Mother’s Day | Wines of the week

Here are two wines made by women to celebrate Mother’s Day: Marta Casas at Parès Balta and Anne Collard at her estate of the same name. Two wines full of finesse and freshness, full of brightness and easy to drink, which will put a smile on your lips. And to accompany the honey and pistachio cake, a great wine from Sauternes. Expensive, certainly, but we consume it in small quantities and it keeps very well for three or four days once opened.

Festive: life in pink and bubbles

Nothing like a sparkling wine to celebrate! And not just for an aperitif: its versatility allows it to accompany a wide selection of dishes. The Cusiné family is a leader in Catalonia in organic and biodynamic viticulture. It specializes in the production of cavas, and its two entry-level vintages, Brut and Pink, offer excellent value for money. Pink, a bright pink, is also ideal for spring. Its pretty nose with accents of small fruits and red apples is charming. Citrus and herbal notes provide nuance. On the palate, the wine is simply delicious: dry, light, fresh and invigorating, simple, but harmonious, with fine and persistent bubbles. It’s hard to ask for more at this price! Perfect for an aperitif, brunch, sushi, grilled shrimp, fish tacos or a melon salad with prosciutto.

Keeping: 2 to 3 years

Parés Baltà Pink Cava, $18.50, (12888043), 11.5%, organic

Consult the SAQ sheet

Affordable: an ode to the fruitiness of Grenache

Anne Collard is the owner with her husband, François, of the Mourgues du Grès estate, in Costières de Nîmes. But her love of Grenache took her to the south of the Rhône to explore its expressions. Viticulture is organic and biodynamic – the wines will be certified from the 2022 vintage. This wine is an ode to the fruitiness of Grenache. The nose is full of red apple, cherry, raspberry jujube, with notes of pepper, spices and garrigue. The palate is just as fruity, with brightness and lots of freshness. It also shows substance: wide and ample, with a touch of warmth. All the fruity, round, easy-drinking character of Grenache, with ripe texture and few tannins. Serve chilled with chicken wings, penne arrabiata, a homemade burger, or even cod with tomatoes, olives and potatoes.

Keeping: 1 to 2 years

Vignoble Anne Collard Shi Fu Mi Vin de France 2021, $19.80, (15273722), 13.5%

Consult the SAQ sheet

Treat: rediscover sweet wine

We have greatly reduced our consumption of sweet wines. At one time, they were all the rage! There is not a court in Europe that has not filled its cellars with them. Great sweet wines are unique wines, of rare complexity, which can provide great pleasure and last a long time. We should revisit them from time to time. Here is the perfect opportunity: to accompany our honey and pistachio cake of the week. The Bastor-Lamontagne 2019 exhibits a ripe, rich and complex nose, with aromas of peach in syrup, apricot, candied citrus and delicate notes of honey, beeswax and mushroom. The palate is creamy, but with a superb freshness which gives it grace and momentum, and extends into spicy notes. Also delicious with savory: foie gras or blue cheese on gingerbread, triple cream cheese with apricot and ginger compote.

Keeping: 8 to 10 years

Château Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes 2019, $31.50, (11016067), 13%, organic

Consult the SAQ sheet