The wines of the week | A hot summer, but not his wine

If you enjoy eating out in the warmer months, don’t let the heat ruin your wine. A few degrees too high and it quickly becomes heavy and indigestible. Keep a bucket full of ice on hand to dip your bottle in occasionally. No need for a silver bucket: a simple plastic bucket will do. And yes, red too!

Veronique Rivest
Sommelier, guest collaborator

Freshness for fish and seafood

The Douro is recognized as a very hot region. Especially here, in the Douro Superior, the easternmost and warmest part of the valley. But the schist soils, the elevation at 500 m and old native vines in symbiosis with the terroir allow the production of fresh white wines. Made from planted rabigato, gouveio and viosinho, this wine offers a discreet citrus and herbal nose with ripe fruit in the background. The palate is crisp and fresh, with a delicate juicy fruit with accents of orange, pineapple. Dry, rather light, it will happily accompany grilled fish, with or without a mango salsa, a fish tartare with citrus fruits or a shrimp salad with herbs. And, a rarity these days, it costs $1.15 less than in 2020.

Carvalho Martins Pacto Douro 2020, $18.30 (14491251), 13%

Aging: 2 to 3 years

Very versatile

Everything is to love about this wine: fresh, light, smart, and practical with its screw cap. And also a bit cheaper than before, when it sold for $18.95 in 2019. Plus, it’s got the hang of it: the juicy, vegetal, and spicy character of grüner veltliner grown on the banks of the Danube. Very juicy peach aromas give a certain roundness in the mouth, balanced by notes of citrus, zest and herbs, with a hint of white pepper. Fresh, dry and tonic, it lingers on a finish with a mineral impression. A perfect introduction to the varietal and the region, it is also very versatile at the table. It will of course accompany wiener schnitzels, but also fried fish, a risotto with green vegetables, a courgette salad with feta.

Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Selection 2021, $18.45 (13750089), 12.5%

Aging: 2 to 3 years

Both delicious and deep

It is one of my favorite wines from Chinon, which is remarkably consistent. This cuvée is made entirely from Cabernet Franc from several plots around the château. A vineyard exploited since the XV^e century, when the castle was built, and certified organic since 1997: the very first in Chinon. It opens with aromas of red fruits and black fruits, with accents of noble vegetal, cedar and pencil lead. The palate offers ripe, crunchy fruit, lots of tone and impeccable balance. Fine, slightly firm tannins, mineral notes prolong the finish and the whole calls for a second glass! Serve slightly chilled with charcuterie, tartare, steak and fries, stuffed vegetables.

Château de Coulaine Chinon 2020, $24.00 (14905564), 13%, organic

Aging: 3 to 4 years