April 15, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: California Cabernet

Here are my top wine picks from the April 15, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection that is titled "California Cab" and also includes the monthly selection of Online & Flagship Exclusives. It's a good sized release with nearly 100 wines and also has quite a few nice buys, with white wines playing a more prominent role as we head into warmer weather.

However, we begin with the feature on California Cabernet. There are only eight wines as part of the theme, all more than $20, and while there are some delicious among the bunch, only the Napa Valley Cab - which is actually composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot - is included among my top California Cabernet Sauvignon wine recommendations.

Red wine picks that are blends from the rest of the release start in Rhône with the Vacqueyras consisting of Grenache and Syrah, and the Côtes du Rhône-Villages that is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. The only other blend is from Portugal and it consists of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), and Touriga Francesa. Single varietal wines include a Sangiovese from Chianti Classico DOCG, a pair of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Argentina, a Cabernet Franc from Niagara, a Xinomavro from Greece, and a Carignan from 70 year-old vines in Chile.

Among my top white wine picks, the only blend is the Soave from Veneto that is made with 85% Garganega and 15% Trebbiano di Soave. For Sauvignon Blanc wine lovers there are a pair of excellent wines from Sancerre, as well as a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, and one that is locally crafted in Niagara. To explore other varieties off the beaten track, try the Ribolla Gialla from Friuli, or the Malagouzia from Greece. For Riesling wine lovers, from most to least sweet are the wines from Mosel, Okanagan, and Niagara. Lastly, the Champagne consists of 59% Chardonnay and 41% Pinot Noir.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• BISQUERTT FAMILY VINEYARDS CRAZY ROWS CARIGNAN 2020 - Sustainable, DO Valle del Maule, Chile (#30217) (XD) - $16.95
• JOSÉ MARIA DA FONSECA DOMINI 2019 - DOP Douro, Portugal (#452730) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• ANDRÉ BRUNEL CUVÉE SABRINE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2019 - AC, France (#538496) (XD) - $18.95
• MARYNISSEN CABERNET FRANC 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#23973) (XD) - $18.95
• ZUCCARDI Q CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Sustainable, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#28078) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TRAPICHE MEDALLA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Mendoza, Argentina (#568865) (XD) - $21.95  90 pts  wine review
• CASTELLI DEL GREVEPESA CLEMENTE VII RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - Sustainable, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#643205) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• ALPHA ESTATE HEDGEHOG SINGLE VINEYARD XINOMAVRO 2020 - Vegan, PDO Amyndeon, Greece (#259762) (XD) - $26.95
• DOMAINE DE L'OISELET VACQUEYRAS 2017 - AP, Rhône, France (#537951) (XD) - $29.95
• ST. SUPÉRY ESTATE BOTTLED CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#423822) (XD) - $72.95

White Wine:

• FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89011) (XD) - $17.95
• SANTA CAROLINA GRAN RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2019 - Sustainable, carbon neutral, DO Valle de Itata, Chile (#928580) (XD) - $18.95  88+ pts  wine review
• VIDUSSI RIBOLLA GIALLA 2021 - DOP Collio, Friuli, Italy (#27624) (XD) - $19.95
• ALPHA ESTATE TURTLES SINGLE VINEYARD MALAGOUZIA 2022 - Vegan, PGI Florina, Greece (#32161) (XD) - $19.95
• PIEROPAN SOAVE CLASSICO 2020 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#946848) (XD) - $21.95
• SOUTHERN RIGHT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Sustainable, WO Cape Coast, South Africa (#512277) (XD) - $23.95  FE
• STUDERT-PRÜM WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2019 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#114777) (S) - $28.95  FE
• CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING 2019 - Sustainable, Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#566026) (D) - $31.95  93 pts  wine review
• SPERLING VINEYARDS OLD VINES RIESLING 2019 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#361204) (M) - $34.95
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LES CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#65573) (XD) - $35.95  93 pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2021 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $37.95  92+ pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• G.H. MARTEL VICTOIRE GOLD EDITION FÛT DE CHÊNE BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2012 - AC, France (#25967) (XD) - $99.95  FE