February 18, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France

Here's my top wine picks from the February 18, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release. The theme of this release looks at wines from the top 10 wine regions in France. Also included in this release are the monthly selection of Online & Flagship Exclusives (FE) - wines that are available only online at lcbo.com and at flagship outlets. All of the wines should be available for purchase starting this Saturday.

We start with the theme on wines from 10 of France's wine regions, although noticeably absent from this list is Northern Rhône and Provence. In a new twist on the theme, the LCBO has included all of the French Online & Flagship Exclusives wines as part of the theme, bringing the total number of wines in the theme to eighteen, of which four are included among my top wine picks. We begin in the Southern Rhône Cru of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a red wine crafted with 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah. From Languedoc, this consistently delicious red is made with approx. 50% Syrah and the rest Grenache and Mourvèdre. Lastly, from Loire the Sancerre Rouge is crafted with Pinot Noir, while the Sancerre Blanc is made with Sauvignon Blanc.

Red wine picks from the rest of the release starts with a red blend from Washington that consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, as well as the Super Tuscan by Gaja that is a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah, and 10% Sangiovese. Also from Tuscany, the Zingari Super Tuscan is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot, while the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is crafted with 90-95% Sangiovese. Both wines from Veneto are blends, with the Amarone consisting of 59% Corvina, 21% Corvinone, 17% Rondinella, and 3% other permitted varieties, while the Ripasso is composed of 55% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella. The only other blend is from Argentina and it is in fact a blend of 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Malbec. Single varietal red wines include a lovely Tempranillo from Spain, as well aa a Pinot Noir from Niagara.

Among my white wine recommendations, all are single varietal wines. In addition to the Sancerre mentioned above, there are also a pair of Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand and Niagara. Other white wines include a Chardonnay from South Africa, a Moschofilero from Greece, and a Garganega from Veneto.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Salud!

Red Wine:

• ZINGARI 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#244228) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN 2020 - AC, Languedoc, France (#155804) (XD) - $19.95
• TRIUS DISTINCTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#25366) (XD) - $19.95
• ERRÁZURIZ ACONCAGUA ALTO CARMENÈRE 2020 - Vegan, DO Valle de Aconcagua, Chile (#546424) (XD) - $21.95
• OAK BAY PINOT NOIR 2020 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#267146) (XD) - $21.95
• BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE 2019 - Sustainable, DOC, Veneto, Italy (#16090) (XD) - $22.95
• EL ENEMIGO CABERNET FRANC 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#11813) (XD) - $26.95

 

• LEALTANZA GRAN RESERVA 2015 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#453548) (XD) - $30.95  92 pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LA GRANGE DÎMIÈRE SANCERRE ROUGE 2017 - AC, Loire, France (#539858) (XD) - $33.95  FE  91 pts  wine review
• POLIZIANO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#988055) (XD) - $34.95  92+ pts  wine review
• QUEENSTON MILE PINOT NOIR 2017 - Estate bottled, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#10138) (XD) - $40.00  FE  93 pts  wine review
• BRIGALDARA CAVOLO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2016 - Sustainable, DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#568766) (D) - $49.95
• HEDGES FAMILY ESTATE RED 2020 - Unfined, vegan, Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, Washington, USA (#1594) (XD) - $49.95  FE
• CHÂTEAU GIGOGNAN CLOS DU ROI CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2017 - AC, Rhône, France (#20937) (XD) - $54.95
• GAJA CA'MARCANDA PROMIS 2020 - IGP Toscana, Italy (#174334) (XD) - $65.95

White Wine:

• CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2021 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#328559) (XD) - $17.95
• TSELEPOS MOSCHOFILERO 2021 - PDO Mantinia, Greece (#724583) (XD) - $17.95
• TRIUS DISTINCTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#19379) (XD) - $19.95
• I CAMPI CAMPO BASE 2021 - Vegan, DOC Soave, Veneto, Italy (#27620) (XD) - $22.95
• JOSEPH MELLOT LA CHATELLENIE SANCERRE 2021 - AC, Loire, France (#525154) (XD) - $31.95
• VILLA MARIA SOUTHERN CLAYS SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#447474) (XD) - $34.95

Dessert Wine:

• ANSELMANN ORTEGA BEERENAUSLESE 2020 - Prädikatswein, Pfalz, Germany (#30597) (S) (375 mL) - $19.95

Fortified:

• WARRE'S QUINTA DA CAVADINHA VINTAGE PORT 2006 - DOP, Portugal (#189605) (S) - $59.95