Feb. 2 Wine Picks: New World Signatures

The next Vintages release will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on Saturday, February 2. In this release, the main feature is on signature varietals from New World wine regions, with two varietals chosen from various wine regions throughout the New World.

From Ontario, no doubt, our top two varietals are Riesling and Chardonnay. If there was a third varietal to be selected, I would choose Cabernet Franc. The Ontario whites in this feature are both quite good, with the Malivoire Chardonnay among my picks below (the other Ontario white is the Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2011 [#080234]).

The other New World wine regions featured in this release are California (Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon), Argentina (Torrontés & Malbec), Chile (Carmenère & Cabernet Sauvignon), Australia (Chardonnay & Shiraz), New Zealand (Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir), and South Africa (Chenin Blanc & Syrah). Read more about this feature here.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, this release features a few bubbly's to celebrate the occasion. If I was to celebrate this day with a Sparkling Wine, I would choose something on the sweeter side. If you like sweeter Sparkling Wines, go with a Moscato D'Asti. If you want something only slightly sweet (i.e. Off-Dry), then check out the Peller Ice Cuvée Rosé that has a dosage of Cab Franc Icewine and Vidal Icewine added after the wine has been degorged; also check out the Dr. L. Sparkling Riesling. For something dry, your best best is the Pouillon & Fils Brut Rosé Champagne.

From the rest of the release, the Remhoogte from South Africa is a red-blend consisting of 40% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Shiraz, and 15% Pinotage. My top red from the release is the 2010 Hecht & Bannier (composed of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Lledoner Pelut) and which I'm looking forward to a vertical tasting with the 2008 that I acquired early last year. The Tour de L'Isle from Rhône is predominantly Grenache (85%), containing also 8% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, and 2% Cinsault.

Enjoy my wine picks for this week!


Red Wine:

• PODERI ANGELINI PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2008 - DOC, Puglia, Italy (#268136) (D) - $17.95
• REMHOOGTE ESTATE WINE 2006 - WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, South Africa (#694539) (XD) - $18.95
• TENUTA DI CAPRAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2010 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#135277) (XD) - $19.95
• HECHT & BANNIER CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2010 - AC, Midi, France (#142802) (XD) - $23.95
• ROSEWOOD NATURAL FERMENTATION RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2009 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#318345) (XD) - $39.95  reviewed here
• TOUR DE L’ISLE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#309849) (XD) - $39.95
• TENIMENTI ANGELINI VAL DI SUGA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#713719) (XD) - $49.95

White Wine:

• STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING KABINETT 2008 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#970129) (M) - $16.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#089029) (M) - $17.95  reviewed here
• MALIVOIRE CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#573147) (D) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU DE FONTAINE-AUDON 2011 - AC Sancerre, Loire, France (#745893) (XD) - $27.95
• NORMAN HARDIE CHARDONNAY 2009 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#184432) (XD) - $35.00

Icewine:

• MEGALOMANIAC COLDHEARTED RIESLING ICEWINE 2008 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#243519) (S) (200 mL) - $29.95

Sparkling Wine:

• LOOSEN BROS. DR. L. SPARKLING RIESLING - Deutscher Sekt, Germany (#296095) (D) - $13.95
• RICOSSA ANTICA CASA MOSCATO D’ASTI 2011 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#072272) (S) - $15.95
• PELLER ESTATES ICE CUVÉE ROSÉ - Méthode Classique, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#113035) (D) - $34.95
• R. POUILLON & FILS 1ER CRU BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#314518) (XD) - $44.95

The rest of the wines from this release can be found here.