May 25, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online & Flagship Exclusives

Here's my top wine picks from the May 25 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. This is the first Online & Flagship Exclusives release of the year, of which we'll see three more until the end of summer. While these wines can be ordered online as of today, I am pleased that the LCBO has also increased the number of "Flagship" stores where these wines can be purchased in-person, although I personally wish that they would open one north of Toronto in York Region. Overall, there are 32 wines in this release, with most priced north of $25.

Among my top red wine picks from this release, we'll begin in Italy with the latest vintage of the iconic Ornellaia, which is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. All the other reds are mono-varietal wines - an Aglianico from Campania, a Shiraz from Victoria (in Australia), and a Gamay from Niagara. There's also a pair of Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one each from South Africa and Chile.

All five of my white wine recommendations are also single varietal wines, with Riesling dominating the list. First up is the dry Riesling (i.e. not sweet) from Clare Valley, while the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Riesling is from Mosel. The last Riesling is crafted in a medium-sweet style from Niagara. The other two white wines are a lovely Marsanne from Niagara, and a premium Ribolla Gialla from Friuli.

Other than reds and whites, there is also a fine Vintage Port that is crafted with 40% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Roriz, and the rest is a field blend from old vines.

Enjoy my top wine picks from this release!

Red Wine:

• KAPEMORT AVERNO AGLIANICO 2021 - DOC Irpinia, Campania, Italy (#36414) (XD) - $27.95
• JARDIN THE LONG FUSE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Vegan, WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#714501) (XD) - $27.95  91+ pts  wine review
• DAGAZ GRANITO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#37741) (XD) - $29.95
• BACHELDER BATOR NIAGARA CRU SINGLE VINEYARD GAMAY NOIR 2021 - 20% Whole Cluster, Vieilles Vignes, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#38362) (XD) - $29.95
• TALTARNI PYRENEES VICTORIA SHIRAZ 2019 - Estate grown, Pyrenees, Victoria, Australia (#33496) (XD) - $32.95
• ORNELLAIA 2021 - DOC Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy (#722470) (XD) - $276.95

White Wine:

• KEW VINEYARDS MARSANNE 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• PAULETT POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING 2022 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#292268) (XD) - $22.95
• WEGELER SLATE MOSEL TROCKEN RIESLING 2022 - VDP Gutswein, Mosel, Germany (#37511) (D) - $26.95
• JERMANN VINNAE RIBOLLA GIALLA 2022 - IGT Venezia Giulia, Friuli, Italy (#29101) (XD) - $41.95
• CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#241182) (M) - $44.95

Fortified Wine:

• QUINTA DA DEVESA VINTAGE PORT 2018 - DOP, Portugal (#26860) (S) - $89.95