July 6 Wine Picks: Cali Wines + Pure Whites

The next Vintages wine release will be on LCBO shelves this Saturday, July 6th. The major feature in this edition is on California wines for Summer gatherings. What you'll find among the 17 wines are many easy-drinking wines suitable as patio sippers, and for backyard gatherings where meals are prepared on the BBQ. Among my recommendations below, you will find a sub-$20 Cali Pinot and a couple of premium whites - a Viognier and Chardonnay.

The secondary feature is titled "Pure Pleasure" and focuses on white wines that have had minimal intervention in the winery. Thus, the 10 wines featured show off their true varietal character, along with the nuances that their terroir brings with it. From this portion of the release, the Hidden Bench Riesling, an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, and a Spanish Albariño are all worth checking out.

From the rest of the release, the Peter Zemmer red wine is made with the Lagrein varietal. This grape is native to northern Italy and rarely shows up at the LCBO. The Château de Panigon is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. I tasted the Featherstone Rosé recently at the Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival and is a blend of 52% Gamay and 48% Merlot. And finally, the Garenne Bandol Rosé is made with 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 20% Mourvèdre.

Enjoy my wine picks for this week! Cheers!


Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES ST. DAVID’S BENCH VINEYARD GAMAY NOIR DROIT 2010 - VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#346742) (XD) - $16.95
• PETER ZEMMER RAUT LAGREIN 2011 - DOC Alto Adige-Südtirol, Piedmont, Italy (#326918) (XD) - $17.95
• PINYOLET GARNACHA 2011 - DO Montsant, Spain (#271791) (XD) - $17.95
• CHÂTEAU DE PANIGON 2010 - AC Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#230367) (XD) - $18.95
• CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES OLD VINES CABERNET/MERLOT 2010 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#222372) (XD) - $19.95
• CLINE PINOT NOIR 2011 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#329649) (XD) - $19.95
• COLLEFRISIO UNO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2008 - DOC, Abruzzo, Italy (#337857) (XD) - $19.95
• MAZZEI SER LAPO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2008 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#288530) (XD) - $24.95

White Wine:

• MARTÍN CÓDAX ALBARIÑO 2011 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#984906) (XD) - $17.95
• DOMAINES DU CHÂTEAU DE RIQUEWIHR LES MURAILLES RIESLING 2008 - AC Alsace, France (#933069) (XD) - $19.95
• RABL KÄFERBERG GRÜNER VELTLINER 2011 - Kamptal Reserve, Austria (#032532) (D) - $19.95
• BOLLIG-LEHNERT DHRONER HOFBERGER RIESLING AUSLESE 2009 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#313536) (MS) - $21.95  reviewed here
• SERESIN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#735043) (D) - $21.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE RIESLING 2011 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#183491) (XD) - $23.95  reviewed here
• STAGS’ LEAP WINERY VIOGNIER 2012 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#597369) (XD) - $36.95
• RIDGE VINEYARDS ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2011 - Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA (#241646) (XD) - $55.95

Rosé Wine:

• FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#117861) (D) - $14.95
• DOMAINE DE LA GARENNE BANDOL ROSÉ 2012 - AP, Provence, France (#323550) (XD) - $19.95
• SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE ORGANIC CABERNET FRANC ROSÉ 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#279117) (D) - $19.95

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