ZSIRAI 2017 TOKAJI HÁRSLEVELÜ

TOKAJ, HUNGARY

Sisters Petra & Kata Zsirai are on a mission to carry on their beloved, late fathers’ legacy; what started out as a hobby for Csaba Zsirai (1961 – 2011), turned into a passion project driven by his love for nature and purity, his respect for preserving heritage and his affection for Hungarian wine.

Today Zsirai owns 19 hectares of vineyards spread across some of Hungary’s most notable regions:  Tokaj, Villány and Somló.

This particular wine is made with 100% Hárslevelü (“harsh-level-lou”), a grape native to Hungary, that gets its name from the local word for Linden leaf (as the shape of the vine’s leaf resembles the Linden leaf, and the aroma of the wine recalls that of the Linden leaf). Slovakia, Romania, Germany and France each have their own synonym for this varietal, and in each language, the synonym translates to Linden leaf.

Aromas of elderflower, baking spices and honeycomb; these notes are echoed on the weighty palate where you’ll also find loads of bright citrus, ripe peaches and a hint of salty minerality.

GARNIER & FILS 2020 ÉPINEUIL PINOT NOIR

BURGUNDY, FRANCE

Garnier & Fils are known for the amazing Chablis (Chardonnay). I used to work for the importer who brings these wines into Alberta and have been a fan for quite some time. And now, for the first time in Alberta, we’ve gotten access to their Pinot Noir!

I didn’t even know they made one!!!

In rural Burgundy, high in the hills along the Serein River, you’ll find the village of Ligny-le-Châtel and within it, the 25 hectares of vineyards that belong to Garnier & Fils. 

In the 70’s Joseph Garnier used their land to raise cows and farm grain, but in 1985 along with his son Xavier, they planted their first vines.  Xavier’s brother Jérôme joined the project not long after, and in 1992 they began building their own winery. They focus on sustainable viticulture, use only indigenous yeasts and are working towards organic certification (2024).

This fantastic Pinot Noir is made with fruit from the nearby village of Épineuil, hence the name. It smells of violets and strawberries; on the palate, an intriguing mix of tart pomegranate and blackberries are met with a subtle hint of forest floor and fresh tobacco.

LA COMARCAL 2021 DELMORO

VALENCIA, SPAIN

La Comarcal, meaning “The District”, was founded in 2017 by friends Javi Revert & Victor Marqués, who worked together for more than a decade at Celler Del Roure (we featured one of their wines in October 2020). La Comarcal is located in the mountainous village of Venta del Moro, in Valencia.

Javi & Victor represent a new generation of forward-thinking winemakers in Valencia, focusing on both biodynamics and regenerative agriculture.

This is a blend of 40% Garnacha, 30% Syrah & 30% Bobal, all coming from a single, 4-hectare vineyard. Each variety is fermented separately in stainless-steel with indigenous yeasts, after malolactic fermentation, the Garnacha stays in steel and the Bobal and Syrah are moved to concrete for five months prior to final blending/bottling.

Rustic and juicy, the Garnacha and Bobal contribute loads of red fruit and dried herbs, while the Syrah provides a backbone of spice and black pepper, with just a hint of balsamic on the finish.

ZONTE’S FOOTSTEP 2021 VIOLET BEAUREGARD

LANGHORNE CREEK, AUSTRALIA

Brad Rey, a born and raised Calgarian, was around at the genesis of fine wine culture in Alberta. He was among the first to work in the business when the province privatized liquor in 1985. In 1991, during a trip to Australia to visit wineries, he decided to pursue winemaking full time. In 2003, Brad founded Zonte’s Footstep with a few friends. The first vineyard they purchased dates back to 1893!

This is 100% Malbec coming from two different sites, one of which is the aforementioned 1893 vineyard! The wine is aged in a combination of new and neutral oak barrels for about 12 months prior to bottling with minimal filtration.

“On the vine, our perfectly round, plump and violet-purple Malbec looks like blueberries. Crush, ferment and pour into a glass… it smells like blueberries. If it looks like a blueberry, smells like a blueberry and tastes like a blueberry pie then Violet Beauregard it must be. Best consumed without Veruca Salt or Augustus Gloop…” – Zonte’s Footstep referencing the characters from Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

I find that note sums it up quite well, but I also get hints of blackberry, cherry, violet and cocoa powder.

BODEGA MI TERRUÑO 2019 RESERVE CABERNET FRANC

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

The Baigorria family has been involved in Mendoza’s wine industry since 1960; first with the purchase of their own vineyards and later, in 2004, with their own winery. Located in the town of San Roque, Maipu, the winery was retrofitted from an old glass tile factory.

Mi Terruño (meaning “My Terroir”) is run by brother and sister team Gabriel & Maria Eugenia Baigorria. Gabriel takes care of the commercial side of their business and Maria Eugenia is the winemaker, creating terroir driven wines.

Mi Terruño’s vineyards are scattered around the Mendoza River, which acts as the main water source for the vines. This Cab Franc comes from the Santa Rosa region, about a 40-minute drive east of the winery. After primary fermentation the wine spends eight to nine months in second use French and American oak barrels. The resulting wine has notes of ripe red plums and dried strawberries, black pepper, roasted red bell pepper and a touch of smoked caramel.

TERRESCURE 2019 2.60 BERNARDESCHI GOVERNO ALL’USO TOSCANA

TUSCANY, ITALY

Governo is an ancient winemaking technique believe to have been invented in Italy’s Tuscany region in the 14th century. The rarely used method involves saving a parcel of grapes that were harvested later and allowing them to partially dry, if fermentation of the main parcel of must (unfermented juice) starts to slow or appears to be stuck, juice from the partially dried grapes is added, giving the yeast a new source of intensified sugars to restart the fermentation process. From here the must can be fermented dry, with the wine having a slightly higher level of alcohol and richer character. 

This method is very similar to the Ripasso method used in Veneto.

This is 90% Sangiovese & 10% Merlot, and given Sangiovese’s naturally high acidity, the richness of the technique creates a beautifully balanced, total crowd pleaser!

On the nose you’ll find notes of stewed blackberries, rich dark chocolate and leather. The palate is bold and voluptuous with flavours of ripe dark cherries, plum and vanilla.