November 23, 2019 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Coveted, Iconic Wines

The November 23, 2019 LCBO VINTAGES Release is another big one as we dive into the busy holiday season. This Release is another mono-thematic edition, featuring Coveted, Iconic Wines for your cellar or gift-giving. There are plenty of other great options from the rest of the Release as well, with all of these wines showing up on VINTAGES shelves across Ontario by this Saturday.

There are 31 wines listed as part of the Coveted, Iconic Wines theme, of which a dozen are included among my top wine picks from the November 23rd LCBO VINTAGES Release. We begin with an excellent 2012 vintage Champagne that was aged for 5+ years and consists of 41% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and 26% Pinot Meunier. For white wine lovers, there are a pair of lovely Chardonnays from the new world - one from Niagara and one from Napa Valley.

Red wines from the main thematic include a high-end Australian Shiraz, a South African Pinot Noir, a lovely Barolo (which is made with Nebbiolo), an Argentinean Malbec, and an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. The blends include the Stratus Red which is a blend of 25% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 10% Malbec, 7% Tannat, and 5% Petit Verdot, while The Chocolate Block consists of 64% Syrah, 14% Grenache, 11% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Viognier.

For sweet wine lovers, the iconic and coveted Noble One Botrytis Semillon and Delaforce Vintage Port will surely satisfy your cravings.

My red wine recommendations from the rest of the Release starts with the iconic $450 Antinori Solaia - easily one of the best wines I've ever tasted - is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. For the rest of us modest folks, from the southern Rhône Valley, there is the Costières de Nîmes Rouge which is a blend of old vines 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Carignan, while the Cairanne is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. From Roussillon, the Lafage Tessellae is a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. From Portugal, the Sagrado is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz, while the Porca de Murça consists of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. Lastly, coming back to Italy, we have a Chianti Classico that consists of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot.

Among my white wine picks from this Release, the Costières de Nîmes Blanc from Rhône is the companion to the rouge above and consists of 45% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne, 20% Viognier, and 10% Clairette, while the Pomino is an interesting blend of mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco. The rest are all single varietal wines, and for those that prefer sweeter wines, check out the always delicious Nadja's Riesling from Niagara.

And that's a wrap for this Release! Only one more to go in 2019! Enjoy!

Red Wine:

• PORCA DE MURÇA RESERVA TINTO 2014 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#684753) (XD) - $17.95
• VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Maipo Valley, Chile (#018721) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• TESSELLAE OLD VINES GRENACHE/SYRAH/MOURVÈDRE 2017 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#343517) (D) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DE NAGES VIEILLES VIGNES COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES 2016 - AP, Rhône, France (#040964) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• JEAN-LUC COLOMBO LE PAVILLON DES COURTISANES CAIRANNE 2016 - AC, Rhône, France (#120717) (XD) - $21.95  90 pts  wine review

• QUINTA DO SAGRADO RESERVA 2016 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#568774) (XD) $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• TRASQUA FANATICO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2013 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#283861) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• RYMILL COONAWARRA CLASSIC CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#010541) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• THE CHOCOLATE BLOCK 2017 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#129353) (XD) - $39.95  91 pts  wine review
• TRAPICHE TERROIR SERIES FINCA ORELLANA SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC 2015 - La Consulta, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#178145) (XD) - $42.95  91+ pts  wine review

• STRATUS RED 2016 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#312058) (D) - $49.20  92 pts  wine review
• AURELIO SETTIMO ROCCHE DELL'ANNUNZIATA BAROLO 2014 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#293761) (XD) - $54.95  92 pts  wine review
• HAMILTON RUSSELL PINOT NOIR 2018 - WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa (#999516) (XD) - $59.95  92 pts  wine review
• BAROSSA VALLEY ESTATE E&E BLACK PEPPER SHIRAZ 2016 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#731620) (XD) - $99.95  93 pts  wine review
• SOLAIA 2016 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#987586) (XD) - $457.95  95 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• GÉRARD BERTRAND RÉSERVE SPÉCIALE VIOGNIER 2017 - IGP Pays d’Oc, Roussillon, France (#147975) (XD) - $14.95  88 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE DE ROCHEBIN CHARDONNAY MÂCON-AZÉ 2017 - AC, Burgundy, France (#156943) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• FOLLAS NOVAS ALBARIÑO 2018 - DO Rías Baixas, Spain (#488981) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• FRESCOBALDI CASTELLO DI POMINO POMINO BIANCO 2017 - DOC, Tuscany, Italy (#065086) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU DE NAGES VIEILLES VIGNES BLANC 2017 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#479659) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• FLAT ROCK NADJA’S VINEYARD RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#578625) (D) - $24.95
• DOG POINT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#677450) (XD) - $26.95  92 pts  wine review
• NALS MARGREID PUNGGL PINOT GRIGIO 2016 - DOC Südtirol – Alto Adige, Italy (#395756) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS CHARDONNAY 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#184549) (XD) - $44.95  93 pts  wine review
• GRGICH HILLS ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY 2014 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#346304) (XD) - $67.95  93 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• QUEENSTON MILE BRUT BLANC DE NOIRS 2015 - Traditional method, VQA St. David’s Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#010139) (XD) - $50.00  91+ pts  wine review
• MOËT & CHANDON GRAND VINTAGE EXTRA BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2012 - AC, France (#069773) (XD) - $93.95  92 pts  wine review

Dessert Wine:

• DE BORTOLI NOBLE ONE BOTRYTIS SEMILLON 2016 - New South Wales, Australia (#917252) (S) (375 mL) - $29.95  93 pts  wine review

Fortified:

• DELAFORCE VINTAGE PORT 2000 - DOC, Portugal (#344861) (S) - $62.95  92 pts  wine review