Billy’s Best Bottles VINTAGES Recommendations for May 14
Please excuse the delay in getting this out. But these 5 wines are still available. I’ll post a few more recommendations on Friday.
You can’t go wrong with Zenato’s Rosé for refreshment and Malivoire’s for mealtime. (Peninsula Ridge Rosé in this release was recommended last week).
If you want to know why I consider Côtes du Rhones to be the best red wines on the planet, check out my three picks.
ROSÉ
wine style: dry Rosé
MALIVOIRE 10 Rosé ‘Ladybug’, VQA Niagara 559088 $15.95
Malivoire pioneered local Rosé as a serious wine. Not serious in style, but serious as in good. This vintage has savoury and earthy flavours that would partner well with foods ““ even BBQ’d meats. Seriously good, dry Rosé.
wine style: dry Rosé
ZENATO 10 Bardolino Chiaretto, Veneto, Italy 45203 $11.95
Bardolino is a neighbour of Valpolicella and the red wines are naturally light, fruity and refreshing. Hot weather gulpers. The Rosés (called Chiaretto) are similar but even more refreshing. My favourite for daytime drinking.
REDS
wine style: rich red
VIGNERONS D’ESTEZARGUES 09 ‘La Granacha’, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, France 82560 $17.95
Exciting mix of bold peppery and earthy flavours, richness and a refreshing tang. Warmth and vitality. New World bigness with Old World refreshment. Better than most reds at twice the price. A lovely treat for the price.
wine style: rustic red
LA COTERIE 09 Seguret, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, France 219428 $15.95
The mid-range of Cotes du Rhone ““ fresh, frank wine that’s really good in a no-nonsense way. Very bistro. Very Traditional. Very good value.
wine style: rich red
DOMAINE LE GRAND RETOUR 09 Plan de Dieu, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, France 224592 $13.95
Semi-rich red with delicious spicy/fruity flavours and tons of charm. Feels both down-to-earth and glamorous. A budget hotel run by an interior designer. I could live on this! So good and so reasonably priced.
