May 12, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online Exclusives

The first full Online Exclusives Release is on May 12, 2022. All of these wines can be purchased online only on lcbo.com starting on Thursday. There is no theme to this collection of 41 wines, of which a dozen are included among my top wine picks, but there is a strong contingent of New Zealand wines with almost half of my recommendations coming from the South Pacific island nation.

From New Zealand, the only North Island wine is a Syrah from Hawke's Bay. From the South Island in Waipara, there are two wines from the same producer - Pinot Noit and a Chardonnay. There is also an intriguing 2015 Grüner Veltliner from Marlborough, and a Sauvignon Blanc from Lake Wanaka in Central Otago.

Red wines from the rest of the release include Pinot Noir wines from Niagara and Chile, a Malbec from Cahors, a 2015 Montepulciano from Abruzzo, and lastly, a Nebbiolo from Piedmont. White wines include a lovely blend of 72% Semillon and 28% Sauvignon Blanc from Niagara, while the Rhone-white blend from California consists of 44% Viognier, 29% Marsanne, 19% Grenache Blanc, and 8% Roussanne.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU VINCENS ORIGINE MALBEC 2017 - AC Cahors, Southwest, France (#343400) (XD) - $19.95
• MIRAFIORE NEBBIOLO 2019 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#25524) (XD) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• FANTINI COLLINE TERAMANE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2015 - DOCG, Abruzzo, Italy (#26195) (XD) - $27.95
• ELEPHANT HILL SYRAH 2018 - Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (#408633) (XD) - $29.95
• BAETTIG VINO DE VIÑEDO LOS PARIENTES PINOT NOIR 2020 - DO Traiguén, Valle del Malleco, Chile (#23083) (XD) - $33.95
• MUDDY WATER PINOT NOIR 2018 - Waipara, South Island, New Zealand (#19622) (XD) - $39.95
• BACHELDER WISMER-PARKE PINOT NOIR 2019 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#520379) (XD) - $44.95

White Wine:

• CREEKSIDE ICONOCLAST SEMILLON / SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#520627) (XD) - $23.00  91 pts  wine review
• BLANK CANVAS GRÜNER VELTLINER 2015 - Sustainable, Berakah Vineyard, Rapaura, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#22874) (XD) - $31.95
• RIPPON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Lake Wanaka, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand (#17588) (XD) - $32.95
• TABLAS CREEK CÔTES DE TABLAS BLANC 2019 - Adelaida District, Paso Robles, California, USA (#36616) (XD) - $36.95
• MUDDY WATER CHARDONNAY 2018 - Waipara, South Island, New Zealand (#19618) (XD) - $39.95