Wine columnist Philippe Lapeyrie has fallen head over heels with Chartier’s Toscana (available year-round at SAQ) and featured it in the 2015 edition of his Guide des Vins Le Lapeyrie, which landed in bookstores on Oct. 14th. As additional proof of this, Chartier’s Toscana was the wine Lapeyrie chose to serve his guests at the book’s launch, in Quebec City.
Read the article PDF (in French)
In English:
Toscana Rosso Chartier 2010 Chartier Créateur d’Harmonies, Suvereto, Italy
(19,95 $; SAQ- 12068109)
For 15 years now, my colleague and friend François Chartier has supported, guided and helped me (and made me discover hundreds of wines along the way!). Some might say friendship skews judgement… But friend or not, one does not need a crystal ball to see that his range of wines is flawless. Without being the best on the market with regards to the quality-price ratio, his white, rosé and French, Spanish and Italian reds are quite representative of the best their varietals and regions have to offer. And since the sommelier worked in the dining room (and wine cellar!) for a sizable portion of his career, his wines are, obviously, perfect for dining. As a matter of fact, the foods that will make each of these wines shine are represented on their labels. Brilliant concept!
With that being said, the most mouth-watering of his reds is his Tuscan blend, although his meridional-style côtes-du-rhône also delighted us. However, the Italian is more aromatically open, but it’s a 2009 vintage: it’s already 5 years old. The mouth is silky, mellow, caressing and surprisingly detailed for a 20$ bottle. This is a gourmet wine that is well worth the 4 or 5 extra dollars you will pay for it, contrary to other wines launched by big name personalities…