If I Could Buy Only One – August 7th VINTAGES Release

We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from this release, which one would it be and why?”

Jean Max Roger La Grange Dimiere Sancerre Rosé 2020

($26.95, Connexion Oenophelia)
David Lawrason – This selection is about making personal choices. There is a fabulously complex and detailed 2005 Champagne released in Flagship Stores that has scored. But it is also over three times the price and frankly I am in the mood for rose these days, especially pinot noir rose. Since the spring I have sampled some excellent examples from Niagara and B.C, but examples from Sancerre are rare. This Jean Max Roger La Grange Dimiere Sancerre Rosé 2020 is a very fine, elegant, taut rose that is high strung, snappy and refreshing. The nose shows classic, redcurrant, sour cherry, saffron and some minerality, pinot noir to the core. And it is very good value.

($26.95, Connexion Oenophelia)
Sara d’Amato – The pinot noir-based Jean Max Roger La Grange Dimiere Sancerre Rosé 2020 is a rare and refreshing treat around here and this characterful example surely won’t last long on the shelves. Zesty, nervy and dry with distinctive notes of salt, flint and dried herbs. Brimming with flavours of cherry, raspberry, dried leaf and welcome pithy bitterness. Can take on almost anything your barbecue can churn out (with the exception of inferno spices).

($31.95, The Living Vine)
John Szabo – I’m going to squeeze the most of of this topsy-turvy summer and drift through the dog days rosé in hand, more specifically, the Chãteau Léoube Rosé 2020 from the Côtes de Provence. This is a perennial premium rosé favourite, and I’ll probably buy a few bottles, as it has more than enough stuffing and depth to take me deep into autumn, and into the following year if need be. The superior quality is evident from the genuinely rich, dense and concentrated palate, well above the level of most easy-sipping fruity pinks. It’s also organically grown and made with maximum respect for the environment (on a stunning property overlooking the Mediterranean), so you’re doing the right thing for the planet as well.

($16.95, Rare Earth Wines)
Michael Godel – Jonty’s are the snail eating vineyard ducks on Johnathan Grieve’s biodynamic-farmed Paarl farm and in white blend form it is a chenin blanc based wine with varieties like roussanne, viognier and sémillon in the mix. Vintage in and out Avondale Jonty’s Ducks Pekin White 2018, Paarl is one of the Western Cape’s finest values that should cost twice the price though somehow stays the course for all to follow. Indulge yourself in the perennial values of texture, structure and length because this will satisfy immediate needs and evolve into something sweeter, stretched and possibly more profound. Grieve is a mad scientist, a spiritual fellow and a masterful maker of indigenous wines.

Use these quick links for access to all of our Top Picks in the New Release. Non-Premium members can select from all release dates 30 days prior.

Szabo’s Smart Buys
Lawrason’s Take
Michael’s Mix
Sara’s Sommelier Selections