2010 DOMAINE DE VAUGONDY DRY VOUVRAY AC $14.95 # 189142 Classic chenin from the Loire here with its white flower, bee’s wax, honey and wet stone flavours. The palate is pleasantly lean, tight and sharply focused, with green apple acids and modest depth/length. An ‘honest’ wine, to serve alongside rich foods such as pork or rabbit rillettes, pts, fish in cream sauces – this will cut a swath through just about anything – and a sheer delight to drink. Best 2011-2014 2009 ARGIOLAS COSTERA DOC Cannonau di Sardegna $17.95 #99028 If you like rich Rhne Valley wines, this is for you, a modern example of cannonau (grenache) from the Island of Sardinia with highly inviting medicinal herbs and ultra ripe fruit flavours. The palate is full, fat, rich and quite dense, with firm, puckering tannins and very good length. Excellent value; cellar 2-3 years for maximum enjoyment, or serve with braised beef or lamb. Best 2013-2018 2005 KATOGI & STROFILIA XINOMAVRO AO Naoussa $17.95 #249615 For fans of firm and puckering Northern-Italian style reds (think nebbiolo, or pinot noir in blue jeans). Xinomavro is the local grape delivering a nicely mature, savoury, spicy and earthy wine from its outpost in northern Greece. The texture is firm and juicy and flavours run in the resinous, dried red berry fruit, sun dried tomato, olive and pot pourri spectrum. Excellent depth and length for the money; decant and serve with salty protein, roast or grilled lamb chops with plenty of fresh oregano, or rare roast beef. Best 2011-2017 John Szabo is a master sommelier and wine writer for Toronto Standard. Follow his tweets here: @johnszabo.
