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Tuesday, February 18, 2020

February 22, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Wintry Reds

LCBO Wine Picks: February 22, 2020 VINTAGES Release

The February 22, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release is basically another mono-thematic Release, focusing on red wines for winter drinking, while the feature on local talent looks award-winning wines from Ontario. All of these wines, plus those from the main Release will be on VINTAGES shelves at LCBO outlets across Ontario by this Saturday.

Of the thirteen wines featured as part of the Wintry Red Wines theme, four wines are included among my top wine picks. First up is a lovely Syrah (that includes trace amounts of Mourvèdre and Viognier) from South Africa. From Australia, there is a very nice old vines GSM blend that consists of 65% Grenache, 26% Shiraz, and 12% Mourvèdre, as well as a straight-up Shiraz from McLaren Vale. Lastly, there is a nice blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tannat from Uruguay.

Torbreck Old Vines Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre 2017 (90 pts)

Sister's Run Epiphany Shiraz 2017 (88 pts)

Garzón Estate Cabernet Franc/Tannat 2017 (89 pts)

The feature on local talent focuses on four award-winning wines from Ontario, three of which are included among my top wine picks. All three are gold medal winners at either one of the local competitions - the National Wine Awards of Canada or the Ontario Wine Awards. First up is a lovely Icewine made with Gewürztraminer - a grape not commonly used for making Icewine, but can make some brilliant Icewines with distinctive characters. There is also a lovely, perennially award-winning Niagara Chardonnay, as well as a brilliant Traditional Method Sparkling Rosé that is made with 100% Pinot Noir.

Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2017 (91 pts)

Megalomaniac Bubblehead Sparkling Rosé (91 pts)

Lakeview Cellars Gewürztraminer Icewine 2017 (90 pts)

From my top red wine recommendations from this Release, blends include the latest vintage of the consistently delicious Château Saint-Roch Chimères, which consists of 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 5% Carignan, while the Bordeaux red is a blend of 54% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot. Highlights from the single varietal red wines includes the Vista Flores Malbec which is also the Wine of the Month, as well as a lovely Nebbiolo and the Brunello di Montalcino that is made with 100% Sangiovese.

Château Saint-Roch Chimères 2017 (89 pts)

Zuccardi Apelación Vista Flores Malbec 2017 (91 pts)

Enrico Serafino Picotener Nebbiolo 2017 (91 pts)

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2013 (92 pts)

Among my top white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. There are a pair of lovely Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand - one is clearly of higher quality than the other, but both are delicious, and it would be interesting to compare each other side-by-side while also including the Sancerre (which is also made with Sauvignon Blanc) in the tasting. Other white wines include a Falanghina from Campania, a Verdicchio from Marche, and a Chardonnay from Australia. For sweet wine lovers, the Mosel Riesling is your best bet, although it does veer towards a slightly dry finish.

Janare Senete Falanghina del Sannio 2017 (90+ pts)

Fontevecchia Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2017 (88 pts)

Clemens Busch Nonnengarten Pündericher Ortswein Riesling 2016 (91 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

GARZÓN ESTATE CABERNET FRANC/TANNAT 2017 - Uruguay (#12651) (XD) - $16.95 89 pts wine review
SISTER'S RUN EPIPHANY SHIRAZ 2017 - Epiphany Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia (#269464) (XD) - $17.95 88 pts wine review
VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2017 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#57513) (XD) - $17.95 89 pts wine review
SALENTEIN RESERVE MALBEC 2017 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#640854) (XD) - $17.95 89 pts wine review
NOBLE HILL SYRAH 2016 - WO Simonsberg-Paarl, South Africa (#12686) (XD) - $18.95 90 pts wine review
CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES 2017 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
MONTERRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#12835) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
CHÂTEAU DU BREUIL 2014 - AC Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#633081) (XD) - $24.95 90 pts wine review
TORBRECK OLD VINES GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2017 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#10223) (XD) - $24.95 90 pts wine review
ZUCCARDI APELACIÓN VISTA FLORES MALBEC 2017 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#11770) (XD) - $24.95 91 pts wine review
ENRICO SERAFINO PICOTENER NEBBIOLO 2017 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#12736) (XD) - $38.95 91 pts wine review
IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#551176) (XD) - $72.95 92 pts wine review

Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenère 2017 (89 pts)

Monterra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (89 pts)

White Wine:

FONTEVECCHIA VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2017 - DOC, Marche, Italy (#11140) (XD) - $14.95 88 pts wine review
BELLINGHAM HOMESTEAD SERIES THE OLD ORCHARDS CHENIN BLANC 2018 - WO Paarl, South Africa (#484055) (XD) - $17.95
MUD HOUSE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#190454) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
JANARE SENETE FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO 2017 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#556787) (XD) - $19.95 90+ pts wine review
XANADU DJL CHARDONNAY 2018 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#12653) (XD) - $24.95 89 pts wine review
GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95 91 pts wine review
HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#68817) (XD) - $29.95 91 pts wine review
JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2018 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $30.95
CLEMENS BUSCH NONNENGARTEN PÜNDERICHER ORTSWEIN RIESLING 2016 - VDP, Mosel, Germany (#13247) (M) - $37.95 91 pts wine review

Sparkling Wine:

MEGALOMANIAC BUBBLEHEAD SPARKLING ROSÉ - Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#363655) (D) - $34.95 91 pts wine review

Dessert Wine:

LAKEVIEW CELLARS GEWÜRZTRAMINER ICEWINE 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#547703) (S) (200 mL) - $34.95 90 pts wine review

Fortified:

BURMESTER 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#223958) (S) - $29.95 91 pts wine review

Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port (91 pts)

February 8, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Sun, Soil & Soaring Heights

LCBO Wine Picks: February 8, 2020 VINTAGES Release

The upcoming February 8, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release is yet another mono-thematic Release, but this time focuses on the exciting topic of how the Sun, Soil, and Soaring Heights shapes the wines we love and enjoy. All the wines from the theme, as well as of the rest of the Release will be on shelves by this Saturday.

The first concept from the theme is the topic of elevation and how it affects the grapes. Planting vineyards at higher altitudes allows the grapes to grow at cooler temperatures with increased diurnal variation, and provides excellent drainage. Cooler temperatures and high diurnal variation allows the grapes to slow down the ripening process and preserve it's natural acidity - which in turn provides freshness in wines. There are five wines featured as part of this concept and three are included among my top wine picks. The Riserva Chianti Classico is a blend of mostly Sangiovese that was grown at 300 metres altitude. From 360 to 540 metres elevation, the Douro red is a blend 70% Touriga Nacional and 30% Aragonez/Tinta Roriz. Lastly, the Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio off the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna is grown at 550 to 700 metres above sea level.

Tornatore Nerello Mascalese/Nerello Cappuccio 2017 (91 pts)

Carpineto Riserva Chianti Classico 2015 (90 pts)

Casca Mountain Vineyards 1808 Reserva 2016 (89 pts)

The second concept looks at the proximity of a vineyard to a bodies of water. Warm climates such as those found in South Africa and Chile, among other places, can grow high-quality cool-climate varietals such as Chardonnay and Syrah due to the cooling breezes and fog generated by the nearby oceans. Rivers can help moderate temperatures by reflecting sunlight back into the vineyard, which in turn increases sun exposure and helps with the grape ripening process. Of the five wines listed as part of this concept, a couple of fine examples include a Syrah from Chile and a Chardonnay from South Africa.

Casa Silva Lolol Gran Terroir de la Costa Syrah 2016 (90 pts)

For the third concept, the focus is on exposure to the sun - the driving force behind grape growing. Too much sun, and wines can become overripe, while too little sun and the grapes lack flavour, among other things. Vineyards grown on mountains, hillsides, and valleys create dynamic mesoclimates, resulting in some grapes getting more sun exposure than others. Winemakers can then use grapes from various locations - obtaining fruit characters from one location and blending with the power and concentration from another location. Two of the five wines from this concept are among my wine recommendations - a lovely Gigondas which is a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah, and a medium sweet Riesling from Niagara.

Pierre Amadieu Domaine Grand Romane Cuvée Prestige Vieilles Vignes Gigondas 2017 (92 pts)

The fourth and final concept looks at how dirt affects the wines. The makeup of the vineyard soil is critical to the flavour and quality of the wine. Depth, fertility (the poorer the better), drainage, texture, and composition are just some of the many facets of soil and how it impacts wine growing. One of the most important aspects of the soil is how difficult a vine's roots need to work through the soil to get nutrients and water - the harder it needs to work, the higher the quality of the wine. The concept of minerality also comes in to play here. Two of the four wines featured here are recommended - a lovely Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) from silex soils, and a nice Chablis (Chardonnay) from Kimmeridgian limestone soils.

Château de Fontaine-Audon Sancerre 2018 (90 pts)

François Martenot Les Marouettes Chablis 2018 (89 pts)

Top red wine picks from the rest of the Release include a pair of lovely Malbec wines that would be great to compare and taste side-by-side. From Languedoc there are a pair of Grenache-Syrah blends - the Puech-Haut is a blend of 55% Grenache and 45% Syrah, while the Domaine des Vals is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah that was raised entirely in concrete tanks. Lastly, if you want to go off the beaten path, try the Cirò wine from Calabria that is made with the Gagliappo varietal.

Catena Lunlunta Old Vines Appellation Malbec 2017 (91 pts)

TintoNegro Limestone Block Malbec 2015 (89 pts)

Puech-Haut Prestige Saint-Drézéry 2017 (90 pts)

Domaine des Vals Corbières 2017 (88 pts)

Tenuta Iuzzolini Cirò Rosso Classico 2017 (87 pts)

Among my sparkling wine picks, the Champagne is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, while the Brut Rosé is a blend of 54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release!