June 21 LCBO Wine Picks: Grape Expectations + Canada Day

As I write this from sunny California after having spent the better part of Monday touring and tasting in Napa, back home, the next LCBO Vintages release will be on shelves on Saturday, June 21. This edition is titled "Grape Expectations" and focuses on 17 grapes and where they are grown best. This is broken down into two parts - 9 grapes which were transplanted from their original home and now thriving outside its homeland, and 8 other grapes that currently thrive in just a single wine region in the world. The second focus of the release are Canadian wines for Canada Day.

For Canada Day, the rosé from Tawse would make an excellent sipper. It is off-dry (slightly sweet) and likely contains some Cab Franc and Pinot Noir. Not from the Canada Day feature but locally made is the Norman Hardie Riesling that blends grapes from both Niagara and Prince Edward County.

Riesling is one of the 9 grapes that thrive in multiple regions, and the Norman Hardie Riesling is one of the two wines featured. Ontario is the newbie on the wine scene and makes some great Riesling, while Riesling dates back to at least the year 1435 in Germany. The Riesling Kabinett from Schloss Schönborn is fabulous! Both of these wines are off-dry.

Crisp, dry, white wine lover's will want to look to Chenin Blanc. It's original home is in Loire, specifically in Vouvray. In the new world, Chenin Blanc has made a name for itself in South Africa.

Syrah is most prominent in Rhône, and Shiraz is grown widely in Australia - they are the same grape, in case you didn't know. Styles tend to differ between the two regions. and even though the version from Saltram is a Shiraz, it is more like a Syrah.

Other grapes that were featured include Sauvignon Blanc from Loire and New Zealand, Chardonnay from Burgundy, California and Ontario, Pinot Noir from Burgundy and New Zealand, Malbec from Southwest France and Argentina, Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux and California, and Primitivo/Zinfandel (again, same grape, different name) from Puglia (Italy) and California. Keep this in mind the next time you're shopping for wine.

Grapes that excel in just a single wine region include Bonarda in Argentina, Nebbiolo in Piedmont (Italy), and Tempranillo in Spain. Each of these grapes made my wine picks below.

From the rest of the release, the Château Canteloup is from the great 2010 Bordeaux vintage and consists of 55% Merlot and 45% Cab Sauv, while the Rhône wine from La Ferme du Mont is a Grenache-led blend that returns to Vintages $3 higher than last year. There are also a pair of Italian wines made using some relatively obscure grape varieties. From Piedmont, the Malvirà Roero is made using 100% Arneis, while the Poggio Al Tufo is made with 100% Alicante Boushet. And finally, the dry rosé wine from Provence is a blend of Cinsault and Grenache.

That's it for my wine recommendations for this week. Enjoy!


Red Wine:

• VINECOL ORGANIC BONARDA 2013 - Mendoza, Argentina (#375493) (XD) - $15.95
• CHÂTEAU CANTELOUP 2010 - AC Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#243923) (XD) - $16.95
• ERCAVIO TEMPRANILLO ROBLE 2011 - Vino de La Tierra de Castillia, Spain (#067504) (XD) - $16.95
• MURIEL VENDIMIA SELECCIONADA RESERVA 2008 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#276030) (XD) - $19.95
• LA FERME DU MONT LE PONNANT CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2011 - Unfiltered, AP, Rhone, France (#171371) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• MALVIRÀ ROERO 2009 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#368472) (XD) - $19.95
• POGGIO AL TUFO ALICANTE 2010 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#070797) (XD) - $19.95
• MAGPIE ESTATE THE SACK SHIRAZ 2010 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#094078) (XD) - $21.95
• STONELEIGH LATITUDE PINOT NOIR 2012 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#325654) (XD) - $25.95  reviewed here
• PAOLO CONTERNO RIVA DEL BRIC BAROLO 2009 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#172783) (XD) - $42.95
• CAPANNA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2008 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#378513) (XD) - $48.95

White Wine:

• CAPE POINT VINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012 - WO Cape Point, South Africa (#285221) (XD) - $15.95
• CHATEAU OLLWILLER CLOS DE LA TOURELLE PINOT BLANC 2009 - AC Alsace, France (#377788) (D) - $16.95
• ALPHA ESTATE AXIA MALAGOUZIA 2012 - PGI Florina, Greece (#371666) (XD) - $17.95
• DR. HERMANN ÜRZIGER WÜRZGARTEN RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2007 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#313528) (M) - $18.95
• VINCENT ET JULIEN RAIMBAULT BEL AIR VOUVRAY 2012 - AC, Loire, France (#205468) (XD) - $19.95
• NORMAN HARDIE RIESLING 2012 - VQA Ontario, Canada (#131169) (D) - $21.00  reviewed here
• SCHLOSS SCHÖNBORN ERBACHER MARCOBRUNN RIESLING KABINETT 2008 - Prädikatswein, Rheingau, Germany (#928861) (D) - $21.95  reviewed here

Rosé Wine:

• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA ROSÉ 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#172643) (D) - $15.95
• CHÂTEAU LA MASCARONNE QUAT’SAISONS ROSÉ 2013 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#375634) (XD) - $19.95

Fortified:

• SIGNATURE VIN DOUX NATUREL RASTEAU 2009 - AC, Rhône, France (#371740) (S) (500 mL) - $24.95

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