Ive tried a bunch of wines over the last week that I wanted to share here, but I cant tie them all together for a particular theme for the life of me! No matter. One day were enjoying blazing sun and grilling on the patio, the next were taking cover under awnings from torrential downpours. This week, a dynamic array to enjoy regardless of weather, your mood or whos popping over. Enjoy!
Masi 2012 Rosa dei Masi | Veneto, Italy | $22-24 | Private Wine Stores
After reading that this rosé was made from 100 per cent Refosco, I had to dust off some old textbooks to remind myself that the grape is a dark-skinned variety native to Northern Italy, yielding power and depth and full of wildberry and dark, plummy flavours. This one sure lends that intensity, and even more so due to their use of the appassimento method, where the grapes are partially dried out in the sun on straw mats for extra concentration. Cool, geeky, but totally approachable with a nice, peppery finish.
Laughing Stock Vineyards 2011 Syrah | Okanagan Valley, BC | $36+ | Winery Direct/Private Stores
David and Cynthia Enns Naramata winery has churned out another winner! Bridging Old World meaty, spicy, funky Syrah with the New World flair of a fruit-forward, oh-so-purple Shiraz, each swirl and sip peels back another layer. Theres a splash of Viognier in here as well, the classic Côte Rotie-style, which unfurls an extra fruity and floral component to boot! The tannins are soft and integrated, while the finish goes on, and on, and on
Navarro Lopez 2010 Pergolas Old Vines Tempranillo Crianza | Valdepeñas, Spain | $11.98 | BC Liquor Stores
Im not a fan of hyperbole, but Im gonna say it; this is possibly the best value on liquor store shelves today! I dont even know where to start here, so Ill just offer a little laundry list of blackberry, blueberry, fig, forest floor, cloves, leather, minerals, perfectly-balanced oak and so on. Excellent stain-your-teeth fare.
Altos de Rioja 2011 Rioja Blanco | Rioja, Spain | $20-ish | Private Wine Stores
Just as pretty as the flowers on the label. A merry tag-team of Malvasia and Viura explodes with generosity; white flowers, peaches, lemon and lime. Total crowd-pleaser.
Saumur Champigny 2010 Cuvee Thierry Germain | Loire Valley, France | $19.99 | BC Liquor Stores
Chill this lively red down for 10 or 15 minutes before diving into its limestone-driven, Cabernet Franc goodness! Theres a perfectly typical regional style here, marrying cherries, leather, basil and sun. If you think Cabernet Franc has to be heavy, stemmy and green, this bottle will make you a convert, I promise.
Artazuri 2012 Garnacha Rosado | Navarra, Spain | $19-ish | Private Wine Stores
Another pink wine for the summer. Imagine sucking on a cherry Jolly Rancher immediately after chewing spearmint gum. Big, bold flavours still manage to finish quite dry; in fact theres almost a little bit of heat on the end. Feel free to serve up a big steak or something else your inner carnivore has a hankering for; itll do just fine.
As always, if youre having trouble tracking something down, find me via KurtisKolt.com or Tweet me @KurtisKolt
