We’re all over Europe this month, with brand new releases from Italy, Champagne, and Greece for you to discover and enjoy.
Read below for more details about this new releases, along with the LCBO links to purchase.
Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016
From Montalcino’s organic Casato Prime Donne vineyard, this Sangiovese was fermented over 2 weeks, followed by a long maceration in small conical cement vats. It then aged in large barrels and 5-7 hL oak tonneaux prior to bottling, without filtration.
“The Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is silky and fine, but the wine also shows that special power and intensity that is so specific to this classic growing season. The wine’s tannins, freshness and fruit flavors reach a point of harmony, and no one element overshadows the other. There is some crunch or tension on the close that underlines the quality of Sangiovese fruit harvested this year. Drink date: 2024-2044.” 95+ points, Monica Larner, robertparker.com
Read more about Donatella Cinelli Colombini here, and see a short video Bernard shot with Donatella (pictured above) at the winery in August 2023.
Appellation : DOCG Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Region : Toscana
Country : Italy
Grape(s) : Sangiovese
Price : $154
LCBO : 107508
Livio Felluga Curubella Pinot Grigio 2020
Livio Felluga is one of the most respected producers of Friuli, dedicating his life to reviving high-quality and sustainable viticulture in the hills of this north eastern, Adriatic-influenced Italian countryside. He emigrated from Istria and established his property in Brazzano in the 1950s, buying up old, neglected vineyards and rejuvenating them. Today the estate stretches over more than 160 hectares of hillside in Collio Goriziano and Colli Orientali del Friuli. The Livio Felluga estate also encompasses the cellars and vineyards of the historic Abbazia di Rosazzo.
“This is spiced with candied mandarin and peach skins as well as dried herbs and hints of cream. Medium- to full-bodied. This is so complete and lengthy on the palate and very balanced. It’s polished and even with toned acidity and a somewhat firm, phenolic backbone to it. Tense and nervy, but very elegant, too. Drink or hold.” 95 points, JamesSuckling.com
Read more about Livio Felluga here.
Appellation : DOC Friuli Colli Orientali
Region : Friuli
Country : Italy
Grape(s) : Pinot Grigio
Price : $68
LCBO : 37212
Cantine Madonna delle Grazie Liscone Aglianico Vulture 2018
Giuseppe Latorraca’s family have farmed the vineyards in the village of Venosa since the early 1900s, selling the grapes and wines to locals and cooperatives. In 2003, Giuseppe decided he wanted to protect and celebrate his old Aglianico vines, and along with his wife and sons, built a winery near the 16th century Madonna delle Grazie monastery. They decided to name their winery after the historic site. Today they sustainably farm 8.5 hectares of Aglianico on these volcanic hills
“Cantine Madonna della Grazie is a small organic / biodynamic winery in Venosa, in the heart of Vulture. Liscone comes off 5.5 hectares of 30+ year old vines at 430m on volcanic clays. The plants are a massale selection with larger berries due to the stronger water retentive ability of the soils located next to a creek. The native ferment lasts around three weeks in stainless, where it remains for 18 months. It is then racked into old neutral 500L French barrels for a year, then back into stainless for a six-month stint. Finally, it is lightly filtered before bottling. In 2018 the top wines of the estate were not made, so the fruit went into Liscone. Wild plum, perfumed dark cherry, thorns are woven throughout the dusky, substantial palate, lit with a buzzy acidity, and housed with sticky tannins. Still much time ahead here.” 91 points, Gismondi On Wine
Read more about Cantine Madonna delle Grazie here.
Appellation : DOC Aglianico del Vulture
Region : Basilicata
Country : Italy
Grape(s) : Aglianico
Price : $24.95
LCBO : 36549
Champagne Émile Leclère Nature NV
Champagne Emile Leclere was founded in 1832, and is today run by 5th generation Vincent and Marie. Based in Mardeuil, they own 12 hectares of vineyards, primarily pinot meunier, chardonnay, and pinot noir. This cépage is the same as there Brut Reserve (80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay), though with zero dosage. It aged 3 years sur lattes prior to release. Red apple, lemon lead the dough-lined palate, with a sweet core lit with a bright lifted acidity through the lingering, lightly oxidative finish. Quite compact, drinking well now.
Appellation : AOC Champagne
Region : Champagne
Country : France
Grape(s) : Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
Price : $56.95
LCBO : 36550
Artemis Karamolegos Terra Nera Assyrtiko 2022
“Artemis Karamolegos is one of the most dynamic wineries on the unique island of Santorini. Led by his grandfather, who started making wine and cultivating vines as a hobby in the 1950s, Artemis founded the winery in 2004. They own just over 3ha of vineyards (some over 100 years old) across Pyrgos, Megalorchori, Exo Gonia, Akrotiri and Fira, and have long term contracts to farm another 5 hectares. This ‘entry level’ Assyrtiko comes from relatively young vines, averaging only 50 years, from lower altitude vineyards. It was fermented and aged in stainless, on lees, for 6 months. Crystalline lemon, quince, green apple, pink grapefruit flood the bright, medium-bodied white, with nice grippy saline-swept tension. Smart, friendly, charming marine white.” 90 points, Gismondi on Wine
Read about Artemis Karamolegos here.
Appellation : PGI Cyclades
Region : Santorini
Country : Greece
Grape(s) : Assyrtiko
Price : $33.50
LCBO : 35866
Most of our producers are small, independently owned and operated businesses, like ours. You can view our complete portfolio here. Thank you for letting us share these producers and wines with you.
Cheers,
Le Sommelier
416.603.7026
bernard@lesommelier.com
Le Sommelier is a Good Food Fighter.
Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.
