October 8, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Italy

Happy Thanksgiving! Here are my top wine picks from the October 8, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release where the main feature of the release looks at wines from Italy's beloved wine regions. All of these wines, including those from the main release should be on shelves at LCBO outlets across Ontario by now.

We begin with the feature on wines from Italy. At the top of the list is an excellent Amarone that is crafted with Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. From Tuscany, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a composed of primarily Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) with Canaiolo and other permitted grape varietals completing the blend, while the Rubio is crafted with 100% Sangiovese. There is a Barbaresco from Piedmont that is made with 100% Nebbiolo, as well as a maturing Aglianico from Campania. Lastly, there is a fine Etna Rosso from Sicily that is a blend of 85% Nerello Mascalese and 15% Nerello Cappuccio.

Among my top red wine picks from the rest of the release, we start with a lovely Riserva Chianti Classico from Italy that wasn't part of the feature and is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. For South of France wine lovers, the Ventoux from Rhône is a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre, while the Corbières is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, and lastly, the Roussillon red is a blend of Syrah and Grenache from 60+ year old vines. The only other blend is from the high-altitude Gualtallary district in Argentina that consists of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Malbec, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cab from California is, in fact, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Crianza is crafted with 100% Tempranillo.

The number of white wines in this release was rather small, as is fairly typical for VINTAGES Releases during the colder months. As such, there are only six white wine recommendations and all are single varietal wines. There are a couple of new world Chardonnays from the West Coast - one from California and the other from Washington, as well as a Viognier from Chile, and a Torrontés from Argentina. There is also a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa and a barely off-dry Riesling from Alsace.

Enjoy your long weekend with some of my top wine picks from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES SYRAH/GRENACHE 2019 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#195107) (XD) - $16.95
• XAVIER VIGNON VENTOUX 2019 - AP, Rhône, France (#413211) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU DE TRÉVIAC CORBIÈRES 2019 - AP, Languedoc, France (#670505) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES EXCELLENS CUVÉE ESPECIAL COLECCIÓN PRIVADA CRIANZA 2017 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#10684) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
• TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2020 - DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#57513) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review

• SAN POLO RUBIO 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#216275) (XD) - $22.95
• CATENA APPELLATION SAN CARLOS CABERNET FRANC 2019 - San Carlos, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#450106) (XD) - $22.95
• CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST SYRAH 2020 - VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#471797) (XD) - $25.00  91 pts  wine review
  
• DOUGH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - North Coast, California, USA (#20802) (XD) - $27.95  88+ pts  wine review
• MAZZEI SER LAPO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#288530) (XD)- $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• ANTICHI VINAI PETRALAVA ROSSO 2016 - DOC Etna, Sicily, Italy (#26257) (XD) - $27.95

• ALTA-YARÍ GRAN CORTE 2019 - Gualtallary, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#24894) (XD) - $29.95
• JANARE CANTARI RISERVA AGLIANICO 2014 - DOP Sannio, Campania, Italy (#26249) (XD) - $29.95
• CARPINETO RISERVA VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2017 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#368910) (XD) - $32.95
• NADA GIUSEPPE CASOT BARBARESCO 2019 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#456988) (XD) - $37.95
• MASI CAMPOLONGO DI TORBE AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2013 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#548677) (D) - $135.95
  

White Wine:

• SIEGEL SPECIAL RESERVE VIOGNIER 2021 - Sustainable, DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#13429) (XD) - $15.95
• THELEMA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Estate grown, WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#24245) (XD) - $16.95
• PFAFF CUVÉE JUPITER RIESLING 2020 - AP, Alsace, France (#25384) (D) - $18.95
• ALTA VISTA ESTATE PREMIUM TORRONTÉS 2020 - Cafayate, Salta, Argentina (#37127) (XD) - $18.95
• BORNE OF FIRE CHARDONNAY 2019 - The Burn, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA (#26511) (XD) - $24.95
• DOUGH CHARDONNAY 2019 - North Coast, California, USA (#25598) (XD) - $26.95  89 pts  wine review
  

Rosé Wine:

• TESSELLAE ROSÉ 2021 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France (#450817) (XD) - $16.95
• OTT BY.OTT ROSÉ 2021 - AP Côtes de Provence, France (#490896) (XD) - $33.95