July 25, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Food-Friendly European + Patio Sippers

The main theme of the July 25, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on food-friendly wines from Europe, while the mini-theme features summer sipping wines for the patio. All of the wines will be on shelves across Ontario by Saturday, if not a few days earlier in some areas.

We begin with the main theme that looks at seven top European wine regions and their famous food traditions. Sixteen wines are featured as part of this theme, with wines coming fro Greece, Spain, Tuscany, Veneto, Bordeaux, Beaujolais. Just two wines from this feature are among my top wine picks. First up is a Sauternes from Bordeaux that can be enjoyed not only as an aperitif or with dessert, but also as part of your main course such as a roasted chicken. The Sauternes is a blend of roughly 70% Semillon, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Muscadelle. The second wine is an Albariño from Spain that will pair very well with a wide variety of Spanish tapas.

From the feature on patio-perfect wines for summer sipping, which are all under $20 consist of seven white, rosé, and sparkling wines, three are included among my wine recommendations. The sparkling wine of my choice is a delightfully dry Crémant d'Alsace that consists of 80% Pinot Blanc and 20% Pinot Auxerrois. The white wine is a Verdejo from Spain, while the rosé is a Tavel from Rhône that consists of Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.

My red wine picks take a bit of a global tour. We start in Lebanon with a blend that consists of 40% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. From Italy, the Brunello is made with Sangiovese, while the Côtes du Rhône-Villages from France is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. From Spain, the Rioja is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, and 5% Graciano. From California, there is a gorgeous Zinfandel from Seghesio - a leader in crafting wines from this varietal. There are also a pair of very nice Pinot Noir wines - one from Oregon and the other from New Zealand. Staying in the Southern Hemisphere, the Barossa from Australia is a blend of 51% Shiraz and 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Coonawarra is a straight up Cabernet Sauvignon. And finally, there are a pair of nice Malbec wines - one from Argentina and the other from Cahors in France.

Among my white wine picks, all are once again single varietal wines. The Muscadet from Loire is made with the Melon de Bourgogne grape. There are a few nice Sauvignon Blanc wines - a pair from New Zealand and one from Chile. The New Zealand Chardonnay is of the oaked style, while the Niagara Chardonnay is unoaked. For sweet wine lovers, the Riesling Auslese is the one to seek out, although it is a Flagship Exclusive (FE) and only available in limited quantities at a few select LCBO VINTAGES outlets.

There are also a pair of nice rosé wines worth your attention. The wine from Niagara is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, while the 2010 Spanish rosé is a blend of approximately 60% Grenache, 30% Tempranillo, and 10% Viura.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU KSARA RÉSERVE DU COUVENT 2017 - Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (#443721) (XD) - $16.95
• LE GRAVILLAS SÉGURET CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2017 - AC, France (#309260) (XD) - $18.95
• LIONEL OSMIN & CIE CAHORS MALBEC 2016 - AP Cahors, France (#247544) (XD) - $19.95
• PENLEY ESTATE PHOENIX CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#639575) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• EL ESTECO MALBEC 2017 - Calchaquí Valley, Argentina (#113191) (XD) - $21.95
• YALUMBA SAMUEL'S COLLECTION BAROSSA SHIRAZ/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Vegan, Barossa, South Australia (#12999) (XD) - $24.95
• NAUTILUS SOUTHERN VALLEYS PINOT NOIR 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#606913) (XD) - $29.95  90+ pts  wine review
• ELK COVE PINOT NOIR 2013 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#234534) (XD) - $37.95  90 pts  wine review
• SEGHESIO CORTINA ZINFANDEL 2016 - Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#200840) (XD) - $61.95  FE  92 pts  wine review
• TENUTA BUON TEMPO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#14856) (XD) - $65.00  FE
• GRANJA REMELLURI GRAN RESERVA 2011 - Labastida de Alava, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#548040) (XD) - $99.95  FE

White Wine:

• GARCIARÉVALO FINCA TRES OLMOS LIAS VERDEJO 2018 - Vegan, DO Rueda, Spain (#218354) (XD) - $13.95
• DOMAINE LA HAUTE FÉVRIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE 2018 - AC, Loire, France (#390625) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• LEYDA GARUMA SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - DO Leyda Valley, Chile (#99309) (XD) - $16.95  90 pts  wine review
• VIÑA CARTIN ALBARIÑO 2019 - DO Rias Baixas, Spain (#14057) (XD) - $18.95
• BABICH BLACK LABEL ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY 2018 - Sustainable, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#630558) (D) - $19.95
• CLOSSON CHASE K.J. WATSON VINEYARD PINOT GRIS 2018 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#469445) (XD) - $22.95
• WESTCOTT LILLIAS CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#425322) (XD) - $24.95
• DOG POINT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#677450) (XD) - $26.95  91 pts  wine review
• VILLA MARIA TAYLORS PASS SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#13901) (XD) - $29.95
• MARKUS MOLITOR BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE GREEN CAPSULE RIESLING AUSLESE 2016 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#15287) (MS) - $72.95  FE

Rosé Wine:

• ORGANIZED CRIME ROSÉ 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#16296) (D) - $16.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN TAVEL 2019 - AC, Rhône, France (#680801) (XD) - $19.95
• LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA GRAN RESERVA ROSÉ 2010 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#15781) (XD) - $41.95

Sparkling Wine:

• PIERRE SPARR RÉSERVE BRUT CRÉMANT D'ALSACE - Traditional method, AC, Alsace, France (#388603) (D) - $18.95  88+ pts  wine review
• ANTHONIJ RUPERT L'ORMARINS CAP CLASSIQUE BLANC DE BLANCS 2013 - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#15681) (D) - $24.95

Dessert Wine:

• CHÂTEAU LAMOTHE-GUIGNARD 2014 - AC Sauternes Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France (#12175) (S) (375 mL) - $27.95