June 30, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online Exclusives

The June 30, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Online Exclusives Release features forty-four wines, of which sixteen are included among my top wine picks. All of these wines will be available for purchase exclusively online at lcbo.com beginning this Thursday. As usual, there is no theme to these Online Exclusives Releases, but there are a bunch of fine, high-quality wines.

We begin with my top red wine picks of this Release and start in Australia with a GSM blend that consists of 84% Grenache, 14% Shiraz, and 2% Mataro, while the Gigondas from Rhône is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. From Italy, the Etna Rosso is made with Nerello Mascalese, while the Barolo is made with Nebbiolo. There's also a pair of fine Pinot Noir wines from USA - one from Willamette Valley in Oregon, and the other from Sonoma Coast in California. Lastly, there is a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain.

From my white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. The Viura from Spain and Chardonnay from Niagara were both barrel-fermented and aged in oak, while the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Chardonnay from Argentina were wild fermented and aged in oak. The Riesling from Chile and Pinot Gris from Niagara are both crafted in a dry style, while the Gewurztraminer from Alsace will provide pleasure for those seeking something sweet.

Among my sparkling wine recommendations, the bubbly from British Columbia is a blend of 62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay, while the sparkling wine from South Africa is crafted with 100% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• PIETRADOLCE ETNA ROSSO 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#538165) (XD) - $28.95
• SERAFINO GSM 2019 - Estate grown, McLaren Vale, South Australia (#23786) (XD) - $29.95
• REX HILL PINOT NOIR 2018 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#275735) (XD) - $43.95  91+ pts  wine review
• ICARDI FOSSATI BAROLO 2016 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#25673) (XD) - $57.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN L'ARGNÉE VIEILLES VIGNES GIGONDAS 2019 - AC, Rhône, France (#14985) (XD) - $59.95
• TORRES MAS LA PLANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 - DO Penedès, Spain (#129676) (XD) - $69.95
• HARTFORD COURT LAND'S EDGE VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#919712) (XD) - $69.95
  

White Wine:

• ANDRÉ BLANCK ET SES FILS ALTENBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER 2020 - AC Alsace, France (#168906) (MS) - $19.95
• CLOSSON CHASE K.J. WATSON VINEYARD PINOT GRIS 2021 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#469445) (XD) - $24.00
• VALDEMAR FINCA ALTO CANTABRIA SINGLE VINEYARD VIURA 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#25530) (XD) - $34.95
• CASA SILVA LAGO RANCO VIÑEDO DE FUTRONO RIESLING 2019 - Sustainable, Austral, Patagonia, Chile (#23428) (D) - $34.95
• ASTROLABE TAIHOA VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Vegan, Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#22875) (XD) - $39.95
• CATENA ALTA CHARDONNAY 2019 - Mendoza, Argentina (#139964) (XD) - $39.95
• BACHELDER WARREN SAUNDERS 100 CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#324103) (XD) - $47.95
  

Sparkling Wine:

• GRAHAM BECK ULTRA BRUT CAP CLASSIQUE 2016 - Sustainable, Traditional Method, WO Robertson, South Africa (#435453) (XD) - $29.95
• BLUE MOUNTAIN GOLD LABEL BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional Method, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#206326) (XD) - $34.95  90 pts  wine review