Bill’s Best Bets – March 19th Cellier Arrivals

The Riches of Italy – Part Two
by Bill Zacharkiw

Bill Zacharkiw

Italy is the focus of the March CELLIER magazine and I must congratulate the SAQ for having put together a really good selection of wines. Of the 30 wines from either March 5th or March 19th, I found the large majority to be highly recommendable. Normally at a tasting such as this, if I can find 10 of 30 that stoke me, then that’s pretty good.

And to add to the fun the vast majority of the wines are in the $20-$30 range making them very accessibly priced. What do you want? Nebbiolo? Aglianico? Grecanico? You might as well go for all of them. I have already posted my top picks from the March 5th selection in Part One, now here’s Part Two with the wines that I really loved from the March 19th group. (Please note that you may not see all of the store inventory until the release date, but you can still plan ahead!)

CELLIER March 19 release

To kick things off, Paolo Scavino’s 2013 Vino Rosso is a remarkable wine for under $20. Light, bright but with remarkable complexity that is made with grapes harvested from the estate’s younger vines.

Another very reasonably priced Piedmont wine is Castello di Neive’s 2010 Barbaresco. While it should properly be called a Langhe as it doesn’t show the complexity of many more expensive Barbarescos, it nicely shows the finesse and aromatic joy that is the nebbiolo grape.

If you are a fan of Ripassos, then Silvano Piacentini’s 2012 is a must try. Without going sweet, the wine is textured, complex and with admirable tannins that grip but don’t dry. For a twist on the theme, Cesari’s 2010 Jema is made with 100% corvina, and shows a touch of sweetness which ramps up the aromatics of dried fig and dates. Great wine for cheese.

Di Majo’s 2011 Norante is made with organically grown grapes from the Molise DOC, which is located in the southern part of the Abruzzo. Ripe and so wonderfully rustic, for $18, you can’t go wrong.

For you fans of Soave, one of the region’s best producers Prà, has an entry-level Soave that hits all the right notes. While they work on a riper style, the signature pulsing minerality drives this wine nicely.

And to finish, perhaps my favourite wine from the tasting is the 2012 Cos Rami. This Sicilian white, made grecanico and inzolia and vinified with extended skin contact which gives it a darker hue, is best drunk after a few hours in a carafe and at 10-16C. With lobster season around the corner, it makes a really interesting pairing. Incredible complexity and so much fun to drink.

CELLIER Premium Feature

For Chacun son Vin Premium members, we have added something new to the site to make your CELLIER shopping even easier. Now if you look under the Wine tab in the menu bar, you will see an option for <<CELLIER New Arrivals>>. By clicking here, you will be brought to a new page where we have grouped all of the new release wines and reviews together by date.

So you can check out my tasting notes on all the wines in one place.

Ciao!

Bill

“There’s enjoyment to be had of a glass of wine without making it a fetish.” – Frank Prial

From CELLIER March 19, 2015:

Bill’s Best Bets
All Reviews
Part One – March 5th

Editors Note: You can find Bill’s complete reviews by clicking on any of the highlighted wine names or bottle images above. Premium subscribers to Chacun son vin see all critic reviews immediately. Non-paid members wait 60 days to see newly posted reviews. Premium membership has its privileges; like first access to great wines!