Wines of the week

Some wines do not need to convince us: we love them immediately after tasting them. For others, love at first sight is not there. But always give wines a second chance. Instead of declaring right away that you’ll never buy more, recap the bottle and wait until the next day. Then taste it again. If you still don’t like it, then you can cross it off your list. But you’ll be surprised how much your opinion might differ!

Affordable: easy to like and drink

Merlot, and other Bordeaux grape varieties, arrived in western Veneto, in the hills around Lake Garda, following phylloxera (an aphid parasite on the vine), at the end of the 19th century.^e century. The Cantina di Custoza cooperative winery offers here a Merlot in the spirit of an everyday wine: dry, gourmet and easy to drink. It’s easy to imagine yourself seated at a bistro by the lake, with a view of the Alps. Pale in color, the wine opens with a very fresh nose, with accents of red fruits and herbs. We find the very fruity character, a little candy, of Merlot in the mouth, but the wine remains dry and elegant. Very little tannic, it nevertheless offers pretty bitters on the finish, ideal for the table. Simple, but very well done. Serve slightly chilled with all-dressed pizza, pasta sausages and arugula.

Cantina di Custoza Terre in Fiore Merlot Garda 2021, $17.65 (15113374), 12.5%, organic

Laying down: to drink

Classic: seductive wine from the South

The wines of Stéphane Vedeau at Clos Bellane have a real signature: that of their terroir, very limestone, at altitude, but also that of their winemaker, who works the vines and produces the wines with the greatest care. The Valréas 2020, in almost equal parts of Syrah and Grenache, offers all the ripe, rich and enveloping character of a wine from the South. A deep purplish color lines the glass. The nose is compact, very fine, first on blackberry, then with notes of blood, violet, anise. Deep and seductive, the wine evolves a lot. The mouth is smooth and caressing, with notes of kirsch, then super fresh, as if carried by a limestone energy. The finish is long and tense, with fine tannins that add chewiness. To be enjoyed with a duck breast with blackberries.

Clos Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas 2020, $23.25 (12577085), 14.5%, organic

Aging: 4 to 6 years

Discovery: a second chance that pays off

I really like the wines of Valpolicella: dry, light, fruity and delicious. But in a sea of ​​ordinary wines, they are hard to find. I taste this Montenigo Valpolicella 2020 for the first time, but I am disappointed: the wine seems thin, lacking in vitality, with animal notes, volatile acidity. I note: too natural? But what other wine the next day! The nose is super pretty, very fine, delicately fruity, with notes of raspberry, Morello cherry and cranberry. The palate, also delicate, is full of radiance and freshness, with ripe but diaphanous fruitiness. Light, very fine tannins stretch out on the finish. Tasty ! Was it the wine that needed air, or me not being in top form the night before? Who knows, but I went from not liking it to wanting to buy a case!

Montenigo Valpolicella 2020, $25.55 (15126933), 12%, organic

Aging: 2 or 3 years