C286-NS: Italy and Germany

CELLAR ORDER JUNE 8 - JULY 12, 2021

ITALY AND GERMANY Opimian.ca

NS 286

DIRECTORS’ CUT...........................................................................P5 JANE’S COUPS DE COEUR.....................................................P7 AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE............................................P8 NEW MICHAEL PALIJ MW..................................................... P12 AZIENDA AGRICOLA I PÀSTINI...........................................P14 LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCO....................................................... P16 STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI............ P22 CELLAR UP!.....................................................................................P26 TOP VALUE WINES....................................................................P28 SPUMANTE......................................................................................P30

ITALY

VENETO..............................................................................................P34 Montigoli - Cantina Valpolicella Negrar...................... P35 Villa dè Moreschi.......................................................................... P36 PIEMONTE........................................................................................ P38 Speroni................................................................................................ P39 Terrenostre.......................................................................................P40 Bosio / Truffle Hunter................................................................. P41 Roche Vini Bera Di Bera Valter.......................................... P42 PFLÜGER.......................................................................................... P44 STEPP...................................................................................................P50 COLLECTOR’S CORNER.........................................................P54 WEB EXCLUSIVES......................................................................P56

Cellar 286 ITALY AND GERMANY

P8 AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE

P14 AZIENDA AGRICOLA I PÀSTINI

CORTESE NOSTRU CARRICANTE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020, LOT 2603, P9

VERSO SUD SUSUMANIELLO, IGP, I PÀSTINI, 2019, LOT 2626, P15

P35 MONTIGOLI - CANTINA VALPOLICELLA NEGRAR

P40 TERRENOSTRE

Sitting amidst Sicily’s vineyards, remains from ancient Greek temples and settlements date to the 8th century BCE. The ancient Greeks called the region that is now southern Italy Enotria – “the land of the vines” – though today virtually every region in Italy has a culture of producing wine. The long boot-shaped country, surrounded on three sides by sea with a backbone consisting of the Apennine Mountains, produces a huge variety of wines cultivated from hundreds of grape varieties, many of which are unheard of elsewhere: from the cool mountainous northern regions to Puglia and the Mediterranean island of Sicily in the south. Some 2,000 kilometres north of Sicily, the Pfalz region in western Germany is probably the most exciting wine region in the country with a new generation of winemakers making modern wines. Riesling reigns for white wines from this region, which is located between the Rhône River and the Haardt Mountains close to the French border, but it’s also fast developing a reputation for its red wines – in particular Pinot Noir.

JANE MASTERS MW, OPIMIAN’S MASTER OF WINE Every wine offered by Opimian is tasted and selected for its deliciousness and value by our consultant Master of Wine, Jane Masters. Jane has an in-depth knowledge of the world of wine. Her aim is to share her experience and love of wine with members in an easy and informal manner. She is one of 416 Masters of Wine worldwide and was elected Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine 2016-2018 by her peers.

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CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, MONTIGOLI, 2017, LOT 2646, P35

TERRENOSTRE BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, AJÉ, 2020, LOT 2656, P40

FEATURED PRODUCERS THEIR MOST POPULAR OPIMIAN WINES

P12 NEW PRODUCER MICHAEL PALIJ MW

P16 LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCO

P22 STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI

SOLEMNIS PRIMITIVO, IGP SALENTO, 2018, LOTS 2640, 2641, 2642, P19

DEA DEL MARE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020, LOT 2614, P29

P30 SPUMANTE 84 PROSECCO BRUT, DOC TREVISO, LOT 2628, P31

DELIVERY WILL BE

GERMANY

EARLY WINTER 2022

P41 BOSIO / TRUFFLE HUNTER TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, BOSIO WINERY, 2020, LOT 2659, P41

P42 ROCHE VINI BERA DI BERA VALTER ROCHE BARBARESCO, DOCG, 2017, LOT 2663, P43

cover — The Cortese team is is all here! Stefano

Chioccioli and Stefano Girelli, the dynamic duo, are sitting on their tractor surrounded by their team.

P44 PFLÜGER

P50 STEPP

PFLÜGER SAUVIGNON BLANC QUARZIT, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2672, P45

STEPP SINGLE CRU CASE, LOT 2687, P53

— CELLAR 286 NOVA SCOTIA

3

EDITORIAL

Vino è La Dolce Vita

Michael Lutzmann and Greg Rinehart, Opimian Co-Managing Directors

This Cellar features the dark, rich wines from the warmth of Sicily in the south, the excellent but lesser-known Umbrian Sangiovese and Grechetto, and the northern superstars of Piemonte and Veneto.

When you look at a map of Italy, it's not difficult to see why there is such a variety of Italian wine styles. “The Boot” extends to the Mediterranean Sea with a length of 1,185 kilometres. Its topography is varied.

All in all, you will have over 25 indigenous varieties to choose from in this issue.

Whether it's crisp whites, rare red varietals (Nerello Mascalese, Minutolo, Susumaniello, Cesanese), glorious Prosecco, or even the occasional rosé that you crave, they are here for you. You'll find some Opimian favourites and many new labels throughout these pages. Try something new, knowing that it represents both quality and value from one of the top wine-producing countries in the world.

We have the writing of no fewer than three Masters of Wine (MWs) in this Cellar.

Remember, there are only 409 in the entire world! Along with Jane's regular Master Piece, Canadians Michael Palij MW and

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CELLAR 286 — EDITORIAL

Barbara Philip MW share their insights on Pink Prosecco and German Riesling respectively. Your access to this level of expertise is unique and a cornerstone of why Opimian wines are consistently ranked amongst the best in Canada.

Many of you will recognize the new sensation in wine retail – The Bottle Shop.

We've created an online Italian Bottle Shop just for you. Check out our widest selection of Web Exclusive Wines ever at Opimian.ca/current-cellar.

LET'S NOT FORGET GERMANY If you think it's only about sweet Riesling, think again. The Rieslings you'll find on offer here are aromatic, fruity, and elegant white wines that range from very crisp and dry to well-balanced, sweet, and of enormous aromatic concentration.

There are also a plethora of other varietals.

Standard bearers Gewürztraminer and

Silvaner are here, but consider trying something unusual like the St.Laurent/ Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Alex Pflüger who has just returned to the Opimian family. Gerd Stepp's Pinot Noirs are always a crowd favourite and we've included his Argentian Malbec for the second year in a row.

Your Club continues to evolve and grow.

Thank you to the hundreds of you who have expressed your delight in the direction Opimian is headed and to the thousands of you who place orders in each Cellar. It's a virtuous circle in which all of the stakeholders win. The Members, the Winemakers, and the global wine industry. We have reason to be proud of our place in the wonderful world of wine.

Prost!

Greg & Michael

DIRECTORS’ CUT GREG'S PICKS

GREG & MICHAEL’S PICKS FOR THIS CELLAR OFFERING

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, MONTIGOLI, 2017, LOT 2646, P35

ZUCCHETTO PROSECCO CASE, LOT 2631, P33

CORTESE SABUCI CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO, DOCG, ORGANIC WINE, 2019, LOT 2605, P10

MICHAEL'S PICKS

VERVE NEGROAMARO, IGP SALENTO, 2018, WOOD BOX, SIGNED BY WINEMAKER, LOT 2644, P19

STEPP GEWÜRZTRAMINER, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2683, P51

ROCHE BAROLO, DOCG, 2017, LOT 2666, P55

— CELLAR 286 DIRECTORS’ CUT

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MASTER PIECE

How to Pair Your Wine Jane Masters MW is Opimian’s Master of Wine

When it comes to deciding what to drink a wine with, I believe there are no hard and fast rules. It’s down to personal taste – if you like a pairing, that’s the most important thing. Matching wine and food should be fun.

Gastronomy is constantly evolving, and today’s chefs pride themselves on finding increasingly unusual pairings that would have previously seemed unthinkable. If you are open minded and willing to give them a try, they can be fantastic. Wine is no different. Your starting point may be a particular dish, and the challenge is to find wines that could go well with it. Or maybe you just fancy a glass of a particular wine and will then choose what to eat with it.

Rules such as white wine with fish or red wine with meat are pretty simplistic and not really very helpful. White wines range from light, crisp and fruity to rich, heavy, toasty oaky styles. Red wines also offer a gamut of flavours, body and structure. Fish and meat are prepared in a variety of ways – simply lightly grilled, roasted or with rich buttery or spicy sauces. Hence successful food pairings depend on how ingredients are cooked, and what they are served with. I tend to think of the flavours and richness of the food and wine. Pairing like with like flavours works well but having a contrast between the wine and food can also be great. There are many books on the subject but one of my favourites is written by Canadian François Chartier, called Taste Buds and Molecules. It identifies flavour compounds that characterize various foods that are also present in certain wines and groups them together to try and give an understanding as to why some matches work so well.

Many wines come from regions that have a local traditional cuisine based on the produce, wild herbs and spices available.

Wine and local recipes developed over time to enhance one another, often leading to classic pairings like Piemontese white truffle dishes with local Barbera and Dolcetto wines, or Red Bordeaux with Pauillac lamb. Barbera also pairs well with lamb,

BIODYNAMITE, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2676, P49

as well as simple beef and pork dishes. Traditional pairings can be a guide to what may work well in another region or country which has its own different local cuisine. Rich hearty Amarone enhances traditional gamey dishes like venison and braised beef, so should also work nicely with elk, moose or caribou.

Canadian maple syrup, when used in sweet marinades, goes well with oaky reds such as Shiraz, or in desserts with sweet wines.

Syrah/Shiraz often has black pepper flavours and can go well with peppery sauces. For rich, complex spicy dishes like Moroccan tajine, I go for fuller spicy red wines. Lighter dishes, chicken, veal and fresh vegetables tend to go well with lighter dry white wines like Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio or Soave, as well as lighter, less tannic reds like Pinot Noir or Valpolicella. Rich buttery or creamy sauces can go very well with more buttery or oaked white wines. Hence for pasta dishes and risottos, the sauce is an important factor. For tomato-based sauces, I would suggest reds like Montepulciano or even Pinot Grigio. Spicy Arrabiata or Puttanesca works with Primitivo and Sicilian reds.

Creamy white or mushroom sauces can go well with white and lighter reds. Smoky flinty wines made from Sauvignon Blanc go well with oysters and other seafood. Dry Rieslings pair well with sushi, raw, smoked and cured fish. Indeed, the tangy acidity and touch of residual sweetness means German wines go nicely with various Asian dishes.

Generally, for mature wines which are developed and complex, I would look for more complex meat dishes. Mature Barolo and Barbaresco go well with wild mushrooms, slow-cooked meat, and light gamey flavours like pheasant. Yet some of the most enjoyable pairings are the simplest – good steaks or good charcuterie will pair with a range of red wines. One of the most interesting ideas I came across recently was mortadella with dry sparkling rosé. Variety is the spice of life as the saying goes, and with wine, there is always something new to try.

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CELLAR 286 — MASTER PIECE

JANE’S COUPS DE COEUR EVERYDAY DRINKING ALIPASSO, APPASSIMENTO DA UVE SELEZIONATE, ALEATICO, IGP PUGLIA, FRANCO RIZZELLO SELEZIONE, 2018, LOT 2636, P17

PEMO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020, LOT 2620, WEB EXCLUSIVE

SOMETHING SPECIAL STEPP PINOT NOIR, PFALZ, 2019, LOT 2682, P51

CORTESE SENIA NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2017, LOT 2606, P10

VILLA DÈ MORESCHI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, CLASSICO, 2018, LOT 2652, P37

— CELLAR 286 JANE’S COUPS DE COEUR

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SOUTHERN ITALY

Azienda Agricola Cortese SICILY Stefano Girelli fell in love with the island of Sicily many years ago – perhaps partly because of its great contrast with his alpine hometown, Trento, in the far north of Italy. Stefano realized the huge potential Sicily had for making premium wines at a time when it was seriously underrated. Cortese estate is located in the southeast of the island close to Ragusa and near the site of Kamarina, an ancient Greek city founded in 599 BCE. The estate is named after Giovanna Cortese, the previous owner who was a formidable Sicilian lady and who sold it after many years of negotiation when she could no longer run it herself. The island has mild wet winters and hot dry summers, and a landscape dotted with wild herbs and agave plants. Grapes are farmed organically, and winemaking at Cortese takes inspiration from its surroundings and history with wines fermented using wild yeast and minimal intervention.

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CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — The beautiful city of Ragusa (Sicily) is just a few kilometres away from the Cortese winery

2603

CORTESE NOSTRU CARRICANTE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020

Carricante $ 30.00

$ 180.00

Fresh and baked apple aromas with a touch of nuttiness. It is more steely on the palate with good depth and weight and a refreshing lemon-zest finish. The Carricante grape takes its name from local Sicilian dialect for “heavily laden.” Yields are limited at Cortese through strict pruning. It was kept on fine yeast lees for five months after fermentation.

2021-2022, M8 D9 Fresh and baked apple, nuts

6°C

Mineral, lemon zest, [D]

13%

Caprino fresco goat cheese

2602

CORTESE NOSTRU NERELLO MASCALESE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020

READ ABOUT STEFANO GIRELLI OF AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE ON PAGE 24.

Nerello Mascalese $ 30.00

$ 180.00

2021-2023, M8 D9 Floral, soap, red fruit

16°C

Cola

13.5%

Grilled swordfish with tomatoes and capers

photo — Marina Girelli and her daughter Erica

enjoy a glass of Catarratto.

A light-coloured fruity wine with floral and red fruit flavours. It is easy drinking with herbal cola notes and some savouriness on the finish. Nerello Mascalese, an indigenous grape of southeast Sicily, likes a significant difference in temperature between day and night to fully ripen.

At Cortese, it is planted at 400 metres, and grapes were picked by hand in late September-early October into small 10–15-kilogram baskets.

— SOUTHERN ITALY AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE

9

NEW

2604

NEW

CORTESE NOSTRU CATARRATTOLUCIDO, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020

Catarratto-Lucido $ 32.00

2605

NEW

CORTESE SABUCI CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA CLASSICO, DOCG, ORGANIC WINE, 2019

Nero d'Avola, Frappato $ 192.00

$ 52.00

CORTESE SENIA NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, ORGANIC WINES, 2017

Nero d'Avola $ 312.00

Catarratto is Sicily’s most widely planted white grape – but not all Catarratto is the same. Catarratto-Lucido is a clone named after the shiny skin of the grapes which produces smaller, more compact bunches and berries; hence, more concentrated wines. It has floral jasmine notes with lemon and apple aromas.

A deliciously interesting wine, quite light in structure.

It has aromas of cooked reds fruits, vanilla and tarragon with a touch of smoke. On the palate, its relatively light structure is reminiscent of Pinot. Overall, it is a medium-bodied wine with sour cherry flavours and some bitter plum-skin fruits on the finish. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is the only area in Sicily with DOCG status. The wines were blended together and matured in barrels for six months.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2025, M8 D9

Lemon, floral, nuts

6°C

Vanilla, red fruits, tarragon

18°C

Apples, zesty, [D]

12.5%

Sour cherry, bitter fruit, smoky

13.5%

Polpette di melanzane (eggplant “meatballs”)

2606

$ 52.00

$ 312.00

Lasagna con carne

Intense ripe red fruit aromas of raspberries and strawberries combined with fresh coconut. This is a medium-bodied youthful wine with a supple mid palate with emerging fruit and savoury graphite flavours leading to an oaky bitter fruit finish. Nero d’Avola grapes were fermented in open-top casks with the grape skins manually pushed down into the fermenting juice. After 30 days on skins, the wine was racked into barrel for malolactic fermentation and matured for 12 months.

2021-2024, M8 D9 Strawberries, raspberries, coconut

18°C

Savoury, graphite, oak

13.5%

Involtini di vitello

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CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — The Cortese vineyard in Sicily.

FOCUS ON

Michael Palij MW | A Canadian Master of Wine I was the third Canadian Master of Wine, after David Lake and David Gleave. It would be fair to say that most Canadians like a drink. Perhaps not as much as we MWs do, but as someone who grew up in Creemore, Ontario, at least I have an excuse!

TERRA FIRMA GRILLO, DOC SICILIA, 2020, LOT 2621, P13

Notwithstanding a double major at the University of Toronto in English and Philosophy, gainful employment proved difficult and, as so many literary giants had turned to alcohol, it seemed rude not to. I enrolled in a wine course with Margaret Swaine and in 1989, armed with my budding love of wine and a dog-eared copy of my Let’s Go travel guide, I booked passage to England.

My first job was stacking shelves in Oddbins (at that time a legendary retailer) and I still remember that Damascene moment when I realised just how good wine could taste (Premier Cru Chablis – everyone asks). I was hooked and quickly rattled through all the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses. In 1992 the Institute of Masters of Wine accepted my application and in 1995, after tasting more than 25,000 wines, I was admitted as a member and became the world’s 196th Master of Wine.

By then I was working as a buyer and my first trip to Italy in 1993 sparked a passion for the country, as well as for its food and wine, that has remained utterly undimmed. Italy endlessly fascinates me.

TERRA FIRMA ROSATO, IGT TERRE SICILIANE, 2020, LOT 2622, P13

The history, the unique combination of grape varieties and terroir, and the native creativity of the Italian soul provides boundless opportunities to discover the genuinely captivating.

I established Winetraders in 1997 with a single aim: to bring to the market those men and women who were working tirelessly to champion often long-forgotten varieties and appellations. Our selection process is exceptionally rigorous. In normal times I visit Italy up to 20 times a year, torturing hire cars and visiting those cellars that remain firmly under the radar.

It’s easy to manufacture a story at a trade fair but much harder to fake the vineyards or the winery when your client is on your doorstep. After a full audit, everything is tasted blind and in peer. Then, and only then, does a wine make it onto our list.

We’ve worked with some growers for more than 30 years. I’ve watched their kids grow (some have worked with us in the UK for an internship) and together we’ve built our reputations. When asked, I offer technical advice, but this is usually in the winery rather than in the vineyard.

I’m often asked to help blend or to comment on different ferments.

Today we work with more than 50 estates who all share these values. Our primary market is the UK but we also help clients in more than a dozen countries around the world. In Canada my association with Opimian has strengthened over the past four years as Members have responded overwhelmingly to the simple message that little can guarantee a good glass of wine more effectively than a passionate winemaker.

This year I am delighted to introduce Opimian Members to my own range, Terra Firma, comprising three Sicilians – two varietals and a Nero d’Avola-dominated rosé. I work with a local coop to assemble parcels from different vineyards and often from different altitudes. I’m looking for balance above all and sufficient depth of flavour to create something that really over-delivers at that price point. I hope you enjoy my wines and I thank you for your continued support!

— CELLAR 286 FOCUS ON

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SOUTHERN ITALY NEW PRODUCER

Michael Palij MW SICILY

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CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

Terra Firma is a range of Sicilian wines blended by Michael Palij MW, a Canadian Master of Wine based in the UK with a passion for all things vinous Italian. Michael works with growers from Trapani to Mazara del Vallo on the western side of Sicily.

The region, originally famous for producing fortified Marsala wines, now uses the same indigenous grape varieties to make fresh table wines.

PRODUCER FOR THIS CELLAR

photo — The rugged, breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Sicily.

NEW

2622

NEW

TERRA FIRMA ROSATO, IGT TERRE SICILIANE, 2020

2623

TERRA FIRMA NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, 2020

Nero d’Avola, Sangiovese, Merlot

Nero d'Avola

$ 162.00

$ 28.00

$ 27.00

$ 168.00

The Rosato is a delightful pale, baby-pink colour produced from 70% Nero d’Avola, 20% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.

Smooth and well balanced, it has some winey aromas and a touch of sweetness.

Whilst quite restrained, the nose with fresh herbs and berries leads to a rich weighty palate. More fresh berries with floral flavours emerge, complemented by a sour acidity.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2023, M8 D9

Winey

6°C

Fresh herbs

18°C

Sweet fruits, supple, [D]

13%

Floral, sour berries

13.5%

Herbed grilled vegetable skewers

READ MICHAEL PALIJ MW'S TAKE ON PINK PROSECCO ON PAGE 32.

NEW Farsumagru

2621

TERRA FIRMA GRILLO, DOC SICILIA, 2020

Grillo $ 162.00

$ 27.00

A touch of floral muscat notes with lemon, citronella and honey. This is a light white with a sour lemon finish. This side of the island is where Grillo was used to make Sicily’s famous fortified Marsala wine.

2021-2022, M8 D9 Citronella, floral, honey

6°C

Fresh lemon, [D]

13%

Aperitivo

photo — Michael passed the notoriously difficult MW exam in 1995 and won the J. Sainsbury Award.

— SOUTHERN ITALY MICHAEL PALIJ MW

13

SOUTHERN ITALY

Azienda Agricola I Pàstini PUGLIA

Gianni Carparelli's goal is to revive and promote native Puglian varieties such as Minutolo and Susumaniello. His winery, I Pàstini, in central Puglia in the south of Italy, is located at Martina Franca in the Valle d’Itria. He farms 15 hectares of vineyard organically on rocky calcareous, limestone soils; planted up to 350 metres, they benefit from a constant north breeze to moderate the heat of the summer sun.

2624

MACRAMÈ PRIMITIVO, IGP, I PÀSTINI, 2019

Primitivo $ 28.00

$ 168.00

Savoury aromas, initially with a touch of blackberry and chocolate, open up to reveal red fruits. It is a smooth round wine with sweet berry fruits and a long floral blueberry finish.

2021-2023, M8 D9 Savoury, blackberry, chocolate

18°C

Blueberries, floral

13.5%

Grilled pork sausages

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CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — Gianni with a bottle of Minutolo – a grape variety he saved from extinction.

NEW LOWER PRICE

2626

VERSO SUD SUSUMANIELLO, IGP, I PÀSTINI, 2019

Susumaniello $ 41.00

$ 246.00

Cocoa powder, milk chocolate, cloves, mocha, but this wine has a strong oak influence too. It is relatively light mid palate with sweet fruit flavours leading to a grippy bitter cherry finish with plums and vanilla.

Susumaniello is an indigenous variety from around Brindisi, with vineyards for Verso Sud just south of the Itria Valley.

Oak matured for just six months, the oak character is very pronounced.

NEW

2625

RAMPONE MINUTOLO, IGP VALLE D'ITRIA, I PÀSTINI, 2020

ANTICO LOCOROTONDO, DOP, I PÀSTINI, 2020

Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano, Minutolo

Minutolo $ 42.00

2627

$ 252.00

$ 34.00

$ 204.00

Lemon sherbet, aniseed, lemongrass and touch of green leaf combine to give a fragrant and fresh impression.

Similar flavours appear on the palate – then a searing acidity persists. This is a wine with lots of personality. The Minutolo grape variety was on the verge of extinction but was planted by Gianni in the hills around Rampone at 350 metres. The variety is named after the small berries that make up the bunch.

Subtle white fruits, peach, a touch of fennel, tarragon and yogurt create a complex combination. Citrus fruits, lemon, sour plum and rhubarb flavours are followed by a firm acidity and mineral finish.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2024, M7 D9

Fennel, lemongrass, citronella

6°C

White peach, fennel, tarragon

6°C

Mocha, cocoa powder, cloves

18°C

Aniseed, lemon sherbet

12.5%

Sour yellow plums, citrus, [D]

12%

Sweet fruits, bitter cherries, oak

14%

Baked cod with basil-mint breadcrumbs

photo — The winery was completed just over a decade ago.

Baccala fritta

Salumi board

— SOUTHERN ITALY AZIENDA AGRICOLA I PÀSTINI

15

SOUTHERN ITALY

Le Vigne Di Sammarco PUGLIA

16

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

The Rizzello vineyards are in southern Puglia on the limestone peninsula which forms the heel of Italy’s boot called Salento. Salento is 100 kilometres long and 40 kilometres wide and juts into the sea forming the eastern side of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea and separating it from the Strait of Otranto and the Adriatic. The Rizzello family have 180 hectares around Cellino San Marco. The climate in summer is hot and dry with constant breezes blowing in from the surrounding seas. They produce wines that are bold in style, high in alcohol and with residual sweetness.

photo — The harvest is in full swing!

NEW

2636

ALIPASSO, APPASSIMENTO DA UVE SELEZIONATE, ALEATICO, IGP PUGLIA, FRANCO RIZZELLO SELEZIONE, 2018 Aleatico $ 288.00

$ 48.00

I first came across the Aleatico grape in Corsica many years ago: it has an unmistakable perfumed character.

Originally from Tuscany, it spread southwards to Puglia where it is mainly found now. Alipasso 2018 has a characterful bouquet with dried figs, dates, savoury smoke and pipe tobacco. On the palate, it is smooth with Christmas cake, mixed dried fruits and raspberry flavours. This is a rich full-bodied wine, and I would suggest that anyone who likes Amarone wines should enjoy this style. Grapes were left to overripen until late September then picked by hand with some maturation in barrel.

2021-2024, M8 D9 Smoke, pipe tobacco, dried figs

18°C

Christmas cake, raspberry

15%

Roast game with fig sauce

PAIR THESE WINES WITH THE ITALIAN RECIPES ON PAGE 21.

DELIZIOSI!

NEW

2635

MARASIA MALVASIA NERA, IGP SALENTO, 2019

Malvasia $ 46.00

$ 276.00

2021-2024, M8 D9 Blackcurrant pastille

18°C

Black cherries, savoury

15%

Gorgonzola

An intense wine with sweet fruit flavours.

Aromas of blackcurrant pastilles continue on to the palate with more rich black cherry fruits, juicy concentrated mid palate and a savoury finish.

— SOUTHERN ITALY LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCO

17

NEW

NEW LOWER PRICE

2638 2637

PRIMITIVO, IGP SALENTO, 2020

PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA, DOP, 2019

Primitivo

2639

DEITÀ PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, 2020

Primitivo

Primitivo $ 28.00 $ 23.00

2021-2024, M8 D9 Chocolate, dark fruit

18°C

Sour cherries

13.5%

Grilled sausage timbale with marinara

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

$ 24.00

$ 144.00

$ 138.00

A medium-bodied wine with lots of dark fruit and chocolate flavours. Primitivo grapes were grown around Cellino San Marco and San Pietro Vernotico on both trellised and traditional bush vines. There is no use of oak, and it has a nice sour cherry finish.

18

$ 168.00

Intense aromas of raisins and dates with smoke and forest floor lead to a rich and concentrated palate. This is a full-bodied wine with vanilla and raisin flavours contrasted by a sour acidity and bitter dried fruits on the finish. Manduria is the only region in Italy to specialize in the Primitivo variety. The DOP Primitivo Di Manduria sits behind the Gulf of Taranto on the west side of Italy’s heel.

This is not the sweetest wine in the Sammarco line up at 11g/l, but the residual sugar is more apparent on the sweet berry finish. Oaky aromas dominate the nose with some dried raisin character in the background. It is medium- to full-bodied with a firm acidity and sweet-sour combination.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2023, M8 D9

Raisins, dates, smoke, forest floor

18°C

Oak, raisins

18°C

Vanilla, dried fruits

14%

Sweet berries

14.5%

Balsamic lamb chops

Lamb in tomato sauce

photo — The entrance to the Vigne Di Sammarco winery by night.

VERVE NEGROAMARO, IGP SALENTO, 2018

Negroamaro $ 34.00

2643

$ 204.00

SOLEMNIS PRIMITIVO, IGP SALENTO, 2018

$ 80.00

2644

$ 80.00

Primitivo $ 34.00

2640

$ 204.00

$ 80.00 $ 53.00

2642

The 1500ml single bottle (lot 2644) will be delivered in a wood case and signed by the winemaker.

$ 318.00

2021-2024, M8 D9 Plums, apples, incense

18°C

Cedar, blackberries

14.5%

Braised lamb shanks

photo — Franco Rizzello, owner, in front of one of his Alberello vines.

$ 318.00

Black cherries, menthol with a touch of oregano – this is quite New World in style and reflects the hot dry climate. It is medium bodied and mellow with appealing black fruits and a tangy acidity. Matured for six months in oak barrels – the oak is less dominant than in Solemnis.

$ 80.00

2641

$ 53.00

2645

Fresh apples, plums and brambly fruits with incense and oaky aromas lead to a rich concentrated palate. Oaky notes of cedar and sandalwood are also apparent on the palate, adding a savoury character on the finish. It was matured in oak barrels for six months.

The 1500ml single bottle (lot 2641) will be delivered in a wood case and signed by the winemaker.

2021-2024, M8 D9 Black cherries, menthol, oregano

18°C

Dark juicy fruits

14.5%

Veal stew with potatoes

— SOUTHERN ITALY LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCO

19

JOIN JANE WITH THE MASTERS CASE SUBSCRIPTION THE BEST IN A BOX

$1561

per Cellar Offering

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Subscribe to The Masters Case, a mixed, six-bottle case curated by Jane Masters MW for members like you.

Even better, you get to taste the wines along with Jane Masters MW as soon as you receive them! Two bottles each of three outstanding wines from a featured producer to take the guesswork out of choosing! You’ll get to taste three styles of wine from a single Opimian producer that will challenge your palate and cultivate your curiosity. Rely on Jane’s expertise!

The Masters Case producer for this Cellar is Michael Palij MW.

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FOOD

Italian Classics These two simple yet delicious Italian recipes from Le Vigne di Sammarco are made to impress everyone at the table!

Quick and easy to make, these dishes will become your weeknight staples.

DEITÀ PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, 2020, LOT 2639, P18

PASTA ALLA NORMA (VEGETARIAN)

POLPETTE AL SUGO (ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH SAUCE)

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. (225 g) Rigatoni pasta

• 1 bread slice

• 4 Italian tomatoes, diced

• 1/4 c. milk

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lb. (500 g) minced pork

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 c. chopped basil

• Salt, to taste

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 1 1/4 c. (500 g) tomato pulp

• 1 eggplant, diced • Grated salted ricotta cheese to taste

• 1 tsp double concentrated tomato paste

Directions

Directions

1.

Dice tomatoes and place in pan with olive oil and garlic.

1.

2.

Add salt and pepper, basil and sugar and let tomatoes soften for 20 minutes or so.

Remove crust from bread and tear remaining bread into bowl with milk.

Let bread soften and mash up with fork. If there is excess milk, squeeze out and discard.

3.

Remove tomatoes from heat and sieve through food mill to obtain sauce.

2.

Add minced pork, Parmesan cheese and salt (to taste) to bread mixture.

Mix well using hands until texture is homogenous.

3.

Form egg-sized meatballs with hands.

4. Place sauce back on heat until sauce thickens.

5.

Dice eggplant and sauté in frying pan.

Drain well.

6.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, and dress with tomato sauce.

7.

Serves 4 plates, topped with fried eggplant and grated salted ricotta on each plate.

PRIMITIVO, IGP SALENTO, 2020, LOT 2637, P18

4. Heat olive oil in pan and brown meatballs on all sides for couple of minutes.

5.

Add tomato pulp and tomato paste and adjust seasoning with salt.

6.

Stir well, cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, turning meatballs halfway through.

7.

Transfer to platter and serve hot.

8. Serve as shared appetizer

— CELLAR 286 FOOD

21

SOUTHERN ITALY

Stefano Girelli & Stefano Chioccioli The two Stefanos – Girelli and Chioccioli – have worked together for many years. As a partnership, they complement each other well. Tuscan winemaker Stefano C. has made wines all around Italy; Stefano G., from a wine family in Trento in the north of Italy, has a strong commercial focus. Together they are The Wine People, making great wines at great value prices.

22

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

2607

COLPASSO GRILLO, DOC SICILIA, 2020

Grillo

2608

COLPASSO NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, 2020

Nero d'Avola $ 132.00

$ 22.00

$ 22.00

$ 132.00

Grillo, coming from around Trapani in the west of the island famed for the production of Sicily’s fortified Marsala wine, was handpicked in late September and cool fermented. Yeasty doughy notes are complemented with nice ripe fruit aromas and a touch of lime. It has some nice weight on the palate leading to a deliciously crisp finish with flavours of lemon and grapefruit.

Grown in the west of the island, Colpasso Nero d’Avola has earthy berry aromas with fresh raspberries. It is medium bodied with a floral parma violet flavour and a grippy savoury bitter chocolate finish.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2023, M8 D9

Ripe white fruits, yeasty, lime

6°C

Earth, berries, raspberries

18°C

Grapefruit, lemon, [D]

13%

Parma violets, bitter chocolate

14%

Squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce

Stewed rabbit

NEW

2609

COLPASSO NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, APPASSIMENTO, 2020

Nero d'Avola $ 29.00

$ 174.00

2021-2023, M8 D9 Ripe blackberries, blueberries

18°C

Ripe dark fruits

14%

Baked penne with sausage and ricotta

In the 8th century BCE, Sicily was part of the Greek Empire. The Colpasso Nero d’Avola label is a tribute to Greek mythology – specifically to Dionysus, the god of winemaking, grape harvest and dance. For Appassimento, Nero d’Avola grapes were picked midSeptember and then dried for 3-4 weeks, losing 30% of their weight.

These are then blended with fresh grapes, producing a wine which is vibrant in colour with ripe blackberry and blueberry aromas. It is smooth with more ripe dark fruits on the palate and was matured in barrel.

— SOUTHERN ITALY STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI

23

PRODUCERS' CORNER

When Are Two Stefanos Better Than One? The Wine People

When they are both amazing vintners!

The Opimian community is in a unique and enviable position. We get to experience wines from around the world that no other Canadians even hear about. The same holds true in hearing the stories about how these wines come to be. In this Cellar, there are two brands, Colpasso and Carlomagno, that are the result of a collaboration of "The Two Stefano's".

Stefano Chioccioli, who is a member of the family who brought us Altadonna and Chioccioli wines in C281, and Stefano Girelli, the man behind the Cortese wines in this Cellar, have joined forces to create premium wines at very affordable prices. Chioccioli and Girelli have been working together for over two decades. Their collaboration has resulted in the best wines in their respective portfolios.

"Respect in the vineyard, courage in the winery" are Stefano Girelli's guiding principles. He and Stefano Chioccioli work closely together producing worldclass wines that you know as Dea Del Mare, PEMO, Integro, Indesio, Colpasso and Carlomagno. Born in Trento in northern Italy, Stefano and his sister Marina fell in love with Sicily and purchased Azienda Agricola Cortese from an 82-year-old woman after six years of negotiations. They have taken both the vineyard and the resulting wines to new heights.

Stefano Chioccioli’s experience is second to none.

He has worked for wineries large and small in virtually every winemaking region of Italy and also has extensive international experience, making wines in France and Hungary. His wines have great success internationally and today more than 70 have “tre bicchieri” (an award reserved for wines considered as excellent in their respective categories). Both Robert Parker and The Wine Spectator have scored several Chioccioli wines 100 points.

No matter which of the “two Stefanos'” wines you taste, you'll experience the quality and depth that only passion, time and hard work can create.

24

CELLAR 286 — PRODUCERS' CORNER

INTEGRO NEGROAMARO, IGP PUGLIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2020, LOT 2612, P27

COLPASSO NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, 2020, LOT 2608, P23

2611

CARLOMAGNO PRIMITIVO, IGP, APPASSIMENTO, 2020

Primitivo $ 26.00

2610

COLPASSO PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, 2020

Primitivo $ 156.00

Primitivo grapes were grown on traditional “Alberello Basso,” or bush vines, around Sava on the west side of the Salento peninsula. In mid-August, a technique known as “il giro del picciolo” consists of twisting by hand the stalk of each bunch of grapes, thereby cutting off the flow of nutrients , and leaving the grapes to shrivel for around 12 days. Carlomagno 2020 has woody spice, savoury pencil lead aromas – it was matured in a combination of French and American oak. On the palate, sweet flavours, vanilla, caramel and ripe berries come through followed by an intense crème caramel and pâtisserie finish.

$ 24.00

$ 144.00

Floral aromas of lavender, blueberries, beeswax with a hint of leather lead to a medium-bodied wine with sour blackberry flavours. Grown on Puglia’s Salento peninsula around Leverano.

2021-2023, M8 D9 Lavender, blackberry, leather

18°C

Sour blackberries

14%

Ravioli con carne

2021-2023, M8 D9 Woody, savoury, pencil lead,

18°C

Caramel, vanilla, sweet berries

14%

Barbecued burgers with bacon and caramelized onions

RESPECT IN THE VINEYARD, COURAGE IN THE WINERY.

— SOUTHERN ITALY STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI

25

CELLAR UP! WINES TO SHAPE YOUR CELLAR

Remember when the only Italian wine you could buy was Chianti and you used the beautiful, empty bottle with the wicker wrapping as a candle holder (that bottle is literally known as a 'fiasco')? Whether you can relate to that question or you're too young to picture that setting, the world of wine has changed a lot since then.

As with wine in general, Italian and German wines are so much more diverse and accessible. You'll find a full range of wine styles from Italy and Germany to supplement your favourites.

Sparkling Prosecco is much more than just for celebrations. Italians drink it every day. Have an Eiswein on hand for a Saturday night dessert. Keep a light red like Rosso Veronese around for pizza and pasta. Pull out a Primitivo with your best Bolognese.

Saluti and Prost!

SPARKLING Pairs with anything, celebrations, romance '84 PROSECCO BRUT, DOC TREVISO, LOT 2628, P31

LIGHT WHITE White/light fish, sipping on its own VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI, DOC, CLASSICO, 2020, LOT 2669, WEB EXCLUSIVE

FULL BODY WHITE Poultry, mild cheeses, pork COLPASSO GRILLO, DOC SICILIA, 2020, LOT 2607, P23

AROMATIC OR SWEET WHITE Dessert, rich foods like foie gras STEPP SILVANER EISWEIN, PFALZ, 2018, LOT 2685, P52

ROSÉ Most appetizers, sipping on its own, the back deck PFLÜGER ROSÉ SAIGNÉE, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2674, P46

LIGHT RED Many pastas, pork, poultry, sipping on its own ROSSO VERONESE, IGT, MONTIGOLI, 2019, LOT 2648, P35

MEDIUM RED Versatile; many meats without heavy sauces, casseroles CORTESE NOSTRU NERELLO MASCALESE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020, LOT 2602, P9

FULL BODY RED Heavy stews, many game meats, lamb, strong cheeses, even dessert PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA, DOP, 2019, LOT 2638, P18

26

CELLAR 286 — CELLAR UP!

2612

INTEGRO NEGROAMARO, IGP PUGLIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2020

Negroamaro $ 144.00

$ 24.00

Integro Negroamaro is a smooth round wine with herbal notes. Aromas of fresh oregano, vermouth, dark fruits and graphite are in abundance with a fresh black fruit finish.

2021-2023, M8 D9 Fresh oregano, vermouth, dark fruit

18°C

Black fruit, graphite

13.5%

Pasta puttanesca

NEW

2613

INTEGRO PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2020

Primitivo $ 29.00

$ 174.00

An intense bouquet with herbal and floral aromas with dried lavender complemented by a nice touch of calf leather and red cherries.

It is medium bodied, with fresh red apple flavours followed by a bitter cherry finish.

Primitivo was grown around the San Donaci area of Salento and picked in the cool early hours of the morning the last week of August.

2021-2023, M8 D9 Dried lavender, herbs, leather

18°C

Red cherries, apples

14%

Fennel-sausage pizza

photo — The harvest in Puglia.

— SOUTHERN ITALY STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI

27

2615

DEA DEL MARE CATARRATTOPINOT GRIGIO, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, 2020

Catarratto, Pinot Grigio $ 17.00

$ 204.00

2616

DEA DEL MARE PINOT GRIGIO, DOC DELLE VENEZIE, ROSÉ, 2020

Pinot Grigio $ 16.00 Appealing fresh white fruit aromas with pears and pear drops continue onto the palate. This is a flavoursome white with a lemony finish.

A delightful baby-pink colour, it has fresh fruits and sherbet aromas. Light and refreshing with a crisp finish.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2022, M8 D9

Pears, pear drops, white fruits

6°C

Sherbet, fresh fruits

6°C

Lemon, [D]

12.5%

Red fruits, [D]

12.5%

Pairing

28

$ 192.00

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

Chili-basil stir-fry

TOP VALUE 2614

WINES FOR YOUR EVERYDAY DRINKING

DEA DEL MARE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020

Montepulciano $ 17.00

$ 204.00

Mellow dark fruits, plums and cocoa give lots of appeal. Soft with quite a light mid palate and grainy texture. It has a savoury finish. One of Italy’s most famous DOCs, Montepulciano grapes are grown in the Abruzzo region on the Adriatic coast.

2617

DEA DEL MARE PINOT GRIGIO, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, 2020

Pinot Grigio TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO ITALY WITH THESE POPULAR, DELICIOUS, AFFORDABLE WINES.

$ 192.00

$ 16.00

Quince, melon and fresh lemon lead to a soft round wine with good mid-palate weight. It has flavours of peaches and a crisp lemon finish.

2021-2023, M8 D9

2021-2022, M8 D9

Mellow dark fruits, cocoa

18°C

Quince, melon

6°C

Plums, savoury

12.5%

Peaches, lemon, [D]

12%

Salsiccia e peperoni

Barbecued hoi sin pork belly

— ITALY TOP VALUE WINES

29

ITALY

Spumante "Spumante" simply means sparkling in Italian. That's why you'll see the charming Moscato d'Asti here along with Prosecco. While most Italian sparkling wines do not need to adhere to strict guidelines, Prosecco is subject to specific DOC and DOCG regulations.

Prosecco is the world’s best-selling sparkling wine. In northeastern Italy, the Prosecco DOC in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Guilia regions is Italy’s largest DOC. At the heart of it, the original area in the hills around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene produces the finest wines, and this small subregion is classified at the highest DOCG level. Prosecco sparkling wines are produced from Glera grapes using the Charmat method – the bubbles are captured from a second fermentation in tank. Up until 2020 only white Prosecco was permitted under DOC rules but following regulation changes, the first Prosecco Rosatos were produced last harvest and are just being launched.

30

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — Nearly half a billion bottles of Prosecco are sold globally each year.

NEW

2657

TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, MOSCATO D'ASTI, DOCG, BOSIO WINERY, 2020

Moscato $ 32.00

2618

DEA DEL MARE PROSECCO, DOP, EXTRA DRY, VINO SPUMANTE

Glera $ 192.00

$ 29.00

$ 174.00

A sweet low-alcohol wine (5.5%), Moscato d’Asti is a specialty produced in the Piemonte region; Moscato (Muscat) grapes have been grown around the town of Asti for centuries. The town itself was a Roman encampment and then an economic and political powerhouse in the Middle Ages. Floral and lemon aromas continue onto the palate which is sweet. It can be served as an aperitif or at the end of a meal with dessert.

Boasting intense aromas of fresh apples, melons and pear drops, it has a foaming mousse. The palate is light and fruity, with a smooth texture. Some citrus pith on the finish adds length.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2022, M8 D9

Floral

6°C

Pear drops, fresh apples

6°C

Sweet, lemon, hibiscus

5.5%

Light, fruity, [SD]

11%

Amaretti

Ginger-sesame prawns

2628

'84 PROSECCO BRUT, DOC TREVISO

Glera $ 31.00

$ 186.00

Lots of mousse with a smooth creamy palate, it has subtle aromas of pears and melons followed by flavours of nectarines and lemons.

2021-2022, M8 D9 Pears, melon

6°C

Creamy, nectarine, lemon, [SD]

12%

Prosciutto-wrapped dates

photo — A toast to summer!

— ITALY SPUMANTE

31

2629

ZUCCHETTO VALDOBBIADENE, EXTRA DRY, PROSECCO SUPERIORE, DOCG, PAOLO ZUCCHETTO, 2020 Glera $ 42.00

AZIENDA AGRICOLA PAOLO ZUCCHETTO The Zucchetto estates lies in the hills around Valdobbiadene in the most premium area classified as DOCG. The winery, founded in 1918, is now managed by the second and third generations, Carlo Alberto and his father Paolo. They farm 5.5 hectares of Glera vines in the villages of Sacco and Santo Stefano on steep slopes (30%) at 300 metres. Carlo makes the wines and seeks perfection creating drier styles and keeping them for extended time on lees to add depth.

$ 252.00

Delicious savoury notes of fresh hay and yeast enhance the fruit aromas bringing depth. On the palate, it has nice weight with a fine creamy texture, citrus flavours and a zesty acidity. A serious bubbly perfectly ready for drinking.

2021-2023, M8 D9 Fresh apple, yeast, hay

6°C

Citrus, zest, creamy, [SD]

11.5%

Caciocavallo cheese

DID YOU KNOW?

The Rise of Rosé Prosecco

by Michael Palij MW

If anyone is stunned by Prosecco’s seemingly unstoppable rise in popularity, no one is more bewildered than the producers themselves.

As little as 20 years ago, an air of desperation hung over their vineyards.

Production costs were high (mainly labour), yet prices remained stubbornly low with the vast majority destined to ride shotgun with cheap peach purée in a slew of Venice tourist traps. My, how times have changed.

Today, almost half a billion bottles of the stuff find their way around the world. It’s a truly staggering figure and, as sales boomed, it is fair to say that standards slipped. In order to meet overwhelming demand, legislative changes in 2009 upgraded a vast swathe of vineyards from IGT to DOC and simultaneously re-christened the grape as ‘Glera’ in an attempt to eliminate production of copy-cat versions. Right on trend, rosé Prosecco was officially granted DOC status in 2020.

32

CELLAR 286 — DID YOU KNOW?

At its best, rosé Prosecco is a delight.

Glera’s aromas of apple and pear match well with the strawberry and rhubarb of Pinot. Most versions are usefully drier (the maximum residual sugar is 17 g/L) and on a hot summer’s day it slips down a treat.

Regulations, however, remain as relaxed as an Italian suit. 10-15% of the final wine must comprise Pinot Noir grown in the same regions of production. It must be 2019 vintage or younger. The red and white components can be blended in the cellar, and the wine must be aged on its lees for 60 days before release. So far, so innocuous - but two big questions remain.

The first is the sheer scale of the DOC. Prosecco can be made from grapes grown anywhere in both the Veneto (except Verona) and Friuli, a combined vineyard area of nearly 200,000 acres. It is

unimaginable that the soil and climate could be remotely consistent across a region so vast. The second concern is yields – current legislation permits 135 hl/ ha. Compare this with Grand Cru Burgundy at just 35 hl/ha. Inevitably quality will suffer when the vine is allowed to crop at such excessive levels.

For lovers of quality sparkling wines, however, help is at hand. The original DOC in 1969 limited production to 15 communes in the townships of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. By the 19th century the steep slopes and marl soils formed by the river Piave were already famous. To this day, Prosecco from this tiny sub-zone is entitled to a subtle – but crucially important - labelling variant: Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG. Although rosé Prosecco does not yet allow for a DOCG version, it is well worth searching out producers whose white Prosecco merits this higher designation.

NEW

2630

ZUCCHETTO BACCARAT, EXTRA BRUT, PROSECCO ROSATO, DOC, PAOLO ZUCCHETTO

Glera, Pinot Noir $ 42.00

$ 252.00

2021-2022, M8 D9 Redcurrant

5°C

Supple, cranberry, [D]

12%

Truffle risotto

photo — XXX

Until last harvest only white Prosecco was permitted under DOC regulations, but in 2020 Prosecco Rosato were produced for the first time. Carlo’s first ever rosé is quite deep in colour, with vinous and redcurrant aromas. Produced from a blend of 88% Glera with 12% Pinot Noir. The Pinot was sourced from a small organic farm at altitude – Zucchetto estate is 100% Glera – and Carlo’s challenge was to find a Pinot with the appropriate colour and acidity. It is medium bodied with nice weight and depth and a crisp finish.

MIXED CASE 2631

ZUCCHETTO PROSECCO CASE

$ 42.00

$ 252.00

THREE BOTTLES EACH SUPERIORE & ROSATO

— ITALY SPUMANTE

33

NORTHERN ITALY

Veneto The Veneto region in northeast Italy stretches from the shores of Lake Garda in the west, in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains, towards Venice and the Adriatic Sea. Much of the area is flat terrain with the best wines found in hilly parts. Red Valpolicella and Amarone wines are produced on slopes around Verona; moving eastwards, the town of Soave is known for its dry whites and further eastwards still, the cultivation of Glera to make Prosecco.

34

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — Drying grapes lose up to 40% of their weight and develop the gluconic acid that gives Ripasso wines their roundness.

2648

ROSSO VERONESE, IGT, MONTIGOLI, 2019

2647

Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella $ 162.00

$ 27.00

MONTIGOLI - CANTINA VALPOLICELLA NEGRAR Negrar lies in the very heart of the Classico region of Valpolicella surrounded by hilly vineyard sites. Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, originally founded by six local growers, expanded over the years and now covers growers with a total of 700 hectares of vines.

Most are cultivated using the traditional “pergola” training system on high trellises. The system helps to shade and protect grapes as they ripen.

$ 35.00

$ 210.00

Appealing cocoa, chocolate and cherry aromas lead to a supple smooth palate. This is a round concentrated wine with a layered texture and nice depth.

To produce Ripasso – meaning “repassed” – grapes are picked and fermented at harvest in October. Several months later, in February, the wine is added to the skins and lees leftover from making Amarone: a second fermentation occurs giving the wine more flavour and body. The wine was then matured in oak for nine months.

2021-2023, M8 D9

2021-2024, M8 D9

Green leaves, cherries

16°C

Cocoa, chocolate, cherries

18°C

Redcurrant

13.5%

Smooth, red cherries

13.5%

Rigatoni with duck sauce

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, MONTIGOLI, 2017

Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella $ 57.00

$ 342.00

2021-2026, M6 D8 Savoury balsamic, dark chocolate, black cherries

18°C

Vanilla, woody, bitter cherries

15%

T-bone steak

photo — Daniele Accordini, oenologist at Montigoli for 30 years, is passionate about his wines.

Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella

A light- to medium-bodied red with some herbal aromas and redcurrant flavours.

Initial green leafy aromas concede to reveal cocoa and black cherries. This is a smooth easy-drinking wine with supple tannins and sour cranberry finish.

Smoked Scamorza

2646

VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE, DOC, MONTIGOLI, 2018

A hugely characterful Amarone with savoury dark chocolate, smoke, balsamic, oak and cherry aromas all emerging in the glass.

It is supple on the palate with nice vanilla flavours and juicy red fruits leading to a mellow woody finish with bitter cherries. The vineyard is located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica zone on terraced slopes in the hills close to Negrar. Grapes were harvested by hand in the first ten days of October and left to dry for 120 days.

Fermentation and an extended maceration of 30 days on skins were followed by aging in large oak casks for 18 months. Due to the concentration of the dried grapes, leftover Amarone skins still contain unfermented sugar and alcohol.

These skins can be used to produce Ripasso wines.

— NORTHERN ITALY MONTIGOLI - CANTINA VALPOLICELLA NEGRAR

35

VILLA DÈ MORESCHI Owned by the Delibori and Cristoforetti families, Villa dè Moreschi has several estates around the Veneto region in northeast Italy.

NEW

2650

VILLA DÈ MORESCHI LUGANA, DOC, 2020

Trebbiano di Lugana

2649

$ 35.00

VILLA DÈ MORESCHI SOAVE, DOC, 2020

Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave $ 23.00

$ 138.00

2021-2022, M8 D9 Lemon zest

6°C

White fruits, lemon, [D]

12%

Tonno in insalata

36

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

A light refreshing white with fresh lemons, lemon zest, a touch of almond and a crisp acidity. Soave vineyards lie in the hills to the east of the city of Verona. A blend of 80% Garganega with 20% Trebbiano di Soave which is the same as Verdicchio (and not to be confused with Trebbiano di Toscana which is France’s Ugni Blanc).

$ 210.00

A refreshing wine with floral rose petal and grapefruit fragrances mixed with lemon and honey. Lugana DOC, at the southern end of Lake Garda, makes white wines based on the Verdicchio grape – here it’s known as Trebbiano di Lugana (and, yes, it’s the same as Trebbiano di Soave). Lugana wines must comprise at least of 90% Verdicchio.

2021-2022, M8 D9 Rose petal, grapefruit, spring blossom

6°C

Lemongrass, honey, [D]

12.5%

Nigiri sushi

photo — Franco Cristoforetti and Tiziano Delibori are the proprietors of Villa Dè Moreschi, which was founded in 1971.

NEW

2651

NEW

VILLA DÈ MORESCHI BARDOLINO, DOC, 2020

Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone $ 25.00

$ 150.00

Intense fresh red berry aromas with a touch of white pepper, this is a light-bodied red with lots of appeal. The region lies on the eastern shores of Lake Garda, west of Valpolicella. A blend of Corvina 60%, Rondinella 30%, Corvinone 10%, it is flavoursome and fruity with a sour cranberry and spicy pepper finish and can be served lightly chilled.

2652

VILLA DÈ MORESCHI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, CLASSICO, 2018

Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone $ 71.00

$ 426.00

Red apples, cherries and sweet vanilla fruits are hugely appealing. It is quite light on the palate for an Amarone, despite its 15% alcohol. This is an elegant wine with delicious red fruits and lingering sweet cherry flavours. Produced in the traditional Amarone way, Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone grapes were dried in special “fruttai” rooms for 80-100 days. After a long slow fermentation, the wine – a blend of Corvina 70%, Rondinella 20%, Corvinone 10% – was drawn off the skins and matured in large traditional Slavonian oak casks.

2021-2026, M7 D9

2021-2023, M8 D9 Red berries, white pepper

14°C

Cranberries

12%

Red apples, cherries, sweet vanilla fruits

18°C

Sweet cherries, red fruits

15%

Braised oxtail

Grilled chicken with berry-wine sauce

photo — The winery's 220 hectares of vineyards express the full potential of the area, creating unique and genuine wines.

— NORTHERN ITALY VILLA DÈ MORESCHI

37

NORTHERN ITALY

Piemonte

38

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

Piemonte in the northwest of Italy has more DOCG wine regions than any other part of the country, the most famous being Barolo. At the foot of the western Alps, it has strong culinary roots and was where the Slow Food movement was founded. Red grape varieties include the late-ripening Nebbiolo, which can be only used to make Barolo; and Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto which ripen earlier.

Each grape variety is matched to the appropriate soil and exposition to produce the best wines.

photo — The third and fourth generation of winemakers represent the Neirano team.

SPERONI 2653

BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, FRANCO AMOROSO, 2020

Barbera $ 29.00

2654

TIRTEO BARBERA D'ASTI SUPERIORE, DOCG, TENUTE NEIRANO, 2019

Barbera $ 174.00

A medium-bodied wine with cola, dark fruits, spices and graphite aromas. It is tightly knit with a firm acidity, typical of Barbera. The supple mid palate reveals black cherry and smoke flavours with good depth. The Appellation lies around the town of Alba and the surrounding Langhe hills famed for their white truffles.

$ 150.00

$ 25.00

A medium- to full-bodied Barbera which has developed some complexity. It is brick ruby in colour with aromas of smoke, undergrowth, cola and vanilla. Intense and savoury flavours of black licorice, cherries and leafy notes lead to a firm chewy finish.

Matured in large traditional oak casks.

2021-2025, M7 D8 Cola, dark fruits, graphite

18°C

Black cherry, smoke

13%

Baked greens with Parmesan

2021-2024, M8 D9 Undergrowth, smoke, vanilla

18°C

Savoury and complex, black licorice

13.5%

Roast Guinea fowl

— NORTHERN ITALY SPERONI

39

TERRENOSTRE 2655

TERRENOSTRE DOLCETTO D'ALBA, DOC, VA BEN, 2020

Dolcetto $ 32.00

Situated in the small village of Cossano Belbo east of Alba, Terrenostre is a cooperative with 450 hectares in surrounding hills.

$ 192.00

2656

TERRENOSTRE BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, AJÉ, 2020

Barbera

Dolcetto d’Alba, one of several DOCs focused on Dolcetto, is considered the most notable.

For Va Ben, vines are planted on slopes of calcareous and clay rich soils on sites not suitable for late-ripening varieties but where Dolcetto does well. Bright plum in colour, it has appealing aromas of blackberries and blueberries with mineral notes in the background. It is medium bodied with a textured finish and juicy acidity.

Fresh plums, black cherries and blackberries lead to a supple round wine, medium in body. Lots of fresh fruit flavours, supple tannins and sour cherry acidity combine to give structure and balance.

2021-2024, M8 D9

2021-2025, M6 D8

$ 192.00

Blackberries, blueberries, mineral

18°C

Blackberries, black cherries

18°C

Dark fruits

12.5%

Sour dark fruits

14%

Braised veal

40

$ 32.00

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

ENJOY PIEMONTE WINES WITH LOCAL FAVOURITES SUCH AS TRUFFLES AND SLOW-COOKED MEATS.

Sausage and lentils

photo — The Terrenostre winery is located in Cossano Belbo. Their vineyards are a typical example of the artisanal way of working the vines.

2658

TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, BARBARESCO, DOCG, BOSIO WINERY, 2018

Nebbiolo $ 50.00

2659

TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, BOSIO WINERY, 2020

Barbera $ 300.00

Quite restrained initially, this wine benefits from some aeration with raisins and succulent fruits emerging. It is medium bodied, tight in structure with mellow vanilla and bitter fruits on the finish. Made purely from Nebbiolo grapes, Barbaresco DOCG lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River on limestone-rich marl soils. Similar in style to Barolo, the climate is slightly warmer, drier and milder. Grapes from Truffle Hunter Barbaresco were grown in Neive and Barbaresco at 200-300 metres. It was matured for 24 months in oak barrels.

2021-2026, M7 D7

$ 35.00

$ 210.00

An oaky wine with intense toast, caramel and pencil shaving aromas over a hint of fruit in the background. More mellow toasty flavours are apparent on the palate, but these will attenuate over time – this was a young barrel sample when tasted – so the blackberry fruits show through.

2021-2025, M7 D8 Oak, pencil shavings

18°C

Astringent oak, sour fruit

14%

Braciole Raisins

18°C

Mellow, vanilla fruits, bitter

14%

Pasta with butter and truffles

BOSIO / TRUFFLE HUNTER Owned by the Bosio family, the winery in Santo Stefano Belbo is run by Valter Bosio who farms around 200 hectares of vineyard. Valter is a lover of, and expert in, the local winter pastime – the hunt for white truffles – and named his wines after his four-legged companion and fellow truffle hunter, Leda.

— NORTHERN ITALY TERRENOSTRE, BOSIO / TRUFFLE HUNTER

41

ROCHE VINI BERA DI BERA VALTER Purchased by the Bera family in 2014, Roche winery at Neviglie, east of Alba, consists of 30 hectares of vineyards in nearby regions mainly Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera.

It was established in the 1970s by Raffaele Ferrero.

2660

DON'T MISS PREMIUM WINES FROM THIS PRODUCER ON PAGE 55.

ROCHE DOLCETTO D'ALBA, DOC, 2020

Dolcetto $ 39.00

$ 234.00

Plums, sour berries and herbal aromas lead to a supple palate which is fine in texture.

This is a smooth medium-bodied wine with crunchy dark berry fruits and lingering bitter cherry flavours. Grapes were picked between the second and third week of September, de-stemmed, crushed and fermented with a short maceration on skins.

2021-2024, M8 D9 Plums, berries, herbs

18°C

Crunchy dark berry fruits, bitter cherry

13%

Robiola cheese

NEW

2661

ROCHE BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, 2020

Barbera $ 44.00

$ 264.00

Deep purple in colour, it has ripe brambly fruit and blackcurrants. It is concentrated with a tight structure and fine texture.

2021-2024, M8 D9 Brambly fruit, blackcurrant

18°C

Dark fruits

14%

Roast duck with root vegetables

42

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — Raffaele Ferrero, the winery's founder, picking a bunch of Dolcetto grapes.

NEW

2662

ROCHE MIO VINO LANGHE NEBBIOLO, DOC, 2018

2663

ROCHE BARBARESCO, DOCG, 2017 NEW

Nebbiolo $ 52.00

Nebbiolo $ 312.00

$ 61.00

2664 $ 366.00

Translucent brick ruby, it has earthy aromas with musk and some floral notes which open up with some aeration to reveal mellow fruits. It is quite light mid palate with tannins emerging to a bitter fruit finish and perfectly ready for drinking over the next few years.

Matured in oak for 12 months.

Youthful aromas of blackberries, cherries, sage and some coconut give lots of appeal. On the palate, it is rich and round with cherry menthol flavours.

It is structured and well balanced. Nebbiolo grapes were harvested by hand into wooden baskets; after fermentation, the wine was aged in small oak barrels for 24 months.

2021-2026, M6 D8

2022-2030, M5 D6

ROCHE BARBARESCO, DOCG, SERRABOELLA, 2018

Nebbiolo $ 78.00

$ 234.00

This single vineyard wine comes from Serraboella, a subregion within the Barbaresco area in southern Neive. Vines are planted on a hill 240-320 metres facing west that gently bends to the south becoming steeper on white clay, sandstone soils. Red cherries and woodlands aromas lead to a supple palate, quite light in the middle followed by some grippy tannins.

It has sweet and bitter fruit flavours and is succulent with a bitter cherry finish.

2021-2028, M6 D8

Earth, musk, floral notes

18°C

Blackberries, sage, coconut

18°C

Woodlands, red cherries

18°C

Bitter fruit, vanilla

14%

Cherry menthol

14.5%

Bittersweet fruits, sour cherries

14.5%

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

photo — The young Raffaele Ferrero, at the end of the 1940's, helping his parents in the family winery, proudly displaying a bottle of ROCHE sparkling wine.

Roasted wild boar with onion and fennel

Spiedini di salsiccia (pork sausage kabobs)

— NORTHERN ITALY ROCHE VINI BERA DI BERA VALTER

43

GERMANY

Pflüger PFALZ

Pfalz is currently one of Germany's most exciting regions. A new generation of winemakers is shaking off past bad habits, where high yields were used to make insipid sweet wines with “belts-and-braces” levels of sulphites. These new wines are fresh, the whites drier in style and the reds, in particular Pinot Noir, gaining in stature.

Alex Pflüger farms 30 hectares of vines in and around Bad Dürkheim in the Pfalz region. His father was a pioneer of organic farming in Germany. Alex has gone a step further. Driven by a desire to make wines in harmony with nature, he practices biodynamic viticulture and is Demeter certified. A rare species indeed – only 145 hectares out of more than 23,000 in the Pfalz are biodynamically farmed.

PRODUCER FOR THIS CELLAR

44

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — Alexander Pflüger in the Michelsberg vineyard.

2672

PFLÜGER SAUVIGNON BLANC QUARZIT, PFALZ, 2020

Sauvignon Blanc $ 42.00

$ 252.00

WELCOME ALEX PFLÜGER BACK TO THE OPIMIAN FAMILY!

NEW

2671

PFLÜGER CHARDONNAY QUARZIT, PFALZ, 2020

Chardonnay $ 44.00

$ 264.00

A savoury Chardonnay with a hint of white fruits and yeasty bread dough notes.

Subtle bready flavours with a touch of residual sugar on the palate. Chardonnay grapes from several vineyards around Bad Dürkheim on quartzite soils produce a delicate wine with mineral character.

Deliciously flavoursome with aromas of blackcurrant pastilles and white peaches.

It is medium bodied with a crystalline structure and a sour tart finish, offset by a touch of residual sweetness.

2021-2023, M8 D9

2021-2023, M8 D9

Savoury yeasty, white fruit

6°C

White peach, blackcurrant

6°C

Bready, [D]

12.5%

Lemon, sour citrus finish, [D]

12%

Grilled Romaine salad with stone fruit

Char-grilled squid

— GERMANY PFLÜGER

45

NEW

2673

NEW

PFLÜGER PINOT NOIR BUNTSANDSTEIN, PFALZ, 2019

Pinot Noir $ 44.00

2674

PFLÜGER ROSÉ SAIGNÉE, PFALZ, 2020

Regent, Dornfelder $ 264.00

Better than many similar priced Burgundies, this is a medium-bodied Pinot Noir with aromas of red fruits, cherries, smoke and Ribena. It has a soft silky texture with nice fruit mid palate. Pinot Noir was grown on red sandstone soils known as “Buntsandstein.”

$ 35.00

$ 210.00

Quite intense salmon colour with red fruit and winey aromas. Rather broad on the palate, with some sweetness showing through, finishing with sour cranberry and tangy cherry flavours. Produced from equal parts Regent and Dornfelder, the grapes were picked and the juice left to macerate on skins for a few hours before pressing.

2021-2022, M8 D9 Red fruits, winey

6°C

Cranberry, tangy cherry, [D]

12%

Käsekuchen and fresh fruit

2021-2024, M8 D9 Smoke, red cherries, Ribena

18°C

Red fruit

12.5%

Roasted and herbed medley of beets

46

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

MIXED CASE 2675

PFLÜGER SINGLE CRU CASE

$ 55.00

$ 330.00

TWO BOTTLES EACH FUCHSMANTEL, MICHELSBERG & SPIELBERG NEW

PFLÜGER MICHELSBERG RIESLING, PFALZ, 2019 PFLÜGER FUCHSMANTEL RIESLING, PFALZ, 2019

Riesling

PFLÜGER SPIELBERG RIESLING, PFALZ, 2019

Riesling

The single vineyard Fuchsmantel is characterized by sandstone terraces with small plots planted to old Riesling vines looking out over the Rhine plain. The 2019 has spicy notes with mandarin aromas. On the palate, more white fruits emerge with fresh apple and a nice mid-palate weight. Grapes were handpicked, fermented by wild yeast and the wine left for extended time on yeast lees.

More developed Riesling characters are on show with savoury earthy aromas, resin and a hint of petrol (in a good way). On the palate, it has sour lime flavours with good depth and a marked acidity ceding to lingering flavours of honeysuckle and fruit.

Michelsberg is a Grand Cru vineyard with deep limestone soils – and it shows in the structure of this wine. Grapes underwent 12-hour skin contact prior to fermentation and 30% was fermented in oak barrels – although I didn’t pick up any oak character.

2021-2025, M8 D9

2021-2026, M7 D9

Riesling

Planted in the 1970s by Alex’s father, Spielberg vineyard has limestone soils beneath a thin layer of red sandstone. The wine is bright in colour with lots of spicy baked apple aromas and savoury notes.

Firm on the palate, it has flavours of yellow plums, grapefruit and sour lime with nice mid-palate weight and a tight crisp finish.

2021-2024, M7 D9

Spicy, mandarin

6°C

Savoury, resin, lime

6°C

Baked apple, spices, savoury

6°C

Fresh apple, lime, [D]

12.5%

Honeysuckle, [D]

13%

Yellow plum, grapefruit, [D]

12.5%

Smoked trout with scallions and pea microgreens

photo — The tasting room at Pflüger.

Herb-barbecued spatchcock chicken

Broiled lobster with chive butter

— GERMANY PFLÜGER

47

DID YOU KNOW?

STEPP RIESLING, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2680, P51

Raise Your Glass to Riesling

by Barbara Philip MW PFLÜGER SINGLE CRU CASE, LOT 2675, P47

Of all the grape varieties in the world, Riesling makes the most diverse range of exciting wine.

Stunning Rieslings can be sparkling, still and dry, still and sweet, or lusciously botrytis-affected.

At its best, Riesling reflects the terroir in which it was grown, gains incredible complexity with age and demonstrates an electric tension between fruit and acid on the palate. No country celebrates Riesling or succeeds in all of styles like Germany, where the still wines, in particular, capture the characteristics of the vineyards from which they come.

Riesling is at is most delicate in the northwest of Germany, where the light bodied, sweet and tangy wines of the Mosel region are an international classic. When they are young, the fruit is vibrant with crunchy apple, white flowers and citrus. As the wines age, they gain nuances including toast, lemon petrol and potpourri. In recent decades, a changing climate has meant riper grapes in the area and drier, more full-bodied wines are something for wine lovers to watch for.

Regions along the Rhein river (Rheingau, Nahe, Rheinhessen and Pfalz) tend to produce Riesling with more stone fruit and less zippy citrus than their Mosel counterparts. Acidity is still high, though, and the balance between ripe delicious fruit and a firm palate means the wines can sing. The dry wines often need time to express themselves as they can be remarkably austere when young. Even at this point, however, you can imagine the brooding layers of fruit waiting to be coaxed out with time in the bottle. Your reward is some of the most complex wine on earth.

Of the Rhein regions, the Pfalz is singled out for its ability to ripen grapes (and other fruit) with a precision and generosity unique to its sunny climate. Even in their youth, the wines can be open and layered. Both sweet and dry versions reflect Riesling’s breadth of flavours and it is quite possible to find quince, pear, mineral, apricot, smoke, sweet herbs, apple blossom, candied orange zest all in the same glass. These wines also have the power to age and, incredibly, become even more complex.

The great thing about having a case of German Riesling is that you can enjoy a bottle now and revisit the wine to see how it progresses with age. Each wine is a new adventure with a guaranteed delicious outcome.

Barbara Philip MW was the first Master of Wine in western Canada and is currently Category Manager for European Wines at BC Liquor Stores.

With her husband Iain and their company, Barbariain Wine Consulting, Barb works as an international presenter, radio columnist and judge.

48

CELLAR 286 — TITLE

NEW

2676

NEW

BIODYNAMITE, PFALZ, 2020

BIODYNAMITE ROUGE, PFALZ, 2018

St. Laurent, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Riesling, Gewürztraminer $ 48.00

2677

NEW

$ 288.00

Deliciously exotic without being over the top, I first tasted the 2019 and was disappointed to learn it was no longer available. And then I tasted the 2020 sample that Alex dispatched to me at great haste – the same exotic scent of honeysuckle, citrus, rose – this is a distinctive wine, flavoursome and elegant at the same time.

$ 50.00

$ 300.00

2678

PFLÜGER ST. LAURENT LÖSSLEHM, PFALZ, 2018

St. Laurent $ 51.00

$ 306.00

Savoury aromas of forest floor and woodland spices are followed by flavours of dark fruits, plums and smoke. It is medium to full bodied with a grippy acidity and tannin and is a blend of St. Laurent, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. After wild yeast fermentation, the wine was matured in French oak barrels for 24 months.

Intense oak aromas of pencil lead, cloves and smoke lie over a floral and red fruit background. On the palate, it is supple and smooth with a fine texture, displaying flavours of vanilla, smoke and red berries, and a slightly austere finish. Matured for 12 months in used oak barrels, the oak nevertheless is very present.

2021-2026, M6 D8

2022-2026, M6 D8

Forest floor, spices, dark fruits

18°C

Smoke, clove, floral red fruits

18°C

Plums, vanilla, sour

13.5%

Vanilla, red berries

13.5%

White bean and bacon stew

Grilled Portobello mushrooms on spaetzle

2021-2023, M8 D9 Honeysuckle, citrus, rose

6°C

Tropical fruits, [D]

12.5%

Ginger-chili eggplant and green bean stir-fry

photo — The Pflüger team during the harvest in Spielberg. Only the best grapes are selected.

— GERMANY PFLÜGER

49

2681

STEPP RIESLING VOM SAUMAGEN (KALLSTADTER) - SINGLE CRU, PFALZ, 2020

Riesling $ 43.00

$ 258.00

A supple well-balanced wine, it was not very expressive at the time of tasting but shows good promise. Some flinty aromas are followed by flavours of white fruits, sour apple and sherbet. It is well balanced with persistent fresh apple flavours.

2021-2023, M8 D9 White fruits, flint

6°C

Tart apple, sherbet, [D]

12.5%

Spinach and blue cheese salad

GERMANY

Stepp Gerd Stepp was raised in the family vineyard in Pfalz spending his childhood helping his parents work the vines and pick grapes at harvest time. No wonder he grew up to become a winemaker. Before taking over the reins of the family winery, Gerd made wines in many places around the world – some of them quite unusual such as Namibia and Zimbabwe – and he continues to make wine each year in Argentina.

50

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

photo — The 2020 Riesling harvest.

2682

STEPP PINOT NOIR, PFALZ, 2019

Pinot Noir $ 45.00

2683

STEPP GEWÜRZTRAMINER, PFALZ, 2020

Gewürztraminer $ 270.00

$ 34.00

STEPP RIESLING, PFALZ, 2020

Riesling $ 204.00

A huge hit: this is a mediumto full-bodied Pinot Noir with delicious oaky character.

Aromas of charred toast and vanilla cream lie over a forest-berry fruit background, giving it an overall savoury character. On the palate, some chocolate mingles with dark fruits leading to bitter cherries. The oak is apparent with a lovely combination of toast and fruit and some grip on the finish.

A harmonious wine with delicate rose-petal aromas, Turkish delight and lemon, it is elegant with a long lingering finish. To achieve this fresh delicate style, Gewürztraminer grapes were grown at a vineyard on alluvial soil with clay, sand and gravel.

The vine’s natural vigour is naturally curtailed, producing less leaves and exposing grapes to the sun.

2021-2026, M7 D9

2021-2022, M8 D9

Charred toast, vanilla cream, forest berries

18°C

Turkish delight, lychees

6°C

Dark fruits, chocolate

13%

Rose, lemon, [D]

12.5%

Roast pork tenderloin with fennel

2680

$ 37.00

$ 222.00

Fennel, aniseed and green apple lead to more green apple and sour lime flavours on the palate. It has nice mid-palate weight followed by crystalline acidity giving balance and length. Riesling grapes came from two vineyard sites: Herxheim am Berg and Bad Dürkheim.

Tuna tartare with lychee and lime

2021-2023, M8 D9 Fennel, aniseed, green apple

6°C

Sour lime, [D]

12.5%

Thai beef salad

photo — Stepp's Fuchsmantel Vineyard in late autumn.

— GERMANY STEPP

51

NEW LOWER PRICE

2686

CRAFT 3 MALBEC, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA, 2020

Malbec $ 180.00

$ 30.00

Deep in colour, this Malbec has aromas of dark fruits, fresh herbs and nuts. This is a medium-bodied wine which is dense and supple. It has a fine powdery texture with raisin flavours and a bitter cherry finish.

Gerd Stepp worked in Argentina at vintage for many years before creating a wine under his own name, inspired by the high-altitude vineyards in Chacayes and Tupungato in the Uco Valley that he came across whilst on his daily run. 2020 Craft 3 Malbec underwent a cold maceration then fermentation using indigenous and selected yeast. It was kept on fine lees and shipped to Germany where Gerd matured and bottled it.

NEW

2021-2024, M8 D9 Dark fruit, herbs, nuts

18°C

Raisins, bitter cherries

14.5%

2685

STEPP SILVANER EISWEIN, PFALZ, 2018

Silvaner

Korean-style barbecued skirt steak

$ 51.00

2684

STEPP PINOT NOIR ROSÉ, PFALZ, 2020

Pinot Noir $ 35.00

$ 210.00

2021-2022, M8 D9 Fresh red fruit

6°C

Cranberries, creamy, [D]

12.5%

Strawberry-cranberry tart

52

CELLAR 286 — NOVA SCOTIA

Extremely pale in colour, this wine has sherbet and fresh red fruit aromas. It is soft on the palate with sweet fruit flavours leading to a crisp cranberry acidity.

Deliciously balanced with a creamy texture. Made using the saignée method, Pinot Noir juice was left in contact with grape skins for a few hours – then 10% of the juice was drawn off to produce this rosé, with the balance making more concentrated red wine.

$ 306.00

Delicate floral and creamy custard aromas lead to a sweet wine, syrupy in texture with white fruits, fresh lemon and apple flavours. To produce Eiswein, grapes were picked when the berries froze at below -70C. Climate change means that temperatures this low are less common in the Pfalz than they used to be. Grapes for this 2018 Eiswein were picked during the full moon in January 2019. The vineyard at Herxheim am Berg is on the slopes of the Haardt Mountains at 220 metres. 25% was matured in French oak barrels for eight months.

2021-2028, M6 D8 Custard, floral

6°C

Sweet floral fruits, lemon, apple, [S]

12%

Apricot clafoutis

photo — Malbec growing in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, Argentina.

STEPP RIESLING VOM KÖNIGSWINGERT (WACHENHEIMER) - SINGLE CRU, PFALZ, 2020

Riesling

2021-2023, M8 D9 Fresh apple, lime, white fruit

6°C

Apple, pears, [D]

12.5%

photo — Greta the dog supervising the picking of grapes.

MIXED CASE 2687

Riesling

A smooth supple Riesling with fresh apple, lime and ripe white fruit aromas. A touch of residual sweetness is countered with balancing acidity. Königswingert, meaning “King’s Vineyard,” is a single Cru with mineral rich soils of alluvial stones and plenty of sandstones. It has got rich and deep subsoils where roots can find water and nutrients – which gives the wine an excellent elegance and a fine structure.

Jarlsberg cheese

STEPP RIESLING VOM FUCHSMANTEL (BAD DURKHEIM) - SINGLE CRU, PFALZ, 2020

Mineral in style rather than fruit aromas, it has a flinty character. On the palate sour yellow plum, apple and lemon flavours come out. A wine with substance and structure.

The Stepp vineyard is located on the lower part of the Fuchsmantel site. Grapes were hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented with selected yeast. The wine remained “sur lie” for four months.

2021-2024, M7 D9 Flint, mineral, sour yellow plum

6°C

Apple, lemon, [D]

12.5%

STEPP SINGLE CRU CASE

$ 42.00

$ 252.00

THREE BOTTLES EACH KÖNIGSWINGERT & FUCHSMANTEL

Pan-seared pork cutlets with lemon and herbs

— GERMANY STEPP

53

54

CELLAR 286 — COLLECTOR’S CORNER

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

RARE FINDS TO ENHANCE YOUR CELLAR

FROM ROCHE VINI BERA DI BERA VALTER

2665

ROCHE BARBARESCO RISERVA, DOCG, SERRABOELLA, 2015 (WOOD CASE)

Nebbiolo $ 93.00

$ 279.00

2021-2030, M7 D9 Almond, bitter cherries, lavender

18°C

Dark fruits, vanilla, raisins, bitter cherries

14.5%

Strong cheeses

2666

A refined and powerful wine, it has a bouquet with almonds, bitter cherries, red apples and a touch of lavender. The palate is rich and supple with dark fruit flavours combined with vanilla and raisins. It is smooth with a grainy texture and lingering bitter cherry finish. Matured in oak for 36 months, it is delicious to drink now and will continue to mature for (at least!) another ten years.

2015 was an exceptional vintage. After a cold snowy winter and rainy spring, temperatures were the hottest on record in July.

ROCHE BAROLO, DOCG, 2017

Nebbiolo $ 80.00

$ 240.00

2021-2028, M7 D9 Spicy oak, vanilla, cola, cherry

18°C

Fruit, oak

14.5%

Brasato al Barolo

The mellow bouquet has spicy oak, vanilla, cherries and cola elements which all follow through onto the palate.

A wine with great poise between delicious fruit and oak flavours. Barolo, in the Langhe hills to the southwest of the city of Alba, is a complex myriad of hills facing every which way with steep slopes rising to 320 metres.

— CELLAR 286 COLLECTOR’S CORNER

55

Web Exclusives Please visit Opimian.ca for your province's pricing on these wines.

56

CELLAR 286 — WEB EXCLUSIVES

UMBRIA NEW

2632

ARGILLAE ORVIETO, DOC, SUPERIORE, 2020

2667

Grechetto, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc $ WEB

$ WEB

NEW

LE CIMATE VIGNAFANTE, IGT ROSSO UMBRIA, 2019

LE CIMATE MONTEFALCO ROSSO, DOC, 2017

Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Tannat, Refosco

Sangiovese, Merlot $ WEB

2668

$ WEB

$ WEB

$ WEB

From Umbria’s most famous wine region, Orvieto, this is a light crisp white produced from a blend of five grapes.

A medium-bodied wine with a succulent palate of dark fruits and mineral notes.

It is much more shy on the nose showing just a whiff of minerality. Produced from a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 40% Merlot, it is well balanced with bitter chocolate finish.

Spicy aromas with some undergrowth and cooked plummy fruits in the background lead to a round palate. Produced from an interesting blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Sagrantino, 10% Tannat, 10% Refosco: it is dense, medium to full bodied and well structured.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2025, M6 D8

2021-2026, M6 D7

Subtle white fruit

6°C

Mineral, wet stone

18°C

Spices, undergrowth, cooked plums

18°C

Mineral, [D]

12.5%

Restrained dark fruits, bitter choco-late

13.5%

Bitter fruits

14.5%

Burrata with arugula and a drizzle of EVO

Spaghetti and pork-veal-beef meat-balls

Grilled chicory with grated Pecorino

— CELLAR 286 WEB EXCLUSIVES

57

MARCHE

2669

VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI, DOC, CLASSICO, 2020

Verdicchio $ WEB

PONTEMAGNO ROSSO PICENO, DOC, 2020

Sangiovese, Montepulciano $ WEB

$ WEB

$ WEB

In the Marche region in central Italy, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico is in the heart of the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi region restricted to land on the north bank of the Misa River. This has restrained fresh apple aromas with a refreshing acidity making it light and easy drinking.

A blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Montepulciano, it has woody aromas of fresh bark. It is well balanced with nice depth and structure, albeit not hugely expressive.

Medium bodied with some bitter cherries on the finish.

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2024, M7 D9

Fresh apple

6°C

Woody

18°C

Crisp, spritzy, refreshing, [D]

12.5%

Bitter cherries

13%

Steamed mussels with white wine broth

58

2670

CELLAR 286 — WEB EXCLUSIVES

Spicy chicken cacciatore

LAZIO

2633

COLLE TICCHIO CESANESE DEL PIGLIO, DOCG, CORTE DEI PAPI, 2020

Cesanese $ WEB

2619

INDESIO PINOT GRIGIO, DOC DELLE VENEZIE, 2020

Pinot Grigio $ WEB

$ WEB

2620

PEMO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020

Montepulciano $ WEB

$ WEB

$ WEB

Deep in colour with savoury meaty aromas with nuts, it is supple and smooth on the palate. Produced just south of Rome, from Cesanese grapes, it is fine in texture with good concentration and depth.

Subtle spring fragrance of blossoms with lemon, it is easy drinking with lemon, fresh apple and a pithy citrus zest and a crisp finish.

Fabulous for the price, it has intense aromas of cherries and crushed red fruits. It is smooth with more red fruit flavours, bitter cherry and floral notes that continue to linger in the mouth.

2022-2025, M7 D8

2021-2022, M8 D9

2021-2023, M8 D9

Nuts, meaty

18°C

Lemon, spring blossom

6°C

Cherries, crushed red fruits

18°C

Ripe dark fruits

13.5%

Citrus, fresh apple, [D]

12%

Floral, red and bitter cherry

13.5%

Oil-cured black olives with rosemary

Insalata di Mare

Goat ragù with red wine

— CELLAR 286 WEB EXCLUSIVES

59

2021 Cellar Schedule C280: Burgundy Pinot Noir, Australia & New Zealand Opens November 10, 2020 Last day to order: December 14, 2020 Mail form by: December 1, 2020 Expected release: Spring 2021

Legend

C281: Tuscany & South Africa Opens December 15, 2020 Last day to order: January 18, 2021 Mail form by: January 4, 2021 Expected release: Early Summer 2021

Red - White - Rosé - Sparkling - Port/Dessert - Spirit

Bottle size

C282: Alsace, Argentina & Chile Opens January 19, 2021 Last day to order: February 22, 2021 Mail form by: February 8, 2021 Expected release: Summer 2021

Number of bottles in case

Aroma

C283: Rhône, Champagne & Burgundy White Wines Opens February 23, 2021 Last day to order: March 29, 2021 Mail form by: March 15, 2021 Expected release: Late Summer 2021

Taste

Serving temperature

C284: Spain Opens March 30, 2021 Last day to order: May 3, 2021 Mail form by: April 19, 2021 Expected release: Early Fall 2021

Percent of alcohol1

Ideal with Evolution Drink this year Will develop, drink within 2 years Meant for cellaring

C285: Bordeaux, Bergerac & Beaujolais Opens May 4, 2021 Last day to order: June 7, 2021 Mail form by: May 21, 2021 Expected release: Fall 2021

Concentration Light - Medium - Great

C286: Piemonte, Veneto, Italy & Germany Opens June 8, 2021 Last day to order: July 12, 2021 Mail form by: June 28, 2021 Expected release: Early Winter 2022

Oak Light - Medium - Heavy

C287: Provence, Loire, Corsica & Languedoc-Roussillon Opens July 13, 2021 Last day to order: August 16, 2021 Mail form by: July 30, 2021 Expected release: Early Winter 2022

Organic2

C288: Portugal, California, Oregon & Austria Opens August 17, 2021 Last day to order: September 20, 2021 Mail form by: September 3, 2021 Expected release: Winter 2022 Fall Online Offering: September 21 - October 11, 2021 CWEB21 Online Offering: October 12 - November 8, 2021

If you have any questions or want to order, contact us: MemberService@opimian.ca or 1 800 361-9421

Limited quantity

Vegetarian2

Overall top 10 from last year

Medal winner M—Degree of Maturity (1-10) M1 = lay down M10 = fully mature

D—Degree of Drinkability (1-10) D1 = needs time D10 = ready to drink

D = Dry <10g/l SD = Semi dry <30g/l

SS = Semi sweet <50g/l S = Sweet >51g/l

1 2

The alcohol percentage value is subject to change before delivery.

This information is provided by our producers and may not reflect Canadian norms.

Ordering Made Easy 1. SELECT YOUR WINES Let yourself be inspired by Opimian’s Master of Wine, Jane Masters MW, and her detailed descriptions included in the Cellar Offering.

Our custom chart on the reverse side features a list of symbols to help guide your selection.

Still unsure which wines to order? Contact us!

2. PLACE YOUR ORDER There are four ways to order. The last day to order for each Cellar Offering can be found listed on the reverse. No orders will be processed after this time.

Full name _________________________________________________ Member no. ________________________________________________ Payment Methods

l Cheque l Use of wine credits l Use credit card on file. Please go to your dashboard at Opimian.ca

to update your credit card on file or contact Member Service.

How can we reach you if we have questions on your order?

Telephone: _________________________________________________

Cellar Number

Opimian.ca

Lot

Description

Date Number of cases

Cost/case

Total

MemberService@Opimian.ca

1 800 361-9421 TOTAL

If you need more space, please add a blank page.

Mail this form 14 days before end of the Cellar

3. LET US HANDLE THE REST The wines featured on this Cellar Offering are still at the producers’ wineries when you order them, so it is normal that the process takes a bit of time and effort on our side.

Release dates are dependent upon actual arrival dates, distance from port of entry to liquor board and processing time required by each liquor board. For this Cellar Offering, the expected release date is listed on the reverse.

Once the wine arrives at your local liquor store or distribution centre, you will receive a Pick-up Notice with the specified date (the Release Date) and your pick-up location.

Conditions of Purchase • Accepted payment methods: Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), wine credits or cheque payable to Opimian.

• Prices include all applicable federal and provincial markups and taxes.

• A valid membership card is required to order.

• Bottle prices are for reference only. In the case of any price discrepancy between printed materials and the website, the price published on the website prevails.

• All orders are by the case, with no minimum required.

Notes, as required by the law in the Province of Quebec • A member ordering from this Cellar Offering requests that Opimian acts as the member’s agent in ordering the wines from the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) and requests that Opimian remits the funds enclosed (minus any administration fees) to the SAQ to pay for the wines ordered.

• The prices as shown are the estimated costs to be charged by the SAQ plus an administration fee and consolidation charges.

Notes, as required by the law in the Province of Alberta • All purchase transactions are completed pursuant to the laws in the Province of Alberta and are between you as the customer and Rocky Mountain Wine, Spirits & Beer (“Rocky Mountain”), an independent third party of Opimian Society (“Opimian”). All charges will appear on your credit card statement as Rocky Mountain.

• You hereby acknowledge and agree that your dealings with Rocky Mountain which are not related to an Opimian purchase, including payment and all other terms, conditions, representations and warranties related to such transaction, whether implied by law or by expressed agreement between you and Rocky Mountain, are solely between you and Rocky Mountain and not Opimian. You hereby acknowledge that Opimian is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of, or in connection with, or a resulting transaction, and you hereby release and waive any claims you may have against Opimian in connection thereof.

ITALIAN BOTTLE SHOP CHECK OUT OUR LARGEST SELECTION OF WEB EXCLUSIVE WINES YET!

LOT 2619

LOT 2620

INDESIO PINOT GRIGIO, DOC DELLE VENEZIE, 2020

COUP DE COEUR - PEMO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020

LOT 2632

LOT 2633

LOT 2667

ARGILLAE ORVIETO, DOC, SUPERIORE, 2020

COLLE TICCHIO CESANESE DEL PIGLIO, DOCG, CORTE DEI PAPI, 2020

LE CIMATE VIGNAFANTE, IGT ROSSO UMBRIA, 2019

LOT 2668

LOT 2669

LOT 2670

NEW - LE CIMATE MONTEFALCO ROSSO, DOC, 2017

VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI, DOC, CLASSICO, 2020

PONTEMAGNO ROSSO PICENO, DOC, 2020

1-800-361-9421

MemberService@Opimian.ca

Opimian.ca

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