Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release Dec. 8, 2018: Food Wines + Champagne

The December 8, 2018 LCBO VINTAGES Release is the final Release of the year and features fine wines for food as its main theme, while the mini-theme highlights Champagne for holiday celebrations. All of these wines will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this Saturday.

We'll begin with the main theme that lists twenty food wines for your holiday celebrations, six of which are included among my top wine picks. For elegant dinners, an elegant Châteauneuf-du-Pape that consists of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, and 5% Counoise / Muscardin / Vaccarèse / Cinsault. For big family feasts, try a Chardonnay or the Gran Medalla Malbec, both from Argentina. For a casual open house, try the casual red from South Africa that is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, or the Côtes du Rhône which is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. Last, but not lease, for wine and cheese, try the slightly off-dry Charles Baker Riesling.

In the mini-theme, there are seven Champagnes to add some sparkle to your holiday season, and two are included among my wine picks. Both of my Champagne recommendations use traditional grapes, with the Ruinart consisting of 49% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 11% Pinot Meunier, while the Veuve Clicquot consists of 61% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay, and 5% Pinot Meunier.

From the red wines in the rest of the Release, there is a Languedoc red that consists of 69% Syrah and 31% Grenache. If you enjoy Chianti Classico, the Primocolle is a blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Colorino, while the Gabbiano Riserva is a blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot. From Australia, the Ode to Lorraine consists of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Shiraz, 5% and Merlot, while the Meritage from British Columbia consists of 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 12% Malbec, and 7% Petit Verdot. From Bordeaux, the Croix Canon is majority Merlot, with Cabernet Franc completing the blend. And, last but not least, the iconic Solaia is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese in support.

Among my white wine picks, the Roussillon is a blend of 80% Grenache Blanc and 20% Roussanne. The Fumé Blanc is a Sauvignon Blanc that was barrel-fermented and aged in oak, but also includes a small amount of Semillon. For those that prefer sweeter white wines, any of the Ontario Riesling's should satisfy your palate.

Since this is the final Release of 2018, you may want to pick up a sparkling wine for New Year's Eve celebrations. The Cremant de Bourgogne is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, and Aligoté, and the outstanding bubbly from Henry of Pelham is made with Chardonnay and aged for 60 months is bottle prior to disgorgement.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release!

Red Wine:

• AVONDALE JONTY’S DUCKS PEKIN RED 2014 - WO Paarl, South Africa (#383547) (XD) - $16.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND SYRAH/GRENACHE 2015 - AP Languedoc, France (#413237) (XD) - $16.95  88 pts  wine review
• TRAPICHE MEDALLA MALBEC 2014 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#547869) (XD) - $17.00  89 pts  wine review
• ZUCCARDI Q MALBEC 2015 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#723478) (XD) - $19.95
• VILLA CERNA PRIMOCOLLE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#573501) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• CASTELLO DI GABBIANO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2014 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#216309) (XD) - $22.95
• J.L. CHAVE SÉLECTION MON COEUR CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2016 - AC, Rhône, France (#995548) (XD) - $22.95

• TRAPICHE GRAN MEDALLA MALBEC 2014 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#467977) (XD) - $24.95
• ELDERTON ODE TO LORRAINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON/SHIRAZ/MERLOT 2015 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#976423) (XD) - $39.95
• CHÂTEAU MONT-REDON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2015 - AC, Rhône, France (#959627) (XD) - $49.95  91 pts  wine review
• BURROWING OWL MERITAGE 2015 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#343038) (XD) - $57.95
• FEL PINOT NOIR 2016 - Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California, USA (#309476) (XD) - $59.95  FE
• CROIX CANON 2012 - Second wine of Château Canon, AC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France (#671289) (XD) - $66.95
• SOLAIA 2015 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#987586) (XD) - $316.95

White Wine:

• SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON 2017 - AP, Midi, France (#175232) (XD) - $16.95
• FLAT ROCK RIESLING 2016 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#043281) (M) - $17.95
• CATENA HIGH MOUNTAIN VINES CHARDONNAY 2017 - Mendoza, Argentina (#918805) (XD) - $19.95
• WITHER HILLS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#919514) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• 13TH STREET JUNE’S VINEYARD RIESLING 2016 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#147512) (M) - $19.95
• CHARLES BAKER B-SIDE RIESLING 2017 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#523845) (M) - $21.95  90 pts  wine review
• ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2017 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#221887) (XD) - $22.95
• ASTROLABE PROVINCE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#010421) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• CLOUDY BAY CHARDONNAY 2015 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#359513) (XD) - $37.95
• CAKEBREAD CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2015 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#709717) (XD) - $69.95

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU ROUBINE LA VIE EN ROSE ROSÉ 2017 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#556639) (XD) - $15.75

Sparkling Wine:

• BAILLY LAPIERRE RÉSERVE BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE - Traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France (#991562) (D) - $19.95
• HENRY OF PELHAM CUVÉE CATHARINE CARTE BLANCHE ESTATE BLANC DE BLANC 2013 - Traditional method, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#315200) (D) - $44.95
• RUINART R DE RUINART BRUT CHAMPAGNE - With gift box, AC, France (#189878) (D) - $85.95
• VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN VINTAGE BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE 2008 - With gift box, AC, France (#588475) (XD) - $109.95

Dessert Wine:

• CHÂTEAU FILHOT SAUTERNES 2015 - AC, Bordeaux, France (#514679) (S) (#375 mL) - $24.95