May 30 LCBO Wine Picks: Southern Rhône + New World Pinot Noir

The next LCBO VINTAGES release will be on shelves this Saturday, May 30, 2015. The co-themes of this release, with 12 wines apiece, are wines from Southern Rhône and New World Pinot Noirs.

Of the 12 wines featured from Southern Rhône, three made my list of wine picks. Among them is an always reliable and dry (i.e. not sweet) Tavel Rosé comprised of Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Also included is a Gigondas that consists of old vines Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%), while the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Both of these red wines can be aged for a number of years.

Three of the 12 New World Pinots are also included among my wine picks. Russian River Valley (RRV), in California, makes some very nice Pinot of different styles due to it's many varied soil types. The Migration Pinot Noir from RRV is made by Duckhorn Vineyards, with grapes coming from their own vineyards' sandy loam soils. Altitude plays an important role in grape-growing as higher elevations, which normally have poorer soils, and along with cooler temperatures, contribute to vine stress and results in greater flavour concentrations. The Creekside Pinot Noir is planted at 105-145 metres above sea level in the St. David's Bench VQA (Niagara) and is the first Pinot for this estate since 2008. Last, but definitely not the least, is the Auntsfield Single Vineyard Pinot Noir from New Zealand. The vineyard at Auntsfield Estate where this Pinot was grown consists of Greywacke rock and Loess clay soils - poor soils that produce great wine!

Other red wines worth pursuing in this release include the Alvaro Castro Touriga Nacional-led blend, and the Boschendeal 1685, which is a blend of 70% Shiraz and 30% Mourvèdre.

Lastly, the dessert wine from Bordeaux is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

I find it interesting that more and more wines from the Flagship Store Exclusives (FSE) section near the back of the VINTAGES magazine are included among my wine picks. From this release, there are 5 such wines that I've recommended that will be available at very select LCBO VINTAGES locations.

Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week. Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ÁLVARO CASTRO RED 2011 - DOC Dão, Portugal (#285288) (XD) - $17.95
• CREEKSIDE QUEENSTON ROAD PINOT NOIR 2013 - VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#415877) (XD) - $18.95
• BOSCHENDAL 1685 S & M SHIRAZ/MOURVÈDRE 2013 - WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#403667) (XD) - $19.95
• ERRAZURIZ ACONCAGUA ALTO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Aconcagua Valley, Chile (#203364) (XD) - $19.95
• RUSTENBERG MERLOT 2010 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#404194) (XD) - $19.95
• QUINTA DAS CARVALHAS TOURIGA NACIONAL 2011 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#408112) (XD) - $21.95  91 pts  wine review
• PIERRE AMADIEU ROMANE-MACHOTTE GIGONDAS 2012 - AC, Rhône, France (#017400) (D) - $27.95
• AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2012 - Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#361246) (XD) - $29.95  reviewed here
• DOMAINE DU VIEUX LAZARET CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2011 - AC, Rhône, France (#983650) (D) - $39.95
• MIGRATION PINOT NOIR 2013 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#412437) (XD) - $44.95

White Wine:

• LAILEY UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2013 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#299776) (D) - $14.95
• REDSTONE LIMESTONE VINEYARD SOUTH RIESLING 2012 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#381251) (M) - $18.95  reviewed here
• BENZIGER CHARDONNAY 2012 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#034777) (XD) - $19.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE RIESLING 2013 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#183491) (D) - $23.95  reviewed here
• OLDENBURG CHARDONNAY 2012 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#374645) (XD) - $26.95  FSE
• DOMAINES SCHLUMBERGER KESSLER GEWURZTRAMINER 2010 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, Alsace, France (#307694) (MS) - $33.95  FSE
• MAISON ROCHE DE BELLENE VIEILLES VIGNES MEURSAULT 2010 - AC, Burgundy, France (#241091) (XD) - $48.95
• STONESTREET BEAR POINT CHARDONNAY 2011 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#411579) (XD) - $64.95  FSE

Rosé Wine:

• KÖNIGSCHAFFHAUSER VULKANFELSEN PINOT NOIR ROSÉ TROCKEN 2014 - Qualitätswein, Baden, Germany (#168237) (D) - $13.95  reviewed here
• FAMILLE PERRIN TAVEL 2014 - AC, Rhône, France (#680801) (XD) - $19.95

Sparkling Wine:

• LOUIS ROEDERER PREMIER BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#093054) (XD) (375 mL) - $40.95  FSE

Fortified:

• DOW’S LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT 2009 - DOP, Portugal (#613927) (MS) - $18.95  reviewed here

Dessert Wine:

• PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI ASZÚ 3 PUTTONYOS 2010 - Hungary (#980805) (S) (500 mL) - $20.95
• CHÂTEAU NAIRAC 2011 - AC Barsac, 2e Cru, Bordeaux, France (#302125) (S) (375 mL) - $41.85  FSE

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