May 10 Wine Picks: Twin Peaks + Germany + Rosé

The next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves across Ontario this Saturday, May 10th. There are 3 themes in this release, with the major theme focusing on wines from the Twin Peaks of South America - Chile and Argentina.

Chile is known for it's Carmenère, and is increasingly mastering other French varietals. Thus, it's no surprise that of the 7 Chilean wines featured in this release, three made my list of wine picks and include a Carmenère, an (oaked) Chardonnay, and a red blend (74% Syrah, 14% Merlot and 12% Cab Sauv) from Tabalí. The other half of the "Twin Peaks" release features 7 wines from Argentina, but just one made my list - a Malbec/Cab Sauv/Cab Franc blend from Ojo de Agua.

Another 7 wines represent the second feature in this release - wines from Germany. Those who prefer sweeter wines will want to pick up Max Ferdinand Richter's Riesling Kabinett. This Mosel winery was founded in 1680 and has continued to be owned and operated by the same family, now into its 10th generation. There may be another Riesling worth your attention, but I am awaiting a price confirmation before I recommend it, as there appears to be either a misprint or a huge price jump from prior vintages. Stay tuned.

And last, but definitely not least, there are a dozen Rosés to (finally!) welcome Spring. These dozen wines come from all parts of the globe and vary in sweetness from dry (not sweet) to medium (mid-sweet). The 5 that I've recommended are all dry, from the 2013 vintage, and from the southern part of France. Nearly all are returnees to Vintages. From Rhône, the Mas des Bressades is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, while the Tavel is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvèdre. From Languedoc is a Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah-blend Rosé that is capped with a glass stopper and comes in an eye-catching bottle that could potentially be held as a keep-sake. Lastly, the Château la Tour de l'Évêque is an organic wine consisting of 64% Grenache, 29% Cinsault, 4% Syrah, 2% Rolle and 1% Sémillon.

From the rest of the release, the Valdemar is 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 10% Maturana, while the Bordón is a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan). And finally, if you've never tasted a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, there is a very good version from Famille Perrin that's in a half-size bottle and makes the price-point for this Grenache/Mourvèdre/Syrah wine very approachable.

Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week. Cheers!


Red Wine:

• VALDEMAR INSPIRACIÓN SELECCIÓN 2010 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#166512) (XD) - $17.00
• OSCAR’S ESTATE VINEYARD SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2011 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#287961) (D) - $17.95
• VALLE SECRETO FIRST EDITION CARMENÈRE 2011 - Cachapoal Valley, Chile (#371153) (XD) - $18.95
• D’ANGELO AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE 2009 - DOC, Basilicata, Italy (#971689) (XD) - $18.95
• RIOJA BORDÓN RESERVA 2008 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#194753) (XD) - $19.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN LES SINARDS CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2011 - AC, Rhone, France (#005975) (XD) - (375 mL) $19.95
• OJO DE AGUA CUVÉE SPÉCIALE 2011 - Mendoza, Argentina (#359141) (XD) - $20.95
• TABALÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL 2009 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#107540) (XD) - $22.95
• MASI SEREGO ALIGHIERI VAIO ARMARON AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2006 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#462812) (XD) - $69.95

White Wine:

• FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2012 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#080234) (M) - $16.95
• THE NED PINOT GRIS 2013 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#267138) (XD) - $16.95  reviewed here
• PAUL MAS NICOLE VINEYARD VIOGNIER 2012 - Pays d’Oc IGP, Midi, France (#370098) (XD) - $17.95
• MAYCAS DEL LIMARÍ RESERVA ESPECIAL CHARDONNAY 2010 - Limarí Valley, Chile (#162040) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• MAX FERD. RICHTER WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING KABINETT 2007 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#998120) (M) - $20.95
• DOG POINT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#677450) (XD) - $23.95
• FLAT ROCK THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#001552) (XD) - $24.95

Rosé Wine:

• CHÂTEAU VAL JOANIS TRADITION SYRAH ROSÉ 2013 - AC Luberon, Rhône, France (#707281) (XD) - $15.95
• MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE TRADITION ROSÉ 2013 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#950576) (XD) - $15.95
• CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L’ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2013 - Hand harvested, AC Côtes de Provence, France (#319392) (XD) - $18.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN TAVEL ROSÉ 2013 - AC, Rhône, France (#680801) (XD) - $19.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND CÔTE DES ROSES ROSÉ 2013 - AP Languedoc, Midi, France (#373985) (XD) - $19.95

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