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This week’s Tasted, Liked Wine:
 
LAMURI D’ALMERITA - 2009
≡ Made in Sicily, Italy by Tasca d’Almerita
≡ 750 ml bottle
≡ 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
≡ LCBO Product# 568089 (Vintage)
≡ Price: $ 17.95
The Producer: Count Lucio Tasca and his sons Alberto and Giuseppe are the seventh and eight generations of the family to produce fine wines from Sicily. The vineyard, established in 1837, is near the centre of the island but unlike much of the arid central region, this area is lush and verdant. On 600 hectares the vineyard has several different varietals from the Sicilian grapes: Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Catarrato, and Inzolia to the likes of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasca d’Almerita produces more than a dozen different wines and exports them to more than 60 countries. There is a cheese maker on site and a world-renowned cooking school.
The Wine: Lamuri means "Love" in the Sicilian dialect and this is a wine to love. While Nero d’Avola is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, this wine is 100% Nero d’Avola, from 10 to 15 year-old vines grown in sandy soils on the Tasca estate. The unique microclimate gives Lamuri its pleasant freshness and elegance.
The Taste: Lamuri d ’Almerita offers a deep, intense ruby-red color in the glass... on the nose, dark fruits ñ blackberries, mulberries... and on the palate, a rich, stylish wine with velvety tannins. It has a refreshing concentrated fruit flavor and well-balanced acidity. A great quality wine for the price.
Serving Suggestion: This elegant red wine is perfect with roasted lamb, barbecued ribs, pasta with red sauce, and medium to hard cheeses.
Last week’s Tasted, Liked Wine:
MASI SEREGO ALIGHIERI 650 ANNIVERSARIO - 2008
≡ Made in Veneto, Italy by Masi Agricola S.P.A.
≡ 750 ml bottle
≡ 13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
≡ LCBO Product# 478727
≡ Price: $ 23.95
The Producer: In the early 14th Century, the poet Dante (Divine Comedy) left Florence for exile in Verona. His son, Pietro Alighieri, joined him and in 1353 bought a tract of land near the centre of Valpolicella. Even then, viticulture and wine making had been well established in the region for centuries... since the time of ancient Greece. For 21 generations, the Alighieri family has owned the land, grown the grapes and produced the wine and Serego Alighieri Valpolicella Dell’Anniversario celebrates the 650 years.
In 1973 Count Pieralvise Serego Alighieri formed a partnership with the neighbouring estate of Masi Agricola to improve his wines thr
ough access to Masi’s vast technical knowledge... and to expand his market through Masi’s extensive sales network. The partnership has proven fruitful. Serego Alighieri’s wines - including Serego Alighieri Valpolicella Dell’Anniversario - are among the highly critically acclaimed wines from Verona in each vintage.
The Wine: Serego Alighieri Valpolicella Dell’Anniversario is a typical Valpolicella blend: Corvina (70%), Rondinella (20%) and Molinara (10%) grapes. The wine’s production includes a refinement of the “ripasso” technique that Masi has perfected. After hand-picked grapes undergo an initial fermentation, the wine is then “passed over” air dried grape skins of the same varieties. This “repassing” (“ripasso” ) initiates a second fermentation that adds richness, depth and a higher alcohol content.
The Taste: This is a serious wine with a dense, ruby colour. It offers aromas of cherry and ripe fruit. On the palate Serego Alighieri Valpolicella Dell’Anniversario shows excellent balance, with good acidity and soft tannins. Intense cherry and plum flavours mingle with a softness and balance that is typical of the double-fermented wine. It is a complex wine for the style, impeccably balanced right through to the long finish.
Serving Suggestion: This elegant red wine is perfect with grilled roasted red meats and pastas with rich sauces. It is flexible enough to be served throughout the meal should one desire to do so.
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