Red Wine
2009 La Mancina Barbera, Colli Bolognesi, $15.99/Sale $13.99: Lordy, you don’t see a lot of Italian wines from the Hills of Bologna in the province of Emilia Romagna over here. And judging from this wine, we would like to see a lot more.
It’s a gem. It comes from hillside vineyards, of course, that are composed largely of clay soils. They give a Barbera of rousing priapic color with essences of black cherries and plums in the mouth. The wine is smooth, but firm, not enough to hurt you. It’s a bit rustic with a bracing burst of acidity at the finish.
It would be a superstar with Emilia Romagna cuisine (thought to be Italy’s best traditional kitchen). In America we’d down this “jolly fellow” with virtually any Italian dish and we’re not just talking food.
White Wine
2010 Caves de Lugny Macon-Villages, $11.99/Sale $9.99: What a joyful wine. It’s light and fresh, but with lots of delight. There are the Granny Smith apple notes you would expect from a Macon-grown Chardonnay.
It is pale, primrose yellow, clean, fresh and fruity with an invigorating acidity. It’s one of the lightest of white Burgundies and would shine with hors d’oeuvres, “charcuterie,” fish or poultry. All alone it’s most agreeable as well.
It comes from a “cave cooperative” as do many wines in the Macon region, which stretches about 25 miles from Tournus to Macon, in Burgundy.
LWNUha Very true! Makes a change to see someone spell it out like that.