LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: Jan. 30

Rocca Delle Macie 2010 Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy)

Sale $15.95, Regular $18.95
Discount (until February 2): $3.00
LCBO #741769 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Ripe cherries and a field of herbs. Dusty earth. It’s fruit-driven, a bit woody, and dry and herbal.
Pairs with: Appetizers/antipasti, meat pasta, a massive veal on a bun (think: California Sandwiches).
Good for: The entire dinner. 
Drink this: Now through 2017
Alcohol: 13%

Why we're drinking this
Sometimes you want a nice, approachable and honest wine that’s confident but not overly ambitious. That’s Chianti in a nutshell, and this is a fine example—now at a “house-wine” price. The Rocca is a bit of a sleeper—do not underestimate it.

Tasting note
This is over and above the usual stuff people “grab and gift,” yet the label’s familiar enough that you might see it on the table at a kids’ birthday party (on the adult table, that is). This wine hits above its peer group, with lovely cherry and spicy wood on the nose, and a quite dry palate bolstered by rich red-berry fruit. There’s herbs, a fair amount of vanilla oak, and a nice, crisp finish that makes you want another wee taste.

Find it at your LCBO
Check availability at your nearest LCBO here!

This week's selection by wine writer and CityBites.ca Editor - Dick Snyder