August 5, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online & Flagship Exclusives

Here are my top wine picks from the August 5, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. This is the final release of its kind for the year, where the entire release is only available online and at Flagship stores. There are 39 wines included in the release and 13 are among my top wine picks. All of the wine should be available for purchase by this Saturday.

There is only one blend, albeit barely, among my top red wine recommendations - a Gigondas that is composed of 95% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre. Single varietal wines include a fine Pinot Noir from Oregon, while the others are made up of Bordeaux varietals. There are a couple of lovely Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one each from Washington and McLaren Vale, as well as a Cabernet Franc from Niagara, and lastly, a Merlot from Friuli.

Among my top white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. Both Sauvignon Blanc wines are unique, with the version from Niagara fermented and aged in concrete, while the version from New Zealand was fermented and aged in oak vessels. The Assyrtiko from Greece was also fermented and aged in French oak barrels. Other dry white wines include a Chardonnay from Niagara, as well as a Torrontés from Argentina. If you enjoy some sweetness in your wines, you will want to get the Riesling or Pinot Gris - both are from New Zealand.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• BORGO CONVENTI MERLOT 2020 - DOC Collio, Friuli, Italy (#32492) (XD) - $24.95
• HASELGROVE PROTECTOR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#30849) (XD) - $32.95
• KACABA CABERNET FRANC 2019 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#272146) (XD) - $33.15  89 pts  wine review
• DELILLE MÉTIER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Columbia Valley, Washington, USA (#32496) (XD) - $39.95  91 pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON GIGONDAS 2019 - AP, Rhône, France (#31698) (XD) - $44.95
• CRISTOM VINEYARDS MT. JEFFERSON CUVÉE PINOT NOIR 2021 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#940882) (XD) - $63.95  92 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• HIDDEN BENCH BÉTON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Rosomel Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#33552) (XD) - $27.95  90+ pts  wine review
  
• NANNY GOAT DRY RIESLING 2019 - Single vineyard, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand (#25836) (MD) - $28.95
• EL ESTECO 1945 OLD VINES TORRONTÉS 2022 - Valles Calchaquíes, Argentina (#10695) (XD) - $31.95
• CLOUDSLEY TWENTY MILE BENCH CHARDONNAY 2020 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#16093) (XD) - $34.95
• VILLA MARIA SEDDON PINOT GRIS 2021 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#32199) (M) - $39.95
• SPY VALLEY ENVOY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Sustainable, Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#429308) (XD) - $39.95  92 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE SIGALAS SANTORINI ASSYRTIKO 2021 - Barrel fermented, PDO Santorini, Greece (#33163) (XD) - $67.95  92+ pts  wine review