Aug. 31 Wine Picks: 90 Plus Wines + Champagne

The next Vintages wine release will be on shelves at the LCBO on Saturday, August 31st. The main feature in this edition (which is done annually) focuses on wines from around the globe that scored 90+ points.

In all, there are 30 wines that are part of the "90+" wine feature. If you're looking for a big, oaky, Chardonnay, then look no further than Gallo Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. If you prefer the less oak in your Chardonnay, then I invite you to check out Maison Champy's 1er Cru - your wallet may become lighter, but you won't be disappointed. Both can be aged for 3-4 years. In other whites, there is a very ageable Riesling that is slightly off-dry from Alsace that can be enjoyed now or in a decade.

In reds from the 90+ feature, fans of Malbec will find a fruity version from Achaval Ferrer. There's also finally an Australian Shiraz worthy of my recommendation that is relatively easy on your wallet and will provide pleasure. And continuing to reach our shores are the newly-released 2011 (Southern) Rhône wines, with the Perrin Peyre Blanche consisting of a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. From Northern Rhône is the Pierre Amadieu Gigondas that it is also a 2011 and a blend of Grenache and Syrah. Last but not least the 100% Aglianico from Rivera that is already 7 years old, but will age gracefully for almost another decade.

The secondary feature in this release coincides with TIFF and features the big names from the world of Champagne - Dom Perignon, Cristal, Laurent-Perrier, Taittinger and Billecart-Simon.

From the rest of the release, there is a 100% Tempranillo from Spain, and the Mandrarossa from Sicily is 100% Nero d'Avola. Both of these wines can be enjoyed now or over the next 2 years.

That's it for this week. Enjoy my wine picks and I'll see you in September!


Red Wine:

• BARCO DE PIEDRA TINTO 2011 - DO Ribera del Duero, Spain (#336289) (XD) - $17.00
• PERRIN PEYRE BLANCHE CAIRANNE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2011 - AC, Rhône, France (#650960) (XD) - $17.95
• RIVERA CAPPELLACCIO RISERVA AGLIANICO 2006 - DOC Castel del Monte, Puglia, Italy (#305276) (XD) - $17.95
• MANDRAROSSA CARTAGHO 2009 - IGT Sicilia, Italy (#346593) (XD) - $19.95
• ACHAVAL FERRER MALBEC 2011 - Mendoza, Argentina (#024737) (XD) - $24.95
• NUGAN ESTATE MCLAREN PARISH VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2010 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#072603) (D) - $24.95
• PIERRE AMADIEU ROMANE MACHOTTE GIGONDAS 2011 - AC, Rhône, France (#017400) (XD) - $24.95

White Wine:

• SANTO ASSYRTIKO 2011 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#627760) (XD) - $16.95  reviewed here
• CALAMUS RIESLING 2011 - VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#158642) (XD) - $16.95
• LAILEY CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#193482) (XD) - $19.95
• GALLO FAMILY LAGUNA VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2009 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#544981) (XD) - $19.95
• BOLLIG-LEHNERT TRITTENHEIMER APOTHEKE RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2011 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#338186) (M) - $20.95
• ZIND HUMBRECHT TURCKHEIM RIESLING 2010 - AC Alsace, France (#031039) (D) - $26.95
• CHAMPY PERNAND-VERGELESSES EN CARADEUX 1ER CRU 2010 - AC, Burgundy, France (#344143) (XD) - $49.95

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