October 31 LCBO VINTAGES Release: Tuscany + Chile

The October 31st VINTAGES Release will be on LCBO shelves this coming Saturday and the major feature is on wines from Tuscany while minor feature explores the wines of Chile. As we approach the holiday season, the releases (and my wine picks) are getting larger to help you stock up for the holidays. Based on recent years, after this release there should be only 3 more VINTAGES releases in 2015.

We'll begin with the Tuscan feature that lists 15 wines, all red, and most are in the premium price point category. From here, 3 wines are included among my wine picks. The new category of "Gran Selezione" was only formed in February 2014 and is now considered to be the top classification of Chianti. So, it's no surprise that we are starting to see more and more Gran Selezione Chianti's on our shelves. Included in this release is the Il Grigio San Felice that is 80% Sangiovese and 20% indigenous varietals. Also among my Tuscany wine picks is a Brunello that is 100% Sangiovese, while the wine from Tenuta Sette Ponti is an IGT blend consisting of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

Chile is filled with high achievers and very good values in this release with 6 out of 12 wines making my list of wine picks. All three Cabernet Sauvignon wines are unique, single vineyard wines that will offer pleasure for a number of years. The Tabalí red blend consists of 74% Syrah, 15% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the blend from Luis Felipe Edwards is 58% Syrah, 33% Carménère, 4% Petite Syrah, 3% Grenache and 2% Mourvèdre. The De Martino Sauvignon Blanc is one of only 2 white wines from Chile in this release and continues to be a rising star grape within Chile.

Among my white wine recommendations are a trifecta of Sauvignon Blanc wines from Marlborough (New Zealand) and a Fumé Blanc (90% Sauvignon Blanc / 10 % Semillon) from Napa that would provide a nice comparison to the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

In red wine, the Heartland is 52/48% Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Muriel is 100% Tempranillo. From France and the great 2010 Bordeaux vintage is the Chateau Pey la Tour which consists of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Also from France is the Val Auclair that is a blend of 75% Carignan and 25% Syrah, while the Lavau Vacqueyras is a GSM blend (50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre). Lastly, the Barbaresco is 100% Nebbiolo.

Enjoy my LCBO VINTAGES wine recommendations for this week. Cheers!

Red Wine:

• HEARTLAND SPICE TRADER SHIRAZ/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - Langhorne Creek, South Australia (#429241) (D) - $17.00
• MURIEL RESERVA VENDIMIA SELECCIONADA 2008 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#276030) (D) - $18.95
• CLOS DES FOUS GRILLOS CANTORES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Alto Cachapoal, Cachapoal Valley, Chile (#429613) (XD) - $18.95
• CHÂTEAU PEY LA TOUR RÉSERVE DU CHÂTEAU 2010 - AC Bordeaux Supérieur, France (#349308) (XD) - $19.95
• SAN PEDRO 1865 SINGLE VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#37911) (D) - $19.95  reviewed here
• VAL AUCLAIR LES BARRAS ROUGE 2013 - IGP Vallée du Paradis, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (#417568) (XD) - $19.95

• TABALÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL 2011 - Limari Valley, Chile (#107540) (XD) - $23.95
• LAVAU VACQUEYRAS 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#104927) (D) - $24.95  reviewed here
• SOCRÉ BARBARESCO 2011 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#305284) (D) - $29.95
• CONCHA Y TORO TERRUNYO ANDES PIRQUE VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Las Terrazas Block, Pirque Vineyard, Maipo Valley, Chile (#562918) (D) - $29.95  reviewed here
• LUIS FELIPE EDWARDS LFE 900 SINGLE VINEYARD BLEND 2012 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#431809) (XD) - $29.95

• IL GRIGIO DA SAN FELICE GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2010 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#403477) (XD) - $46.95  reviewed here
• MICHELE CASTELLANI CINQUE STELLE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2011 - Collezione Ca’ del Pipa, DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#075127) (D) - $56.95
• ANTINORI PIAN DELLE VIGNE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2010 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#651141) (D) - $69.95
• TENUTA SETTE PONTI ORENO 2012 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#735597) (D) - $77.95
• CLIFF LEDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California, USA (#014217) (D) - $112.95  reviewed here
• DUNN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#709501) (D) - $113.95  FSE

White Wine:

• DE MORGENZON DMZ CHENIN BLANC 2015 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#429522) (XD) - $14.95
• DE MARTINO LEGADO RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Casablanca Valley, Chile (#427658) (XD) - $16.95
• CASAL DI SERRA VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2014 - DOC, Marche, Italy (#268169) (D) - $17.95  reviewed here
• ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#225557) (XD) - $18.95  reviewed here
• INNISKILLIN RESERVE SERIES CHARDONNAY 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#383562) (XD) - $18.95
• GIESEN THE BROTHERS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#247213) (XD) - $19.95
• STONELEIGH LATITUDE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#324228) (XD) - $21.95  reviewed here
• ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2013 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#221887) (XD) - $22.95
• DOMAINE BILLAUD-SIMON VIEILLE VIGNES MONT DE MILIEU CHABLIS 1 ER CRU 2011 - AC, Burgundy, France (#328344) (XD) - $49.95  FSE
• DUTTON ESTATE KYNDALL’S RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2012 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#420976) (XD) - $57.95

Sparkling Wine:

• BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVÉE BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#234104 / #384529) (D) (375 mL / 750 mL) - $45.95 / $79.95

Dessert Wine:

• MUSKOKA LAKES WINERY RED MAPLE CRANBERRY MAPLE 2012 - Product of Canada (#050039) (S) (375 mL) - $24.95  reviewed here