Summertime wines - Cult MTL

In summertime, we look for wines with a fresh acidity and, ideally, not too much alcohol. Though some people enjoy them year-round, rosés tend to get trendy in the warmer months. Here is an interesting selection of wines that you may never have tried, some of which are new to the Quebec market:

Concavins Clos Mont-Blanc Conca de Barbera 2018

This wine from Spain truly shines: It’s unoaked and long in the palate, with ample texture, freshness, balance and flavours of apple, yellow pear, peach and tropical fruits.

Pairing: oysters, grilled shrimps, seafood, white beans salad.

60% Macabeu, 40% Chardonnay, Catalunya, Spain, 750 ml, $12.65

SAQ code 13565422

Le Pive blanc 2017

Pive, from the south of France (Languedoc), offers an aromatic wine with white flowers, apricot, freshness, acidity and lots of texture. (Le Pive Gris is a delicious dry, ie. not sweet, and fresh rosé alternative at $15.60, SAQ code 11372766.)

Pairing: grilled seafood, nordic shrimp salad with orange zest and avocado, barbecued stuffed mushrooms.

40% Viognier, 40% Sauvignon, 20% Roussanne, Pays D’Oc, France, 750 ml, $16

SAQ code 13806097

Burg Ravensburg Riesling 2017

Why not try something different? This Riesling comes from the oldest German wine estate (1251) and from the country’s warmest region: Baden. Unlike classic Riesling, and in keeping with an ongoing German trend, it is not sweet. This organic wine has accents of green apple and lime, with a mineral quality, and only 11.5 per cent alcohol! It’s like a ray of sun in your glass.

Pairing: lobster, sushi, vegetable or fish poké.

100% Riesling, Baden, Germany, 750 ml, $21

SAQ code 13453762

Château Beaulieu

Rosés were born in Provence, a region with a sunny climate, close to the ocean. Produced by Château Gassier, this wine is fresh and elegant, displaying aromas of strawberry, red cherry and orange flower. Hats off — it is long in the mouth and so well balanced.

Pairing : Lobster with lemon juice, grilled shrimps or fish with aïoli sauce.

73% Grenache, 27% Cabernet-Sauvignon, Provence, France, 750 ml, $16.20

SAQ code 12221628

See pt. 2 (red wines for summertime) next week.

@sommelier77