Canadian Wine Guy

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Italian Consulate wine tasting at Roy Thompson hall in Toronto. This is only the second time I’ve attended … it’s positively overwhelming. Over 127 tables of wines being poured. So your looking at over 600 wines being poured. Amazing event, and of course, lots of great food to boot. This year I decided on a different approach. Focus on whites. Italy has a ton of unique varietals that have even been proven genetically to be unique! With that … on with the review. Pale in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice crisp dry minerality, some green apple and pear. The wine is subtle at first and it builds very nicely in the mouth. It’s quite complex but you can easily overlook it. I’m not sure how it would hold up to food but I was quite impressed with this wine. I would give it an 88 or so. Sadly not in the LCBO, available from Profile Wine group for $17.95 a bottle in cases of 6. I wish more suppliers would offer cases of 6!

From the winery’s web site:
MOONLITE Toscana IGT
Grape varietals: Chardonnay 35%, Vermentino 30%, Pinot Grigio 20%, Trebbiano 15%
Production Technique
The grapes involved in the Moonlite blend come from selected vineyards in Maremma Area. The wine is produced following the most
advanced fermentation techniques for white wines.
Wine description
Color: straw-yellow with green reflections
Bouquet: intense aromas of white flowers with hints of flint.
Taste: Fresh mineral notes (from the Vermentino) blend perfectly with toast and citrus notes(from the Chardonnay).
Winemaker’s recommendations
Excellent alone, and particularly well-suited to light appetizers, seafood, soft cheeses and white meat dishes. Serve chilled.

I love my sauv blancs, so food friendly and versatile. And nice to sip on their own too! This one is pale in color with a mild nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice, crisp, dry, citrus notes along with some nice green grassyness. The wine has some lovely mouth grip and the dryness lingers beautifully. I quite enjoyed this one. Available on private order from Heirloon Vine Imports for $27.10 a bottle, by the case. I would give it an 88 or so.

From the winery’s web site:
Sauvignon 2017
WHITE WINE | D.O.C. Friuli Colli Orientali VINEYARD.

Grapes used: Sauvignon blanc grapes from Italian and French clones. This is a vine of French origin, grown in the Eastern Hills of Friuli region since the nineteenth century where it has found the ideal environment to best express the elegant aroma typical of this wine variety.

Position: the hills of the Sottomonte Estate in the municipality of Buttrio (Udine), with their fantastic landscape, provide an ideal wine country for excellent wine making. The C.D.O. (controlled denomination of origin) area is the Colli Orientali del Friuli (Eastern Hills of Friuli). Exposure is north.

Terrain: hill and foothill area, soil composed of marl and sandstone with a predominantly clayey component.

Training system: Sylvotz and double bending canes (called cappuccina).

Traditional training techniques in Friuli, optimised for quality production through reduced vine vigour and a lower number of buds.

Phytosanitary crop protection: low environmental impact focussing on traditional products with a short persistence, distributed according to the agroalimentary programme for crop protection.

CELLAR:
Harvesting: manual harvesting by a qualified, suitably trained workforce from the second ten days in September with selection of the best grapes in the field and fast transfer to the cellar.

Vinification method: white wine fermentation (without skins) with gentle pressing at low temperature under immobile covering to protect the potential quality of the grapes from oxidisation. Low temperature fermentation (14-17 °C) to help develop andpreserve the most characteristic aromas of this grape variety.

Maturation and ageing: first in a “sur lies” tank and in the bottle, stored horizontally in our sixteenth century underground cellar for at least four weeks after bottling.

WINE:
Sensory characteristics: straw yellow colour. The intense and elegant bouquet offers a wide range of sensations, from white fleshed and citrus fruits to typical bell peppers and tomato leaves, with delicate hints of elderberry and vanilla, emerging after maturation.Fine and aromatic, flavourful and velvety, the soft taste structure suggests great potential development. The persistent aftertaste features warm and balanced aromatic undertones.

Food and wine pairings: excellent served as an aperitif, with light hors d’oeuvres and first courses. Superb accompaniment to “noble” seafood such as lobster, crayfish, salmon or salty fish. Ideal with thick and thin soups, white meats and delicate cheeses.

Longevity: reaches maximum aromatic expression of the vine already in the first year and then develops with great elegance for a period of time that can easily exceed four years in the bottle.

Service: best served chilled (12 °C)

I had the pleasure of being invited to Heirloom Vine imports first tasting. They are a newish wine importer in Ontario. The tasting had some super unique wines, and this was one of them. It is a grape I had never heard of before, which is always an interesting experience. Having never had one before I had no expectations. I was warned up front that this was a bigger, bolder wine … Dark in color with a nice dark berry nose. Knowing this wine has bigger I held it in the mouth a little longer than usual. There’s some nice dark berry flavors and some pepper coming right into the top of the mouth. And then … bam, the finish. And this is where this wine lives where it displays some nice big firm tannins, lively acidity, and nice dryness. If you like your wines smooth and elegant … choose something else, wimps need not apply 🙂 In some ways this wine reminds me of some big bold tempranillos that also live primarily in the finish, which for my tastes is pretty good company. If your going to enjoy it now, I highly recommend something that can hold up to it, like a big steak or lamb. I can only imagine this wine will easily hold up for another 5 years or more, where the finish will soften and you can enjoy the fruit more. At $25.50 a bottle available by private order by the case from Heirloom. Very nice, and a unique experience! I would give it an 88 or so.

From the winery’s web site:
Native to the Treviso wine region this variety was already well established in the times of the Venetian Serenissima Republic as a vin da viajo, which broadly translates from the local dialect into “suitable for travel”. It is a robust wine with firm tannins and refreshing acidity.

Colour: Deep ruby red with garnet highlights

Nose: Vibrant and vinous with lots of ripe black cherry

Palate: Savoury, full-bodied and very pleasant, it is both plush and vibrant. Slight hints of wood

Food pairing: Flavourful red meat dishes and hearty fat-rich food

Ageing: 36 months in oak barrels

Alcohol: 13% min.
Residual sugar: < 3 g/l
Total acidity: 6,00 g/l
Serving temperature: 20° C

Dark in color with a nice cherry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely dark cherries. On the medium length finish the wine is nice and dry with smooth tannins and some nice oaky notes. This is a classic chianti classico! I would give it an 88 or so, which for the price is great. We paired it with lamb chops and it’s got enough going on to hold up to the lamb! Very nice, and has been consistent over a number of vinatges!

from the LCBO web site Check stock:
Castelli del Grevepesa Castelgreve Chianti Classico 2016 — VINTAGES#: 573485
STYLE – Medium-bodied & Fruity
Lots of red cherries, herbs, orange rind and cedar on the nose of this pretty Chianti Classico. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a fresh finish. Drink now. Score – 90. (James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Oct. 20, 2017) $17.00
PRODUCT DETAILS
Release Date:September 1, 2018
Alcohol/Vol 13.6%Made in: Tuscany, Italy By: Castelli Del Grevepesa Sugar Content:2 g/L Sweetness Descriptor: XD – Extra Dry