Edition #1: Week of July 3, 2023

Villa Conchi Cava NV     

$20.99 $17.99

Comtats de Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

    I guess we should kick things off with a sparkler to celebrate the inaugural TTS review. This has been one of my favourites for a while, especially at this price.

    Comtats de Barcelona is probably the best sub-region in Spain when it comes to making Cava. This wine is made in the traditional method, and tastes like it. That means that it is made in the same way as Champagne, differing only in grape varietals used and the region where they were grown. The winemaking is identical to that of Champagne. This is an excellent alternative to a $65-bottle of Tattinger, and at this price, one can more likely afford to celebrate a bit later into the evening.

    Visually, this sparkler is exciting; the mousse (foam at the surface of the wine) is light and bubbly, and the bead (the bubbles that are released along the side of the glass and arrive to the surface) consists of consistently tiny bubbles, assuring marked quality.

    Some bright citrus notes come through on the nose, backed by some quince, yellow plum, and hints of toast.

    On the palate, the bubbles dance, and the acidity is bright and refreshing, set perfectly against the backdrop of a summer day. Drink this puppy chilled alongside good company at any time you like. This is a wine that allows you to feel like having a birthday every week.

Food pairings: gorgonzola, oysters, paella, popcorn

TIP: When opening a bottle of sparkling wine, the sound of the cork coming out of the bottle shouldn’t be louder that “a nun’s fart.” It has been proven that around 50% of the bubble in a bottle of sparkling wine are lost due to aggressive opening; however, if you’re going for a loud pop and have a friendly competition involving flying corks, have at it.

2021 La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon      

$18.99 $16.99

Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina

    Got steak? That’s what you’ll be asking once you’ve landed a bottle of this lovely Cab. Mendoza is probably the most prominent wine region in South America, and sitting at the foothills of the Andes, it is supplied with a seemingly endless supply of vineyard ranges consisting of a wide variety of soils, sun
exposure, and altitudes. This is definitely a region to explore as much as you can, and wine is travel in a bottle, so you can make this happen without getting a new passport.

    La Mascota is made in Maipú, which is at the northern end of Mendoza. Naturally, being in the South hemisphere, the further north one goes, the warmer the climate is. The altitude of this specific vineyard sits at around 1000 metres above sea level, which is far from the highest altitude vineyard in the region. With all that Argentine sun, the plants create more sugar for the grapes, and with more sugar, the winemakers create more alcohol for the wine, which is why this bad boy sits at 14% alc./vol.

    The high alcohol content is apparent right away in the nose. If you sniff around that, however, you get some great ripe fruit expression, and even some raisin-y aromas. The highlighted primary aromas for me are cassis, ripe plum, pomegranate, and black cherry. These are all backed by a chorus of fresh tobacco, chocolate, and hints of walnut.

    As this wine sits on your tongue, feel that tannin structure build across your palate. The heat of the alcohol is very present, but tapers off into something much more pleasant: earthy flavours. This wine properly expresses the grape and the region in which is was grown, and it also tastes really damn good. But, along side a great meal is the best way to enjoy this bottle.

Food pairing: Steak, back ribs, tomato-based pasta, ratatouille.