696 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 79 PART 5 SEPTEMBER 2021
root development with a limited yield of grapes. The result is a wine that is
distinctly Tuscan, showing purity of fruit, rich earthy tones and a backbone of
fresh acidity. Enjoy this Chianti with gnocchi pomodoro or rigatoni bolognese.
2018 MAISON CHAMPY PERNAND-VERGELESSES PREMIER CRU
“EN CARADEUX” $79 (Sutton Place Wine Merchants)
The Chardonnay from which this wine was made comes from a vineyard
tucked in a valley between the villages of Savigny-les-Beaune and Aloxe-
Corton, about a half-hour bike ride north of Beaune. It has a pale golden hue
in the glass. There are floral notes and orange rind on the nose, with honey,
lemon and a little green apple on the tongue. It is very dry, almost tart.
There is a long finish showing off the wine’s minerality, indicative of the
limestone soils beneath. This is a somewhat austere wine in comparison
with those of Corton Charlemagne, which lies only a couple of kilometres
away, demonstrating nicely how Burgundy is all about local differences.
Pair with roast chicken.
2016 PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO BARBARESCO $52 (B.C. Liquor Stores)
Quite simply, this is one of the best deals from Piemonte. The “produttori”
is a co-op of 54 small growers in Barbaresco, and the Nebbiolo grapes for this
wine came from 9 of them. The wine is bright red and shows blackberry,
violet and mint notes, with long, complex waves of ripe raspberry and spice
in the mouth. Most wines from Barolo and Barbaresco will beg to sit in your
cellar for a few years before they are opened; this one is lovely now but will
continue to improve over time. A steal at $52. Serve with rack of lamb.
2012 VIGNA PAGANELLI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO “IL POGGIONE” $85
(B.C. Liquor Stores)
2012 was an excellent year for Brunello, and this is an elegant wine from a
great producer. It is brick red in colour, with whiffs of plum, pepper and
graphite. It has a warm, soft mouthfeel like a Pinot Noir at the beginning,
but then the fun begins, with a freight train full of black cherry, anise, rosemary
and slate thereafter. The finish is long and still moderately tannic. We
served this with a spaghetti pomodoro and we kept drinking after our plates
were empty.
2018 MEYER FAMILY MICRO CUVÉE PINOT NOIR $57 (Available from the
Winery)
Our humble opinion, this is one of the best pinots you will find, from our