September 5, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Smart Buys

Typically, the annual "Smart Buys" release is the first Release of the year, but in this weird and wacky calendar year, we have our second Smart Buys Release of 2020 as the main theme of the September 5, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release. Meanwhile, the mini-theme introduces us to a few Product Consultants and some of their insights. All of the wines from this Release should be on shelves by this Saturday, if not earlier.

We begin with the main theme featuring "Smart Buys", which features seventeen wines that are all under $25. The theme is broken up into three sections - "Low Price", "High Performance" a.k.a. high scoring, and "Popular" categories. Three of the seventeen are included among my top wine picks, and somewhat not surprisingly, all three come under the "High Performance" category. First up is the consistently delicious Riserva Chianti Classico that is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Colorino. There is also a Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina, as well as a medium-dry (i.e. somewhat sweet) Riesling from New Zealand.

From the mini-theme that introduces Product Consultants, there are eight wines featured and two are included among my wine recommendations. First up is the consistently high-quality, off-dry Riesling from Niagara, while the second wine is from the southern Rhône Cru of Vinsobres that is made using a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah.

Among my top red wines from this Release, it's the French wines that are blends. From Languedoc is an unoaked red made with Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah, while the Châteauneuf-du-Pape consists of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah. There are two fine Bordeaux reds worth your attention - at the low-end of the price range is a Fronsac that is 100% Merlot, while at the high-end is a Margaux that consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The Wine of the Month is an Australian Shiraz and is also a recommended buy.

From my white wine picks, there are quite a few nice Chardonnays - a pair from Burgundy, one from California, and one from Niagara. The Loire white is a Sauvignon Blanc, while the Rhône white is a blend of 50% Viognier and 50% Marsanne from vines that are more than 50 years old.

Among my rosé wine picks, all are dry roses. The roses from both Rhône and Provence are blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault, while the rose from Australia is a blend of Pinot Noir and Merlot.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CAMELEON ORGANIC CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#15079) (XD) - $15.95
• DOMAINE AUTRAND VINSOBRES 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#15451) (XD) - $17.95
• DOMAINE LA ROUGEANTE 2016 - AC Corbières, Languedoc, France (#15298) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE LAFAGE CUVÉE NICOLAS VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE NOIR 2018 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France (#354191) (D) - $19.95
• SAN PEDRO 1865 SELECTED VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - DO Maipo Valley, Chile (#37911) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU MAYNE-VIEIL 2016 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#14469) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
• ROCCA DELLE MACÌE FAMIGLIA ZINGARELLI RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2017 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#930966) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• TYRRELL'S HUNTER VALLEY SHIRAZ 2017 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#13990) (XD) - $24.95  90+ pts  wine review
• VASSE FELIX FILIUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#559872) (XD) - $24.95
• CHÂTEAU D'ARSAC 2015 - AC Margaux, Bordeaux, France (#14443) (XD) - $49.95  91 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE DE SAINT PAUL CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2015 - AC, Rhône, France (#15185) (XD) - $55.95

White Wine:

• DÉCELLE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES BLANC 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#14037) (XD) - $15.95
• LAFAZANIS GEOMETRIA MOSCHOFILERO 2018 - PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#15753) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
• CAVE DE LUGNY GRANDE RÉSERVE CHARDONNAY 2018 - AC Mâcon, Burgundy, France (#14743) (XD) - $19.95
• HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE RIESLING 2019 - Certified sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#557165) (D) - $19.95
• KAHURANGI MOUNT ARTHUR RESERVE RIESLING 2017 - Nelson, South Island, New Zealand (#14559) (M) - $23.95  89 pts  wine review
• JEAN-MARC BROCARD SAINTE CLAIRE CHABLIS 2018 - AC, Burgundy, France (#356634) (XD) - $28.95
• SAGET LA PERRIÈRE L'ORIGINE BLANC FUMÉ DE POUILLY 2018 - AC Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France (#15672) (XD) - $29.95
• CAMBRIA KATHERINE'S VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2017 - Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara, California, USA (#980490) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• BACHELDER WISMER WINGFIELD OUEST VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2017 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#520403) (XD) - $47.95  FE

Rosé Wine:

• MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE TRADITION ROSÉ 2019 - AP Costières-de-Nîmes, Rhône, France (#950576) (XD) - $18.95
• BLUE PYRENEES ESTATE BONE DRY ROSÉ 2019 - Victoria, Australia (#15272) (XD) - $18.95
• ASHLEY MARY LIMITED EDITION M DE MINUTY ROSÉ 2019 - AP Côtes de Provence, France (#575316) (XD) - $26.95

Sparkling Wine:

• AYALA CUVÉE PERLE D'AYALA BRUT NATURE CHAMPAGNE 2006 - AC, Champagne, France (#288340) (D) - $168.95  FE

Fortified:

• POÇAS COLHEITA PORT 2003 - DOP Douro, Portugal (#216424) (S) - $45.95