Buti Nages: enjoyable fresh, juicy and delicious rosé!

Winelovers, like myself, are becoming more and more seduced by the complexity and versatility of many rosé wines. Regions all over the world are producing delicious nectars that are conquering our palates and senses and here is a perfect example! Buti Nages is a great rose blend of Syrah and Grenache from Rhone Valley very delicate, subtle, a pure expression of elegance. But at the same time it overflows in floral aromas, it has a good balance and structure and is amazingly crispy and refreshing. "Butinage" which in English means "browsing", is indeed the best brand name for this organic cuvée made by Famille Gassier. Why? Because I am convinced that is really important to look always for the best, but meticulously. Like the bees searching for the flowers, I am a wine passionate looking for the best wines...and I just found one of my favorite rosé wines from now on. Quality price ratio is unbeatable. I feel glad of having the chance to discover it! Your turn now ...

Marina La Forgia 

La Maldita, a new style of Rioja wines!

Happy to discover these 2 wines from Vivanco winery, La Maldita, that go beyond the traditional Rioja style! The red is a trendy Garnacha, fresh and easy to drink. Only part of the wine was aged in barrels and just for a couple months, so the wine is young and fruity with notes of red fruits and violets. Yes, it’s possible to get an every day Rioja and still feel the richness and elegancy of the authentic terroir and simply pair it with a pizza or a burger.

But, honestly, my special mention is to La Maldita white! This is a 100% Garnacha Blanca, an indigenous Spanish and very rare grape that grows in Rioja in limited quantities. What to expect? In nose you can feel expressive floral and herbal notes, with a crispy and refreshing acidity in the palate. Considering it’s not a common grape I celebrate the intention of this traditional winery to cultivate and vinify this varietal to demonstrate how unique and excellent the Garnacha Blanca from Rioja is.

La Maldita brand is, in my humble opinion, a good option to discover also how vibrant and vanguard can also be a classic and traditional region like the already well beloved Rioja. The world of wine still surprises, and I am every day looking for it. Olé!

Marina La Forgia 

Parallèle 45, a classic red blend to taste the Rhone!

Paul Jaboulet Ainé wines are a genuine expression of Rhone Valley and a paradoxical mix of simplicity and complexity. Let me introduce you to the affordable Paralèlle 45, which I recently tasted and once again has convinced my senses with its elegancy, balance and roundness. In addition, this classic Rhone red blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre is now somehow more "authentic" as it is from now on a cuvée organic certified.

If you look for a smooth but tasty wine to accompany some spicy and unctuous food, this is the perfect choice because it will neutralise the flavors with its velvety and rounded structure. Fruity and gentle, this AOC Cotes du Rhone is indeed a delicious ready to drink wine. Santé! (MLF)

Basa Blanco by Telmo Rodriguez

Telmo Rodriguez is well known in the wine world as a very dynamic winemaker who has revolutionized the Spanish wines styles. And this white is not the exception! 

Basa White comes from beautiful Rueda appellation and is made mostly with the queen grape variety of the region, the Verdejo, but blended in this 2017 vintage with a percentage of Viura. The mix is absolutely particular offering freshness, balance and subtility to the wine. Citrus parfums are dominant in the nose and there are some notes of apple, peaches and fennel as well. In the mouth, it is a white with a lot of texture, corpulent and savory.

It is always for me a nice surprise to taste the wines from this talented winemaker, and I am gladly discovering now more and more the ones that he elaborates outside and beyond his native and prestigious land Rioja. 

In this Basa Blanco, once again, the authentic Hispanic roots and the specificities of the different terroirs and
richness are very well captured in the bottle! 

Marina La Forgia

An absolutely “WOW” Chardonnay!

In terms of white wines, Chardonnays are always a seductive and elegant option. Cultivated all over the world, we can find very good exponents and we are used to its particularities and expression. But in addition, sometimes you can still be surprised by outstanding ones like this Spanish Chardonnay!

Hacienda de Arinzano is a protected, rich and natural area and it’s the first zone who got the “Pago” status in the North of Spain, which means the highest category for Spanish wines, above DOCa. Only wines coming from excellent and unique climate and terroir, but also from the most qualitative vines and winemaking procedures can be considered with this extraordinary appellation. 

This special Chardonnay is one of these remarkable wines. Even if it overflows with aromas and flavors very related to the typicity, it also expresses the minerality of its growing soils. In the nose, I was gladly seduced by the complex bouquet of coconut, lavender, almonds, honey and peaches. In the mouth, the minerality becomes protagonist, refreshing the palate, giving roundness and structure and making it very lively, expressive and persistent. 

A specialty available at some SAQ stores for CAD 22. Highly recommended!

Marina La Forgia 

Pecorino Cornogrande Ettore Galasso

(By Marina La Forgia) For those who didn’t know it yet, Pecorino is a type of Italian cheese, but it is also an indigenous Italian white grape from Marche! Let me introduce you the “Cornogrande” from Ettore Galasso that really caught my attention.  I was curious to taste the particularities of this variety, and then I got seduced by a crispy, structured, vigorous and refreshing white. The acidity is remarkably attractive, with notes of lime, grass, apples both in aromas as well as in flavors. Wine regions like Abruzzo or Umbria are giving a “renaissance” to Pecorino grape so it could eventually become a most common Italian white. In the meantime, it’s an affordable wine to escape from the ordinary! 

Bonterra, an expressive California Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of those grape varieties that grow differently all over the wine world and always amaze me. This one comes from what it can be considered the coolest wine region in California, Mendocino county, and it's a pure expression of terroir, tipicity and style! Bonterra winery produces onctuous and complex wines that are well enjoyed by new world palates looking for fruit intensity and roundness. And its pinot noir offers the expected strawberry notes, some hints of cinnamon and leather and a good, gentle and persistent aftertaste. It can be the perfect wine choice to enjoy with some tasty handmade hamburgers on the BBQ any of the upcoming spring evenings in the terrace! (Marina La Forgia) 

Viña Real Crianza, an authentic Rioja blend

(Marina La Forgia) I like red wines when they are fruity, fresh and elegant, but I like them most when they also have a good structure and are a genuine expression of their unique terroirs...like Rioja ones! The Viña Real Crianza from CVNE Bodegas is without any doubts one of these spanish reds that never disappoint. If you look for a medium bodied and delicate red wine for your tasty meals, then try this delicious blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo, aged for a minimum of 1 year in both French and American oak barrels. Intense but round, fruity but also a bit herbaceous, this Crianza is an authentic and traditional Rioja. A unique style and a sure value. 

Vetiver Viura, a delight from Rioja

(By Marina La Forgia) Let me introduce you to this very pleasant white wine from Bodegas Ontañon made with Viura, indigenous grape from Rioja. Vetiver is a good mix of terroir expression and winemaking. It combines intense tropical fruits aromas with some buttery and smoky notes that make it very original, onctuous and rich without losing any elegance and delicacy in the palate.

Yes, it's a 2014 vintage which means "an aged white", and it really resumes the authentic Rioja style. However, at the same time this Vetiver is an innovative and audacious type of wine that I really loved to discover. It's good to get out of the comfort zone sometimes, wine tasting speaking...right?

El Petit Bonhomme Blanco

My wine discovery of the day is this easy drinking white from Spain. Made exclusively by a Quebec lady in the lands of the Quixote, this is a very seductive and refreshing Verdejo from Rueda. The Petit Bonhomme is the brand name for the wines that Nathalie Bonhomme produces in partnership with Gil Family Estate wine group. I recently had the opportunity to taste this white that overflows in aromas and flavors of citrus, wild flowers and some herbaceous hints. I also liked the innovative labels which is very attractive for consumers willing to learn more about the variety and the region. In a few words, Nathalie with her "Bonhomnes" has succeeded in bringing to Quebec these very expressive and good representatives of a new style of Spanish wine! Salud! 

Marina La Forgia

A unique vermouth made with Verdejo

If you want to taste something different and you enjoy the "aperitif" moment like I usually do, you have to try this special vermouth from Spanish winery Cuatro Rayas made with indigineus grape variety Verdejo! It's a good and elegant mix of freshness and biterness with a very little sweet hint in the aftertaste. I already liked the unique and refreshing Verdejo on its more common and expressive version of still  white wines, but now I am also a fan of a new style of a traditional and historical type drink. Alone or as an ingredient in a cocktail, vermouths have a world of flavors to be discovered! 

Marina La Forgia