September 10, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Local Love

As we leave Summer and head into the Fall and Winter gift-giving season, here are my top wine picks from the large September 10, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release. There are a whopping 173 wines in this release and theme focuses on the local wines from Ontario. With this release, the LCBO also returns to its normal bi-weekly in-store releases, and I am expecting large releases right through to the end of the year. All of the wines from this release should be available for purchase by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme that's titled "Local Love" and focuses on Ontario wines. Although there are quite a few nice wines among the nineteen featured in the thematic, just one is among my top wine picks - a lovely Cabernet Franc from Niagara.

As this is a big release, there are more than the usual number of red wine picks. We start in Rhône with a lovely Vacqueyras that is a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Mourvédre, while the Plan de Dieu is also a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The last wine from France is from Corbières in Languedoc and it's a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 15% Carignan. From Italy, the Sicilian red is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, while the Brunello di Montalcino is made with 100% Sangiovese, and the Chianti Cliassico is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. If you're seeking some top California Cabernet Sauvignon at the LCBO, you should get either the Napa Valley Cab which is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Syrah, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, or the Alexander Valley (Sonoma) Cab that consists of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Malbec. Lastly, the red wine from Spain is a blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell.

From my white wine recommendations, Sauvignon Blanc could well have been the mini-thematic of the release as there are many very nice Sauv Blanc wines in this release. Three Sauvignon Blanc wines are included among my picks, with a pair from it's classic home in Sancerre (Loire), while the third Sauv Blanc is from the New World in Chile. For Chardonnay wine lovers, there are a pair of lovely wines from the west coast - one from British Columbia and the other from Sonoma Coast. The Crianza from Rioja is a barrel-aged Viura. For those that prefer a pinch of sugar in their wines, there is a Pinot Gris from Oregon and a Riesling from Germany.

Among my dry rosé wine picks, the lovely $25 rosé from Tavel is a blend of mainly Grenache, Clairette, and Syrah, while the $20 Tavel rosé is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. The rosé from Languedoc is a blend of mainly Cinsault and Grenache, with Caladoc and Syrah in support.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU CAMPLONG GRANDE RÉSERVE CORBIÈRES 2020 - AP, Languedoc, France (#12990) (XD) - $13.95
• RÉMY FERBRAS TERRE DE MISTRAL PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2018 - AP, Rhône, France (#538009) (XD) - $15.95  89 pts  wine review
• FALERNIA GRAN RESERVA SYRAH 2017 - Valle del Elquí, Chile (#16793) (XD) - $16.95
• LAYA 2020 - Vegan, DOP Almansa, Spain (#132605) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• THE PARTY MALBEC 2020 - Vegan, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#24881) (XD) - $19.95
• TORNATORE ETNA ROSSO 2018 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#487090) (XD) - $24.95

• LAVAU VACQUEYRAS 2018 - AC, Rhône, France (#104927) (XD) - $26.95  92 pts  wine review
• TRINITY HILL MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#25802) (XD) - $28.95  90 pts  wine review
• TAWSE GROWERS BLEND CABERNET FRANC 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#284570) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• VOLPAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#953828) (XD) - $32.95
• TENUTE SILVIO NARDI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#922054) (XD) - $49.95
• SEQUOIA GROVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#60020) (XD) - $79.95  93 pts  wine review
• ARCHIMEDES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#431825) (XD) - $89.95

White Wine:

• DEL RIO VINEYARD ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2020 - Rogue Valley, Oregon, USA (#25110) (D) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• ARESTI TRISQUEL GRAN RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Sustainable, Valle de Leyda, Chile (#17611) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• DOMDECHANT WERNER GUTS-RIESLING TROCKEN 2019 - Rheingau, Germany (#25710) (D) - $19.95
• MULLINEUX GREAT HEART CHENIN BLANC 2021 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#24764) (XD) - $22.95
• MONTE CREEK LIVING LAND SERIES CHARDONNAY 2020 - BC VQA British Columbia, Canada (#25658) (XD) - $22.95  91 pts  wine review
• NALS MARGREID PUNGGL PINOT GRIGIO 2020 - DOC Südtirol - Alto Adige, Italy (#395756) (XD) - $28.95
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2019 - AC, Loire, France (#65573) (XD) - $31.95  92+ pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $32.95  92 pts  wine review
• R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA VIÑA GRAVONIA CRIANZA 2013 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#910711) (XD) - $48.95
• FLOWERS CHARDONNAY 2020 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#215210) (XD) - $59.95

Rosé Wine:

• LE BIJOU DE SOPHIE VALROSE ROSÉ 2021 - IGP Coteaux de Béziers, Languedoc, France (#20012) (XD) - $15.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN TAVEL 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#680801) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#319368) (XD) - $24.95  91+ pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• DRAPPIER BRUT NATURE PINOT NOIR CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#179275) (XD) - $68.95