Wines of the week | Low prices and champagne!

This week, a magnificent champagne for lovers of Brut Nature, which is however only on sale on the SAQ website. A second shipment, which will be distributed in stores, is however expected. Since it’s an expensive bottle, let’s start with a budget white and red for more common occasions.

Veronique Rivest
Sommelier, guest collaborator

Dry, fruity and crisp

Rueda is a region northwest of Madrid, which stretches along the Duero, on the high plateau of the Meseta. Although it is located between the regions of Ribera del Duero and Toro, producers of powerful red wines, Rueda specializes in white wines. Verdejo occupies 90% of the vineyard. The Basa cuvée is perfect for getting started with this grape variety, and offers very good value for money. The delicate nose opens with notes of citrus, grass, currants, but also with an underlying ripe fruit, a little more exotic, reminiscent of pineapple, starfruit. The mouth is very fresh, accentuated by a slight trace of gas. Dry, fruity and crisp, with very slight bitterness that brings relief, this wine will accompany grilled or fried fish or seafood, with herbs or citrus fruits.

Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda 2020, $17.50 (10264018), 13.5%

Aging: 1 to 3 years

For the week

Made from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, there’s nothing stunning about this wine, but at this price, it’s definitely recommendable. The typical Tuscan character of Sangiovese is very present: the nose is rather restrained, with ripe fruit of course, but also lots of notes of earth, undergrowth and tobacco leaves. There’s only a faint vanilla note that can annoy a bit, or charm, depending on your preference (even if the wine apparently doesn’t see any wood). It is nevertheless very dry on the palate, with freshness, and light but firm tannins. It is not a very complex wine, but it is ideal to accompany spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, or even shepherd’s pie.

Donna Laura Ali Toscana 2020, $15.15 (12898305), 13%

Laying down: to drink

Champagne super-dry and endowed with a lively acidity

The subject of added sugar in champagne, and its dosage, divides people a lot. Many claim that it is necessary for the production of balanced champagnes. These few lines will not be enough to explore the subject, but let’s say that the style is particularly difficult to achieve. At Tarlant, it is an expertise: they mainly produce champagnes without dosage, and this, since the 1970s. The viticulture there is also irreproachable: to succeed in this style, you need perfectly ripe grapes. Cuvée Zéro is tense, slender, but without lacking in depth, complexity or richness. The nose is charming with notes of pear, quince, brioche, breadcrumbs and sweet clover. Above all, do not serve it too cold. In fact, it will even be better after a few hours of opening, or even the next day, which suggests good aging potential. Plus, its back label is packed with practical information, not marketing blah-blah.

Tarlant Zero Champagne Brut Nature, $60.25 (14913732), 12%

Aging: 6 to 8 years