November 19, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Finest Holiday Wines

Here's my top wine picks from the November 19 LCBO VINTAGES Release. The theme of the release is titled "Gifts to Celebrate: Our Finest Holiday Wines" and basically continues the theme from the last release - fine holiday wines for gift-giving or yourself, with prices further moving into the premium scale with each passing release. Also in this release are many wines available only at Flagship Exclusive (FE) locations and online at lcbo.com. On the whole, it's another outstanding (and large) release with many lovely options.

From the feature on the "Finest Holiday Wines", many of the twenty-five wines listed in the feature could be considered recommended buys, but I have limited myself to six recommendations - all red wines. We start in Italy with the Amarone that is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara, while the Riserva Chianti Classico is an 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. Lastly, the beautiful Barolo is crafted with Nebbiolo. From the Pessac-Léognan appellation in Bordeaux is a lovely red that is made with 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. On the local front, the Terroir Caché is a blend of 46% Merlot, 31% Malbec, and 23% Cabernet Franc, as well as a Pinot Noir, both from Niagara.

Other top red wine picks from this release includes a Rhône red that is a blend of primarily Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support, while the Bordeaux red from the Montagne-Saint-Émilion appellation is an 80/20 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. From Chile, the Vitrum consists of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, 9% Cabernet Franc, 8% Carmenère, 4% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot, while the Portuguese red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Sousao. Last, but not least, the Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County is actually a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Petite Sirah, and 1% Syrah.

Among my dry white wine recommendations, the only blend is the wine from Napa Valley that consists of 76% Sauvignon Blanc and 24% Semillon. The Chablis is crafted with Chardonnay, while the Muscadet is made with Melon de Bourgogne, and the rest of the white wines should be self-explanatory.

For sweet wine lovers, there is a nice selection of wines that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Starting at the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) end of the spectrum is a Riesling from Niagara and a Pinot Gris from Alsace. Semi-sweet wines include a blend of Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Falanghina from Campania and a Riesling Kabinett from Mosel. The very sweet wines are a Riesling Auslese from Mosel, a lovely Gewürztraminer Icewine from Niagara, and a 2010 Sauternes from Bordeaux that is a blend of 80% Sémillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Muscadelle.

Enjoy my fine wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ABAD DOM BUENO LADERAS DEL NORTE MENCIA 2019 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#244699) (XD) - $15.95
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2020 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
  
• CASTELLI DEL GREVEPESA CLEMENTE VII CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#421388) (XD) - $18.95  88+ pts  wine review
  
• PÉREZ CRUZ LIMITED EDITION CABERNET FRANC 2019 - DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#10591) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU GUILLOU 2018 - AC Montagne-Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France (#140483) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• QUADRUS RED 2016 - DOP Douro, Portugal (#440305) (XD) - $23.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHOCALAN VITRUM BLEND 2019 - Sustainable, DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#25640) (XD) - $25.95  92 pts  wine review

• BRANCAIA RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#260802) (XD) - $41.95
• HIDDEN BENCH TERROIR CACHÉ 2018 - Unfiltered, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#505610) (XD) - $44.95
• LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS PINOT NOIR 2020 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#184564) (XD) - $47.95
• CHÂTEAU LA GARDE 2015 - AC Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France (#191163) (XD) - $52.95  92 pts  wine review
• AURELIO SETTIMO ROCCHE DELL'ANNUNZIATA BAROLO 2017 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#293761) (XD) - $54.95  94 pts  wine review
• OBSIDIAN RIDGE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Obsidian Ridge Vineyard, Red Hills, Lake County, California, USA (#544940) (XD) - $58.95  FE
• MASI MAZZANO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2013 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#597476) (XD) - $135.95

White Wine:

• ZACHARIAS MOSCHOFILERO 2021 - PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#548222) (XD) - $13.95
• DOMAINE DU HAUT BOURG MUSCADET CÔTES DE GRANDLIEU 2019 - Sur lie, AP, Loire, France (#426619) (XD) - $18.95
• CAVE SPRING ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2019 - Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#256552) (XD) - $19.95
• 13TH STREET JUNE'S VINEYARD RIESLING 2020 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#147512) (D) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• PIERRE SPARR MAMBOURG PINOT GRIS 2019 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, France (#686451) (D) - $26.95  FE
• NATIV SUADENS BIANCO 2020 - IGT Campania, Italy (#577767) (M) - $27.95  91 pts  wine review
  
• REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT SCHARZHOFBERGER FEINHERB SAAR RIESLING KABINETT 2019 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#25716) (M) - $29.95  FE
• CHRISTOPHE PATRICE BEAUREGARD CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2021 - AC, Burgundy, France (#14872) (XD) - $43.95  FE
• INGLENOOK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Estate bottled, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California, USA (#17090) (XD) - $52.95  FE  91+ pts  wine review
• MARKUS MOLITOR WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING AUSLESE*** 2018 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#25715) (S) - $149.95  FE
  

Dessert Wine:

• LAKEVIEW CELLARS GEWÜRZTRAMINER ICEWINE 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#547703) (S) (200 mL) - $34.95  92+ pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU LA TOUR BLANCHE 2010 - AC Sauternes 1er Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France (#28719) (S) (350mL) - $62.95  FE