Sept. 28 Wine Picks: Tuscany + Chile + Thanksgiving

The upcoming LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves this Saturday, September 28th. The main feature in this release focuses on premium-quality wines from Tuscany, which range in price from $15.95 to $48.95. In all, there are 16 wines featured, and 3 made my list of wine picks below. It just so happens that all three are north of $20.

The Frassinello is an IGT wine that is made using 50% Sangioveto (essentially a localized clone of Sangiovese), 25% Cab Sauv, and 25% Merlot. The Carpineto is also an IGT wine and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The San Felice is made using the more traditional Tuscan grape - Sangiovese.

Five wines from Chile are in secondary feature, which focuses on premium wines from local pioneers and international influencers. I was fortunate enough to meet the CEO of Lapostolle last June (international influencer) and had the opportunity to taste their Apalta Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which is made using organic grapes. I am definitely pleased that this wine is among my top picks from this release. Not part of the Chilean feature, but in my list below is a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. At $13.95, the Matetic Corralillo is a steal and a must buy! I'm a big fan of Chilean Savvy!

This issue also contains the annual Thanksgiving feature which highlights 11 wines suitable for your Thanksgiving get-together. The Tawse Riesling, the Reichsgraf Riesling Kabinett, and the Château des Charmes Vidal Icewine are all worthy buys for your holiday gathering.

From the rest of the release, there are a couple of Australian reds worth your attention. The Sister's Run is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Shiraz, 5% Mataro, while the D'Arenberg D'Arry's Original is 53% Grenache and 47% Syrah. There are also 2 outstanding reds that I will likely be adding to my collection: The Lacroix-Vanel from Midi is mostly Grenache, and the rest likely Syrah, while the Villacreces from Spain is 90% Tempranillo and 10% Cab Sauv.

Normally, I stay away from the Spirits section of the Vintages release, but I had to make an exception for the G.E. Massenez Vieux Calvados (#271726, $64.95), which is an apple brandy that actually contains an apple inside the bottle! It's quite unique and I'm sure a treat to taste.

That's it for this week. Enjoy!


Red Wine:

• SISTER’S RUN COW’S CORNER GRENACHE/SHIRAZ/MATARO 2011 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#346510) (XD) - $15.95
• TESSELLAE VIEILLES VIGNES CARIGNAN 2011 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Southwest, France (#343509) (XD) - $16.95
• D’ARENBERG D’ARRY’S ORIGINAL SHIRAZ/GRENACHE 2010 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#942904) (D) - $19.95
• LACROIX-VANEL FINE AMOR PÉZENAS 2008 - AC Coteaux du Languedoc, Midi, France (#343418) (XD) - $19.95
• FINCA VILLACRECES PRUNO 2011 - DO Ribera del Duero, Spain (#312140) (XD) - $19.95
• LAPOSTOLLE CUVÉE ALEXANDRE APALTA VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#947929) (XD) - $24.95  reviewed here
• SAN FELICE IL GRIGIO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2009 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#716266) (XD) - $26.95
• ROCCA DI FRASSINELLO LE SUGHERE DI FRASSINELLO 2010 - IGT Maremma Toscana, Italy (#025700) (XD) - $29.95
• CARPINETO FARNITO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#996553) (XD) - $29.95

White Wine:

• MATETIC CORRALILLO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 - San Antonio Valley, Chile (#347740) (XD) - $13.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#089029) (M) - $17.95
• INNISKILLIN RESERVE PINOT GRIS 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#177766) (D) - $19.95
• HENRY OF PELHAM BARREL FERMENTED ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#268342) (XD) - $19.95
• REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT SCHARZHOFBERGER RIESLING KABINETT 2008 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#282343) (M) - $20.95
• NIKOLAIHOF HEFEABZUG GRÜNER VELTLINER 2010 - Qualitätswein, Austria (#328948) (XD) - $24.95

Dessert Wine:

• CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES VIDAL ICEWINE 2009 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#565861) (S) (200 mL) - $25.95
• PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI YELLOW MUSCAT 2012 - Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary (#046508) (M) - $15.95

Sparkling Wine:

• AIMERY GRAND CUVÉE 1531 CRÉMANT DE LIMOUX - AC Crémant de Limoux, Southwest, France (#350371) (D) - $19.95

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