Good things comes in pairs? Nah, in six-packs
If you’re a wine lover in Ontario trying to follow the rules and avoid shopping in stores as much as possible, this column is for you. I’ve curated an exciting case of six wines you can order online. The six-pack is $106.75, including tax and delivery anywhere in the province. What’s more, those six shiny bottles will arrive at your door within two business days of placing your order. Here’s what the case includes.
Sparkling. Obviously. After all, a bottle of bubbly in the door of the fridge just makes everything better because you feel you’re always just moments away from a celebration. A great day at the home office? Break out the bubbly. Your friend’s birthday? Break out the bubbly. Fish for dinner? Break out the bubbly. In fact, the bubbly in this case would pair with almost any fish dish — from grilled salmon to tilapia tacos.
I’m talking about NV Bottega Vino dei Poeti Prosecco
DOC Treviso, Italy (LCBO 897702 $16). This is one of the most respectable Proseccos on the market, sure to appeal to the wine newbie and the connoisseur because it’s so wellbalanced and well-made. Each sip brims with the soft fragrance of freshly sliced pears and almonds before drenching the palate with delicate flavours of the same. Tasting elegant and restrained yet sunlit and pure, this is a crisp yet polished tasting sparkling wine that tapers to a long finish of cool nougat and crushed stone. Score: 91
Also inside is a sassy little Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand normally only sold in restaurants. But it’s available to you in this box — because, um, you’re special. I love you. And you deserve a treat.
I’m talking about the very smart 2019 Yealands Estate “Land Made” Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand ($16.95). It’s packed with zealous flavours of key lime and passion fruit. That brisk, immediately quenching attack quickly shifts to reveal more savoury complexity — damp basil, crushed sea salt and cool grapefruit zest. And the finish lingers for ages leaving the palate beautifully seasoned. Score: 92
Chill down this wine and enjoy it with a plate of perfectly
poached, roasted or steamed asparagus brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt. After all, we’re still in the height of local asparagus season. It also works well with goat cheese salad, or just sipped solo, cocktail style.
The third white wine is the 2018 Malivoire “Estate
Grown” Chardonnay, a VQA Beamsville Bench in Niagara (Vintages Essential 573147 $19.95). This brilliant Ontario wine gleams pale straw in the glass. The scent calls to mind fresh linens air-dried in the sunshine — subtle, clean and fresh. And the entry is silky and restrained rather than fruitforward. Flavours flit from quiet suggestions of citrus oil, crushed limestone and meringue before tapering to a long, dry finish of toasted marshmallow — but dry. Score: 91
Pour this sophisticated Chardonnay with seared scallops,
Caesar salad or just a handful of salted potato chips at happy hour.
Also tucked inside is the 2019
Izadi Larrosa Rosé, an ultrapale, bone-dry Grenache from Rioja, Spain (Vintages 490961 $16.95). The wine gleams a gorgeous shade of coral and tastes ethereal and understated. Whispering flavours and aromas of white peach and apricot seem to float over the palate while mouth-watering acidity anchors and lifts the feathery fruit and a long white cherry finish follows. Score: 91
Pour this elegant rosé at cocktail hour with prosciuttowrapped bocconcini for a little casual luxury.
Two reds make the balance of the case — a velvety Californian Cabernet and a suave Italian Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Both wines are usually only available at restaurants. But again, you’re special.
The 2017 Parducci Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino County California ($19.95) is a very serioustasting and deeply undervalued red. It starts with the heady perfume of blackberries and toasted hazelnuts. Then, it blankets the palate with a cashmere crush of saturated dark fruit. The rich centre of blackberries, black cherries and blackcurrant is threaded with licorice root, charcoal, burnt nut, roasted meat, iron and mocha. Much going on in this deep, dark, seductive red. Score: 94
Pour this serious find with grilled meat or black bean burgers and a baked potato with sour cream.
Finishing the six-pack is the superb 2016 Ilico “Illuminati” Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC from Italy ($16.95). One sniff, and you’re in central Italy. Earthy cherry and black peppercorn aromas lead to a smooth, glossy entry. The wine tastes open-handedly generous and ripe, but not at all overripe or overblown; just plain charming with clean flavours of black cherries and toasted tobacco with a delightfully spicy finish that suggests allspice and clove with a touch of black olive. Score: 90+
Pour this wine with grilled pizza topped with mushrooms and goat cheese.
To order this six pack, go to: nobleestates.com/index.php/ the-toronto-star-six-pack.html