I say “ultimate” because it is the only one left in Quebec. And we couldn’t be happier knowing that it’s the best that remains!
After taking up the torch from Michel Phaneuf and carrying the pen of Wine guide for ten years, Nadia Fournier decided, after the 40e last year’s edition, to have a facelift. Not so much to give up on Guide, as she writes, but to make it her own. In fact, it is smaller … without being less rich. We decided to skip the photos, bar codes and lexicon to focus on the texts. Exit also the aging curves, which is not bad, in my opinion, although she told me that many people liked it. Nadia especially made the difficult choice to wipe out the famous clusters of gold. In short, when I tell you that she has chosen to have a facelift, I am not exaggerating.
A guide which, with its new tint in two colors, ensures that texts are more than ever the center of attention. This is Nadia’s great strength: sublimating wine with words. Like his mentor Michel Phaneuf, his texts are clear, fluid, relevant and sharp, while remaining – and this is the secret of any good book – easy and pleasant to read. Whether it is the description of the wines, the regional news or the explanation of complex concepts, such as the terroir, what she calls the “taste of the place”, she remains faithful to the values of the one who preceded her, everything by being in tune with what is happening today on the wine planet. Nadia talks to us about organic, local drinking, Quebec wines, natural wines, orange wines, nat fart, etc., without ever denying the great classics that she is unfailingly fond of. You can feel it. You almost have the impression of tasting them.
Whether you are new to the fascinating world of wine or are a seasoned lover or even an expert or a professional, this is the ultimate guide for you or has to offer. You will obviously think that I am biased by the fact that Nadia has been working with Les Méchants Raisins for three years now. You’re not completely wrong, but, like any wine I review, I think I have enough perspective to recognize when it’s good or not. There, we touch on the best. It remains for us to wish for a new edition next year.
Fournier, Nadia. The 2022 wine guide, Les Éditions de l’Homme, 2021, 296 pages.
$ 29.95