Mar. 2 Wine Picks: California Trends

The next LCBO Vintages wine release will be in stores on Saturday, March 2. The main feature in this release is on the latest trends in California - which includes experimenting with new varietals, regions, and eco-friendly initiatives.

From this part of the release, we begin with the Bonterra Pinot Noir. It's difficult to find a Pinot under $20 from anywhere, nevermind a quality version from California that's made with certified organically grown grapes from Mendocino County, like this one from Bonterra Vineyards.

From Paso Robles - one of the fastest growing wine regions in California - we have an extra-dry (XD) white wine from Vina Robles that's blended with 4 varietals, only one (Sauvignon Blanc) of which is widely planted in California. It consists of 29% Viognier, 28% Verdelho, 27% Sauvignon Blanc, and 16% Vermentino.

The third and final pick from California is the Chalone Estate Chardonnay from the Chalone AVA in Central Coast. Chalone Vineyard is the only winery within this American Viticultural Area (AVA). It sits up high in the mountains within the Monterey County region and has a unique climate. You can read more about this unique area on the winery's website.

A minor feature in this release focuses on native grapes in Central and Southern Italy. The Selvanova Vigna Antica Aglianico from Campania (the "shin" of the Italy) is my lone pick and it's one to open right away. This varietal was originally brought to the region from Greece and thrived during Roman times. It was called Ellenico (the Italian word for "Greek") until the 15th century, when it acquired it's current name.

From the rest of the release, the Chilean Tabalí Reserva is a blend of 74% Syrah, 14% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Marqués de Cáceres from Spain, at 9 years old and ready to drink now or could be cellared for at least another 5 years, is composed of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano/Garnacha Tinta. From the fantastic 2009 Bordeaux vintage, we have the Château la Vieille Cure that consists of 74% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Enjoy my picks for this week! Cheers!


Red Wine:

• SELVANOVA VIGNA ANTICA AGLIANICO 2009 - IGP Terre del Volturno, Campania, Italy (#313494) (D) - $15.95
• NIETO SENETINER GRAN RESERVA MALBEC/PETIT VERDOT 2010 - Mendoza, Argentina (#295170) (XD) - $17.95
• BONTERRA PINOT NOIR 2010 - Mendocino County, California, USA (#317685) (XD) - $19.95
• ROLF BINDER MA I? HAVE THIS EVENING SHIRAZ/MATARO 2009 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#295899) (D) - $19.95
• TABALÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL 2009 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#107540) (XD) - $22.95
• MALIVOIRE STOUCK CABERNET MERLOT 2010 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Ontario, Canada (#321836) (D) - $29.95
• MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES GRAN RESERVA 2004 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#976670) (XD) - $29.95
• CHÂTEAU LA VIEILLE CURE 2009 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#191452) (XD) - $36.85

White Wine:

• JEAN GEILER MÉDAILLÉ PINOT BLANC 2011 - AC Alsace, France (#315101) (XD) - $14.95
• VINA ROBLES WHITE 4 2010 - Paso Robles, California, USA (#313460) (XD) - $18.95
• TE AWA CHARDONNAY 2010 - Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#301135) (D) - $18.95
• SOUTHBROOK VINEYARDS TRIOMPHE CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#172338) (D) - $21.95
• CHALONE ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2010 - Chalone AVA, Monterey County, Central Coast, California, USA (#080226) (XD) - $29.95

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