LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: August 14
| We want you to drink only good wine. And to never overpay. Since our kwäf Taste Buds are drinking all the time anyway—we mean, tasting all the time—we’re happy to pick out the super star values and pass them on to you. One good wine at a time, just because we care. Find these wines on sale at the LCBO, and enjoy! Sign up to receive weekly picks. |
Banfi 2012 Centine Rosso IGT (Toscana, Italy)
Sale $14.95, Regular $15.95
Discount (until Aug. 17): $1.00
LCBO # 323725 | 750 mL bottle
Tastes like: Fresh berries and dried herbs, a touch of smoke. Kind of like a walk through a country lane in late summer (in Tuscany).
Pairs with: Roasts, simple chicken grill, hard cheeses, pizza.
Good for: Evening sipping as the nights start to chill.
Drink this: Now.
Alcohol: 13%
Why we're drinking this
Ah, memories of Tuscany! Though we’ve never been—yet. Banfi’s Centine line of affordable and approachable wines provides consistency at a nice price. In wine parlance, they offer correct “typicity”—that is, this tastes like a Tuscan wine should taste. It’s primarily made of Sangiovese, the Tuscan grape, bolstered by 20 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. That may seem like heresy, but adding other noble grapes to Sangiovese is normal practice in Tuscany, and it helps round out the flavours. This particular vintage, the 2012, is very nice. A well-made wine, fun to drink.
Tasting note
What you want from Sangiovese is bright cherry, some strawberry and a “ping” of acidity. Check. You also want some herbaceous nuance, a hint of leafiness or a mix of dried and fresh herbs, like thyme, oregano, etc. Check. And depending on the maker, you’ll want a hint of oak treatment, maybe a bit of toast or smoke. Check. This wine gets about 6 months in French oak after it’s fermented in stainless steel. The oak is delicate, not really discernible on the nose, but it adds a bit of complexity. Overall, a really nice wine: super quaffable, super price.
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This week's selection by kwäf Taste Bud Dick Snyder