Red is the colour of Valentine's Day. To help you warm your soul and maybe turn up the heat, I am featuring some old world red wines. Each of these wines is from romantic regions in southern Europe. I've enjoyed them all. This year, why not turn Valentine's Day into a weekend and enjoy a few great big, red wines?
Pays Cteaux De Cabrerisse
Domaine de L'Olivette Organic (626242)
France
$15.99
Southern France's Languedoc region is bathed in an average 300 days of sunlight each year. 2013 saw it receive a record 320 days. That's an incredible amount of sunlight.
Like much of Europe, this region has a winemaking history going back centuries. In 1958, an Algerian winemaker, Lionel Faivre, bought this 158 hectare parcel and began growing grapes organically. This means without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. These vineyards have been certified organic for many years now. In 2005, the wine-maker and an associate of Lionel, Pierre Gabison, took over the estate and continues to make wines that offer a natural expression of the domain's particular terroir.
Once labelled a Vin de Pays according to France's wine classification system, this organic wine is now labelled IGP (Indication Geographique Protege) meaning it is a good example of wines from its region. This wine is a blend of three grapes. Two of them, Grenache and Syrah are native to this region the third Merlot, makes 50 per cent of the blend, is more at home in cooler climates like Bordeaux.
In the glass, while it is dark purple, it has lightness to it. The aromas too are light with plum, cherry and black berry fruits. There is also some savoury spice in the aromas. This probably comes from the indigenous spices growing wild in the area. In the mouth, it has a light to medium-body and like many wines from France it is not excessively fruit forward. Instead it balances light fruit flavours with acidity from delicate tannins. This easy sipping wine can be served with beef or maybe chicken spiced with rosemary.
Ricossa
Barbera D'Asti 2011 (457135)
Italy
$15.99
In Northwest Italy, the Piedmont region has eight provinces and Asti is one of those. I think we're all familiar with this province because of a popular sparkling wine once called Asti Spumante. As seen on the label Barbera D'Asti simply means Barbera, the grape varietal, D'Asti the province it's from. This one is from Ricossa Antica Casa. Barbera grapes are the third most planted grapes in Italy and are now showing up in most of the wine producing countries around the world.
The colour of this wine has a purple base but with more ruby tones. In the glass, it appears a bit lighter than I expected. On the nose, it has aromas of red berries, including cherries. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied with good fruit flavours and some peppery spice. Crisp acidity and light tannins give this wine a nice cleansing finish. I can see this being served with a meat dish that has some spiciness and, of course, a tomato-based pasta sauce. Serve this red wine lightly chilled to show it at its best.
Almansa
Laya 2012 (189902)
Spain
$13.90
Spain's Almansa wine region is situated between the high plateau and the Mediterranean Sea with vineyards as high as 3500 feet above sea level. Laya is a blend of 75 per cent Grenacha Tintorera , aka Alicante Bouschet, and 25 per cent Monastrell. The vines for this wine are up to eighty years old and the label indicates it is of old vines.
This wine is dense in the glass and has a deep purple colour. On the nose, it has a lush quality, and features something I find common in old vine wines, a deeper concentration of aromas and flavours. Ripe black cherry, black plum with hints of coffee and French oak are evident. In the mouth, it is full-bodied with a rich palate with lots of black fruit, a little spice and an appealing hint of oak.
There is a quality of richness to old vine wines and this one is worthy of decanting before you serve it with any protein dish, dark chocolate desert or if you're so inclined with a cheese course.
Al Spoklie is a product consultant at the B.C. Signature Liquor Store, Pine Centre. The bracketed numbers are the product codes for the B.C. liquor stores.
