November 20, 2023 Newsletter

Upstream in Winecurrent

December 2, 2023 Vintages Release

• In 1897 Fredric Durant and Willis and Joseph Booth formed a partnership and took over the Oakville Mercantile and General Store at the Oakville Crossroads. They made this the grocery store for the Napa Valley. Today, the historic family home stands at the gateway for one of the unsurpassed wine regions of the world. This wine is aged in pre-loved American white oak Bourbon barrels. This wine is also made up of 94% cabernet sauvignon – 3% petit verdot – 3% cabernet franc.

93
Durant and Booth Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
AVA Napa Valley, California. $37.95 (16565) 14.5% alcohol
This 2020 vintage of juicy cabernet sauvignon was born with ideal conditions, hence the high enjoyment and the high score. Aromas of juicy black Bing cherry melding with baking spice, wisps of smoky notes and aged in bourbon barrels that add delightful palate flavours of brown sugar, sweet vanilla and a mix of ripe juicy berry fruit with blueberry, cherry, and black plum to the fore.This is full-bodied with a lingering and lip-smacking finish and should leave you with a pleasing experience. Pour on its own for happy hour, or with grilled rack of lamb. (Vic Harradine)

December 16, 2023 Vintages Release

94
Domaine Berger-Rive - Manoir de Mercey - Clos des Dames 2020
AOC Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune, $29.95 (32957) 13.0% alcohol
Alluring aromas burst from the glass from the slow alcoholic fermentation in oak casks around 20 days at low temperature of 19 – 22 degrees C. This 100% Chardonnay was sourced from excellent vines that were 32 years old at the time that this wine was harvested. Palate flavours of yellow Mirabelle plum, ripe Bartlett pear and oodles of tang and delectable lingering finish and aftertaste are a treat to your taste buds. Give this a go with roast chicken or duck breasts. A lovely wine.to enjoy. It is nicely balanced and brimming with palate flavours. (Vic Harradine)

93
Santa Ema – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon - 40% Merlot - 2021
D.O. Valle del Maipo, Chile, $19.95 (34606) 13.5% alcohol
Aromas of cherry-berry fruit mingle with grilled herbs, vanillin and baking brioche. The palate flavours of bramble berry, juicy black cherry and notions of passion fruit abound. This is well balanced and enjoyable with ripe tannin as an underpinning and excellent tang and pizzazz right through the finish and aftertaste. This pours well with grilled meat, or shepherd's pie. The bottle price is also attractive. (Vic Harradine)

Vintages Release TBD

92
Torre Al Fante Rosso Toscana 2020
IGT Toscana, Italy, $17.95 13.0% alcohol
This scrumptious wine is a medley of 60% sangiovese, 10% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon, 10% canaiolo, 10% ciliegiolo. It has a bright cherry red appearance, with a slight cast of peach. The nose punches with aromas of cherry jam, raisin, mint, and spice. On the palate there is a medium-full body, good acidity, and subdued and approachable tannins. Juicy flavours of cherry, raspberry, and blackcurrant carry through a long pleasant finish. This would go very nicely with a plate of chicken parmesan. (Dave Isaacs)

90
Pasiteo Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018
DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Italy, $22.95 14.5% alcohol
This 85/15 blend of sangiovese and merlot has a medium red appearance, with a slight brick cast that gives away its age. The nose abounds with aromas of musty cedar and hints of cherry jam. It has a medium-full bodied mouthfeel, with well integrated tannins and nice acidity. Flavours of blackberry, with a little bit of dark chocolate, coalesce into a long tart finish. Enjoy this by 2026 with some roast duck, or a selection of smoked and aged cheeses. (Dave Isaacs) 

91
Labouré Roi Chablis le Beaunois 2022
AOC Chablis, France $35.95 12.5% alcohol
The grapes for this wine are harvested from 40-year old vines. The resulting wine offers fresh notes of pear and Gala apple, with buttery undertones. It feels lovely on the palate, with a medium-full body, mouthwatering acidity and juicy flavours of apple, lemon, and grapefruit. The finish is long and crisp, with slight undertones of citrus peel. Enjoy this before 2025, with a plate of pan-seared sea scallops. (Dave Isaacs)

90
Chȃteau de la Greffière Mȃcon La Roche Vineuse Blanc 2022
AOC Mȃcon La Roche Vineuse, France $24.95, 13.0% alcohol
This very pleasant chardonnay bursts with aromas of pineapple, honeydew melon, and lemon on the nose. It is medium-to-full bodied in the mouth, with flavours of melon and apples that carry all the way through to a tangy finish. This wine could cellar for another 2 to 3 years, but can be enjoyed today along with some roasted pork tenderloin. (Dave Isaacs)

92
Tremblay - Marchive Chablis 2022
AOC Chablis, France $39.95 12.5% alcohol
This delightful wine is very representative of Chablis. It has a pale gold appearance, with a slight tinge of green. It has a mineral nose, punctuated with aromas of lees, apple, and lemon. The medium body carries flavours of Gala apples and grapefruit. The crisp, mouthwatering acidity lingers through a pleasant juicy finish. Serve this alongside a serving of sole meunière. (Dave Isaacs)

93
CA’ de’ Rocchi Monterè Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2021
DOP Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Italy $21.95 14.0% alcohol
This beautiful blend of 80% corvina, 15% rondinella, and 5% molinara has a deep garnet appearance, and a vibrant nose of dry leaves, mint, and cardamom spice. It is medium-to-full bodied, with flavours of vanilla, blackberry and cherry jam, and well integrated and approachable tannins. A pleasant acidity draws out into a long sour cherry finish. You can cellar this for another year or two but it is drinking beautifully right now. Enjoy with a dish of spaghetti and meatballs. (Dave Isaacs)

90
Domaine du Bicheron Mâcon-Péronne 2022
AOC Mâcon-Péronne, France $22.95 13.0% alcohol
This fine Burgundy has a striking golden hue in the glass, and offers aromas of apples, mineral, and hints of cream. It is medium bodied with a dry, mouthwatering acidity that carries rich flavours of apple, lemon, and custard all the way through to the finish. Enjoy this wine alongside a serving of sauteed shrimp or scallops. (Dave Isaacs)

92
Ohau Woven Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Ohau, New Zealand $19.95 13.0% alcohol
This gorgeous wine has a nose with predominant aromas of cut grass, along with hints of peach, pear, honeysuckle, and clover. The medium body and crisp acidity feels delightful in the mouth, with flavours of pear and green apple. The finish is long and fruity, and leaves you wanting to immediately take another sip. Serve this alongside some pork chops baked with apple. (Dave Isaacs)

90
Coelho Atração Pinot Noir 2022
Willamette Valley, Oregon $29.95 13.4% alcohol
This wine is made from grapes harvested from 3 different vineyards sourced in the Willamette Valley, and is aged in 20% new French oak for 10 months. The result is a wine sporting a lively nose of raspberry jam, leather, and fresh herbs. It has a medium body, with noticeable but very approachable tannins, and offers flavours of sour cherry. The finish is long, and pleasantly tart. Well matched with a week-night roast chicken. (Dave Isaacs)

91
Salvaterra Ripasso Classico Superiore 2020
DOC Ripasso Classico Superiore, Italy $25.95 14.5% alcohol
This wine is a varied blend of 60% corvina, 25% rondinella, 10% corvinone, and 5% other regional varietals. It has a wonderfully complex nose of cherry jam, mushrooms, damp moss, tobacco, and coffee. Medium-to-full bodied in the mouth, it had a great balance of acidity and well integrated tannins. You will find flavours of cherry, coffee, and smoked meat, and a long smokey blackberry finish. This will pair nicely with some coffee-rubbed beef brisket. (Dave Isaacs)

93
Tinazzi Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2019
DOC Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Italy $20.95 13.0% alcohol
This spectacular Ripasso is a beautiful deep garnet colour, and has a delicate nose of jammy cherry and strawberry, vanilla, with hints of ground cloves. It is medium bodied, with juicy acidity and easygoing tannins. Flavours of vanilla, cherry, and coffee mingle through to the finish. This is a pleasure just to sip on its own, but will also pair well with roasted lamb chops. (Dave Isaacs)

Also look for some upcoming Vintages Release wines in the Carpineto Wine Dinner report by Louise Boutin later in this newsletter.

Past Vintages Releases

October 21, 2023 Vintage Release

• Sacred Hill Winery was founded in 1986 with fruit sourced from New Zealand's premium winegrowing regions including their own estate-grown vineyards in their home of Hawkes Bay. Their history now includes the most awarded winemakers producing exciting and distinctive wines. This wine was produced from fruit harvested from their estate vineyard at Dartmoor in Hawkes Bay.

93
Sacred Hill Winery Chardonnay 2022
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand $21.95 (17563) 13.5% alcohol
Delightful aromas can be coaxed from the glass with the gentlest of swirls bringing forth a good balance, excellent mouth-feel and showing orchard fruit of Granny Smith apple, yellow Mirabelle plum with hints of vanillin and baking brioche. Approximately 30% of the blend underwent malolactic conversion and underwent stirring of lees for several months. (Vic Harradine)

New in Ontario Wineries

• The next three wines can be purchased by accessing the website of Henry of Pelham Wines and ordering them on their website to be shipped to your home or office.

• Before starting a winery, with his three sons, Paul Speck Sr. was a Padré and this wine is made to honor him even though this wine might be looked down upon from the Padré. 

93  
Speck Brothers – Family Tree - The Padré - Cabernet–Merlot 2022
VQA Niagara Peninsula, $17.95 (18667) 13.0% alcohol
Heavenly aromas rise from the glass with the gentlest of swirls – red and black cherry-berry fruit, dark plum and grilled savoury herbs. Flavours of black currant and cassis abound decorated with soft, ripe tannin, plenty of tang and pizzazz and a lingering finish and a lip-smacking aftertaste. It was 100% barrel aged for 16 months in a mixture of new and older oak with 60% French oak barrels and 40% American and was sourced from the Holy Trinity of the Bordeaux blend - cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Pour with Prime rib, duck fat roasted potatoes and or backyard burgers with all your favourite fixings. (Vic Harradine)

• During prohibition airplanes would visit the estate to collect whiskey and wine that were made in local barns. This next high-flying wine is also ripe and juicy.

92  
Speck Brothers – Family Tree – The Bootlegger - Baco Noir 2022
VQA Ontario, $17.95 (16791) 13.0% alcohol
This wine was sourced from grapes that were harvested in late September with 20% barrel-aged in 100% American Oak. 80% aged in stainless steel tanks to create the perfect balance between oak and fruit. Give this a go with grilled burgers or grilled gourmet sausages. It is balanced and brimming with palate flavours of bramble berry, black juicy cherry and plenty of tang and pizzazz to and through the finish and aftertaste. Where modern clones were originally selected,this perfection has come at the expense of imperfection and charm, the – Je ne sais quoi, of wine. (Vic Harradine)

• This following wine, along with many others of the Speck family, was accredited by Sustainable Winemaking Ontario (SWO). Powerful and round, vibrant with acidity, this wine bridges Old World and New. The estate vineyard has yields of 3.0 tonnes per acre. With all grapes hand-picked, whole cluster pressed. and gently moved by gravity. The wine was barrel-French oak fermented in with a portion in 3000L foudres. The wine matured for 8 to 10 months with a portion of that new.

95  
Henry of Pelham – Speck Family – Reserve – 100% Chardonnay 2022
VQA Short Hills Bench, $34.95 (616466) 13.0% alcohol
Powerful and round, vibrant with acidity, this wine bridges Old World and New. The estate vineyard has yields of 3.0 tonnes per acre. With all grapes hand-picked, whole-cluster pressed and gently moved by gravity. The wine was barrel-French oak fermented in 3000L foudres. Pour alongside lobster bisque. Enjoy! (Vic Harradine)

Carpineto Wine Dinner

Antonio Michael Zaccheo

A fabulous six course wine dinner with top notch Tuscan wines and Italian cuisine sounds like a treat, doesn’t it? It gets even better when the person behind those wines leads the tasting.

Antonio Michael Zaccheo and his wife Bianca, owners of Carpineto Grandi Vini di Toscana were on a business visit in Canada and made a two day stop in Ottawa in October. Allannah Harris, Territory Manager for Dandurand Wines and Spirits, hosted a fabulous wine dinner at Trattoria Caffè Italia for trades people and media which I was grateful to be part of.

Carpineto family winery founded in 1967, operates five estates in the Chianti Region. Here’s a selection of their portfolio arriving at the LCBO in the coming months.

Carpineto portfolio is definitely oriented on the red varietals but they also craft a few whites that are worth mentioning, like this gorgeous chardonnay below. Produced from 25 years-old vines, hand-harvested fruit growing on the Montepulciano estate. The wine is macerated on the skin, followed with a slow fermentation and a brief passage in barrels.

 

October 23rd, 2023 Vintages Release

• This 3 liter-size bottle comes in a beautiful wooden box, a perfect gift suggestion for the Holidays.

91
Carpineto Chianti Classico 2020
DOCG Chianti Classico, Italy $114.95 (21869) 3 liters 13.5% alcohol
I love the rusticity of Chianti Classico and this one was perfect for the “Antipasto Italiano” served as a second course—a selection of charcuterie, cheese and marinated vegetables. Quite earthy on the nose with bright red cherry fruit peeking through, it flows on the palate with ease and suppleness dishing out cherry, red plum and sundried tomato flavours along with hints of tobacco and dried herbs. Slightly astringent on the finish, it reaffirms the food-friendly nature of great Chianti Classico. (Louise Boutin)

92
Carpineto Brunello di Montalcino 2018
DOCG Brunello di Montalcino, Italy $69.95 (34539) 14.5% alcohol
Growing on the beautiful hills flanking the medieval town of Montalcino, this 100% sangiovese grosso, a clone of the more common sangiovese, shows profound aromas of dried cranberry, raspberry, licorice and a distant note of violet. Classic palate of delicious fresh red fruit combined with savoury herbs and a tasty note of caraway lingering in the long and expected delicious grippy finish. The tomato sauce short-pasta dish served as the fourth course was a nice pairing choice. (Louise Boutin)

November 18th, 2023 Vintages Release

91
Carpineto Vinsanto 1999
DOC Vinsanto del Chianti $59.95 (34583) 15.0% alcohol
This is a sweet blend of trebbiano Toscano and malvasia grapes partially dried before they get vinified and aged in small chestnut barrels, this one for 16 years. It is beautiful to look at with its amber color and golden hues but even better to put your nose in the glass and enjoy amazing aromas of dried apricot, orange peel, walnut and zesty vanilla. A true elixir on the palate with an unctuous texture, yet not flabby, coating the palate with honeyed fruit, toasted walnut and a candied orange peel lift trailing in the beautiful finish. A dessert on its own but for this dinner, it was poured alongside a dolce trio—tiramisu, cantucci cookie and cherry cheesecake. (Louise Boutin)

93
Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2018
DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Italy $34.95 (368910) 14.0%
Robust and posh don’t normally go together, but they do in this spectacular blend of sangiovese and canaiolo, slowly matured in large Slovenian barrels for 24 months and an additional six to eight months in bottles. The nose is gorgeous with blue plum, licorice and balsamic reduction aromas plus a hint of violet. The mouth is filled with concentrated dark cherry and plum flavours enveloped in silky tannin slowly morphing into a desirable grippier, yet fine tannin texture along with tobacco dried fruit and wood notes. Complex, full-bodied and exquisite, a true noble wine that we enjoyed with grilled house-made artisan sausages garnished with sauteed bell peppers, onion and mushroom. (Louise Boutin)

March 16th, 2024 Vintages Release

91
Carpineto Farnito Chardonnay 2020
IGT Toscana, Italy $29.95 (35950) 13.0% alcohol
Slightly smoky on the nose with aromas of peach, exotic spice and fennel seeds. It treats the palate with a nice mid-weight and round textured flow of flavours--lemon curd, orchard fruits, a mix of baking spice and elegant vanilla notes. The seared scallops with a lemony white wine cream sauce served as the first course was a perfect match for this gem. (Louise Boutin)

April 27, 2024 Vintages Release

93
Carpineto Farnito ‘Camponibbio’ 2016
IGT Toscana $39.95 (36246) 13.5% alcohol
Concentration of aromas with a yield of one bottle per 25 years-old vines, growing in rich marine fossil soil is striking in this blend of 60% sangiovese and equal parts of cabernet sauvignon and merlot—dark berry, prune, clove, licorice and a slight menthol note. Aged in different sizes oak barrels for 12 months, followed with a minimum of two years of bottle aging or until ready to release, this bold red charms with its concentrated flavour palette of dried cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, baking spice and vanilla. Tannins are definitely noticeable here but they are super polished, supporting the gorgeous flavour profile and contributing to the long delicious finish. The generous grilled veal chop with sauteed vegetable and roasted potatoes fifth course, couldn’t ask for a better partner. (Louise Boutin)

Cheers!

Dave, Lisa, Louise, and Vic