June 8 Wine Picks: Argentina + Father's Day

The next LCBO Vintages release will be in stores on Saturday, June 8. The major feature in this release is on the various modern wines found in Argentina, and apparently representing the best modern wines that this country has to offer. While I doubt that this is the best of Argentina's modern wine offering, there are a couple of wines from 11-wine selection that are worth looking into, including a $13.95 off-dry Torrontés and a cellar-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon for just under $20. If you're looking for Malbec, you're better off looking at the last release.

This issue also contains the annual selection for Father's Day. From this part of the release, you can check out the locally produced 2011 The Foreign Affair The Conspiracy, which is made using the Ripasso-method from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and is slightly off-dry. Going up the price ladder quite a bit is the '09 Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - which is actually 77% Cab Sauv and 23% Merlot - and can be enjoyed with your Father today or up to 8 years from now.

From the rest of the release, in red wines, we have a couple of terrific Spanish reds - the Herencia Altés Garnatxa Negra is 100% Grenache, while the Gancedo Mencía is made from the Mencía varietal and is cellar-worthy for nearly a decade. The Italian Salice Salentino consists of 90% Negroamaro and 10% Black Malvasia of Lecce, while the Barbaresco is 100% Nebbiolo. The French Crozes-Hermitage is 100% Syrah, while the Château la Clare is a red-blend consisting of mostly Merlot and Cab Sauv, and some Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.

As the weather gets warmer, the LCBO tends to trot out more and more rosé wines, and a few in this release are worth your attention. Included among them are a couple of off-dry local Rosés from Fielding Estate and Pondview.

Enjoy my wine picks from this release. Let me know if you try any of these - I'd love to hear from you. Cheers!


Red Wine:

• HERENCIA ALTÉS GARNATXA NEGRA 2011 - DO Terra Alta, Spain (#332353) (XD) - $15.95
• LEONE DE CASTRIS RISERVA SALICE SALENTINO 2009 - DOC, Puglia, Italy (#597534) (D) - $18.95
• URRACA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 - Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina (#271080) (XD) - $19.95
• THE FOREIGN AFFAIR THE CONSPIRACY 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#149237) (D) - $19.95
• ESTATE PAPAIOANNOU SINGLE VINEYARD AGIORGITIKO 2007 - AQS Nemea, Greece (#047977) (XD) - $19.95
• FERRATON PÈRE & FILS LA MATINIÈRE CROZES-HERMITAGE 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#127712) (XD) - $21.95
• GANCEDO MENCÍA 2007 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#332874) (XD) - $24.95
• CHÂTEAU LA CLARE 2009 - AC Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#331751) (XD) - $29.95
• PAITIN SORI’ PAITIN BARBARESCO 2008 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#106591) (XD) - $32.95
• RIDGE ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Estate Btld., Monte Bello Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA (#089284) (XD) - $52.95

White Wine:

• CRIOS TORRONTÉS 2012 - Mendoza, Argentina (#001834) (D) - $13.95
• FIELDING ESTATE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#146753) (D) - $15.95
• FLAT ROCK CELLARS RIESLING 2012 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#043281) (M) - $16.95
• COOPER MOUNTAIN RESERVE PINOT GRIS 2011 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#324491) (D) - $20.95
• DOMAINE RAOUL GAUTHERIN & FILS VAILLONS CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2010 - AC, Burgundy, France (#159236) (XD) - $28.95
• GRGICH HILLS ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2010 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#346304) (XD) - $54.95

Rosé Wine:

• GIGONDAS LA CAVE SIGNATURE GIGONDAS ROSÉ 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#323493) (D) - $19.95
• FIELDING ESTATE ROSÉ 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#053421) (D) - $15.95
• PONDVIEW CABERNET FRANC ROSÉ 2011 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#241802) (D) - $14.95
• GASSIER SABLES D’AZUR ROSÉ 2012 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#033621) (XD) - $13.95

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