Craving a glass (or so) of Sangiovese, Syrah or Xynomavro around the end of November doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic – it just means you’re Canadian.
There’s a hibernating effect of the cold weather that makes a lot of us want to spend the early onset evenings sipping something soul-satisfying, something that balances tannins with sweetness and body and eschews those light-as-air summery Pinots.
Face it – it’s not patio season anymore.
So here are my finds from the recent RASPIPAV private import wine salon to get you through the cold months. Because there’s nothing wrong with cocooning; you’ll appreciate those refreshing Assyrtiko whites all the more once spring arrives.
Coup de Coeur – Sicilian Reds
If you’re looking for something full and round without being a California fruit bomb, try a Sicilian red wine. The weather’s pretty sunny and warm year-round, making for juicy wines with minerality from a volcanic soil. The best part? Some are even affordable. These two are big names but with quality productions in a region that can easily handle organic production (no excess moisture creating mold), but too often doesn’t.
Gulfi – Bambara Selection privately imports this line of well known reds – that is, well known to Sicilian wine lovers. These 100% nero d’avola wines come from low-yield vines. They’re $30-$60, so on the upper edge of Sicilians, but worth supporting. 2009 in Sicily was a good year…like most. Fruit, spice, dry, low tannins.
Occhipinti – Italian cult wine lovers will recognize this name. The biodynamic vineyards produce some of the most respected Sicilian wines. They’re not cheap, but it’s worth buying a case from Oenopole Wine Agency (split it with friends if you have to). They won’t be past their prime anytime soon. This one, the SP68, is 50% Nero d’Avola and 50% Frappato. The Nero rounds out the astringent Frappato in this natural wine.
The Rest of Italy
Getting away from Sicily, there’s also this gorgeous Perrini Negroamaro 2013 from Salento, Italy. Oenopole has it for $22.30 a bottle. Grab the $21 Primitivo while you’re at it. These are the veritable Goldilocks of red wines: not too sweet, not too dry, not too big, not too small.
And for a real splurge – a dream wine for a very special occasion (or a very cold day) – there’s this Brunello di Montalcino “La Magia 2009” from Importations Syl-Vins. I can’t find it on their website, but it’s pricey and it’s gorgeous. Big and rich and everything a full-bodied Brunello should be, but still with refinement and wisdom (perfectly aged).
France
And if you stubbornly want that Pinot Noir, here’s one that’s not too light:
Domaine de la Cadette – Champs Cadet – $31.50 through Oenopole.
And another couple from Bambara that are a study in parcels. The nine-hectaire Domaine Ragot produces almost one wine per hectare, meaning tiny yields and subtle variations between soils and elevations for each within the Givry wine making region or appellation. They’re around $45 a bottle, so an expensive study, albeit a worthwhile one if you have the money. Winter is, after all, long…
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