VINTAGES Release March 31, 2018: Sonoma + Aged Wines

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on March 31, 2018 features wines from Sonoma as its main theme, while the mini-theme focuses on aged wines. All of these fine wines will be on VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this Saturday.

We'll begin with the main theme on wines from Sonoma. In case you didn't know, Sonoma is California's first fine wine region, with winemaking roots beginning in the early 1800s. Twelve wines are featured in this thematic, with two included among my top wine picks. First up is the Kistler Chardonnay - always a blockbuster, complex wine - from a Sonoma Mountain vineyard that has a mix of volcanic and limestone soils. The second wine is the La Crema Pinot Noir, which comes from the Sonoma Coast, a cool-climate appellation known for producing exceptional wines using Burgundian varietals Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Rodney Strong Pinot Noir is also from Sonoma, but for some reason was not featured as part of the thematic.

The mini-theme focuses on aged wines, and three of the ten wines are included among my top wine recommendations. The 2010 Merryvale Napa Cab is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot, while the 2008 La Granja is made with Tempranillo. And last but not least, the 2007 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made with Sangiovese.

Red wines from the rest of the release include a Crianza that is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, and 5% Mazuelo, while the GTS from Australia is a unique blend consisting of Grenache, Tannat, and Shiraz. From the excellent 2015 Rhône vintage, the Crozes-Hermitage is made with Syrah.

Among my top white wine picks, the Mâcon-Uchizy is made with Chardonnay, while the Muscadet is made with the Melon grape varietal. If you prefer sweeter wines, the Mosel Riesling is your best bet, while the Cave Spring Riesling will show just a touch of sweetness.

Enjoy my wine picks from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• RIOJA VEGA CRIANZA 2014 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#471854) (XD) - $16.95  88 pts  wine review
• IL FEUDUCCIO FONTE VENNA MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 2014 - DOC, Abruzzo, Italy (#541474) (XD) - $16.95
• TERRA NOBLE GRAN RESERVA CARIGNAN 2015 - Maule Valley, Chile (#542118) (XD) - $18.95
• PIRRAMIMMA KATUNGA GTS 2014 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#203174) (XD) - $19.95
• CLAIRMONT CLASSIQUE CROZES-HERMITAGE 2015 - AC, Rhône, France (#537811) (XD) - $19.95
• ALEJANDRO FERNÁNDEZ DEHESA LA GRANJA 2008 - Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León, Spain (#192476) (XD) - $21.95
• LA CREMA SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR 2015 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#719435) (XD) - $34.95  89 pts  wine review
• ANTINORI BADIA A PASSIGNANO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2012 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#384552) (XD) - $49.95  92 pts  wine review
• RODNEY STRONG RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2014 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#677690) (XD) - $59.95
• POGGIO SANT’ENRICO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2007 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#998211) (XD) - $62.95
• DAMILANO LISTE BAROLO 2012 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#451807) (D) - $75.95
• MERRYVALE NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#470682) (XD) - $99.95

White Wine:

• FEUDO MACCARI GRILLO 2016 - IGP Terre Siciliane, Sicily, Italy (#477877) (XD) - $14.95  88 pts  wine review
• SAN SILVESTRO SABBIE ROERO ARNEIS 2016 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#541482) (XD) - $15.95
• MALLORY & BENJAMIN TALMARD MÂCON-UCHIZY 2016 - AC, Burgundy, France (#733956) (XD) - $17.95
• CHÂTEAU DE LA GRAVELLE SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2015 - AC, Loire, France (#527192) (XD) - $18.95
• CASAL DE VENTOZELA ALVARINHO 2016 - DOC Vinho Regional Minho, Portugal (#523621) (XD) - $19.95
• ST. URBANS-HOF OLD VINES RIESLING 2016 - Qualitätswein, Mosel, Germany (#995746) (M) - $22.95
• HOWARD PARK FLINT ROCK CHARDONNAY 2016 - Mount Barker, Great Southern, Western Australia (#410027) (XD) - $22.95
• WHITEHAVEN GREG RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Awatere Single Vineyard, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#325944) (XD) - $22.95  90+ pts  wine review
• DOMAINE LOUIS MOREAU CHABLIS 2016 - AC, Burgundy, France (#124305) (XD) - $29.95
• CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING 2016 - Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#566026) (XD) - $29.95
• KISTLER MCCREA VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2015 - Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County, California, USA (#353706) (XD) - $119.95