Food With A Point

Last week many of the Italian wines highlighted in the SAQ’s Cellier magazine made their appearance in stores. At a wine tasting organized in concordance to these new arrivals I was able to taste quite a few of them. Organized in four flights, we tasted four whites and 12 reds. Here are my notes on what I found to be the most interesting.

2006 ColliPesaresi i.g.t, Amorino, Podere Castorani (SAQ code: 10859249, $22.95)

• This white wine is made from the Pecorino varietal and had almost a southern France white feel about it. Acidic and a bit spicy but with rich cooked apples, candied lemon and fig nuances. It has a dense palate that is more interesting than the nose but that’s also what makes it alluring – it’s not obvious. It will make for a great summer thirst quencher. A great pairing with smoked sausage.

2005 Barbera d’Asti, Camp du Rouss, Azienda Coppo (SAQ code: 10859628, $23.50)

• I really like more acidic reds and I have penchant for Barbera d’Asti. This wine is what I think a summer red should be – not too heavy with balanced tannins and a certain tartness. It has berry and slightly toasty flavours with an almost licorice finish, making it and easy to drink with grilled lean meats.

2005 Langhe, Nebbiolo, Perbacco, Vietti (SAQ code: 10861031, $23.95)

• Nebbiolo is not my favourite varietal (see my tasting experience here), but this one I wouldn’t turn away. It revealed chocolate, cherry, black licorice and some definite earthiness. It was balanced but remained a bit harsh with the tannins – it should be decanted or even better, left alone for a few years. In that sense it’s an excellent quality to price ratio wine. Should you wish to try it today, I’d go with something meaty and a bit fatty.

2005 Toscana i.g.t. Le Volte Ornellaia (SAQ code: 00878322, $27.95)

• This one was the star wine of the evening. It was delightful, revealing plums, fennel and something toasted on the nose - it just smelled like good wine. On the palate it was cherry and a bit sour and then it softened up to offer a fresh, almost herbal and lengthy finish . Nicely balanced initially it got even better with aeration. The good news is that the SAQ ordered 27,996 bottles of it so I don’t have to stockpile bottles of this gem!