VINTAGES Release December 10: Top Holiday Dinner Wines

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on December 10th will be on shelves this Saturday and is another mono-thematic release featuring top wines for Holiday Dinners. This is also the final release of 2016, so if you need something for the holidays, now would be the time to stock up as the next release will be a week into 2017.

Featured in this release are 25 wines for holiday dinners. Among these wines, only 5 are included among my wine picks. Begin your holiday dinner or gathering with a Champagne from Marc Hébrart, followed by the La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. In red wines, you can offer the Old Vines Cabernet/Merlot (from 30-year-old vines, blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot) from Niagara's own Château des Charmes or you can go all out and pour Ornellaia's flagship wine that is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Lastly, you can end your dinner with a vintage Tawny Port that is 14 years old.

In red wines from the rest of the release, the Beaujolais is of course a Gamay, but comes from vines planted in 1940. The Château Bertin is 100% Merlot, while the 2010 Bordeaux is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. Also, both wines from Piedmont are made with 100% Nebbiolo.

In white wines, the Creekside Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is actually barrel-fermented in new & used oak and will only be available Flagship Store Exclusive (FSE) locations. The Stratus White is a unique blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier. For sweet wine lovers, the latest edition of Vineland Estates' Elevation St. Urban Riesling is your best bet, or, if you prefer even sweeter, check out the Tokaji or Icewine.

Enjoy your holidays with my wine picks and see you in 2017!

Red Wine:

• DOMAINE DUPRÈ VIGNES DE 1940 BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2014 - AC, France (#468710) (XD) - $16.95
• VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA PINOT NOIR 2015 - Leyda Valley, Chile (#404210) (XD) - $17.95  reviewed here
• LOUIS LATOUR DOMAINE DE VALMOISSINE PINOT NOIR 2013 - IGP Var, Provence, France (#714451) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• CHÂTEAU BERTIN 2014 - AC Lussac St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France (#244046) (D) - $19.95  reviewed here
• SAN PEDRO 1865 SINGLE VINEYARD CARMENÈRE 2014 - Maule Valley, Chile (#249201) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES OLD VINES CABERNET/MERLOT 2012 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#222372) (XD) - $21.95
• TRAVAGLINI GATTINARA 2010 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#713354) (XD) - $29.95

• MICHELE CHIARLO PALÁS BAROLO 2012 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#474437) (XD) - $37.95  reviewed here
• CHÂTEAU ANDRON BLANQUET 2010 - AC Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux, France (#468389) (XD) - $39.95
• CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE COLD CREEK VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Columbia Valley, Washington, USA (#468520) (XD) - $42.95  FSE
• TWO HANDS BELLA’S GARDEN SHIRAZ 2014 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#636407) (D) - $64.95
• DOMUS VITAE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#330746) (XD) - $69.95
• CLIFF LEDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 - Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California, USA (#14217) (XD) - $114.95
• ORNELLAIA 2013 - DOC Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy (#722470) (XD) - $199.95  reviewed here

White Wine:

• AMARAL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Leyda Valley, Chile (#367292) (XD) - $14.95
• TAHBILK MARSANNE 2015 - Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (#117945) (XD) - $17.95  reviewed here
• LOUIS LATOUR GRAND ARDÈCHE CHARDONNAY 2014 - IGP, Burgundy, France (#947549) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#974527) (XD) - $19.95  reviewed here
• VINELAND ESTATES ELEVATION ST. URBAN VINEYARD RIESLING 2015 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#38117) (M) - $19.95  reviewed here
• CREEKSIDE RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#53371) (XD) - $26.95  FSE  reviewed here
• LA CREMA SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY 2014 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#962886) (XD) - $29.95  reviewed here
• DOMAINE JEAN COLLET & FILS MONTMAINS CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2014 - AC, Burgundy, France (#405704) (XD) - $34.95
• CLOUDY BAY CHARDONNAY 2014 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#359513) (XD) - $36.95
• STRATUS WHITE 2013 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#660704) (XD) - $38.20

Sparkling Wine:

• TAWSE SPARK LIMESTONE RIDGE SPARKLING RIESLING 2014 - Traditional Method, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#370361) (D) - $20.20  reviewed here
• CA’ DEL BOSCO CUVÉE PRESTIGE BRUT FRANCIACORTA - Traditional Method, DOCG, Lombardy, Italy (#105353) (D) - $41.95
• MARC HÉBRART BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS CHAMPAGNE - AC, 1er Cru à Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, France (#231217) (D) - $48.95

Fortified:

• DOW’S COLHEITA TAWNY PORT 2002 - DOC, Portugal (#473058) (S) - $39.95

Dessert Wine:

• PUKLUS PINCÉSZET 3 PUTTONYOS TOKAJI ASZÚ 2012 - Hungary (#980805) (S) (500 mL) - $20.95
• SPERLING GEWÜRZTRAMINER ICEWINE 2014 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#471425) (S) (375 mL) - $49.95