Laurent Delaunay, the head of Edouard Delaunay, says that his Burgundy has surpassed Bordeaux to become the bestselling French category in Quebec liquor stores.Dandurand/Supplied
Laurent Delaunay’s family has been producing wine in the Burgundy region of France since 1893. Although he takes pride in the past, it has no bearing on his ambitions for the future.
“When I started, eight years out of 10, the grapes were not ripe,” says Delaunay, who joined his father in the cellar in the early 1990s. “We have beautiful ripeness now.”
To cope with changing weather conditions, Delaunay is working in unsung parts of Burgundy, such as the Haut-Côtes where he believes he can produce great wines in a warming climate. A pinot noir called Septembre, which is a recent release in Ontario, uses grapes from many different parts of Burgundy, including the southern part of the Beaujolais region.
Delaunay is making the most of his second chance in Burgundy. His family sold the business, Edouard Delaunay, to the Boisset family in 1992, at which point Delaunay moved to the South of France with his winemaking wife, Catherine Delaunay, to start over. The couple’s success, including popular brands Les Jamelles and Abbott and Delaunay, allowed them to buy back the family brand and its original cellars in L’Étang-Vergy in 2017. (Boisset kept the family’s vineyards.)
Working with family and business connections to buy grapes, Delaunay produced 18 different wines that first year. Today, the operation makes 35 different wines in Burgundy, many of which are small allocations. His Septembre Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits with pinot grown in the Côte Chalonnaise and the Pierres Dorées region of Beaujolais that allows him to export a serious expression of pinot noir with appealing complexity. (There’s also a Septembre chardonnay.)
Delaunay, who says his great-great-grandfather first exported wine to Canada in 1928, sees potential in the Canadian market, especially in Quebec where his reports say that Burgundy has surpassed Bordeaux to become the bestselling French category at Société des alcools du Québec stores. He hopes Septembre is a wedge to build demand for his more exclusive labels.
Aveleda Alvarinho 2024 (Portugal), $15.95
Rating: 88
The popularity of Vinho Verde has winemakers in northern Portugal focusing on more premium expressions like this single-variety alvarinho from Aveleda. Founded in 1870, the winery is best known for its affordable brands such as Casal Garcia and Aveleda’s Fonte label. Those are blends of local grape varieties, such as arinto, loureiro and trajadura, released with a slight spritz to add to its refreshing character. Alvarinho is considered the region’s star attraction and this nicely balanced dry and still white wine displays the grape’s pleasant lemon and peach fruit flavours with style and verve. This has 12.2 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now. Available at the above price in Ontario and Quebec, $20 in New Brunswick, $18.99 in Prince Edward Island.
Edouard Delaunay Septembre Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022 (France), $34.95
Rating: 90
A regional blend of pinot noir from vineyards throughout Burgundy, Septembre makes the most of its core of ripe fruit with earthy and spicy accents. Made in a dry, medium-bodied style, this is a balanced and structured red wine with a long, persistent finish. The polished style is fresh and friendly. This has 12.5 per cent ABV and 3 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2028. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta, $30.75 in Quebec, $47.49 in New Brunswick.
Krone Cuvée Cap Classique Brut Rosé Cuvée Sparkling 2022 (South Africa), $21.95
Rating: 90
Operating from a 300-year-old wine estate in Tulbagh, Krone specializes in production of Cap Classique, South Africa’s category for traditional-method sparkling wine. The base wine was a blend of mostly pinot noir with chardonnay and pinot blanc that underwent a second fermentation in the bottle followed by 18 months aging with the dead yeast cells (called lees) to build texture and complexity in the finished wine. The result is a pleasing berry- and cherry-flavoured bubbly with balancing lemon zest freshness. A flavourful style to enjoy as an aperitif or with a meal. This has 12.5 per cent ABV and 9 g/litre r.s. Drink now. Available in Ontario.
Garzón Single-Vineyard Tannat 2022 (Uruguay), $40.95
Rating: 92
One of the leading wineries in South America, Garzón has attracted international attention with the power and complexity of wines produced with the tannat grape. This makes a statement with bold dark fruit, chocolate and smoke flavours conveyed as part of a ripe and rewarding red wine. Freshness and fine-grained tannins contribute elegance and structure to a dynamic and age-worthy wine. Decant for best enjoyment. This has 14 per cent ABV and 4 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2035. Available at the above price in Ontario, $43.50 in Quebec, $44.60 in Nova Scotia.
San Pedro 1865 Selected Vineyards Carmenère 2022 (Chile), $19.95
Rating: 90
The disease-prone and late-ripening camenère grape was a challenge for winemakers in Bordeaux but has thrived in Chile’s warm and sunny conditions. This reserve red from San Pedro offers a great introduction to the variety’s rustic and ripe character. This is rich, full-bodied red with a complex mix of bright and tangy fruit flavours with tobacco, spice and savoury notes. It’s a great match for barbecued, braised or roast meat dishes. This has 14.5 per cent ABV and 4 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2029. Available at the above price in Ontario, $26.99 in British Columbia, $22.99 in Manitoba.
Viña Esmeralda 2024 (Spain), $14.95
Rating: 88
This aromatic and approachable white wine is a long-time favourite from the Torres family’s vineyards in Spain. A blend of muscat and gewurztraminer grapes contributes to the floral and fruity character of this low-alcohol, off-dry white wine. Balanced citrus, peach and tropical fruit flavours are rounded out by rose petal and ginger spice notes. This has 11.5 per cent ABV and 9 g/litre r.s. Drink now. Available in Ontario at the above price, $18.99 in B.C., various prices in Alberta, $16.50 in Manitoba, $15.55 in Quebec.
