February 20 VINTAGES Release: Australia + Ontario

The February 20 VINTAGES Release features wines from diverse Australian wine regions as it's main theme, while the very small secondary theme focuses on award-winning Ontario wines. All of these wines, plus wines from the rest of the release will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario beginning this Saturday.

We'll begin with the wines from Australia. Of the 19 wines featured, 4 are included among my wine picks. Leading the pack is a dry sparkling wine from the island of Tasmania that is made in the classic Methode Traditionelle using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. From the Eden Valley in South Australia is a dry Riesling (i.e. not sweet) for fans of the style. There's also a traditional Aussie blend of Shiraz/Cabernet from Salomon Wines. Lastly, there is an interesting and unconventional blend of 64% Shiraz, 13% Tempranillo, 12% Mourvèdre and 11% Grenache from Barossa. It's interesting to note that each of the still table wines from Australia in this release are bottled under screw cap.

The mini-theme of award-winning Ontario wines is very small - featuring just 5 wines. However, two of the five wines are among my wine recommendations. First up is the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Thirty Bench Riesling that is a VINTAGES Essential product, while the second wine is a Gamay that won the Lieutenant Governor's Award in 2015.

Among my red wine picks from the rest of the release is a blend of Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Jaen (Mencía) from high-altitude vines in Portugal. From neighbouring Spain is the Palacios Remondo Propiedad that is 100% Garnacha (Grenache). A pair of delightful Southern Rhône wines include a Gigondas that is blended with 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, while the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is 95% Grenache (and 5% other varieties) from vines that are more than 100 years old. Lastly, the Brunello is 100% Sangiovese Grosso and the Savigny-lès-Beaune is 100% Pinot Noir.

In white wines, there is a wide array of varietals and styles to choose from. Starting at the dry end are wines made with Vernaccia, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, and a pair of Chardonnays. There is also a Grasevina from Croatia that commonly goes by the name Welschriesling, but is unrelated to the (Rhine) Riesling that we know and love. Just off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) is an Alsatian Pinot Gris, while going up a couple of more notches into medium-sweet territory is the Rosehall Run Riesling.

Enjoy my wine picks from this release. Cheers!

Red Wine:

• BEYRA VINHOS DE ALTITUDE RESERVA 2012 - DOC Beira Interior, Portugal (#429043) (XD) - $15.95
• CALITERRA TRIBUTO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - Single Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile (#205567) (D) - $16.95
• LAYERS SHIRAZ/TEMPRANILLO/MOURVÈDRE/GRENACHE 2012 - Barossa, South Australia (#138883) (D) - $17.95
• CREEKSIDE ESTATE QUEENSTON ROAD PINOT NOIR 2014 - VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#415877) (D) - $18.95
• PELLER ESTATES PRIVATE RESERVE GAMAY NOIR 2013 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#444745) (XD) - $19.95
• SALOMON NORWOOD SHIRAZ/CABERNET 2012 - South Australia (#438234) (XD) - $20.95
• LA FERME DU MONT CÔTES JUGUNDA GIGONDAS 2013 - Unfiltered, AP, Rhône, France (#354118) (XD) - $29.95  reviewed here
• PALACIOS REMONDO PROPIEDAD 2011 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#438671) (XD) - $39.95
• ABBADIA ARDENGA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2010 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#672337) (XD) - $49.95  FSE
• RAYMOND USSEGLIO CUVÉE IMPÉRIALE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2012 - Unfiltered, AC, Rhône, France (#022319) (XD) - $57.95
• DOMAINE PAVELOT AUX GRAVAINS SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE 1 ER CRU 2013 - AC, Burgundy, France (#206136) (XD) - $59.95

White Wine:

• TERUZZI & PUTHOD VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO 2014 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#316976) (XD) - $16.95
• THIRTY BENCH RIESLING 2013 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#024133) (D) - $18.95
• YEALANDS ESTATE SINGLE VINEYARD GRÜNER VELTLINER 2014 - Awatere Valley, South Island, New Zealand (#415133) (XD) - $19.95  FSE
• MOUNTADAM RIESLING 2013 - Eden Valley, South Australia (#288266) (XD) - $19.95
• ROSEHALL RUN RIGHTEOUS DUDE RIESLING 2014 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#426486) (M) - $19.95  reviewed here
• ILOCKI PODRUMI PREMIUM GRASEVINA 2013 - Hrvatsko Podunavlje, Croatia (#369421) (XD) - $21.95
• TRIMBACH RÉSERVE PINOT GRIS 2012 - AC Alsace, France (#971762) (D) - $23.95
• GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $23.95  reviewed here
• BÉJOT LES BOUCHOTS MONTAGNY 1 ER CRU 2013 - AC, Burgundy, France (#438002) (XD) - $27.95
• LE CLOS JORDANNE CLAYSTONE TERRACE CHARDONNAY 2012 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#056929) (XD) - $40.00  FSE

Sparkling Wine:

• CHÂTEAU MONCONTOUR CUVÉE PRÉDILECTION BRUT VOUVRAY 2012 - Méthode Traditionnelle, AC, Loire, France (#168963) (XD) - $19.95
• JOSEF CHROMY SPARKLING 2010 - Tasmania, Australia (#393629) (XD) - $29.95