June 24, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Summer Sippers

After a few smallish releases to during spring, summer starts off with a bang in the June 24 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection with a whopping 164 wines arriving in stores across Ontario by this Saturday. The theme of the release is titled "Summery Wines for Alfresco Sipping", while also included in the printed magazine is a sneak preview of the July Online & Flagship Exclusives release.

We begin with the theme on summer sipping wines which consists of white, rosé, and sparkling wines. Of the twenty-one wines included as part of the theme, eight are among my top wine recommendations. Starting with the whites, there are a pair of excellent wines made with Sauvignon Blanc - one from Sancerre in Loire, and the other from New Zealand. There are also a couple of fine options from Niagara - a dry Pinot Gris and an off-dry (lightly sweet) Riesling, as well as a lovely, organic Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige in northern Italy. Both rosé wine recommendations from the theme are from Rhône, with the Luberon crafted with Syrah and Grenache, while the Tavel is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. Lastly, the sparkling wine from South Africa is composed of roughly equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Among my top red wine picks, we begin in Italy with the Super Tuscan that is a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot. Staying in Tuscany, there is a fine Chianti Classico Annata that is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 5% Syrah, followed by the Riserva Chianti Classico that is composed of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot. The last Italian blend is from Veneto and it is made with 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Rossignola / Oseleta / Negrara / Dindarella. The wine from South Africa is a blend of Syrah 74%, 10% Grenache, 8% Cinsault, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Viognier, while the Roussillon red is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. From Spain, the Montsant is a blend of 65% Garnacha, 15% Merlot, 10% Cariñena (Samsó), and 10% Syrah, while the Priorat is composed of equal parts Garnacha and Cariñena, plus 10% Merlot. Lastly, both Coppola wines from California are blends, with the Merlot adding 15% Petite Sirah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Zinfandel includes 13% Petite Sirah.

The only blend among my white wine picks from the rest of the release is the Bordeaux Blanc that is composed of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Sémillon. The other two white wines that are not part of the theme are a Chardonnay from Australia, and an Assyrtiko from Greece.

Among my rosé wine picks, the rosé from Niagara is a blend of 88% Pinot Noir, 6% Viognier, and 6% Chardonnay, while the rosé from Tuscany is composed of Sangiovese and Merlot. And lastly, the rosé from Sancerre is made with 100% Pinot Noir.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers to summer sipping!

Red Wine:

• MARQUÉS DE GRIÑON CLÁSICO 2018 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#30207) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TEDESCHI CAPITEL NICALÒ VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2020 - Sustainable, DOC, Veneto, Italy (#984997) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• POTENTE 2019 - DO Montsant, Spain (#10682) (XD) - $19.95
• BASTIDE MIRAFLORS SYRAH/VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE 2020 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#320499) (XD) - $19.95
• BOYA SYRAH 2019 - Sustainable, Coast Zone, DO Valle de Leyda, Chile (#30997) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• FRANCIS COPPOLA DIAMOND COLLECTION RED LABEL ZINFANDEL 2019 - California, USA (#708289) (D) - $24.95  88 pts  wine review
• FRANCIS COPPOLA DIAMOND COLLECTION BLUE LABEL MERLOT 2018 - California, USA (#595686) (XD) - $24.95  88+ pts  wine review
• WAKEFIELD JARAMAN SHIRAZ 2021 - Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, South Australia (#377036) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review

 

• SANGENÍS I VAQUÉ DARA 2019 - Unfiltered, DOQ Priorat, Spain (#31379) (XD) - $24.95
• ROCCA DELLE MACÌE FAMIGLIA ZINGARELLI RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#930966) (XD) - $25.95  90+ pts  wine review
• LUNA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2019 - Sustainable, Martinborough, North Island, New Zealand (#17544) (XD) - $27.95  91+ pts  wine review
• THE CHOCOLATE BLOCK 2021 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#129353) (XD) - $42.95
• MAGISTRATE GEM SERIES SPRING MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California, USA (#27449) (XD) - $50.00
• ISOLE E OLENA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#704346) (XD) - $44.95  93 pts  wine review
• ORENO 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#735597) (XD) - $103.95

White Wine:

• LES HAUTS DE LAGARDE BLANC 2021 - AC Bordeaux, France (#387787) (XD) - $18.95
• HENRY OF PELHAM THE DRY RIVER ESTATE RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#557165) (D) - $19.95
• KIR-YIANNI LE NORD ASSYRTIKO 2022 - Vegan, IGP Florina, Greece (#25707) (XD) - $19.95
• ALOIS LAGEDER TERRA ALPINA PINOT GRIGIO 2022 - IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Alto Adige, Italy (#681429) (XD) - $20.95  91 pts  wine review
  
• CLOSSON CHASE K.J. WATSON VINEYARD PINOT GRIS 2022 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#469445) (XD) - $24.00  90 pts  wine review
• WAKEFIELD JARAMAN CHARDONNAY 2021 - Adelaide Hills/Clare Valley, South Australia (#18921) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• VILLA MARIA TAYLORS PASS SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#13901) (XD) - $29.95
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE MARNES ET CAILLOTTES SANCERRE 2021 - AC, Loire, France (#196667) (XD) - $38.95  93 pts  wine review

Rosé Wine:

• RICASOLI ALBIA ROSÉ 2022 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#556266) (XD) - $18.95
• CHÂTEAU VAL-JOANIS TRADITION ROSÉ 2022 - AP Luberon, Rhône, France (#707281) (XD) - $20.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN TAVEL 2022 - AC, Rhône, France (#680801) (XD) - $22.95
• HIDDEN BENCH LOCUST LANE ROSÉ 2022 - Sustainable, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#68833) (XD) - $24.95  91+ pts  wine review
  
• JEAN-MAX ROGER LA GRANGE DÎMIÈRE SANCERRE ROSÉ 2022 - AC, Loire, France (#490813) (XD) - $31.95  91 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• PONGRÁCZ BRUT CAP CLASSIQUE SPARKLING CHARDONNAY/PINOT NOIR - Sustainable, traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#404111) (XD) - $17.95  91 pts  wine review