August 21, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Mediterranean + Taste Wine Like Pros

With 159 wines listed, the upcoming August 21, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release is a big one. And just like the last Release, there are number of wines listed as a VINTAGES Online Exclusive (VOE) which are only mentioned and available for purchase on LCBO.com. The main theme of this Release tours the wines of the Mediterranean, while the mini-theme is titled "Taste Wine Like a Pro". All of the wines (except the VOEs, of course) should be on shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with a tour across the Mediterranean, which includes wines from Italy, Southern France, and Spain. Of the 15 wines featured, the majority of which are from France, 4 are included among my top wine picks. From France, there is a lovely Bandol Rosé that is composed of 50% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, and 25% Mourvèdre, while the Roussillon is an unoaked Carignan from 70+ year old vines. The other two wines are from Italy - one is a lovely Nero d'Avola from Sicily, while the other is an unoaked red made with the indigenous Gaglioppo varietal from Calabria.

The mini-theme on "Taste Wine Like a Pro" offers some useful tips if you are a relative newcomer to wine and want to learn how to taste wine. In addition to what is mentioned in the magazine, I would pay particular attention to the temperature of the wines being served, including the reds. Of the 10 wines list in this feature, 3 are included among my top wine recommendations. First up is a Traditional Method Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé that is made with 75% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, and 10% Gamay. In still wines, there is the Rapaura Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and the Muga which is a barrel fermented blend of Viura, Garnacha Blanca, and Malvasía de Rioja.

From my red wine recommendations, there are a pair of Côtes du Rhônes - the LAVAU is the blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, while the Dauphins consists of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. At the higher-end of the price scale, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 40% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 18% Mourvèdre, and 7% Cinsault. while the Tuscan red is 100% Sangiovese. Lastly, both reds from Argentina are 100% Malbec.

Although not listed below, there's also a fine quartet of sub-$20 red wines that I previously enjoyed and returned to VINTAGES in this release. These wines are: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (90 pts), Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenère 2019 (89 pts), Salentein Reserve Malbec 2018 (89 pts), and Château Hauchat 2018 (88+ pts).

Among my white wine picks, at the top of the list is a 2012 Crianza that was barrel-aged for 4 years and made with 100% Viura. The Argentinean white is a blend of 60% Semillón and 40% Chenin Blanc, while the dry Alsatian wine consists of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, and Sylvaner. The Viognier from California is actually a blend of 83% Viognier, 6.7% Chardonnay, 5% Gewurztraminer, and 5.3% Muscat. The rest of the white wines are single varietals, and if you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, there are three others in addition to the one mentioned above that would make for an interesting comparative tasting. Lastly, the pale-coloured dry rosé from Argentina is (surprisingly!) made with 100% Syrah.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ALBERT BICHOT SÉLECTION PARCELLAIRE BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2018 - AC Beaujolais, France (#18781) (XD) - $13.95  88+ pts  wine review
• LAVAU CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#18783) (XD) - $14.95  89 pts  wine review
• CELLIER DES DAUPHINS RÉSERVE 2019 - AC Côtes du Rhône, France (#14081) (XD) - $16.95  88 pts  wine review
• LIBRANDI DUCA SANFELICE CIRÒ RISERVA ROSSO 2017 - DOC, Calabria, Italy (#695874) (XD) - $17.95  90+ pts  wine review
• SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA SYRAH 2018 - Valle del Limarí, Chile (#19236) (XD) - $17.95
• TESSELLAE VIEILLES VIGNES CARIGNAN 2018 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France (#343509) (XD) - $18.95
• CHAKANA ESTATE SELECTION MALBEC 2019 - Vegan, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#219261) (XD) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• ERRAZURIZ ACONCAGUA ALTO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - DO Valle del Aconcagua, Chile (#203364) (XD) - $21.95  90+ pts  wine review
• MATÍAS RICCITELLI TINTO DE LA CASA 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#19400) (XD) - $29.95
• FEUDO MACCARI SAIA NERO D'AVOLA 2017 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#128967) (XD) - $29.95
• CHÂTEAU LA NERTHE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2017 - AC, Rhone, France (#735407) (XD) - $59.95
• ISOLE E OLENA CEPPARELLO 2017 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#12818) (XD) - $128.95

White Wine:

• MUGA BARREL FERMENTED WHITE 2020 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#958736) (XD) - $17.95
• CLOSERIE DES ALISIERS BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY 2019 - AC Burgundy, France (#20911) (XD) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• HUGEL GENTIL 2019 - AC Alsace, France (#367284) (XD) - $18.95  VOE
• MONTPELLIER VIOGNIER 2020 - California, USA (#658138) (D) - $19.95  88 pts  wine review
• BODEGA GARZÓN MALDONADO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Garzón, Uruguay (#12678) (XD) - $19.95
• CATENA APPELLATION SERIES WHITE CLAY 2019 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#19392) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• RAPAURA SPRINGS RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#388421) (XD) - $23.95
• DOG POINT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#677450) (XD) - $27.95
• BROKENWOOD SEMILLON 2019 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#657726) (XD) - $27.95  FE
• LEYDA LOT 4 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Valle de Leyda, Chile (#18997) (XD) - $29.95
• R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA VIÑA GRAVONIA CRIANZA 2012 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#910711) (XD) - $44.95  FE

Rosé Wine:

• SALENTEIN RESERVE ROSÉ 2020 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#19555) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• LA CADIÉRENNE CUVÉE GRANDE TRADITION BANDOL ROSÉ 2020 - AC, Provence, France (#119453) (XD) - $24.95  91+ pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• PONGRÁCZ BRUT CAP CLASSIQUE SPARKLING CHARDONNAY/PINOT NOIR - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#404111) (XD) - $16.95  91 pts  wine review
• HENRI CHAMPLIAU BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE ROSÉ - Traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France (#20945) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review