January 6, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Smart Buys

Happy New Year! Here's my top wine picks from the first release of the year - the January 6, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. As has been the case for many years now, the first release of the year is the annual Smart Buys release, where the vast majority of wines are priced under $20, and in this case, nearly 80% of the wines are under $25. This release also includes some Online & Flagship Exclusive (FE) wines, and everything will be available for purchase by this Saturday.

We begin with wines from the Smart Buys theme, and of the twenty-five wines featured, seven are included among my top wine picks, and six of these are actually white wines. The lone blend among the whites is from Greece, and it is a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Malagousia, and 20% Robola. There is a nice variety of mono-varietal white wines, beginning with a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, a Muscadet made with Melon de Bourgogne, a Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige in northern Italy, a Verdicchio from Marche, and a dry-ish Riesling from Australia. The only Smart Buy among the reds is the Côtes du Rhône-Villages, which is composed of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, and 2% other permitted varieties.

There two blends among my red wine recommendations - the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which consists of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and 5% Muscardin, and the Amarone which is composed of 80% Corvina Veronese and 20% Rondinella. The mono-varietal red wines begin in Italy with the organic Brunello di Montalcino that is crafted with Sangiovese, as well as the Nebbiolo from Piedmont. There are also a trio of Australian wines - a Cabernet Sauvignon and a pair of Shiraz wines. Lastly, there is a Malbec from Argentina, and a lovely 2013 Syrah from South Africa.

Since most of my white wine picks are from the thematic, there are only two other white wines included among my recommendations - a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and a Pecorino from Italy.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• SHANAHANS THE OLD DOG SHIRAZ 2021 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#13030) (XD) - $16.95
• WAKEFIELD ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Limestone Coast / Clare Valley, South Australia (#744235) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TAPIZ ALTA COLLECTION MALBEC 2020 - Sustainable, San Pablo Vineyard, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#450155) (XD) - $19.95
• SIDEWOOD SHIRAZ 2020 - Adelaide Hills, South Australia (#446146) (XD) - $19.95
• LA NERTHE LES CASSAGNES CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2020 - AP, Rhône, France (#494674) (XD) - $25.95
• RENATO RATTI OCHETTI NEBBIOLO 2021 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#475913) (XD) - $31.95
• DOMAINE CHANTE-PERDRIX CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#121723) (XD) - $46.95
• AVONDALE SAMSARA SYRAH 2013 - Sustainable, WO Paarl, South Africa (#32935) (XD) - $47.95  FE
• BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA VALPANTENA 2020 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#568741) (D) - $57.95  93 pts  wine review
• COL D'ORCIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#306852) (XD) - $59.95  94 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• CHÂTEAU DE LA GRANGE VIEILLES VIGNES CÔTES DE GRAND LIEU MUSCADET 2021 - Sur lie, AP, Loire, France (#637868) (XD) - $13.95
• YALUMBA THE Y SERIES RIESLING 2021 - Vegan, South Australia (#32555) (XD) - $14.95
• SUTIL RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Vegan, sustainable, Central Valley, Chile (#35965) (XD) - $15.95  89 pts  wine review
• HATZIMICHALIS ALFEGA WHITE 2022 - PGI Valley of Atalanti, Greece (#33255) (XD) - $15.95  90+ pts  wine review
• FONTEVECCHIA VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2022 - DOC, Marche, Italy (#11140) (XD) - $16.95
• DE ANGELIS CAMPO DI MARTE OFFIDA PECORINO 2022 - DOCG, Marche, Italy (#577734) (XD) - $16.95
• MOUNTADAM FIVE-FIFTY CHARDONNAY 2020 - Eden Valley, South Australia (#22984) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• PETER ZEMMER PINOT GRIGIO 2022 - DOC Alto Adige, Italy (#95802) (XD) - $18.95
• RIVER FARM SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#32547) (XD) - $21.95