October 26, 2019 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France vs. Italy + Wine & Cheese

The October 26, 2019 LCBO VINTAGES Release compares and contrasts France and Italy in its main theme, while the mini-theme looks at wine and cheese pairings. All of the wines featured as part of themes, as well everything else from the Main Release will arrive on shelves by Saturday. This is another Release where you'll want to stock up for the holidays or pick up special bottles for holiday gift-giving.

We'll begin with the main theme that compares wines from the two titans of the wine world - France and Italy. There are twenty-two wines featured as part of this theme, eleven from each country, and seven are included among my top wine picks. From the first category on Traditional Method sparkling wines, we have a lovely Bollinger Champagne that consists of 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Pinot Meunier. From the Classic Premium Grape category, there is a fine Barolo that is made with the Nebbiolo grape. The Southern Values category features a nice Côtes du Rhône that consists of equal parts Syrah and Grenache, plus some Mourvèdre. Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio wines are actually made using the same grape, but often in different styles, hence the distinction in name. In this Release, there is a fine, dry, quality Pinot Grigio from a place it calls home in northern Italy. The last category focuses on the Revered Regions of Bordeaux and Tuscany. From Bordeaux, we have a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that is a blend of roughly 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tuscany also makes some fine Bordeaux blends, such as the baby Ornellaia that consists of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. Lastly, the Chianti Classico, which is also from Tuscany, is made with 100% Sangiovese and reminds me a little bit of a wine from Montalcino.

From the feature on wine and cheese pairings, which can be done year-round but becomes especially popular during the holidays. Of the nine wines featured, just one is included among my top wine picks - a lightly oaked Chardonnay from Niagara's Thirty Bench. There is also an excellent Masi Amarone (#548677) included as part of this theme, but I didn't include it in my list below because you would have probably bought it when it came out in VINTAGES last year. You can read more about wine and cheese pairings in the magazine.

My red wine picks include an unoaked blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 5% Carignan from Languedoc, while the Spanish red is a blend of Garnacha, Cariñena (Samsó), Syrah, and Merlot. From France, the Beaujolais is made with Gamay, while the Roussillon red is a blend of mainly Syrah with Grenache and Carignan in support. Lastly, the iconic Sassicaia is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc.

Most of my white wine recommendations happen to be minimally oaked Chardonnays. However, Flat Rock's Unplugged Chardonnay is actually an unoaked Chardonnay, while the Umbrian white is a blend of mostly Chardonnay and some Grechetto. There is also a white blend of Loureiro and Alvarinho from Portugal.

Among my sparkling wine picks, the Tasmanian Brut Rosé is primarily Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier completing the blend, while the Cava is a blend of indigenous varietals Macabeo (67%) and Parellada (33%). Lastly, the Dom Perignon is a traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• LES DARONS 2017 - AP Languedoc, France (#448464) (XD) - $16.95
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2017 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• VAUCHER PÈRE & FILS FLEURIE 2016 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#534339) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU LAMARTINE PRESTIGE DU MALBEC 2015 - AP Cahors, Southwest, France (#010315) (XD) - $17.95
• POTENTE 2016 - DO Montsant, Spain (#010682) (XD) - $18.95
• PETER LEHMANN THE BAROSSAN SHIRAZ 2017 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#522235) (XD) - $21.95  89 pts  wine review
• CASTELLO DI BOSSI C. BERARDENGA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#994608) (XD) - $22.95  91 pts  wine review

• TINTO NEGRO FINCA LA ESCUELA LA PIEDRA MALBEC 2016 - Mendoza, Argentina (#010443) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE DE BILA-HAUT L’ESQUERDA 2017 - AC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Lesquerde, Midi, France (#381020) (XD) - $27.95
• CHÂTEAU DE SAINT-PEY 2016 - AC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France (#011834) (XD) - $34.95
• BENI DI BATASIOLO RISERVA BAROLO 2010 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#330704) (XD) - $39.95
• ANTINORI BADIA A PASSIGNANO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#384552) (XD) - $49.95  92 pts  wine review
• LE SERRE NUOVE DELL'ORNELLAIA 2017 - DOC Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy (#606194) (XD) - $69.95  92 pts  wine review
• SASSICAIA 2016 - DOC Bolgheri-Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy (#480533) (XD) - $229.95

White Wine:

• MARIA PAPOILA LOUREIRO/ALVARINHO 2018 - DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal (#408146) (XD) - $16.95  88 pts  wine review
• FLAT ROCK UNPLUGGED CHARDONNAY 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#68015) (XD) - $17.95
• ZUCCARDI Q CHARDONNAY 2017 - Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#232702) (XD) - $19.95
• THIRTY BENCH WINEMAKER’S BLEND CHARDONNAY 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#547877) (XD) - $19.95
• NALS MARGREID PINOT GRIGIO 2017 - DOC Südtirol-Alto Adige, Italy (#290924) (XD) - $19.95
• CAMPBELL KIND WINE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#010556) (XD) - $19.95
• HENRI BOURGEOIS LA CHAPELLE DES AUGUSTINS SANCERRE 2016 - AC, Loire, France (#322628) (XD) - $39.95
• BACHELDER WISMER VINEYARD #1 WINGFIELD BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2015 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#520403) (XD) - $47.95  FE
• HAMILTON RUSSELL CHARDONNAY 2018 - WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Walker Bay, South Africa (#931006) (XD) - $47.95  FE
• CASTELLO DELLA SALA CERVARO DELLA SALA 2017 - IGT Umbria, Italy (#512376) (XD) - $74.95

Sparkling Wine:

• JANSZ PREMIUM SPARKLING ROSÉ - Traditional method, Tasmania, Australia (#037499) (D) - $28.95  90+ pts  wine review
• SEGURA VIUDAS HEREDAD RESERVA BRUT CAVA - Traditional method, DO, Spain (#558825) (D) - $32.95  90 pts  wine review
• BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVÉE BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AC, France (#384529) (XD) - $87.95
• DOM PÉRIGNON LUMINOUS BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2008 - AC, France (#422584) (D) - $285.95  FE