Six of the Best

Three of the Best -- Seguret

The wine I'm happily sipping today is Boutinot Les Six Cairanne and the name that sticks out for me is Les Six, The Six -- the newest handle for Toronto, the town where I live.

    Said to be coined by uber-rapper Drake and inspired by our phone codes --- 416 and 647 -- The Six still falls short for those of us who prefer Hogtown. The likeliest origin, however, is the six boroughs that amalgamated into one city in 1998: Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, East York and Toronto.

    Meanwhile, Les Six on the Boutinot label recalls the ancient Rhone Valley viticulture tradition of blending six grape varieties -- Grenache Noir, Mourvedre and Syrah together with Carignan Noir, Counoise and Cinsault -- to make intense, spicy and rewarding dry red wines.

    Fermentation in large well-seasoned oak vats before 12 months maturation in wood has allowed the elements to fuse seamlessly with berry-nutty aromas and a savory palate with just a touch of oak. It's an elegant Rhone red with plenty of richness. 

    Les Six is not currently at the LCBO, which, however, does offer another fine Boutinot Rhone-Villages -- Les Coteaux Schisteux, $25, from the nearby village of Seguret, peppery-spicy, plum-raspberry and bay leaf scented, quietly powerful with fine red meats and aged cheeses. 

    More of a Two, this one's mostly old-vine Grenache with a little Syrah, from a rugged, east-facing single vineyard called Les Turcs.

    Both wines are Number One with me!