tuck love notes in boxes, the winery might just be onto something. The wines are not bottled yet, but they’re in tank and barrel so stay tuned. This wine writer for one is excited to try them.
And the famous former couple “Branjelina” — now of course, simply Brad and Angelina — are co-owners of Chateau Miraval in Provence. The two married at Chateau Miraval, spent time there over the years, and launched the wildly popular Miraval Rosé wine in 2012 — when they were still, one presumes, in love.
The pale pink, made in partnership with the respected Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel fame, is poised to become a Vintages Essential this spring at the LCBO. And the current vintage on shelves, which is a delicate blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle and Syrah, is sheer delight.
The 2019 Miraval Rosé (Vintages 342584 $24.95) gleams the palest shade of coral, teems with the fragrance of fresh apricots and cool stone, then glides in with a generous attack that quickly fans out with allusions of salted lemon, red currant, cherry, orange and chalk. Then, a soft chalky texture lingers on the finish. Lovely expression of elegance. Score: 92
Although the couple is no longer together, the wine lives on — though perhaps it’s now a nod to a different sort of love story. In the latest 2021 marketing campaign called “Spirit of the Riviera,” Brad is shown lounging — on his own — in sweatpants, dark shades and a floppy hat, looking beautiful and chill. He certainly appears to be loving life.
In another ode to love, famous filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and his daughter Sofia — a director, producer and screenwriter in her own right — make a smart little pink wine together. The 2019 Sofia Rosé from Monterey County California (Vintages Essential 284943 $24.95) is deeper in colour than Chateau Miraval, but it’s still stylishly understated and dry. Aromas and flavours flit from red berries to citrus and stone fruit with a touch of cardamom and wet stones underneath that emerges on the finish. Score: 92
A white wine that might steal your heart is the 2018 M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila Haut Blanc from the Roussillon region in the south of France (Vintages Essential 485656 $15.95). It’s an undervalued, dashing little blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Macabeu. The creamy-nutty tones underpin the crisp fruit, balance the tension and create immediate interest, while the smooth texture feels shiny and round. The finish is resonant too. This is a fabulous little wine for the money. And it too recently became a Vintages Essential here in Ontario. Score: 92
And the 2018 Durant & Booth Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from California (Vintages 16565 $34.95) is certainly swoonworthy. The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is seasoned with dashes of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Petite Sirah, creating a velvety tapestry of flavour. Deep aromas of blackcurrant and roasted plum lead to a vibrant swirl of black forest fruit laced with tobacco and roasted nutmeg, hazelnuts and dark chocolate that linger on the finish. Score: 91
And just released in Vintages but won’t last long is a thrilling little Italian red. It’s the 2017 Zenato Valpolicella DOC Superiore from Veneto hit shelves Feb. 6 (Vintages 995704 $18.95). Scents of cherries and violets rise from the glass and lead to a bright, delicate wash of the red berries that shift to reveal touches of black olive, earth, rubbed oregano and burnt almond. The effect is quenching yet vinous, leaving the palate primed for the next bite of pizza, pasta, charcuterie or cheese. In a world awash with mediocre Valpolicella, this wine is a treat. Score: 92
Who knows. One of these wines might just become your new crush.
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