December 16, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Bubbles

Happy Holidays! Here's my top wine picks from the last release of the year! The theme surrounding the December 16 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection is titled "Bubbles" and focuses on sparkling wines for the holidays. There are 92 wines in the release, a bit on the small side compared to recent releases, with southern Rhône wines showing well among my picks. All the wines in this release should be available in stores across Ontario by this Saturday!

We'll begin with the theme on sparkling wines, and of the fourteen bubblies included as part of the theme, just three are among my top sparkling wine picks. At the top of the heap are a pair of Vintage Champagnes, both 2015, with the Nicolas Feuillatte composed of 100% Pinot Noir, while the Veuve Clicquot is an Essentials product, and it is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 20% Meunier. On the more wallet-friendly side, we have a lovely Cava from Spain that is crafted with 75% Macabeo and 25% Chardonnay.

Southern Rhone blends lead the way among my red wine recommendations, and at the top of the list is a lovely, organic Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is made with 13 varieties - 50% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Cinsault, Clairette, 5% Bourboulenc, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, Counoise, Terret, Roussanne, Picpoul, and Picardan. The Lirac red is composed of 50% Grenache Noir, 15% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 10% Carignan, and 10% Mourvèdre, while the Costières de Nîmes red is a blend of 85% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and 5% Mourvèdre. Lastly, the Côtes du Rhône is crafted with 85% Grenache, 10% Shiraz, and 5% Mourvèdre. Other blends include the Chilean red from Maipo Valley that is composed with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Carmenere, while the Argentine Malbec includes 6% Petit Verdot. The last blend is the Super Tuscan that is crafted with 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot. Some of the mono-varietal wines include the Morgon, which is made with Gamay, while the Barolo is crafted with Nebbiolo.

Among my white wine picks, there are only two wines that are blends - the wine from Greece is a blend of 90% Assyrtiko, 5% Athiri, and 5% Aidani, while the Rhône white was aged in barrels and is composed of 60% Roussanne, 25% Viognier, and 15% Grenache Blanc. Mono-varietal wines include a pair of Chardonnays - a Chablis 1er Cru from Burgundy and one from South Africa, as well as a pair of Sauvignon Blancs - one from Loire and the other is from New Zealand, while the last dry white wine is a Pecorino from Abruzzo in Italy. If you fancy something a little on the sweet side, look at the Riesling from Niagara.

Again, this is the last release of the year, so you'll want to stock up from this release or some other recent release for any holiday gatherings. Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release and have a safe & happy holiday!

Red Wine:

• SANTA EMA 60/40 BARREL RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON / CARMENÈRE 2021 - Sustainable, DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#34606) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• HALOS DE JUPITER CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2021 - AC, France (#276956) (XD) - $18.95
• ARBOLEDA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Vegan, DO Valle del Aconcagua, Chile (#606764) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE MALBEC 2021 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#79798) (XD) - $20.95  89 pts  wine review
• LOUIS AÎNÉ & FILS MORGON 2022 - AP, Beaujolais, France (#35464) (XD) - $22.95
• WAKEFIELD JARAMAN SHIRAZ 2021 - Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, South Australia (#377036) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DE NAGES JT 2020 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#736876) (XD) - $29.95
• CHÂTEAU DE MONTFAUCON BARON LOUIS LIRAC 2018 - AP, Rhône, France (#13438) (XD) - $32.95
• TENUTA SETTE PONTI CROGNOLO 2020 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#727636) (XD) - $34.95
• CHÂTEAU MAUCOIL PRIVILÈGE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2020 - AC, Rhône, France (#16210) (XD) - $62.95  94 pts  wine review
• RENATO RATTI MARCENASCO BAROLO 2019 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#713479) (XD) - $75.95

White Wine:

• LE BONHEUR CHARDONNAY 2022 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#20970) (XD) - $17.95
• FERZO ABRUZZO PECORINO SUPERIORE 2022 - DOP, Abruzzo, Italy (#573683) (XD) - $17.95
• MEGALOMANIAC NARCISSIST RIESLING 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#67587) (D) - $19.95
• TWO RIVERS CONVERGENCE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#277707) (XD) - $22.95
• ATLANTIS DRY WHITE 2022 - Greece (#371658) (XD) - $22.95  90+ pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DE NAGES JT WHITE 2021 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#485854) (XD) - $29.95
• JEAN PABIOT ET FILS DOMAINE DES FINES CAILLOTTES POUILLY-FUMÉ 2022 - Sustainable, AP, Loire, France (#695908) (XD) - $34.95
• LA CHABLISIENNE GRANDE CUVÉE CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2021 - AC, Burgundy, France (#685222) (XD) - $54.95

Sparkling Wine:

• SEGURA VIUDAS HEREDAD RESERVA BRUT CAVA - Traditional method, DO, Penedès, Spain (#558825) (D) - $39.95  92 pts  wine review
• NICOLAS FEUILLATTE BLANC DE NOIRS GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE 2015 - AC, Chouilly, France (#18130) (D) - $92.95
• VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN BRUT VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE 2015 - AC, France (#508614) (XD) - $120.95

Fortified Wine:

• HIDALGO FARAON OLOROSO SHERRY - DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry, Spain (#471078) (XD) (500 mL) - $23.95  91+ pts  wine review