May 2, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Popular Demand + New Zealand

The main theme of the May 2, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release features Favourite Wines that are back by Popular Demand, while the mini-theme focuses on wines from New Zealand. Wines arrived in the top 51 LCBO stores across Ontario and online yesterday, while another 50 stores will receive bottles a week after Release.

We begin with the main theme that features 21 Customer Favourites that are return to shelves by Popular Demand. A couple of these were recommended by me late last year - the Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017 and Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva Malbec 2017, in case you were wondering - so I didn't include them this time around, thus, only two wines are included among my top wine picks. First up is the latest edition of the excellent Montes Purple Angel that consists of 92% Carmenere and 8% Petit Verdot. The only other wine from this portion of the Release is a Rioja that is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 12% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo, and 2% Garnacha.

The mini-theme focuses on wines from New Zealand, a land of plenty with stellar scenery and a range of top-notch wines (as I discovered while visiting NZ earlier this year - more to come on this). Of the nine wines featured, five are included among my top wine recommendations. The four white wines are all New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines from the 2018 vintage. However, they do differ by the regions that the grapes were grown in - ranging from Marlborough in the South Island, including the sub-region of the Awatere Valley, and Wairarapa on the North Island, which also encompasses the sub-region of Martinborough. Trying all four side-by-side would be a great comparison! The lone red wine from New Zealand is from Hawke's Bay and consists of roughly 72% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 5% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Among my red wine picks, we start with Romanian wine that is made using Fetească Neagră (Black Maiden) grape. There is also an unoaked red from Languedoc that is made with 50% Carignan, 30% Syrah, and 20% Grenache. From Italy, the excellent Chianti Classico consists of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 5% Syrah, while the lovely California Cabernet Sauvignon includes 17% Malbec.

There are no multi-varietal blends among my white wine picks. Single varietal white wines include a Muscadet that is made with the Melon de Bourgogne grape, and an excellent Greco di Tufo. For those that prefer sweeter wines, look to Riesling, such as the off-dry version from Flat Rock or the medium-sweet version from Thirty Bench.

Enjoy my recommendations from this Release! Cheers and stay safe!

Red Wine:

• BUDUREASCA PREMIUM FETEASCĂ NEAGRĂ 2016 - DOC-CMD Dealu Mare, Romania (#263913) (XD) - $16.95  87 pts  wine review
• TEDESCHI CAPITEL NICALÒ VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2018 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#984997) (XD) - $17.95
• CHÂTEAU OLLIEUX ROMANIS CUVÉE CLASSIQUE CORBIÈRES 2017 - AC, Languedoc, France (#568444) (XD) - $18.95
• ROCKCLIFFE THIRD REEF CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Great Southern, Western Australia (#12910) (XD) - $19.95
• SUTHERLAND SYRAH 2015 - WO Elgin, South Africa (#13349) (XD) - $19.95
• ELEPHANT HILL LE PHANT 2016 - Certified sustainable, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#447367) (XD) - $23.95  89 pts  wine review
• SPERLING VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2018 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#382283) (XD) - $28.95
• MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA FINCA YGAY RESERVA 2015 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#209148) (XD) - $29.95
• ISOLE E OLENA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#704346) (XD) - $34.95  92 pts  wine review
• MONTES PURPLE ANGEL 2017 - DO Colchagua Valley, Chile (#62364) (XD) - $69.95  92 pts  wine review
• THE HESS COLLECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014 - Certified sustainable, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, California, USA (#662015) (D) - $99.95  92+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• ZACHARIAS ASSYRTIKO 2018 - PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#588814) (XD) - $13.95
• PIERRE-LUC BOUCHAUD SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2018 - AC, Loire, France (#82461) (XD) - $15.95
• FLAT ROCK RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#43281) (D) - $17.95
• BABICH BLACK LABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Certified sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#9142) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• BORTHWICK VINEYARD PADDY BORTHWICK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand (#361220) (XD) - $19.95
• TOHU SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Certified sustainable, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#536177) (XD) - $21.95
• CAVE DE TURCKHEIM COLLECTION TERROIRS PINOT GRIS 2016 - AC Alsace, France (#12114) (XD) - $21.95
• THIRTY BENCH WINEMAKER'S BLEND RIESLING 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#24133) (M) - $22.95  90 pts  wine review
• NATIV GRECO DI TUFO 2018 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (#13640) (D) - $23.95  90+ pts  wine review
• CRAGGY RANGE TE MUNA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Martinborough, North Island, New Zealand (#466011) (XD) - $27.95

Rosé Wine:

• HENRI GAILLARD ROSÉ 2019 - AP Côtes de Provence, France (#450825) (XD) - $18.95

Sparkling Wine:

• TAWSE SPARK LIMESTONE RIDGE ORGANIC SPARKLING RIESLING 2017 - Traditional method, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#370361) (XD) - $20.95

Dessert Wine:

• CAVE SPRING RIESLING ICEWINE 2017 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#447441) (S) (375 mL) - $49.95

Fortified:

• KOPKE 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - Matured in wood, DOP, Portugal (#14049) (S) (375 mL) - $17.95