April 29, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Classic European Regions

Here are my top wine picks from the April 29, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection which is titled "Fine Wines from Classic European Regions". Also included in the printed magazine is a sneak preview of the next release which will be the return of the monthly "Online & Flagship Exclusives" only release, with no associated in-store release. All of the wines from the last release of April should be in stores across Ontario by Saturday.

We begin with the theme on wines from classic European wine regions that features nineteen wines, of which eight are included among my top wine picks. Can you guess the eight classic European wine regions that span three countries featured in the theme? They are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire Valley, Rhône Valley, Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto, and Rioja. From France, the Rhône Valley wines are the Châteauneuf-du-Pape which is crafted with 58% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 18% Mourvèdre, and 2% other permitted varieties, while the Côtes du Rhône is mainly Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support. The white Burgundy from France is made with Chardonnay, while the white wine from Piedmont is made with the indigenous Cortese varietal. From Tuscany, the Chianti is a blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Colorino/Canaiolo, while the Cepparello Super Tuscan is 100% Sangiovese. From Veneto, the Amarone consists of 47% Corvina, 39% Corvinone, 6% Rondinella, and 8% other varieties. And lastly, the 2015 Rioja is a blend of Tempranillo and Graciano, while the 2018 Rioja which is also the Wine of the Month is crafted with 100% Tempranillo.

The only blend among my red wine recommendations from the main release is the Syrah from Chile that actually consists of 90% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Viognier. Otherwise, there is a nice variety of other red wines to check out, such as a pair of Cabernet Franc wines - one from Niagara and one from Argentina. There is also a Pinot Noir from Niagara, a Malbec from Argentina, and a Mencía from Bierzo in Spain.

Among my white wine picks, it was a somewhat surprisingly small release of white wines and all of my recommendations are mono-varietal wines. Dry white wines include a pair of Sauvignon Blanc wines - one from Chile and the other from New Zealand, as well as a Viognier from Australia, and the Riesling from Austria. If you like your wines a little sweet, the Riesling from Niagara is a perennial favourite!

Both rosé wine recommendations are dry in style and predominantly made with Grenache, with the Tavel composed of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Clairette, and 10% Cinsault, while the rose wine from California is Grenache-based and blended with Syrah and Carignan.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CAVE SPRING ESTATE GROWN CABERNET FRANC 2020 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#523001) (XD) - $19.95
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2020 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• LA POSTA FAZZIO MALBEC 2020 - Sustainable, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina (#444687) (XD) - $19.95
• MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES EXCELLENS CUVÉE ESPECIAL COLECCIÓN PRIVADA CRIANZA 2018 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#10684) (XD) - $19.95
• MONTES ALPHA SYRAH 2020 - DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#612) (XD) - $20.95
• FABRE MONTMAYOU RESERVA CABERNET FRANC 2021 - Mendoza, Argentina (#492736) (XD) - $21.95

• GIACOMO MORI CHIANTI 2018 - Palazzone, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#68858) (XD) - $23.95  91 pts  wine review
• PITTACUM VAL DE LA OSA MENCÍA 2017 - Old vines, enclave singular, DO Bierzo, Spain (#31200) (XD) - $28.95  91+ pts  wine review
• LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE PINOT NOIR 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#33894) (XD) - $29.95
• BARÓN DE LEY GRAN RESERVA 2015 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#642496) (XD) - $34.95  92+ pts  wine review
  
• DOMAINE DES SÉNÉCHAUX CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2019 - AC, Rhône, France (#677922) (XD) - $63.95
• BRIGALDARA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2017 - Sustainable, DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#300012) (XD) - $78.95
• ISOLE E OLENA CEPPARELLO 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#12818) (XD) - $159.95

White Wine:

• YALUMBA ORGANIC VIOGNIER 2021 - Vegan, sustainable, South Australia (#288217) (XD) - $16.95
• LEYDA GARUMA SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Coastal vineyards, DO Valle de Leyda, Chile (#99309) (XD) - $17.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89029) (M) - $19.95
• FONTANAFREDDA GAVI DI GAVI 2021 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#366948) (XD) - $23.95
• STADT KREMS STEINTERRASSEN RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, DAC Kremstal, Austria (#30595) (XD) - $24.95
• FRAMINGHAM SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#606848) (XD) - $24.95
• NICOLAS POTEL BOURGOGNE HAUTES CÔTES DE BEAUNE BLANC 2020 - AC, Burgundy, France (#29712) (XD) - $34.95

Rosé Wine:

• ANGELS & COWBOYS ROSÉ 2022 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#493155) (XD) - $24.95
• CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2022 - AP, Rhône, France (#319368) (XD) - $24.95