It’s hot ! A great excuse to drink rosé. Here are two, at a good price and very versatile, to enhance your summer, then an original red from Portugal, to be served slightly chilled; with its crunchiness, it is also ideal for the summer season.
Affordable: organic aperitif rosé
The Gassier family has been established at the Château de Nages, in the region of Nîmes, for five generations. Michel Gassier made the switch to organic many years ago, and now his daughter Isabel, who joined the estate in 2022, guides him towards regenerative agriculture. This is all the more commendable given the large size and production of the estate. The Buti Nages rosé 2022 is, once again, excellent value for money. Made from young vines, 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, it is pale in color with a discreet and fine nose. Notes of red apple, citrus and garrigue unfold on the palate, with a slight fatness, consistency, freshness and delicate bitterness. Very dry, it is perfect for an aperitif or to accompany summer salads, shrimp rolls, tomato pies.
Famille Gassier Buti Nages IGP Gard 2022, $17.05 (427625), 12.5%, organic
Laying down: to drink
Classic: reliable at the table
PHOTO FROM THE SAQ WEBSITE
Bonny Doon Vineyard Cigar Gray Wine Central Coast 2022
Randall Grahm created Bonny Doon in 1983 and quickly established himself as one of California’s finest winemakers and a great advocate of Rhone grape varieties. He sold Bonny Doon in 2020, but remains involved with viticulture and winemaking. The Vin Gris de Cigare rosé has become a classic in Quebec, very reliable and very good value for money. In 2022, a cooler year, it is made with 50% Cinsault, 43% Grenache and a tad of Clairette and Mourvèdre. Very pale, discreet on the nose with fine aromas of red fruits and flowers, it offers a complete and harmonious mouth. Very dry, with fat, just the right amount of bitters and flawless balance, it will be at its best on the table: ratatouille, grilled fish and tapenade, salmon burger.
Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris de Cigar Central Coast 2022, $18.95 (10262979), 13.5%
Laying down: to drink
Discovery: authentically Portuguese
PHOTO FROM THE SAQ WEBSITE
Tiago Teles Gilda Bairrada 2021
The Bairrada region is south of Porto, on the Atlantic coast. Tiago Teles is a native of the country. Thanks to very natural viticulture and vinification, he produces authentic wines there, which have character and a lot of vitality. The Gilda 2021 cuvée comes mainly from alfrocheiro, a fascinating Portuguese grape variety, close to the Jura Trousseau, with baga and a little trincadeira. The color is intense purple. The nose shows brilliance, with plenty of red fruits, carried by a little volatile, well-integrated acidity. Animal notes fade with aeration – a passage in a carafe does it good and it keeps very well for two days! The mouth is fresh, greedy, while showing substance, with ripe, slightly firm tannins. Portuguese grilled chicken, charcuterie, grilled vegetable salad.
Tiago Teles Gilda Bairrada 2021, $25.40 (13629001), 13.5%
Aging: 2 or 3 years