May 30, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Australia

The May 30, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release is another mono-thematic Release and features top wines from the land down under - Australia. All of these wines, including those from the Main Release will be on shelves at the top 100 LCBO stores across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme on top wines from Awesome Australia. There are 14 wines featured as part of this theme and 5 are included among my top wine picks. Of course, we all know about Australian Shiraz - and there is one Shiraz (which is also the Wine of the Month) recommended from this Release - but it was quite nice to see a diverse range of other varietals and styles also featured from the Land Down Under, although notably absent are any wines from Tasmania. White wines recommended from Australia in this Release include a fine Chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula, and a Hunter Valley Semillon. Red wine picks from Australia include a Bush Vine Grenache and a lovely single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Red wine recommendations from the rest of the Release include a pair of budget-friendly Portuguese reds - the Dão red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, and Tinta Roriz, while the Douro red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. From Italy, the Ripasso is a blend of mainly Corvina, with Rondinella, Corvinone, and Oseleta in support, while the lovely Spanish Rioja is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta, and 5% Mazuelo. High-end single varietal wines include a Barolo made with Nebbiolo, and an organic Brunello that is made with 100% Sangiovese.

Among my white wine picks, the only a blend is a barrel-fermented white from South Africa that consists of 74% Chenin Blanc, 8% Clairette Blanche, 6% Grenache Blanc, 7% Viognier, 2% Semillon Gris, 2% Viura, and 1% Verdelho. The rest are all single varietal wines such as a trio Sauvignon Blanc wines and a Chardonnay. There is also a nice wine made with the indigenous Coda di Volpe varietal from Campania. For sweet wine lovers, try both Rieslings from Niagara as they are made by the same producer, and if you like very sweet wines, the Riesling Spätlese from Germany will suit your palate.

Arriving with this Release is the much welcomed warm weather, and with that comes a slew of rosé wines. Three rosé wines are among my wine recommendations and all are of the dry variety. The rosé from Niagara is a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 27% Gamay, and 8% Pinot Noir. From France, the Tavel is consists of mostly Grenache Noir with Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, Bourboulenc, Carignan, and Clairette completing the blend, while the rosé from Provence is a blend of Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache, and Merlot.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers and be well!

Red Wine:

• PEDRA CANCELA WINEMAKER SELECTION RED 2016 - DO Dão, Portugal (#14438) (XD) - $13.95
• QUINTA DA REDE RESERVA 2015 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#431742) (XD) - $17.95
• DURIGUTTI CABERNET FRANC 2017 - Mendoza, Argentina (#14916) (XD) - $18.95
• SHANAHANS THE OLD DOG SHIRAZ 2016 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#13030) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• PROVOLO CAMPOTORBIAN RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2013 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#974402) (D) - $19.95
• RIOJA BORDÓN RESERVA 2013 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#194753) (XD) - $20.95  89 pts  wine review
• YALUMBA SAMUEL'S COLLECTION BUSH VINE GRENACHE 2018 - Barossa, South Australia (#531228) (XD) - $24.95
• NUGAN ESTATE ALCIRA VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#393686) (D) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• CLOSSON CHASE CHURCHSIDE PINOT NOIR 2017 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#265074) (XD) - $39.95  FE
• FONTANAFREDDA SERRALUNGA D'ALBA BAROLO 2015 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#943290) (XD) - $49.95  91 pts  wine review
• COL D'ORCIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2014 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#306852) (XD) - $53.95  91 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• IL POGGIO TABURNO SANNIO CODA DI VOLPE 2018 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#14270) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• VIDAL ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12636) (XD) - $19.95
• REDSTONE LIMESTONE VINEYARD SOUTH RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#381251) (M) - $19.95
• ERRÁZURIZ ACONCAGUA COSTA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - DO Aconcagua Costa, Chile (#462614) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TAWSE LIMESTONE RIDGE-NORTH ESTATE BOTTLED RIESLING 2017 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#431593) (M) - $21.95
• WITHER HILLS RARANGI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Single vineyard, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#551721) (XD) - $22.95
• STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2018 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#114777) (S) - $24.95  FE
• BROKENWOOD SEMILLON 2018 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#657726) (XD) - $27.95
• MONTALTO PENNON HILL CHARDONNAY 2018 - Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia (#12694) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• MULLINEUX OLD VINES WHITE 2019 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#556597) (XD) - $37.95  FE
• KISTLER LES NOISETIERS CHARDONNAY 2018 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#251223) (XD) - $101.95

Rosé Wine:

• MALIVOIRE LADYBUG ROSÉ 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#559088) (XD) - $16.95
• DOMAINE MABY LA FORCADIÈRE TAVEL ROSÉ 2019 - AC, Rhône, France (#701318) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE DE TRIENNES ROSÉ 2019 - IGP Méditerranée, Provence, France (#409771) (XD) - $19.95

Sparkling Wine:

• BLUE MOUNTAIN GOLD LABEL BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional method, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#206326) (XD) - $34.95  90 pts  wine review