Wines I Bought This Week (02/28/21)

I stayed in Europe this week with my wine choices, but I did pick up very cool finds. Between Grape Witches and the LCBO, I got my hands on a couple reds and a white that I think will be dynamite!

First up, from Loire Valley in France, I got Les Athlètes du Vin Pinot Noir. I’m not gonna lie, the label kind of sold me as a fitness enthusiast - but when I learned that it was a Pinot and that it was from Loire, I was intrigued! Pinot Noir isn’t really a typical grape for the Loire, and when I was chatting with the girl at the wine shop, she did say that this Pinot has a bit more structure to it, reminiscent of a Cab Franc (ahhhh… makes sense since we’re in the Loire). 

Next up, a wine named after a Spanish children’s song and I’m not joking. Cucú [sang the frog] (link to song here) is made from 100% Verdejo in the region of Castilla y Léon (North Western Spain). It’s an organic wine, with 25% of the grapes fermented and aged in large oak barrels. It’s said to have more floral notes than a traditional Verdejo because of the altitude that it’s grown. Only 50,000 bottles were produced for this vintage (2019) so this is sure to be a very interesting one on the palate!

Lastly, we’re going from organic and obscure to full on traditional Burgundy. From Côte d’Or, I got a 2018 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, “Le Prieuré”. They say this is a great value Pinot Noir, so I’m definitely intrigued as the bottle was ~30 bucks and I know that good Burgundian Pinot goes for much more. It promises tangy red berries, some earthiness and minerality, so I’ll probably pair this with a roasted veggie dinner sometime in the near future.