Oct. 25 LCBO Wine Picks: Tuscany + Chile

The next batch of wines from the upcoming LCBO VINTAGES release will be on shelves this Saturday, October 25th. Some stores actually put wines on shelves a few days earlier - keep this in mind as you begin your holiday shopping.

This release highlights so-called "Trophy Wines" from the old world region of Tuscany, while the secondary feature is on the rising wines from the new world region of Chile. There are some wines from each feature that are worth pursuing.

We'll begin in Tuscany, where 15 wines are featured (all reds) and 3 wines made my list of wine picks. The Chianti is mostly Sangiovese with 5% Colorino and 5% Canaiolo added, and is one you'll want to enjoy over the next couple of years. Both Brunellos are 100% Sangiovese and can be enjoyed over the next decade. Partly because it's 2 years older, the '07 Livio Sassetti Pertimali can be enjoyed now, while you'll want to wait a few years for the tannins in the '09 Poggiotondo to settle before opening.

Of 8 wines featured from Chile, I recommend 3 red wines. First up is the certified organic Emiliana Coyam that is a blend of 38% Syrah, 31% Carmenère, 19% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Mourvedre, and 1% Malbec. No Chilean list would be complete without a Carmenère, in this case a Single Vineyard version from Caliterra that also contains 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Syrah and made using sustainable viticultural practices. And lastly, there is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Morandé.

From the rest of the release, the Pirramimma Katunga GTS sounds like a fast car, but is really a big tannin, delicious red wine made with Grenache, Tannat and Syrah. A pair of Rhône blends are also worth your attention - the Bacchantes is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, while the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blen of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Cinsault and 5% Mourvèdre and can be enjoyed over the next decade.

Those wanting to explore the world of Chardonnay can seek out any of the 4 cool-climate Chardonnays from my wine recommendations below. The versions from Flat Rock and the Chablis from Domaine Hamelin are unoaked styles, while the versions from Le Clos Jordanne and Ramey are oaked, but show excellent balance between fruit and oak.

For those folks who prefer sweeter wines, check out the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Gewürztraminer from B.C. or the always delicious medium in sweetness Sketches Riesling from Niagara's Tawse Winery. Taking the sweetness level up a couple of notches is the Quady Elysium that's made using the Black Muscat grape and ideally suited for pairing with rich desserts.

Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week. Cheers!


Red Wine:

• CALITERRA TRIBUTO SINGLE VINEYARD CARMENÈRE 2011 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#56630) (XD) - $16.95
• DOMAINE DES BACCHANTES CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#380717) (XD) - $16.95
• MORANDÉ GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#389254) (XD) - $17.00  reviewed here
• ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2011 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#222810) (XD) - $17.00
• HEARTLAND SHIRAZ 2012 - Langhorne Creek/Limestone Coast, South Australia (#661934) (XD) - $18.95
• PIRRAMIMMA KATUNGA GTS 2012 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#203174) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• EMILIANA COYAM 2011 - Colchagua Valley, Chile (#63891) (XD) - $29.95  reviewed here
• POGGIOTONDO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2009 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#276576) (XD) - $36.95
• GIACOSA BUSSIA BAROLO 2009 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#344721) (XD) - $39.95
• LIVIO SASSETTI PERTIMALI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#287284) (XD) - $45.95
• DOMAINE PIERRE USSEGLIO ET FILS CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2010 - AC, Rhône, France (#381079) (XD) - $45.95

White Wine:

• DOMAINE LA HAUTE FEVRIE SÈVRE & MAINE SUR LIE MUSCADET 2013 - AC, Loire, France (#390625) (XD) - $13.95
• QUAIL’S GATE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2013 - VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#391797) (D) - $16.95
• FLAT ROCK UNPLUGGED CHARDONNAY 2013 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#68015) (XD) - $16.95
• YALUMBA THE Y SERIES VIOGNIER 2013 - South Australia (#624502) (XD) - $16.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89029) (M) - $17.95
• LOIMER GRÜNER VELTLINER 2013 - DAC Kamptal, Austria (#142240) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE HAMELIN BEAUROY CHABLIS 1 ER CRU 2011 - AC, Burgundy, France (#391805) (XD) - $29.95
• DOMAINES SCHLUMBERGER SAERING RIESLING 2010 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, France (#627950) (XD) - $30.95
• LE CLOS JORDANNE CLAYSTONE TERRACE CHARDONNAY 2011 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#56929) (XD) - $40.00
• RAMEY CHARDONNAY 2012 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#288035) (XD) - $45.95  reviewed here

Fortified Wine:

• QUADY ELYSIUM BLACK MUSCAT 2013 - California, USA (#276840) (S) (375 mL) - $14.95

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