Italy produces an incredibly diverse range of wines and styles of wine.  Varietals grown in one region can taste very different when planted in neighbouring areas.  Of course this will be the result of many factors:  clonal selection, terroir, as well as vinification techniques, the use of oak and the length of the ageing process.  A good example is the Sangiovese grape.  Most people associate Sangiovese with Tuscany (home to Chianti).  Tuscany is adjacent to the Romagna, and a portion of present-day Romagna was actually Tuscan until boundaries were re-drawn by Mussolini less than a century ago. Sangiovese has been grown in the Romagna for centuries and though the somewhat warmer climate produces something rather different from the variety than what it usually produces in Tuscany, the resulting wines can be terrific in their own style, especially when their exuberant fruitiness is turned in a more serious direction by time and aeration in oak barrels.  Whereas oak can imperil the delicate balance of leaner Sangiovese from Tuscany, it seems to lend focus and coherence to the riper, richer, more overt fruit that this vine variety produces in the Romagna’s warmer climate. On offer this week is the 2012 Celli Sangiovese di Romagna La Grillaie Riserva.  This is a textbook example of how Sangiovese performs in the vineyards surrounding Bertinoro.  Ripe and rich with delicious chewy tannin on the long clean finish.  While drinkable and enjoyable now, the tannins suggest that this is a good candidate for further bottle ageing. The 2012 Celli Sangiovese di Romagna La Grillaie Riserva is available for immediate delivery.  There are 23 cases available.  This is another great candidate for the summer BBQ – think veal chop!  To order, please e-mail or call 416-463-4677   2012 Sangiovese di Romagna La Grillaie Riserva $24.95 btl / $149.70 cs (case of  6 x 750ml) Brilliant ruby red in colour.  Ripe red berry/cherry fruit in evidence with spicy and savoury notes. Medium-bodied, the wine is well balanced and structured with the fruit, acidity, wood and tannin in harmony. This wine will continue to improve with a few more years in the bottle. Drink:  Now – 2020+ Food Pairing:  Pasta; grilled meats; fowl

The Marche (Le Marche) is one of Italy’s last untouched wine regions. Sandwiched between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, Le Marche was long kept from realizing its full potential as a wine-growing area by poverty and geography – even with the relative prosperity of recent decades and the improvements in communication lines, Le Marche is still off the beaten track. Tuscany and Umbria lie just to the west, but the charms of rural Marche have remained largely undiscovered. Le Marche is a beautiful wine region, with miles of untamed coastline, picturesque fishing villages, medieval hamlets, rustic mountain villages and wild expanses of nature.  Like its more famous neighbours Tuscany and Umbria, Le Marche boasts Mediterranean flora like Cyprus trees, olive trees and vines spread across a hilly landscape, and dotted with medieval villages.  The calcerous soils here, like those to the west, have proven excellent for varieties like Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Montepulciano.  Even with enviable growing conditions, the region has just 20,000 hectares of vineyards spread throughout 11 DOCs. Conti Degli Azzoni is a winery that has produced wine for many generations. It is located in the heart of the Marche region, amidst the rolling hillside in the province of Macerata.  It spreads over 850 hectares, 130 of which are vineyards. The vinification process takes place in its own winery in Montefano. On offer this week is the 2015 Azzoni Rosato.  You will not find this wine listed on the winery website (nor in the LCBO); the reason being that the wine has been made exclusively for The Small Winemakers Collection.  At VinItaly last year, my associates met with the consulting oenologist for Azzoni and described the style of wine we were interested in:  deep in colour, rich in flavour, generously fruity with balanced acidity and a long dry finish.  The winemaking team has delivered – far exceeding our expectations!  The fantastic growing season in 2015 also contributed to the production of a full, ripe, rich wine. The 2015 Azzoni Rosato is available for immediate delivery.  To order, please e-mail or telephone 416-463-4677.   My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this wine last night with cold roast chicken and potato salad.  This will be the perfect wine for the hot and steamy weather forecast for the rest of the summer.  Get quaffing! 2015 Azzoni Rosato $16.00 btl / $192.00 cs (case of  12 x 750ml)This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese with Ciliegiolo, Lacyrma and a dash of Montepulciano is a brilliant fuscia colour.  The nose is very expressive with macerated bing cherries, crushed strawberries, dried rosemary and a hint of roses.  The palate is quite fruity and full with a sense of sweet fruit from the nose. The finish is clean, dry and lingering. Drink:  Now – 2018 Food Pairing: Try with summer salads; cold chicken; white fish

The McLaren Vale is one of my favourite wine producing regions in Australia. It is located a scenic 45 minute drive south of Adelaide, sandwiched between the McLaren Vale Hills and the St Vincent Gulf.  The climate of the region is Mediterranean with hot dry summers and cool damp winters. Although primarily a wine producing region, the stunning local scenery has encouraged tourists and artists alike to visit over the decades, creating a diverse and creative atmosphere, which seems to suit an innovative and enthusiastic crowd.  There are a number of terrific restaurants serving the bountiful harvest of the region – The Victory Hotel and The Star of Greece being two of my preferred haunts!  There are also some superb (and largely deserted) beaches nearby where you can spend a lazy afternoon. A broad range of grape varieties are grown in the region.  Although Shiraz is the most recognized, great success has been seen with Grenache, a number of Italian varietals, and Cabernet Sauvignon in particular. Cabernet Sauvignon is typically harvested in late March.  The varietal displays the rich, ripe characters that typify wines from this region.  Violet and blackcurrant flavours, vibrant plum, mint and and edges of licorice and a touch of McLaren Vale’s trademark dark chocolate character are common. On offer this week is the 2014 Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon.  I have been enjoying the Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon since the mid-1990s.  The fruit comes from two distinct vineyard locations:  the California Road Vineyard owned by Norm Doole and the Tintookie Vineyard owned by Drew Dowie. These vineyards produce very distinctive fruit that complement each other when the final blends are undertaken. The 2014 Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon is available for immediate delivery.  We only have 40 cases of this delightful wine on offer.  This is another wine that you should not miss as it is a tremendous bargain.  If you enjoy Cabernet from California but find that it has become frightfully expensive then this wine may be just what you have been looking for.  Fire up the barbie! Call 416-463-4677 or email to order. 2014 Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon $22.40 btl / $268.80 cs (case of  12 x 750ml) Vibrant red-purple hue. Lovely Cabernet lifted nose of blue and black fruits, complexed by the presence of cake spice:  cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. The palate displays the hallmark traits of McLaren Vale Cabernet; dark chocolate, blue and black fruits, lifted aromatics, elegant, fine tannins and the promise of great longevity. Drink:  Now – 2025+ Food Pairing: Try with grilled ribeye; rack of lamb; well aged cheese Accolades: DOWIE DOOLE:  Recognized as a 5-Star Winery and one of the “Ten Dark Horses” to watch in James Halliday’s 2016 Australian Wine Companion

Chablis, the wine, comes from the region of the same name, located east of Auxerre in northern Burgundy.  The grape is 100% Chardonnay.  The climate is quite cool, which allows the grapes to retain more acidity; the soil has more mineral content, giving the wine a flinty flavour profile; and most important, oak is used sparingly or not at all in the winemaking process.  Chablis has often been called the purest expression of the Chardonnay grape. It is truly remarkable that grapes can be grown at all in this region.  The winters are cold and rainy, and frost is possible well into April and May.  But it is the cool climate that promotes the development of great acidity, a key Chablis attribute.  In addition, the region’s limestone and clay soils, contribute a flinty minerally note of seashell to the wine.  One thing missing from Chablis is the presence of oak.  Chablis is traditionally fermented in concrete or stainless steel tanks rather than oak barrels. Resulting from a family of winegrowers dating back 150 years, the Daniel Dampt estate currently counts 30 hectares of vines in production including 16 hectares of Chablis Ier Cru.  The recently constructed cellar is equipped with stainless steel tanks.  The purchase of modern , powerful cellar equipment has enabled the group to increase its production of bottles , which now stands at 150000 bottles per year.  All of Daniel Dampt’s wines are produced and bottled by the domaine. On offer this week is the 2015 Dampt Chablis.  Near perfect growing conditions were the norm in what will be seen as a very good vintage.  The wines are “fatter” than one would normally expect, exhibiting very ripe fruit flavours but not at the expense of balancing acidity.  A fine effort. The 2015 Dampt Chablis is available for immediate delivery.  To order please e-mail or telephone our office at 416-463-4677. 2015 Dampt Chablis $32.50 btl / $390.00 cs (case of  12 x 750ml)Light gold in colour.  On the nose look for aromas of ripe apple and stone fruit with tropical fruit notes.  Rich and generous in the mouth.  A soft and easy style of wine, full of ripe fruit, balanced with a firm but not overpowering acidity.  If you like a fruity style of Chablis, this is the one.Drink:  Now – 2018 Food Pairing:  Roast chicken; whitefish in a light sauce; summer salads

Tua Rita was created in 1984 by Rita Tua and her husband Virgilio Bisti when they purchased 50 hectares of land near Notri, just outside the ancient town of Suvereto at the southern end of the Maremma region. Their intention was to plant an eclectic mix of grape varieties, on what was to be a retirement hobby farm. It did not take long for them to realize the potential they had for creating an extraordinary range of wines from this precious terroir. Retirement was forgotten, and Tua Rita was born. The winery released its first vintage in 1992, and soon began receiving praise and accolades from wine enthusiasts worldwide for its rich, full-bodied wines. In just five short years, its 100% Merlot had achieved cult-like status, receiving outstanding ratings from the world’s most prestigious wine critics and publications. Noted wine guru Robert M. Parker Jr. said the 1999 Redigaffi “was as close to perfection as a wine can get”. The following year, he gave the 2000 Redigaffi a perfect 100 score. Little wonder that Tua Rita’s wines are considered among the most difficult to find in Italy. In addition to the Bordeaux varietals planted, Tua Rita also has a few blocks of Sangiovese under vine. In past vintages, the Perlato del Bosco was blended with Cabernet Sauvignon; the wine has now returned to being a 100% Sangiovese. More powerful and smooth than its Chianti counterparts, Perlato is a stunning expression of Sangiovese with just a touch more rich fruit, succulence and accessibility. This wine massively over delivers for the price! On offer this week is the 2013 Perlato del Bosco. Tua Rita is literally the next door neighbour of Montepeloso; if you recall, we offered the ENEO a few weeks back. This is another opportunity to sample a stunning wine from the new breed of Italian wine producers. This wine is like a Chianti “kicked up a few notches”. I thought that it was absolutely delicious. The 2013 Perlato del Bosco is available for immediate delivery. We were only able to secure 30 cases of this extraordinary wine. This is another wine that you should not miss…To order call 416-463-4677 or email us directly. 2013 Perlato del Bosco $54.95 btl / $329.70 cs (case of 　6 x 750ml) Concentrated, dense, nearly opaque　purple in colour, Perlato del Bosco delivers a dizzying array of black fruit aromas: 　blackberries, black cherries, currants and ripe plums. Further complexed with hints of tea leaves, exotic spices, and leather. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, this wine’s enticing fruit flavours are accompanied by notes of anise, violets, and peppery spice, all of which are framed by fine-grained tannins. Seriously good! Drink:　 Now – 2025+ Food Pairing: Try with gilled meats, roasted game fowl, and duck confit risotto Accolades: This is pure sangiovese that builds on the palate with hazelnuts, orange peel and thyme. Full-bodied, yet racy and beautiful. Very balanced and impressive. James Suckling, August 2015, 92 points The 2013 Perlato del Bosco is wonderfully finessed …

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Virtually every wine region in Chile benefits from two critical geographical features of the country: proximity to the Pacific Ocean as well as proximity to the Andes mountain range. Although Chile extends almost 4,000 kilometres from north to south, the grape-growing regions are predominantly clustered in the river valleys that cut through the coastal mountain range in the centre of the country. The vineyards receive plenty of rainfall and an absence of fungal diseases makes for relatively carefree grape-growing. The towering Andes range that runs along Chile’s eastern border blocks wind and rain from the east, but more importantly, traps cool air from the Pacific. The result is that nighttime temperatures even in most of Chile’s warmest vineyards typically plunge into the teens. This diurnal variation enables Chile’s vineyards to produce grapes with healthy acidity, strong aromatic character and intense varietal flavours. For decades, Chile has been an excellent source of user-friendly, fruit-driven wines, often at absurdly low prices. A stable political environment and vibrant economy have attracted foreign investment in the wine industry. Chile has benefitted from their association with large and established trading companies with powerful networks that have helped to raise the profile and expand distribution of Chilean wines in major export markets. While Chile is a solid source of wonderful (if largely commercial-grade) wines, they have faced increasing competition in the under $20 range from Argentina, as well as Spain, Portugal and Australia. 　At the same time, a small but growing number of producers are attempting to capitalize on the country’s idyllic growing conditions by cutting vine yields and attempting to make more serious and concentrated Chilean wines that can compete on the world stage. 　Casa Marin in one such producer. On offer this week is the 2013 Vinedos Lo Abarca No. 3 Garnacha-Syrah. This is the first crop of Grenache from this recently planted vineyard. For some unknown reason, a vineyard more often than not will produce outstanding fruit from the first harvest.  The Grenache in this blend supports this phenomenon. 　Casa Marin continues to amaze – every one of their wines reviewed recently by Deschorades (the most revered wine journal in Chile) scored 90 points or better. The　2013 Lo Abarca No. 3 Garnacha-Syrah is available for immediate delivery. We were only able to secure 30 cases of this extraordinary wine. To order, please call 416-463-4677 or email. 2013 Vinedos Lo Abarca No. 3 Garnacha- Syrah $36.95 btl / $221.70 cs (case of 6 x 750ml) This is a blend of 55% Grenache and 45% Syrah. Deep rich colour with good concentration. 　On the nose look for black fruit, blueberry, leather and exotic spice, with black pepper notes leaping from the glass. Medium-bodied, exuberantly fruity with wonderfully balanced acidity and tannins. WOW! Drink:　 Now – 2030 Food Pairing: Grilled/BBQ meats; game; hearty stews Accolades: An arresting wine in both style and quality. Vivid, piercing aromas of black pepper, green olives and freshly cut thyme. 　Terse, focused palate is svelte and cogent. Midweight, almost ethereal. Drink: …

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Apulia (Puglia) is one of the few regions in Italy that does not have the Apennines as an inland spine. The landscape is flat and fertile with vast agricultural plains. You can see almost everywhere the vegetables and other crops growing in the red soil. The fields are also spotted with ever present olive trees – over the centuries the olive groves have given kindly of their crop and soft and silky olive oil is produced everywhere. Vineyards also blanket the landscape with long rows of vines, or the bush-like alberello (gobelet) pruning that fights courageously to protect the precious fruit against the relentless heat and wind. On the east side, the Adriatic Sea, and on the west side, the Ionic Sea tempers the otherwise hot climate with cooler winds that blow inland to the relief of the heat-stressed vines. Wine has been made in this region since time immemorial. Over the centuries, nature and man have chosen the grape varieties best suited to the Apulian soil and climate. Red grapes are predominant with Primitivo and Negroamaro leading the plantings. Traditionally these wines are full-bodied, concentrated with high alcohol. These wines are at odds with the local cuisine which relies heavily on the bounty provided from the sea. It is too hot for many white wine varietals – thus, rose wines have become a delicious substitute. On offer this week is the 2015 Schola Sarmenti Masserei Nardo Rosato.  The wine is made from 100% Negroamaro and is a beautiful deep pink colour, the result of extended skin contact: “We kept the must on the grape skins for 24 hours before separating them. Negroamaro needs quite a long time to release all the nice things that are trapped in the skins”, says Alessandro Calabrese, who owns Schola Sarmenti together with Lorenzo Marra. The 2015 Schola Sarmenti Masserei Nardo Rosato is available for immediate delivery. This wine was made in a particularly good vintage; the grapes arrived at the winery perfectly ripe. When I tasted this wine I thought that it was a classic example of the saying that rose is really a white wine for red wine lovers … This will be a terrific wine for Summer (and Fall, and Winter, and Spring). To order, please call 416-463-4677 or email us here. 2015 Schola Sarmenti Masserei Nardo Rosato $20.80 btl / $249.60 cs (case of 12 x 750ml) Masserei translates as “smells nice” in the local dialect. An engaging nose of fresh ripe red fruits (strawberry/raspberry) opening to a bouquet of floral aromas further complexed by background mineral notes. Medium -bodied with a core of fresh, crisp acidity. Dry finish. Serious pink wine! Drink: Now – 2018 Food Pairing: Seafood, fish, chicken, summer salads or as an aperitif   The Small Winemakers Collection is a Toronto-based Ontario wine agent. We supply wine to restaurants and private consumers across the province. Most of our wines are sold through the Consignment program of the LCBO’s Specialty Services department.

Crozes-Hermitage is the Northern Rhone’s largest appellation covering the rolling hills surrounding Hermitage. Most of the wine is red and made exclusively from Syrah though some very good value whites can be found from the Marsanne and Roussanne grape varieties. Curiously, there are only a small band of high quality producers taking advantage of this appellation, among the best would be Graillot, Pochon, Domaine du Colombier and Belle. Paul Jaboulet and the co-operative Cave de Tain dominate much of the land. The reds are lighter than those of Hermitage and softer than those from the vineyards planted across the river in St. Joseph. Here the rich clay limestone soils are less acidic than those of the granite slopes further west, the best wines that result are usually dark, rich, spicy, sturdy wines with reasonably round, pliable textures. Until the 1988 harvest, all the production of the Pochon family estate (which included Domaine Pochon and Chateau Curson), was sold to the local cooperative. Over the following years, as the contracts expired, they slowly reclaimed the production from their 8.5 hectares of vines and began making and bottling profound Crozes-Hermitage, both red and white. With vineyards on the hills rather than down on the plain, yields are lower and the concentration in the wines far greater than in many Crozes. While the Chateau Curson wines are barrel aged and require patience, the Domaine Pochon wines see no oak and fruit-laden and fresh, designed for early consumption. Etienne Pochon crafts very elegant and surprisingly long-lived Crozes that should be typical of the appellation. Unfortunately, there are many growers with extensive plantings on the plains who do not possess such a burning desire for quality and therefore often produce very lacklustre, soupy wines. Etienne vinifies plot by plot from hillside sites, the best of which are separated for some ageing in oak barriques; these are the red and white Chateau Curson wines. The white is a Marsanne/Roussanne blend full of sophisticated almond, dairy and stone fruit flavours that is at its best for three or four years. On offer this week is the 2013 Chateau Curson Crozes-Hermitage Blanc. Etienne Pochon is a painfully shy individual but outwardly proud of his small, well organized, grape-growing and winemaking operation. During our visit in October 2015 my wife and I discovered an unpicked bunch of Marsanne still hanging on the vine while we walked through the vineyard. Etienne removed the bunch and my wife and I enjoyed it with our picnic lunch (as well as a bottle of his delicious wine!) The 2013 Chateau Curson Crozes-Hermitage Blanc is available for immediate delivery. 　We only have 20 cases of this very rare gem available. This is the perfect wine to savour on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon in the garden, along with a slice of pate and a french stick! To order please e-mail or call 416-463-4677. 2013 Chateau Curson Crozes-Hermitage Blanc $45.95 btl / $275.70 cs (case of 6 x 750ml) Composed of near equal amounts of Marsanne …

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