TOASTING THE OUTLIERS
Carolyn Evans Hammond lets us in on a few wines that have flown under the radar,
In this gig, I tend to taste a lot of wines. But some of my favourites don’t make it into this column because they fall outside the topic I’m writing about. So, I rounded up some smart outliers to share with you, starting with a recent Vintages release that really gets my pulse racing.
I’m talking about the deeply seductive 2012 Rivera “Il Falcone” Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCGfrom Puglia, Italy (Vintages 177295 $24.95). I poured this bottle with about five other wines I quite like at a dinner party recently, and it totally stole the show.
It’s ruby red with warm scents of black cherry coulis, freshly ground coffee and warm cigar. The entry is smooth, sultry and ripe while retaining an earthy-brawny underpinning. The jammy red centre is threaded with clove, leather, coffee, cassis, grilled meat and dried plum. And the crushed velvet texture slowly gives way to a dry, soft-chalky grip on the finish. Score: 94
Another riveting red from Italy is the 2014 Masi Brolo Campofiorin Oro from Verona (Vintages 976092 $26.95). There’s not a lot left on shelves, but it’s definitely worth snapping up. From its languid bouquet of blackberries, wild cherries and freshly turned earth to its saturated eruption of cashmere fruit, this offers instant appeal. The full-bodied flavour cascades with notes of black forest fruit, dark chocolate, charcoal, tobacco, dried fig, black olive and more. It’s a long, slow red made in the made in the Veneto region. Score: 92+
Fans of Oregon Pinot Noir will want to know about the 2016 Erath Pinot Noir from that state (Vintages 394718 $24.95). Oregon Pinot Noir has gained a cult-like following lately but there’s not a lot of it available in Ontario. However this wine will become a Vintages Essential in June, meaning it will be always available. And there’s some bottles of it on shelves now.
The 2016 Erath Pinot Noir charms the senses with that lush, bone-dry, fruit-forward style for which Oregon is known. The nose is flush with smoked cherry and baking spices. And the palate swirls with macerated berries laced with orange zest, bonfire, bread, aniseed and crushed stones that emerge more markedly along the length on the finish. Score: 91
Francophiles will want to taste the 2014 Marquis de Mons from Margaux, Bordeaux (Vintages 633073 $39.95) recently released here in Ontario. It is the second wine of the respected Cru Bourgeois property in the Médoc, Château La Tour de Mons. And it’s a classic beauty.
This wine wafts with the pretty fragrance of lilac and violet, red berries and toast. Then, it slides across the palate with flavours of the same, along with coffee and a whisper of white truffle somewhere. Score: 89
If you prefer a kiss of sweetness in your wine, but don’t want to be drinking something that looks and tastes like alcopop, reach for the off-dry 2017 Rémy Pannier Rosé d’Anjou AOC from the Loire Valley in France (LCBO 12641 $16.05). It’s a lovely aperitif.
This general listing at the LCBO shines pale pink with salmon inflections. It exudes wispy scents of cool talc, orange zest and gentle raspberry. Then, on the palate, the wine tastes lifted and lively with quiet allusions of cherry, fresh apricot and warm stones.
The wine’s airy kiss of sweetness is beautifully balanced with mouthwatering acidity. And the muted fruit and suggestive complexity lend poise to the overall appeal. Casual but dignified, this satiny expression with a chalky undertow is sure to please. Score: 90
So those are some of the bottles I’ve been recommending to my friends lately. Let me know what you think.