Wine Picks LCBO VINTAGES Release Oct. 13, 2018: Bouquet List + Wine Wisdom

As we head into the busy holiday season, the VINTAGES Releases tend to get larger with an emphasis on pricier wines. The main theme of October 13, 2018 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "The Bouquet List", while the mini-theme is titled "Wine Wisdom". All of the wines from this Release will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario this coming Saturday.

We'll begin with the Bouquet List that features a 11 "must-try" wines and a $3,700 Cognac. There isn't a bad wine in the group and 7 are included among my top wine picks. First up are a pair of big wines - a Shiraz from Australia, and the Purple Angel from Chile which is a blend of 92% Carmenere and 8% Petit Verdot. The Gigondas is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, while the Barolo is 100% Nebbiolo. Staying in Italy, the Brunello is 100% Sangiovese, while the Super Tuscan Oreno is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Lastly, there is a 2008 Cristal Champagne made with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay that will continue to age for many years.

The mini-theme talks about 8 wine terms and associates that term with a particular wine. From this theme, 4 of the 8 wines made my list of wine picks. Some of these terms include "malolactic conversion" that is associated with the lovely Davis Bynum Chardonnay, "lees contact" which occurred on the Sur Lie (on the lees) Muscadet Sèvre et Maine that is made with Melon de Bourgogne. The Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc underwent "stainless steel fermentation", and the last term is "Icewine production" and associated to the Cabernet Franc Icewine from Henry of Pelham.

Red wines from southern France include a Ventoux that is a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre, while the Roussillon is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Carignan. Also from France, the Bourgueil is made with Cabernet Franc. The Spanish red is a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo, while the Clos de los Siete is a blend of 54% Malbec, 18% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

Among my white wine picks from the rest of the Release, the Bordeaux white is a 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, while the rest are all single varietal wines. The organic Sauvignon Blanc is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. For those who like off-dry (i.e. a little sweet) wines, look for the Gewürztraminer or the Henry of Pelham Riesling. If you prefer more sweeter in your wines, look for the Fergie Jenkins Riesling or the Riesling Kabinett.

Enjoy my wine recommendations! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• XAVIER VENTOUX 2016 - AP, Rhône, France (#413211) (D) - $15.95
• LOMA GORDA VINO DE PARCELA CERVERA DE LA CAÑADA 2013 - DOP Catalunya, Spain (#575571) (XD) - $16.95
• ZUCCARDI SERIE A BONARDA 2016 - Santa Rosa, Mendoza, Argentina (#355560) (XD) - $16.95
• DOMAINE LES PINS CUVÉE LES ROCHETTES BOURGUEIL 2015 - AP, Loire, France (#478263) (D) - $18.95
• THUNEVIN-CALVET CUVÉE CONSTANCE 2015 - AC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, France (#168690) (D) - $18.95
• CLOS DE LOS SIETE 2014 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#622571) (XD) - $23.95  89 pts  wine review
• ACHÁVAL FERRER MALBEC 2015 - Mendoza, Argentina (#024737) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review

• GABRIEL MEFFRE SAINTE-CATHERINE GIGONDAS 2015 - AP, Rhône, France (#370270) (XD) - $32.95
• DOMAINE GASTON & PIERRE RAVAUT LADOIX 2015 - AC, Burgundy, France (#557777) (XD) - $40.95
• DOMAINE DROUHIN ROSEROCK PINOT NOIR 2015 - Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#529107) (XD) - $41.95  91+ pts  wine review
• ARGIANO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#154609) (XD) - $59.95
• RÉVA BAROLO 2013 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#490045) (XD) - $59.95  92 pts  wine review
• MONTES PURPLE ANGEL 2015 - DO Colchagua Valley, Chile (#62364) (XD) - $62.95
• ORENO 2016 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#735597) (XD) - $86.95
• ELDERTON COMMAND SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2014 - Barossa, South Australia (#716142) (XD) - $99.95

White Wine:

• ROCKWAY FERGIE JENKINS LIMITED EDITION RIESLING 2016 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485326) (M) - $16.95
• LA GRIFFE BERNARD CHÉREAU SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2017 - Sur lie, AP, Loire, France (#948182) (XD) - $17.95
• CAVE SPRING ESTATE GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2015 - Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#302059) (D) - $18.95
• HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE RIESLING 2017 - VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#557165) (D) - $19.95
• MOMO ORGANIC SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#009167) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• DR. PAULY-BERGWEILER WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING KABINETT 2015 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#557652) (M) - $23.95  90 pts  wine review
• GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#164228) (XD) - $24.95
• LE G DE CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD 2016 - AC Bordeaux, France (#519892) (XD) - $28.95  FE
• DAVIS BYNUM RIVER WEST VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2015 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#205815) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• CLOS PEGASE MITSUKO’S VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2016 - Estate grown, Carneros, Napa Valley, California, USA (#986737) (XD) - $34.95  91 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• CRISTAL BRUT VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE 2008 - AC, France (#268755) (XD) - $311.95

Dessert Wine:

• HENRY OF PELHAM CABERNET ICEWINE 2015 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#672402) (S) (200 mL) - $39.95