February 22, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Wintry Reds

The February 22, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release is basically another mono-thematic Release, focusing on red wines for winter drinking, while the feature on local talent looks award-winning wines from Ontario. All of these wines, plus those from the main Release will be on VINTAGES shelves at LCBO outlets across Ontario by this Saturday.

Of the thirteen wines featured as part of the Wintry Red Wines theme, four wines are included among my top wine picks. First up is a lovely Syrah (that includes trace amounts of Mourvèdre and Viognier) from South Africa. From Australia, there is a very nice old vines GSM blend that consists of 65% Grenache, 26% Shiraz, and 12% Mourvèdre, as well as a straight-up Shiraz from McLaren Vale. Lastly, there is a nice blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tannat from Uruguay.

The feature on local talent focuses on four award-winning wines from Ontario, three of which are included among my top wine picks. All three are gold medal winners at either one of the local competitions - the National Wine Awards of Canada or the Ontario Wine Awards. First up is a lovely Icewine made with Gewürztraminer - a grape not commonly used for making Icewine, but can make some brilliant Icewines with distinctive characters. There is also a lovely, perennially award-winning Niagara Chardonnay, as well as a brilliant Traditional Method Sparkling Rosé that is made with 100% Pinot Noir.

From my top red wine recommendations from this Release, blends include the latest vintage of the consistently delicious Château Saint-Roch Chimères, which consists of 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 5% Carignan, while the Bordeaux red is a blend of 54% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot. Highlights from the single varietal red wines includes the Vista Flores Malbec which is also the Wine of the Month, as well as a lovely Nebbiolo and the Brunello di Montalcino that is made with 100% Sangiovese.

Among my top white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. There are a pair of lovely Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand - one is clearly of higher quality than the other, but both are delicious, and it would be interesting to compare each other side-by-side while also including the Sancerre (which is also made with Sauvignon Blanc) in the tasting. Other white wines include a Falanghina from Campania, a Verdicchio from Marche, and a Chardonnay from Australia. For sweet wine lovers, the Mosel Riesling is your best bet, although it does veer towards a slightly dry finish.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• GARZÓN ESTATE CABERNET FRANC/TANNAT 2017 - Uruguay (#12651) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• SISTER'S RUN EPIPHANY SHIRAZ 2017 - Epiphany Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia (#269464) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2017 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#57513) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• SALENTEIN RESERVE MALBEC 2017 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#640854) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• NOBLE HILL SYRAH 2016 - WO Simonsberg-Paarl, South Africa (#12686) (XD) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES 2017 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• MONTERRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#12835) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DU BREUIL 2014 - AC Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#633081) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• TORBRECK OLD VINES GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2017 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#10223) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• ZUCCARDI APELACIÓN VISTA FLORES MALBEC 2017 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#11770) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• ENRICO SERAFINO PICOTENER NEBBIOLO 2017 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#12736) (XD) - $38.95  91 pts  wine review
• IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#551176) (XD) - $72.95  92 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• FONTEVECCHIA VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2017 - DOC, Marche, Italy (#11140) (XD) - $14.95  88 pts  wine review
• BELLINGHAM HOMESTEAD SERIES THE OLD ORCHARDS CHENIN BLANC 2018 - WO Paarl, South Africa (#484055) (XD) - $17.95
• MUD HOUSE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#190454) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• JANARE SENETE FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO 2017 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#556787) (XD) - $19.95  90+ pts  wine review
• XANADU DJL CHARDONNAY 2018 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#12653) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#68817) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2018 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $30.95
• CLEMENS BUSCH NONNENGARTEN PÜNDERICHER ORTSWEIN RIESLING 2016 - VDP, Mosel, Germany (#13247) (M) - $37.95  91 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• MEGALOMANIAC BUBBLEHEAD SPARKLING ROSÉ - Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#363655) (D) - $34.95  91 pts  wine review

Dessert Wine:

• LAKEVIEW CELLARS GEWÜRZTRAMINER ICEWINE 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#547703) (S) (200 mL) - $34.95  90 pts  wine review

Fortified:

• BURMESTER 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#223958) (S) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review