May 16 LCBO Wine Picks: Australia + Fresh Whites

The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be on shelves across Ontario this Saturday, May 16th. Hot on the heels of Europe's Primum Familiae Vini (PFV) feature last month is Australia's First Families of Wine (AFFW), the primary focus of this release.

AFFW was formed in 2009 by 12 of the most iconic family-owned wineries in Australia. Ten of the twelve wineries are represented in this release, with two wines from each winery. Overall, I thought this portion of the release was quite well-represented, with quality wines ranging across wide price points. However, I'm left with a feeling of wanting more.

Of the 20 wines featured, 6 made my list of wine picks. Included among them are both wines from Yalumba - a Viognier and GSM-blend (40% Grenache, 35% Shiraz and 25% Mataro) - and Tyrrell's Wines - a Shiraz and Semillon. The Semillon, in particular, is an exciting wine that will age and change quite dramatically over the next 5 years - buy 2 or more and taste the beauty of aged Semillon over the coming years. The other two Australian wines are both Cabernet Sauvignons - one from d'Arenberg and the other, which just might be the best value red from one of the AFFW, is from Howard Park Wines.

Fresh white wines for spring sipping is the mini-thematic of the release. Of the 11 wines featured, three made my list of wine picks below. All three of these wines are Sauvignon Blanc - one each from Chile, Ontario (Niagara) and the Stoneleigh Savvy from Marlborough, New Zealand. It would be interesting to try the two southern hemisphere wines, plus the Eradus Sauvignon Blanc and compare against each other, but also compare with the northern hemisphere Savvy from Niagara that is a year older. Sauvignon Blanc is typically meant to be enjoyed young, within 1-3 years after vintage.

There are two more dry rosé wines in this release that are worth your attention. The Delas from Rhône is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Cinsault, while the version from Château la Tour is a blend of 40% Cinsault, 35% Grenache, 12% Syrah and 5 grapes making up the blend.

Hope you enjoy my wine recommendations for this week. Cheers!

Red Wine:

• DON DAVID RESERVE MALBEC 2012 - Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina (#064998) (XD) - $14.95
• DE MORGENZON DMZ SYRAH 2012 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#404202) (XD) - $14.95
• SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Mendoza, Argentina (#260919) (XD) - $19.95
• YALUMBA THE STRAPPER GSM 2012 - Barossa, South Australia (#295873) (XD) - $19.95
• HOWARD PARK MIAMUP CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#410019) (XD) - $19.95
• TYRRELL’S RUFUS STONE SHIRAZ 2012 - Heathcote, Victoria, Australia (#091488) (XD) - $22.95
• QUINTA DO CARDO RESERVA TOURIGA NACIONAL 2010 - DOC Beiras, Portugal (#408096) (XD) - $26.95  Flagship Store Exclusive
• CARABELLA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2012 - Chehalem Mountains, Oregon, USA (#180125) (XD) - $46.95
• D’ARENBERG THE COPPERMINE ROAD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#943399) (XD) - $49.95

White Wine:

• MATETIC CORRALILLO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - San Antonio Valley, Chile (#347740) (XD) - $14.95
• FEATHERSTONE BLACK SHEEP RIESLING 2014 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#080234) (M) - $16.95
• KELLEREI KALTERN CALDARO PINOT GRIGIO 2013 - DOC, Alto Adige, Italy (#317867) (XD) - $16.95
• CREEKSIDE BACKYARD BLOCK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#341792) (XD) - $17.95
• JEAN-LUC COLOMBO LES ABEILLES DE COLOMBO CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2013 - AC, Rhône, France (#413187) (XD) - $17.95
• ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#225557) (XD) - $18.95  reviewed here
• STONELEIGH LATITUDE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#324228) (XD) - $21.95  reviewed here
• YALUMBA VIOGNIER 2013 - Eden Valley, South Australia (#954644) (XD) - $24.95
• TYRRELL’S BROOKDALE SEMILLON 2013 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#269316) (D) - $24.95
• KISTLER SONOMA MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY 2013 - Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County, California, USA (#183921) (XD) - $98.95

Rosé Wine:

• DELAS SAINT-ESPRIT CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE ROSÉ 2014 - AC, Rhône, France (#224964) (XD) - $14.95
• CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L’ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2014 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#319392) (XD) - $18.95

Fortified:

• COCKBURN’S QUINTA DOS CANAIS VINTAGE PORT 2000 - DOP, Portgual (#335380) (S) - $39.95

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