deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the 2019 Zorzal Gran Terroir Pinot Noir (Mendoza, Argentina) – $23.99 (regularly $29.99).

Located 1,350 meters above sea level, with calcareous soils and a cold climate, Zorzal Winery create wines as agile as their soil and terroir with very lively, fluid, nervy palates that speaks of the land.

The Gran Terroir series of wines come from a single vineyard, located in the upper central sector of Gualtallary, named Albo. Barrel aging is for 12 months in French oak with 1/3 used providing just the right amount of vanilla. The day and night temperature range is 35C to 15C perfect for ripening the finicky Pinot Noir grape giving it greater color and structure.

The color is a light red with violety tones. The very floral nose also offers minerality, with greater complexity contributed by its development in French oak barrels from Burgundy. The palate has fine length of raspberry and cherry fruit with a smooth, textured and refined finish. Try with pan grilled duck breast.

2019 Zorzal Gran Terroir Pinot Noir (Mendoza, Argentina) – $23.99 (regularly $29.99)

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Author: Dirk Chan

The Produttori del Barbaresco Cooperative is one of the most successful and consistent cooperatives in the world of winemaking. The winery is one of the stars of the Barbaresco region in the Piedmont region in Northern Italy. Established in 1958, there are now 56 growers who contribute their Nebbiolo grapes to the cooperative. The region covers over 100 hectares of premium nebbiolo grapes. In 1967, they were amongst the first wineries to produce single vineyard Barbaresco’s – there is nine different Cru Riservas produced only in exceptional vintages like 2015, 2016 and now 2017, a trio of great years for this Barbaresco producer.

The 2017 Riserva’s will be arriving at deVines this coming Wednesday. They remain one of the few high scoring, spectacular Barbaresco’s that sell for a reasonable price for their quality. You will no doubt want to stock up and/or add to your existing verticals. Verticals going back 40 years have shown how great these wines can be. Superbly located – Gaja (6 min away) and Giacosa (13 min away) are neighbours whose wines sell for 4 to 7 times this price.

A must in every connoisseur’s cellar, a bargain in the expensive world of Nebbiolo . Barolo’s with this kind of scores sell for double this price. Quantities are very limited and sold on a first come first served basis. In some cases, we only have one six pack for sale and no more to be had from the agent – once they’re gone, they are gone..

Note also, there will be no Riserva’s produced for the 2018 vintage, so get your 2017’s while supply lasts.

Pictured, left to right:

2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili (Piedmont, Italy) – $107.99

2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Ovello (Piedmont, Italy) – $107.99

2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano (Piedmont, Italy) – $107.99

2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja (Piedmont, Italy)- $107.99

Other available Riserva’s:

2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Paje (Piedmont, Italy) – $107.99

2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montefico (Piedmont, Italy) – $107.99

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the Toscolo Chianti (Tuscany, Italy) – $15.99 (regularly $19.99).

Toscolo, an Italian renaissance word meaning Tuscan boy, is owners Neil & Maria Empson’s labor of love from a longtime passion for the Chianti winemaking region. The Empsons chose their friend and star oenologist Franco Bernabei to make the wine and nothing was left to chance in order to make the Empsons’ proprietary brand that had to represent its Tuscan roots and credentials. Maria Gemma Empson personally designed the ultraclassic packaging and the wines’ characteristic “ancient seal,” bearing the features of the eponymous “Tuscan boy.”

Made from the Sangiovese grapes that have north and western exposure at an altitude of between 656-1,148 feet above sea level on clayey-calcareous soil. The average vine age ranges from 10-30 years while vinification is temperature-controlled fermentation and maceration for 12-15 days, with daily pumpovers. The aging process is in oak barrels for six months.

Made for early consumption, this Toscolo Chianti is a brilliant ruby in color, with its forward character showing off cherry fruit, a supple, fruity and flavorful palate, with appealing balance. Food friendly and versatile with charcuterie, pizza or pasta.

Toscolo Chianti (Tuscany – Chianti, Italy) – $15.99 (regularly $19.99)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the Virgen de las Viñas Monte Rodrigo Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain) – $13.99 (regularly $17.49).

The Virgen de las Viñas winery was founded in 1961 by 17 small farmers producing olive oil from the municipality. After a continuous improvement effort, the cooperative has nowadays almost 2,000 members and owns 23,000 hectares of vineyards.

The vines are planted in soils whose characteristics and composition are ideal for vine growing. The scarce rainfall and the heat during summertime produces practically an organic wine. Their wine’s quality is amazing considering their high production rate, more than 150 million litres of wine and must per season.

Over the last couple of decades, the winery has masterfully combined traditional practices with production with the most cutting-edge technical innovations, positioning itself at the forefront of the wine sector. It is one of the largest producers of wine in all of Spain.

Juicy and easy drinking, this light red would be lovely for Al Fresco picnic drinking with its black fruits and no oak. Raspberries abound alongside fresh acidity and just the right amount of tannins to invite another sip. A fine value to enjoy with some Manchego!

Virgen de las Viñas Monte Rodrigo Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain) – $13.99 (regularly $17.49)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Unlike a few years ago, Francois Mikulski is now a household name in the Burgundy world. He has been harnessing a cultish following for those in the know and his wines are increasingly sought after nowadays.

With a Polish name and no family tradition to keep in mind François Mikulski and his wife Marie-Pierre were free to create something completely new when they founded Domaine Mikulski in 1992. The most obvious result was the minimalist labels for the bottles, far from the traditional burgundian label.

Inheriting his first plots of Meursault in 1992 from his late uncle, Pierre Boillot, Francois has since relentlessly pursued excellence through minute attention to biological balance in the vineyard and terroir minded élevage practices in his cellar. Not too much new oak is used – about 20% leaving the fruit to express itself and the terroir.

So much attention in Meursault is paid to Roulot, Coche-Dury and Lafon – all great but availability is almost non-existent in our neck of the woods due to availability and price point. We feel the quality found in Mikulski’s wines are beginning to challenge the superstars of Meursault, but yet his prices are still fairly attractive in the context of those other producers. His wines are laser-beams, extreme conduits of their unique terroirs, and a real thrill to drink and enjoy. It is all about authenticity, elegance and purity.

Note there were literally a few six packs that come into Alberta so get a bottle or two while we still have some.

Pictured left to right:

2020 Francois Mikulski Saint-Aubin (Burgundy – Cote de Beaune, France) – $94.99

2020 Francois Mikulski Meursault (Meursault, France) – $124.99

2020 Francois Mikulski Bourgogne Cote d’Or Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France) – $59.99

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the Emotivo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzi, Italy) – $12.99, regularly $16.99. For the last couple of years, this has been a deVine Bestseller for its quality price ratio.

Winemaker Alessandro Botter, Casa Vinicola Botter Carlo did a special selection of 100% Montepulciano grapes from Abruzzi (east-central Italy), then crushed with the must is left on the skins for 4-8 days in order to extract the perfect colour. The must is then placed in special vats where fermentation is completed in 8-10 days at 25-30°C resulting in a fresh, juicy light red wine.

Approachable and supple with fruity flavours of black cherry and spice with earthy hints. On the palate – soft, light, ripe fruit flavours, with hints of cherries ending with delicious acidity. Sees no oak. Try this wine with charcuterie & cheeses or a gnocchi in a tomato-cream sauce. Amazing value here!

Emotivo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzi, Italy) – $12.99 (regularly $16.99)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our feature of the week is the 2021 Medici Concerto Lambrusco (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) – $23.99, regularly $28.49.

Lambrusco, the frizzante (slightly spritzy) red wine from northern Italy in Emilia-Romagna (1/2 hour drive NW of Bologna), has become extremely popular in the last little while. Driven by its pleasurable appeal and great PR, this fresh, fruity bubbly wine that’s low in alcohol, with an fine reputation for the new generation of Millennials and Generation X drinkers find it quite chic to order a glass when going out. Sommeliers in prominent Michelin restaurants and wine writers alike have been pitching Lambrusco over the last few years. Look for hip labels, designed to appeal to the younger crowd. Most are dry, with the cheapest ones being sweet.

Most people think of Lambrusco as a single grape. Yet it is a family of grapes – that said, the aroma and taste of Lambrusco is quite distinctive and fruity with violets and plummy notes – they should be drank young and chilled.

Intensely brilliant ruby red in color with fresh red berries, strawberries, raspberries and cherries on the nose. Dry and fruity, round on the palate. Very clean with perfect balance that would be a perfect pairing with a 4 meat pizza or some charcuterie and aged cheeses!

2021 Medici Concerto Lambrusco (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) – $23.99 (regularly $28.49)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our special this week is the Parras Wines 370 Leguas Tinto (Douro, Portugal) – $15.99, regularly $19.99.

370 Léguas refers to the demarcation line of the Treaty of Tordesillas that the Portuguese navigators who in 1494 signed a treaty with the Spanish crown leading to the rising of the Portuguese empire. This wine pays homage to this historical fact and is made with 3 indigenous Portuguese grapes (Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz) harvested on the best slopes in the region

Parras Wines, founded by Luís Vieira in 2010 to integrate its businesses in the areas of viticulture, wine production, bottling and wine commercialization, was citred by the distinguished Revista de Vinhos, one of the leading magazines in Portugal, as Company of the Year, within “The Best of the Year 2020” awards. With 170 employees, and a turnover of close to 26.5 million euros in 2020, with 50% of the estates’ wines exported to Brazil, China, United States, Canada and England, among others.

Winemaker Carlos Eduardo ferments the grapes in stainless steel vats. This ruby colored wine, with aromas of very ripe red fruits like blackberry and dark cherries and soft tannins reveal good ripeness of the grapes, balanced acidity with touches of vanilla, oak and dark chocolate in the mix, finishing with cigar box notes, some dense tannins and a strong, tight texture. Try with roasted red meats.

Parras Wines 370 Leguas (Douro, Portugal) – $15.99, regularly $19.99

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Author: Dirk Chan

For a change, the 2021 Bordeaux Futures Campaign is going to feature the Whites and the sweet dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Its not often the whites get top billing but after a trio of great vintages for the reds in 2018, 2019 and 2020, the 2021’s was a trying vintage which has produced old-fashioned reds on the lighter (yet elegant) side with alcohol level’s in the 12-12.5% range instead of 14+ range that will drink relatively early while the great vintages sit.

How does Futures work you ask – well at its most basic level, you’re purchasing unfinished wine – you pay for it in full now, and in two years time. The wines when released in-bottle will be 10-15% higher so you get a price break.

All wines have now been offered so it is time to make some purchasing decisions. The campaign ends at midnight, June 30th.

Here is what’s still available for your consideration..

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Author: Dirk Chan

Our special this week is the 2018 Viña Santa Ema Reserva Syrah (Leyda Valley, Chile) – $18.49, regularly $23.99.

The Viña Santa Ema vineyards located in the Leyda area are 10 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. Its a coastal cool-climate vineyard with a maximum temperatures of 24-25 degrees in summer, but with lots of wind and sun that allows to obtain wines with great aromatic expression, with high acidity and a great presence of ripe fresh fruit without greenish touches.

The ripening of the berries here is slow, resulting in a vibrant, mineral white wines alongside complex and aromatic reds. From this vineyard Viña Santa Ema extracts the grapes for this Reserva Syrah, which represents the best of tradition and modernity in wines of great complexity and elegance. A fine wine here that is based on tradition, terroir and consistency.

Santa Ema Gran Reserva Syrah has a deep ruby ​​red color with violet hints. Its aromas are very quite expressive and vibrant with notes of blackberries and sour cherries intermingled with notes of spices, pepper, black olives and flowers. Its palate is balanced, with very good concentration and stellar volume on the palate with a long and juicy fruity finish. Ideal for pairing with spicy stews, charcuterie, game meats and mature cheeses.

2018 Viña Santa Ema Reserva Syrah (Leyda Valley, Chile) – $18.49, regularly $23.99

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