Oct. 27 LCBO Wine Picks: 2009 Bordeaux

The next Vintages release will be in LCBO outlets across Ontario on Saturday, October 27. The main feature in this release is on the critically-acclaimed 2009 Bordeaux vintage - once hailed as the "Vintage of the Century".

However, looking at the 16 red Bordeaux wines in this release, I was a little underwhelmed with the offerings - I was expecting greatness! I was more impressed with the two white Bordeauxs. The Château Toumilon - made using 60% Semillion and 40% Sauvignon Blanc, and the Château de Cruzeau - which is 100% Sauvignon Blanc are both outstanding. Among the reds, the Lestruelle is a good introduction to the vintage, consisting of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Château Sénéjac is (likely) a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

The secondary feature in this release is on small, boutique wineries from California. Not surprisingly, they all come in at rather high price points. If money is no object, grab a few bottles of the Juslyn Spring Mountain Cab Sauv and open one every 5 years.

From the rest of the release, the Hecht & Bannier Minervois consists of mostly Syrah, some Grenache, and drops of Carignan. The Fattoi is, of course, 100% Sangiovese.

Among my white wine picks, the Simonnet-Febvre is, of course, 100% Chardonnay. Also, consider getting both the Preiss-Zimmer and the Dr. Loosen Rieslings and taste them side-by-side. Both are similar in sweetness levels, as the German wine is just off-dry (unusual for Mosel Rieslings) and would allow for a good comparison between these two fine Riesling wine regions.

Enjoy my picks for this week! Cheers!


Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU LESTRUELLE 2009 - AC Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#295840) (XD) - $18.95
• TRAPICHE FINCAS LAS PALMAS MALBEC 2007 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#186668) (XD) - $17.95
• CANEPA FINÍSIMO GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 - Marchigüe, Colchagua Valley, Chile (#211920) (XD) - $17.95
• HECHT & BANNIER MINERVOIS 2010 - AC, Midi, France (#017764) (XD) - $19.95
• GRA² GRACIANO 2010 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#190819) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU SÉNÉJAC 2009 - AC Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#193177) (XD) - $28.85
• FATTOI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#033498) (XD) - $34.95
• JUSLYN SPRING MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#289868) (XD) - $139.95

White Wine:

• PREISS-ZIMMER VIEILLES VIGNES RIESLING 2008 - AC Alsace, France (#292193) (D) - $18.95
• SIMONNET-FEBVRE CHABLIS 2010 - AC, Burgundy, France (#041780) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU TOUMILON BLANC 2009 - AC Graves, Bordeaux, France (#314864) (XD) - $16.95
• DR. LOOSEN RED SLATE RIESLING DRY 2011 - Qualitätswein, Mosel, Germany (#295923) (D) - $19.95
• MIKE WEIR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#686972) (XD) - $14.95
• CHÂTEAU DE CRUZEAU BLANC 2009 - AC Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France (#966010) (XD) - $27.95

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