VINTAGES Release March 3, 2018: South of the Equator + Mountain Wines

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on March 3, 2018 features wines from south of the Equator as the main theme, while the mini-theme focuses on mountain wines. These delightful wines will arrive on VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this Saturday.

We'll begin with the wines from the Southern Hemisphere's top wine regions - Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa. A nice, large collection of 24 wines is featured here, with 9 included among my top wine picks. From Argentina, there is a Torrontés that was barrel fermented in second use oak, and an elegant Pinot Noir from the southern end of the country and, of course, a Malbec. The wine of the month is a Pinot Noir from Chile. Also from Chile is the organic and biodynamic Emiliana Coyam which consists of 48% Syrah, 24% Carménère, 11% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Mourvèdre, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.

Both wines from New Zealand use typical varietals for the region and are outstanding - a ripe Sauvignon Blanc and a Central Otago Pinot Noir. From Australia, there is a nice wild ferment Chardonnay. And lastly, from South Africa there is a Pinotage that is not your typical coffee/mocha inflected wine - worth a try at $18.

From the mini-feature focusing on wines grown on mountain vineyard sites with steep slopes, just one of the six wines are included among my top wine recommendations. The lone wine is a Pinot Grigio from the Südtirol – Alto Adige wine region in northern Italy, whose grapes were grown at approximately 600 metres above sea level.

Among my top red wine picks, the Bastide Miraflors is a returnee to VINTAGES and consists of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, while the Sancerre Rouge is new to VINTAGES and is actually made with Pinot Noir. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of mostly Grenache, with Syrah and Mourvèdre completing the blend, while the big Masi Amarone is made with the traditional grapes Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara.

In white wines, the Portuguese blend is a dry white wine containing a bunch of indigenous grapes I've mostly never heard of - 40% Viosinho, 30% Arinto/Pedernã, 10% Códega, 10% Gouveio (Verdelho), and 10% Rabigato. The Bordeaux white is a blend of 50% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muscadelle.

Lastly, the dry sparkling wine from South Africa is a blend of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• FABRE MONTMAYOU RESERVA MALBEC 2015 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#261867) (XD) - $17.00
• NEIL ELLIS STELLENBOSCH PINOTAGE 2015 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#542167) (XD) - $17.95
• ANIELLO 006 RIVERSIDE ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2016 - Río Negro Valley, Patagonia, Argentina (#542092) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• MONTES ALPHA PINOT NOIR 2015 - Aconcagua Coast, Chile (#143214) (XD) - $19.95
• BASTIDE MIRAFLORS SYRAH/VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE 2015 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#320499) (XD) - $19.95
• INVIVO CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2016 - Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand (#466029) (XD) - $24.95
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LA GRANGE DÎMIÈRE SANCERRE ROUGE 2013 - AC, Loire, France (#539858) (XD) - $29.95  89 pts  wine review
• EMILIANA COYAM 2013 - Los Robles Estate, Colchagua Valley, Chile (#063891) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2012 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#113357) (XD) - $64.95
• DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE CUVÉE BARBERINI CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2013 - AC, Rhône, France (#525907) (XD) - $75.95
• MASI CAMPOLONGO DI TORBE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2012 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#548677) (D) - $120.95

White Wine:

• CASA FERREIRINHA VINHA GRANDE BRANCO 2015 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#523555) (XD) - $16.95
• KELLEREI ST. MAGDALENA PINOT GRIGIO 2016 - DOC Südtirol – Alto Adige, Italy (#249466) (XD) - $17.95
• CHÂTEAU LA ROSE SARRON 2015 - AC Graves, Bordeaux, France (#540807) (XD) - $17.95
• SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE BARREL FERMENTED TORRONTÉS 2016 - Finca la Delfina, Altamira, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#384339) (XD) - $19.95
• PACO & LOLA ALBARIÑO 2016 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#350041) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• HILL-SMITH ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2015 - Wild ferment, Eden Valley, South Australia (#361584) (XD) - $21.95
• GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2016 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#068817) (XD) - $29.95
• DOMAINE SYLVAIN LANGOUREAU SAINT-AUBIN 2015 - AC, Burgundy, France (#538454) (XD) - $41.95
• DOMAINE PINSON FRÈRES MONT DE MILIEU CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2015 - AC, Burgundy, France (#700914) (XD) - $52.95  FSE

Sparkling Wine:

• GRAHAM BECK BRUT ZERO 2011 - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#435453) (XD) - $23.95