deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

Located in historic town of Vendée (an hours drive directly south of Nantes), the vineyards for Prieure La Chaume is in fact the southernmost vineyard of the Loire Valley, equidistant from the Loire and the Medoc of Bordeaux. Completely planted on chalky soil, one of the vineyards is planted on southern slopes, another third on western slopes facing the Atlantic ocean and more exposed to the maritime weather, and a remaining third on the plateau.

Our feature this week is their Prieure la Chaume Bel Canto – $29.99 (regularly $37.99), a 100% Merlot cuvee organically farmed featuring a deep mazarin redcurrant-y color with dark purple hints. First mouthfeel offers a supple and velvety wine, with black berries aromas such as blackcurrant. Both supple and meaty, this wine got a soft species finish with black pepper notes. The name is a tribute to the Opéra de Parisan opera singer, Genevieve XIV born in Nantes in 1879, who became famous for her performance of Bel Canto, said to be ‘soft, elegant and swingy’.

Bel Canto is vibrant, elegant and expressive. It is a wine to enjoy now. Classy, supple, fleshy, velvety with black berry fruits and a touch of spice and peppery notes on the finish.

2017 Prieure La Chaume Bel Canto (Loire Valley, France) – $29.99 (regularly $37.99)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Castello di Volpaia is a winery located in the medieval village of Volpaia. The estate has over 900 acres (360 ha) divided between vineyards, olive groves, and woods.

The village of Volpaia sits on a hilltop north of the town of Radda in the heart of the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany. Volpaia was built in 1172 as a fortified village on the Florence-Siena border. The winery’s logo highlights the coat of arms from the della Volpaia family, who lived in the village and took its name from the town itself. Volpaia is a terra murata, a walled village although not all of the wall exists now, Volpaia is one of the best preserved villages of its period .

Our feature this week is their 2018 Castello di Volpiaia Chianti Classico – $27.99 (regularly $34.99), showcasing cherry, walnut and stone aromas and flavors. Medium bodied, firm and lightly chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Delicious red from one of the flagships of Chianti, made from organically grown grapes.

The vineyards reside in high altitude – over 400m above sea level on predominantly sandstone soils rich in skeleton suitable for the production of elegant and long-lasting reds, harmonious and aristocratic wines that manage to maintain the fruity aromas of the best Sangiovese for a long time. Enjoy with pizza or pasta.

2018 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico (Tuscany – Chianti, Italy) – $27.99 (regularly $34.99)

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Author: Dirk Chan

The famous American wine publication Wine Spectator reviews 15,000 plus wines every year and have been dishing out their annual Top 100 Wines of the Year since 1988 based on quality, value, availability and excitement..

With the diversity in the wine world, we in Alberta get fewer and fewer wines that make the Top 100 list as the years go by and sometimes even when we do, the vintage is wrong.

Therefore, we are thrilled to offer to you for consideration, two wines that made the Top Ten from 2020. Note there are years when we don’t have anything to offer from the Top Ten list, let alone two wines. Both are very limited availability and will be sold on a first come first served basis. Thus, If you want something special with some clout to serve at dinner parties when the pandemic is over, or if you merely want to compare your palate with those of the critics, here is your opportunity.

2016 Massolino Filli Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) – $76.99