• Order the following wines—plus those in previous newsletters from VinoLuna—by the case (some in cases of six) for home, restaurant or office delivery in Ontario from VinoLuna wine agency. Contact via website, VinoLuna, by Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or in the GTA phone 416 587-6691.

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Alma Wines ‘Ambo’ Nero 2016
IGT Provincia di Pavia, Italy $14.95 12.5% alcohol
Alma scores a bulls-eye with this young, vibrant, new-world style, 100% pinot nero, aka pinot noir. Inviting aromas of cherry pie filling, red liquorice and a dash of fresh raspberry are repeated on the palate. Stainless-steel aging and early bottling is perceived through the wine’s freshness. Medium acidity and soft young tannins bring vigour and structure to this medium-light bodied bargain. Chill for 20 minutes and serve with simple pasta dishes or a grilled salmon fillet doll’d up with cherry chutney. (Louise Boutin)

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Château Tour de Sarrail Bordeaux 2012
AOC Bordeaux, France $19.95 13.0% alcohol
This value-packed red blend—90% merlot/10% cabernet sauvignon—offers aromas of charred toast, spice, cedar and mocha. A gorgeous wash of dark, juicy fruit—cherry, currant, plum—blankets the palate interwoven with racy pomegranate and tangy pie cherry offering good balance and mouth-watering finish. This is medium bodied, creamy textured with a lingering, balanced finish that layers on soft, fine-grained tannin for structure and lovely peppery notes on the aftertaste. (Vic Harradine)

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Alma Wines ‘Ambo’ Pinot Grigio 2016
DOC Friuli Grave, Italy $14.95 12.5% alcohol
Spoiler alert for pinot grigio, non-aficionados—this exceptional-value grigio deserves your attention. The charming honeysuckle nose mingles with ripe pear and sweet honeydew melon. The palate is fresh and dry with a repeat of ripe pear notes topped with juicy lychee and a tangy, lime-juice finish—it’s not your garden-variety, watery pinot grigio. Enjoy now with shrimp-stuffed ripe avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. (Louise Boutin)

• The following 2016 Alma Wines ‘Justo - Nuragico’ Vermentino di Sardegna showcases the vermentino grape that’s widely planted in Sardinia from where this wine hails; it’s thought to be indigenous to Italy. It’s generally lightly-oaked or un-oaked with good acidity and matched easily to fish or seafood. This wine displays many aromas and flavours considered ‘typical’ for this grape and region.

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Alma Wines ‘Justo - Nuragico’ Vermentino di Sardegna 2016
DOC Vermentino di Sardegna, Italy $14.95 12.5% alcohol
This un-oaked 100% vermentino is value laden and dishes up an inviting array of aromas with grapefruit, pineapple and melon amongst them. It shifts into high gear on the palate with a unique and flavourful stream of Key lime and ripe pineapple mingling with a note of saline minerality. It’s mid-weight with delicate texture and a lip-smacking finish of citrus tang with notions of almond skins and salinity on the aftertaste. Pour as a relaxing sipper or with all manner of pan-seared or grilled fish or seafood. (Vic Harradine)

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Tenuta Arbéta Barbera d’Alba 2016
DOCG Barbera d’Alba, Italy $18.95 14.0% alcohol
With fruit sourced in Alba, one of the most-esteemed towns growing the barbera grape, this well-crafted 100% barbera displays black fruit aromas— cherry, cassis, blackberry, plum, and a hint of cedar. The palate bursts with ripe fruity flavours, surprisingly well-integrated alcohol and balancing high acidity notorious to this grape. Supple tannins complete the package and bring a beautiful medium-long juicy finish to this food-friendly red. It’s an excellent companion to slow-cooked pork roast. (Louise Boutin)

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Tenuta Arbéta Barolo 2013
DOCG Barolo, Italy $35.95 14% alcohol
This has a typical garnet bowl with an orange hue on the rim. A deep complex nose of tart cherry, anise, tobacco, dried rose petals and truffle, announce a delectable elixir. While the tart cherries display their flavours initially, they’re joined by dry fig, vanilla, a hint of baking spice and balsamic notes. The fine-grain tannins are pleasantly grippy and soft courtesy the nebbiolo grape and 24 months maturation in French oak barrels. This exceptionally priced Barolo will further embellish with an additional five to 10 years of cellaring. Can’t wait? Aerate/decant for two to three hours and enjoy with rare, prime-rib roast. (Louise Boutin)

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Château Rousset-Caillau Bordeaux Supérieur 2015
AOC Bordeaux Supérieur, France $14.95 14.0% alcohol
Grilled savory herbs, earthy notes and dark plum aromas introduce a rich, ripe river of palate-enveloping flavours—dark berry fruit and sweet-tinged cassis nicely balanced with excellent tang from red cherry and red currant. It finishes dry and underpinned with wisps of tannin—easily ameliorated with a two-hour aeration/decant—and nicely decorated with spice and dark bittersweet chocolate. (Vic Harradine)

• Most wines that indicate multiple grapes on the label, including the following 2015 Masseria Supreno Sangiovese-Merlot, indicate the grapes in descending order of the percentage of each grape in the blend.

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Alma Wines ‘Masseria Supreno’ Sangiovese-Merlot 2015
IGT Salento, Italy $16.95 14.0% alcohol
Sangiovese meets merlot in this red blend. It’s an 80 - 20 split offering a generous nose of black cherry, cassis, savoury herbs, forest floor, baking spices and oak aromas. Aged in oak barrique for a minimum of 12 months, 30% new, it showcases a young tannin structure, flavours of kirsch liqueur, tangy tart cherry and a touch of cocoa powder and a medium-long enjoyable finish. This crowd pleaser will pair well with a variety of dishes including gourmet red pizza and grilled meats with herb butter. (Louise Boutin)

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Alma Wines ‘Masseria Supreno’ Primitivo 2016
IGT Salento, Italy $16.95 14.5% alcohol
The primitivo grape is indigenous to Croatia and better known as zinfandel when grown in other parts of the world, yet finds beautiful expression in southern Italy. The deep purple robe portends bright, clean dark fruit aromas—black plum compote, blueberry and raspberry. Palate flavours throw a curve with dry figs and raisins lifted by red plum acidity and a touch of cinnamon. It’s a superb pairing with grilled meat or as an end-of-meal sipper to savour with aged cheese, dried figs and nuts. (Louise Boutin)

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Alma Wines ‘Masseria Supreno’ Negroamaro 2016
IGT Salento, Italy $16.95 14.0% alcohol
This offers persistent purity of fruit, structure and a delectable, lip-smacking finish. Exotic spice, ripe cherry and herbal notes waft from the nose of this medium-full bodied, generously textured, 100% negroamaro. It glides over the palate with a balanced, creamy-smooth stream of excellent tang—red cherry and red raspberry—nicely balanced with ripe dark fruit—plum and bramble berry—infusing the finish and aftertaste. It finishes lip-smacking good and loaded with charm. (Vic Harradine)

Cheers Vic and Louise