The Festival of Wines was last weekend, and although I gave you a sneak peak at some of the great wines being featured, I thought I would share with you some of my favorites. One of my CAPS Instructors and wine friends said in a post after the festival, “I don’t just celebrate with wine, I celebrate wine!” And I thought that was very fitting. Because most wine lovers here in Nova Scotia spent last weekend celebrating wine itself.
My apologies for the blurry picture on the left, but I wanted to introduce you to the 2010 Castiglion Del Bosco Brunello Di Montalcino, because it was one of my favorite wines from the show. This wine has been receiving accolades and 90+ points from many wine experts. I’m not a wine expert, just a wine lover and I give this wine two thumbs up. Rich and plummy, (plummy can only be a word in the wine world) with an earthiness you would expect in an Italian wine. Great structure with hints of tobacco on the palate, this wine is another great example of a wine to pair with comfort foods.
When I think of New Zealand red wines, the first thought that usually comes to mind is Pinot Noir. However, Babich vineyards in the Marlborough region of Hawkes Bay has put out a fantastic Syrah. This wine spent extended time on the skins, which means it has a rich beautiful color and good tannins. It then spent 11 months in French oak, so you know the oak is not over-powering, but subtle. Black plums with hints of vanilla, this wine won a Gold medal at a wine competition in China, and is a match made in heaven with your favorite charcuterie board.
Here’s another favorite. The Antinori 2012 Tignanello Toscana IGT, is a mouthful to say and a mouthful on the palate. This gorgeous wine is made from a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and is the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques. What is a barrique could be your next question. A barrique is a wine barrel, but it is a barrel that is much smaller than the average barrel, holds 225 liters and was designed in the Bordeaux region of France. So this particular wine was aged for 12 months in a barrique and then another 12 months in the bottle before release. Great wine. Approximately $88 a bottle.
And my wine of the week….
For my wine of the week, I am coming back to Canada. 5 Vineyards Cabernet Merlot from Mission Hill in British Columbia. This wine showcases outsourcing from 5 estate vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. They all come from very unique micro climates but they are not so far apart that the flavors don’t compliment one another. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, was a beautiful Canadian expression of a Bordeaux wine. It tasted very Bordeaux to me. Growing Bordeaux varietals in this part of Canada can be challenging because of our short growing season here in Canada… let’s face it, it gets cold early. But the folks at Mission Hill have done a spectacular job on this one.
Well, that’s it for me for this week. Till next week, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 