VINTAGES Release January 7: Smart Buys

Happy New Year and welcome to 2017!

After large (and expensive) VINTAGES Releases in the Fall leading up to the holidays, we arrive in 2017 with the annual "Smart Buys" release. The first release of 2017 is a thin release, with most of the wines listed under $20 and quite contrasted compared to what we saw over the past 3 months. The wines from the January 7 LCBO VINTAGES Release will be on shelves this coming Saturday.

This mono-thematic release lists 20 wines in the Smart Buys section and 4 are included among my wine picks. The lone white wine among the four is a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. In reds, there is a Malbec from Argentina and a Beaujolais for Gamay lovers. If you're feeling a bit adventurous, try Graciano - a grape that's normally used in blending - but is available as a single varietal wine in the Rio Madre from Spain.

Other red wines in this release include a Rosso di Montalcino that is made with Sangiovese and is considered the little brother of Brunello. The Château Boucassé is a nicely maturing wine (with many years to go) that is Tannat-based, but also contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. From Rhône, the Vacqueyras is a blend of mainly Grenache and Syrah, while the Saint-Joseph is 100% Syrah.

In white wines, both the Mâcon-Uchizy and the Petit Chablis are Chardonnays from Burgundy with minimal-to-no oak influence. If you like sweeter wines, the Chenin Blanc offers hints of sweet flavours, but going up many notches on the sugar scale is a rare-to-Ontario White Port from Ferreira.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CANTINA SAN PAOLO AGLIANICO 2015 - IGP Campania, Italy (#473132) (XD) - $13.95
• CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2014 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#599779) (XD) (375 mL) - $13.95  reviewed here
• CHÂTEAU DU CHATELARD CUVÉE LES CHALANDIÈRES BEAUJOLAIS 2014 - AC, France (#468702) (XD) - $14.95
• RIO MADRE GRACIANO 2014 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#354753) (XD) - $14.95
• QUERCECCHIO ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2014 - DOC, Tuscany, Italy (#394973) (XD) - $15.95
• PIATTELLI PREMIUM RESERVE MALBEC 2013 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#455808) (XD) - $16.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND GRAND TERROIR TAUTAVEL GRENACHE / SYRAH / CARIGNAN 2013 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#272575) (D) - $18.95
• ARBOLEDA CARMENÈRE 2014 - Aconcagua Valley, Chile (#046284) (D) - $19.95  reviewed here
• GIESEN PINOT NOIR 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#465948) (XD) - $21.95
• CHÂTEAU BOUSCASSÉ 2009 - AP Madiran, Southwest, France (#743385) (XD) - $21.95
• GABRIEL MEFFRE SAINT-BARTHÉLÉMY VACQUEYRAS 2014 - AP, Rhône, France (#479691) (D) - $25.95
• MARQUIS DE MONTFERRAT SAINT-JOSEPH 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#470443) (XD) - $29.95
• DOMAINE DU MEIX-FOULOT CLOS DU CHÂTEAU DE MONTAIGU MERCUREY 1ER CRU 2013 - Monopole, AC, Burgundy, France (#123927) (XD) - $38.95  FSE

White Wine:

• MAN FREE-RUN STEEN CHENIN BLANC 2015 - WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#126847) (D) - $13.95
• BOYA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Leyda Valley, Chile (#389726) (XD) - $15.95
• GÉRALD TALMARD MÂCON-UCHIZY 2015 - AC, Burgundy, France (#470427) (XD) - $15.95
• ALAIN GEOFFROY PETIT CHABLIS 2015 - AC, Burgundy, France (#470393) (XD) - $19.95
• NIKOLAIHOF WACHAU TERRASSEN GRÜNER VELTLINER 2014 - Wachau, Austria (#085274) (XD) - $20.95  reviewed here
• BOUCHARD PÈRE & FILS CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 2014 - AC, Burgundy, France (#479824) (XD) - $66.95  FSE

Fortified:

• FERREIRA LAGRIMA WHITE PORT - DOP, Portugal (#473033) (S) - $16.95