June 27 VINTAGES Release: Fan Favourites + Pan-Am + Canada Day

The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be on shelves this Saturday, June 27th and has 3 features. The first theme is titled "Back by Popular Demand", while the second and third mini-themes are small and feature wines from the Americas in an ode to the upcoming Pan-Am Games in Toronto, and wines for Canada Day festivities.

We'll begin with the biggest of the three themes - popular wines that have returned to VINTAGES. However, of the 16 wines featured, only 2 are included among my wine picks. The first wine is the Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc - a crisp, dry white wine that has been consistently good in recent years and worthy of returning to shelves. The second wine is a Tavel Rosé that is dry and composed of 60% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah and 10% other grapes rounding out the blend.

From the two mini-themes, there is only one wine from each theme that made my list of wine picks - a Carmenère from Chile, and an aromatic and sweet Chardonnay Musqué from Ontario's Malivoire Wine Company.

The rest of the release has a few nice "New to VINTAGES" selections. Included among them is an Aglianico from Basilicata and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. A couple of wines that are not new to VINTAGES but are included in my wine picks below are the Borsao Berola from Spain that is 70% Garnacha (Grenache), 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the wine from Carpineta Fontalpino is nearly equal parts Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In white wines, the Château Saint-Genès is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Besides the Tavel Rosé mentioned above, there is also a rosé from Gerard Bertrand that is off-dry and made using a grape that mutated from Grenache into what is known as Grenache Gris. Other dry rosés to consider in this release are both. From Château de Lancyre is a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Cinsault, and the Bandol Rosé which is a blend of 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache and 30% Cinsault.

Both sparkling wines recommended below are on the sweeter side of the spectrum - the Lambrusco is off-dry in style, while Brachetto is very sweet.

Enjoy my wine picks for this week! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• TENUTA DEL PORTALE STARSA 2012 - IGT Basilicata, Italy (#416164) (XD) - $15.95
• BORSAO BEROLA 2011 - DO Campo de Borja, Spain (#371518) (XD) - $17.00
• FINCA SOPHENIA RESERVE MALBEC 2013 - Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina (#066837) (D) - $17.95
• MICHEL GASSIER LES PILIERS SYRAH 2012 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#678086) (XD) - $18.95
• SUR DE LOS ANDES GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - Mendoza, Argentina (#404186) (XD) - $18.95
• MONTES ALPHA CARMENÈRE 2012 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#143230) (D) - $19.95
• SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE CABERNET FRANC 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#275958) (XD) - $21.95  reviewed here
• FATTORIA CARPINETA FONTALPINO DO UT DES 2011 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#048827) (XD) - $37.95
• TWO HANDS LILY’S GARDEN SHIRAZ 2012 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#683086) (XD) - $54.95  FSE

White Wine:

• CHÂTEAU SAINT-GENÈS 2013 - AC, Bordeaux, France (#418889) (XD) - $15.95
• FLOR DE VETUS VERDEJO 2013 - Old vines from Segovia, DO Rueda, Spain (#320259) (XD) - $15.95
• ANSELMANN EDESHEIMER ROSENGARTEN SIEGERREBE SPÄTLESE 2012 - Prädikatswein, Pfalz, Germany (#910554) (S) - $15.95  reviewed here
• KEN FORRESTER OLD VINE RESERVE CHENIN BLANC 2014 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#231282) (XD) - $17.95
• BESTHEIM CLASSIC GEWURZTRAMINER 2013 - AC Alsace, France (#656801) (XD) - $18.95
• MALIVOIRE MUSQUÉ SPRITZ 2014 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#189670) (S) - $19.95
• VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#974527) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• DOG POINT SECTION 94 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#325977) (D) - $44.95  FSE

Rosé Wine:

• GÉRARD BERTRAND GRIS BLANC ROSÉ 2014 - IGP Pays d’Oc, Roussillon, France (#409870) (D) - $16.95
• DOMAINE MABY LA FORCADIÈRE TAVEL ROSÉ 2014 - AC, Rhône, France (#701318) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU DE LANCYRE PIC SAINT-LOUP LE ROSÉ 2014 - AC Coteaux du Languedoc, Midi, France (#374900) (XD) - $16.95
• LA CADIERENNE CUVÉE GRANDE TRADITION BANDOL ROSÉ 2014 - AC, Provence, France (#119453) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here

Sparkling Wine:

• TRE SECOLI BRACHETTO D’ACQUI 2012 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#415273) (S) - $17.95
• MEDICI ERMETE & FIGLI ARTE E CONCERTO LAMBRUSCO 2013 - DOC Reggiano Lambrusco, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (#208967) (D) - $19.95

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