La Nerthe Les Cassagnes

La Nerthe is an established producer in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the vineyards that produce Les Cassagnes, are located next door, just 15kms north up the river. Robert Parker's famous complimentary adjective for Châteauneuf is 'hedonistic', and this second wine from La Nerthe is a fine example of this quality.

Elena Walch Lagrein

Elena Walch Lagrein 2021 Price: $23.95Channel: LCBO Vintages Producer: Elena WalchCountry: ItalyRegion: Alto Adige / SüdtirolAppellation: Alto Adige DOC Grapes: LagreinAlcohol by Volume: 13.5%Sugar Content: 6 grams per litre Elena Walch was an architect who married into the grape growing Walch family and took an interest in wine making. Now, she and her daughters, Julia and Karoline run the family winery. Karoline does the marketing, and I met her a…

Camas Chenin

Anne de Joyeuse Camas Chenin 2021 Price: $19.35Channel: The Living Vine Producer: Anne de JoyeuseCountry: FranceRegion: LanguedocAppellation: Pays d’Oc IGP Grapes: Chenin BlancAlcohol by Volume: 12.5%Sugar Content: Unknown Apparently Anne de Joyeuse was a 16th century duke, friend of the French King Henry III, and a big deal… until he was killed by Huguenots at the Battle of Coutras in 1587 at just 27 years old. Wikipedia has no notes…

JM Raffault Les Picasses

JM Raffault Les Picasses Chinon 2018 Price: $27.12Channel: Le Sommelier Producer: Jean-Maurice RaffaultCountry: FranceRegion: LoireAppellation: Chinon AOP Grapes: Cabernet FrancAlcohol by Volume: 14.5%Sugar Content: Unknown Les Picasses is a famous Loire Valley vineyard site, shared by a few producers, and coveted by more. It’s a plateau formed in the triangular peninsula whose western tip is the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne. It’s in Chinon, on the south side…

Fanti Poggio Torto

Tenuta Fanti Poggio Torto Rosso 2019 Price: $25.99Channel: Le Sommelier Producer: Tenuta FantiCountry: ItalyRegion: Tuscany (Montalcino)Appellation: Toscana IGT Grapes: Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet SauvignonAlcohol by Volume: 14.5%Sugar Content: Less than 1 gram per litre With roots in Montalcino since the 19th century, the Fanti family has very much been part of the meteorotic rise of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG since the 1970s. And while their Brunello is superb, it’s pricey,…

Casale del Giglio Bellone

Casale del Giglio Bellone 2020 Price: $25.05Channel: Profile Wine Group Producer: Casale del GiglioCountry: ItalyRegion: LazioAppellation: Lazio IGT I wrote about the 2020 Casale del Giglio Bellone recently in my wine column at The Hub. It’s a treat to come across this very Roman white wine when so little of it travels very far from the Eternal City. It’s odd that despite being a perpetual tourist magnet and a literal…