July 10, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: BBQ + Cool-Climate Chardonnay

As we head into the sizzling heat of the summer, the main theme of the July 10, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on all-purpose BBQ wines that will appeal to many tastes and budgets, while in the mini-theme we cool off with the annual Cool-Climate Chardonnay selection. All of these wines, including those from the main release should be on shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme on BBQ wines, of which six of the eighteen wines featured are among my top wine picks, with all three colours represented. The white wines are an organic Vernaccia from Tuscany and a barrel-fermented Chardonnay from Sonoma. The red wines are a Brunello di Montalcino made with 100% Sangiovese, and a consistently delicious Malbec from Argentina. The pink wines include a rosé from Spain that is made with 100% old-vine Garnacha, while the other rosé is from Coteaux d'Aix en Provence and consists of 60% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 5% Syrah.

From the mini-theme on Cool-Climate Chardonnay wines, two of the eleven wines featured are included among my top Chardonnay recommendations. Both of these delightful white wines are $25 and come from Niagara.

At the top of my red wine picks is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault, and the rest a mix of other red and wine varieties. Also from Rhône is the Lirac that consists of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre, while the Côtes du Rhône is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah. The last wine from France is the Madiran which consists of 60% Tannat and 40% Cabernet Franc. From Portugal, the Douro red is mainly Touriga Nacional with Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and Souzão in support, while the Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.

Among my white wine recommendations, the Vinho Verde is a blend of mainly Alvarinho with Trajadura in support, while the Rioja Blanco is a barrel-fermented blend of 70% Viura and 30% Maturana Blanca. From France, the Rhône white is a blend of roughly 70% Viognier and the rest equal parts Grenache Blanc and Clairette, while the Roussillon white is mainly Grenache Blanc with 20% Roussanne making up the final blend. Single varietal wines include a fine Chardonnay from Oregon, and an high-altitude Sauvignon Blanc from Argentina. The only wine with some sweetness is the off-dry Riesling Kabinett from Mosel.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• JERZU MARGHIA CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA 2018 - DOC, Sardinia, Italy (#508630) (XD) - $17.95
• SEAWARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Sustainable, WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#19577) (XD) - $17.95
• HALOS DE JUPITER CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2019 - AC, France (#276956) (XD) - $18.95
• PLANTAGENET THREE LIONS SHIRAZ 2017 - Great Southern, Western Australia (#18482) (XD) - $19.95
• ZUCCARDI Q MALBEC 2019 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#723478) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• QUADRUS RED 2015 - DOP Douro, Portugal (#440305) (XD) - $22.95
• CHÂTEAU PEYROS VIEILLES VIGNES MADIRAN 2016 - AC, South West, France (#234997) (XD) - $23.95  91 pts  wine review
• ALAIN JAUME CLOS DE SIXTE LIRAC 2016 - AC, Rhône, France (#76349) (XD) - $26.95
• VANDERPUMP CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#20176) (XD) - $49.95  92 pts  wine review
• IL GRAPPOLO SASSOCHETO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#550038) (XD) - $56.95
• CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#711317) (XD) - $93.95
  

White Wine:

• MURALHAS DE MONÇÃO VINHO VERDE 2020 - Monção e Melgaço, DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal (#80374) (XD) - $15.95
• ALTOSUR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Estate grown and bottled, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#19385) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• OLIVIER & LAFONT CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2019 - AC, France (#18646) (XD) - $16.95
• SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON GRENACHE BLANC / ROUSSANNE 2019 - AP, Midi, France (#175232) (XD) - $17.95
• SAN DONATO DI FRENZI VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#17827) (XD) - $17.95
• NIVARIUS LIMITED EDITION BLANCO 2016 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#15591) (XD) - $21.95
• LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20455) (XD) - $24.95
• 2027 CELLARS WISMER VINEYARD FOXCROFT BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#421362) (XD) - $24.95
• SOKOL BLOSSER DUNDEE HILLS ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2018 - Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#16988) (XD) - $28.95  91+ pts  wine review
• VANDERPUMP SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY 2018 - Estate grown, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#18636) (XD) - $37.95  91 pts  wine review
• SELBACH-OSTER ZELTINGER HIMMELREICH RIESLING KABINETT HALBTROCKEN 2018 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#18922) (D) - $34.95  FE
  

Rosé Wine:

• IZADI LARROSA GARNACHA ROSÉ 2020 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#490961) (XD) - $16.95  88+ pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L'ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2020 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#319392) (XD) - $19.95
• VILLA AIX EN PROVENCE ROSÉ 2020 - AP Coteaux d'Aix en Provence, France (#668426) (XD) - $19.95
  

Sparkling Wine:

• VILMART ET CIE GRANDE RÉSERVE 1ER CRU CHAMPAGNE - AC, Champagne, France (#12619) (XD) - $72.95  FE  92 pts  wine review