May 12 VINTAGES Wine Picks: California Legends + Rosés

The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be out in stores on May 12, and the main "attraction" in this release are California Legends starring Cab, Zin and Chard. However, as is the par for Cali wines in Ontario, many are over-priced and out of budget. However, the Ravenswood Zin is a "star" in this release and worth checking out.

The secondary attraction in this release is on Rosé wines and features 11 wines of various different styles, from dry to off-dry, and made using many different varietal combinations. The Mas des Bressades is made in a dry style using Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, while the dry Carpineto is made using Sangiovese and Canaiolo. The off-dry Ontario versions from Fielding Estate is a blend of Cab Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah, while the Featherstone is made up of almost 50/50 Gamay and Cab Franc.

Among the rest of the release, Morgon is made using Gamay, the Cinghiale is a blend of Syrah, Cab France, Merlot and Petit Verdot, while Vouvray is made with currently trending varietal Chenin Blanc. If you want something sweet, definitely check out the Yalumba Muscat.

When you head into the LCBO this Saturday, you may notice updates to shelf tags. Among other things, the sugar code levels (0, 1, 2, 3, etc...) have been replaced with XD, D, M, MS, S (i.e. Extra Dry, Dry, Medium, Medium-Sweet or Sweet) and indicate the perceived sweetness level of any wine. These sweetness levels are always indicated for wine picks and reviews found on my blog, and now also fall in line with the rest of the world. Alongside this you will also find the actual sugar content, which may or may not affect your decision to purchase a particular bottle of wine. Enjoy shopping on Saturday!


Red Wine:

• MONTES ALPHA CARMENÈRE 2009 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#143230) (XD) - $19.95
• RAVENSWOOD OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2009 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#673798) (D) - $23.95
• GEORGES DUBOEUF DOMAINE MONT CHAVY MORGON 2010 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#276477) (D) - $17.95
• GRAFFIGNA GRAND RESERVE MALBEC 2008 - Pedernal Valley, San Juan, Argentina (#162149) (D) - $16.95
• CAMPO DI SASSO INSOGLIO DEL CINGHIALE 2010 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#277012) (D) - $29.95

White Wine:

• ANGELS GATE MOUNTAINVIEW CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#116384) (D) - $18.95
• MONMOUSSEAU VOUVRAY 2010 - AC, Loire, France (#271940) (D) - $14.95
• GEIL BECHTHEIMER ROSENGARTEN RIESLING KABINETT 2011 - Prädikatswein, Rheinhessen, Germany (#994764) (MD) - $14.95
• PENINSULA RIDGE BEAL VINEYARDS INOX RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2010 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#007328) (D) - $18.95
• TALBOTT LOGAN ESTATE SLEEPY HOLLOW VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2009 - Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County, California, USA (#716290) (D) - $26.95

Rosé Wine:

• MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE TRADITION ROSÉ 2011 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#950576) (XD) - $13.95
• FEATHERSTONE ROSÉ 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#117861) (D) - $14.95
• FIELDING ESTATE ROSÉ 2011 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#053421) (D) - $15.95
• CARPINETO ROSATO 2011 - IGT Toscana, Tuscany, Italy (#699934) (XD) - $12.95

Dessert Wine:

• YALUMBA MUSEUM RESERVE MUSCAT - South Eastern Australia (#963488) (S) (375 mL) - $24.95

The rest of the wines from this release can be found here.