September 21, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: High-Scoring Wines

Here's my top wine picks from the September 21, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. There are nearly 120 wines in this release, with the theme focusing on High-Scoring Wines. I am pleased to see the mini-theme return. However, the mini-theme on Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc only includes 2 wines and does not make much of a theme. Also included in this release are a fine selection of Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE), which can be purchased online or at one of the 16 Flagship Exclusive stores. Wines are arriving in many stores much earlier than the release date, and can be purchased ahead of Saturday's official release day.

Of the twenty-three wines featured in the theme on High-Scoring Wines, seven are included among my top wine picks. Starting with the white wines, there is the always excellent Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, followed by the Muscadet from Loire Valley, which is made with the Melon varietal. The lone white blend is a distinctive wine from Southwest, France, that is crafted using 60% Gros Manseng, 20% Arrufiac, and 20% Petit Courbu. High-scoring red wine picks begin in Tuscany with a pair of Riserva Chianti Classico wines, with the 2018 composed of Sangiovese and Merlot, while the 2019 is made with 100% Sangiovese. From the 2021 vintage in Chile, there is a fine Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as a unique Pinot Noir.

With cooler weather and gift-giving season arriving soon, the percentage of red wines in VINTAGES Releases goes up, and in this Release nearly two-thirds of wines are red. My top red wine recommendations begin in Brunello di Montalcino with a pair of wines from the excellent 2019 vintage, both of which are crafted with 100% Sangiovese. Meanwhile, the Alexander Valley Cab is actually a blend of 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, and 0.4% Petit Verdot, while the Lirac is a blend of 60/40 Grenache and Syrah. Some of the single varietal wines include both Riojas, which are 100% Tempranillo, and the Rubin (aka Rubin Bolgarskii) from Bulgaria, a variety that is a crossing of Nebbiolo and Syrah.

Among my top white wine picks, most fall into the premium category, with high-quality to match. For Chardonnay wine lovers, there are fine, old vines options from both Niagara and Burgundy. There is also an excellent Fiano from Campania, as well as an off-dry Riesling from Niagara. In the sub-$20 category, there is a lovely Moschofilero from Greece, and a Trebbiano from Abruzzo in Italy.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ESCAPADE SHIRAZ 2021 - Vegan, Barossa Valley, South Australia (#36286) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• MIGUEL TORRES ANDICA ORGANIC GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Valle del Itata, Chile (#25933) (XD) - $17.95
• COSME PALACIO VENDIMIA SELECCIONADA 2018 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#37552) (XD) - $18.95
• LES TURITELLES ALTUGNAC PINOT NOIR 2022 - IGP Pays d'Oc, France (#37921) (XD) - $19.95  88+ pts  wine review
  
• TRÉNEL BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, France (#487140) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• LICENCIADO RESERVA 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#370023) (XD) - $19.95

• TERRA TANGRA BLACK LABEL RUBIN 2019 - Sakar Mountain Vineyard, PGI Thracian Valley, Bulgaria (#37744) (XD) - $21.95  90+ pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON LIRAC 2020 - AP, Rhône, France (#636183) (XD) - $23.95  90+ pts  wine review
• SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2021 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $23.95
• UNDURRAGA TERROIR HUNTER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Alto Maipo, Valle del Maipo, Chile (#630350) (XD) - $27.95  93 pts  wine review
  
• TENUTA PERANO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#13496) (XD) - $34.95
• VIETTI PERBACCO NEBBIOLO 2020 - Vegan, DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#15087) (XD) - $36.95  92+ pts  wine review

• CASTELLO DI BOSSI BERARDO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#113316) (XD) - $41.95
• LA SPINONA SORÌ GEPIN BAROLO 2012 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#577874) (XD) - $56.95
• COL D'ORCIA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#306852) (XD) - $64.95  93 pts  wine review
• DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#113357) (XD) - $77.95  OFE  94 pts  wine review
• SILVER OAK ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#943472) (XD) - $163.95

White Wine:

• JASCI ORGANIC TREBBIANO D'ABRUZZO 2023 - DOC, Italy (#36732) (XD) - $17.95
• PLAIMONT LES CÉPAGES PRÉSERVÉS SAINT-MONT 2019 - AC, Southwest, France (#36911) (XD) - $18.95
• MONEMVASIA LALUDI MOSCHOFILERO 2023 - PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#33252) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU-THÉBAUD MELON DE BOURGOGNE 2018 - AC Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine, Loire, France (#541458) (XD) - $21.95
• THIRTY BENCH SMALL LOT WOOD POST VINEYARD RIESLING 2019 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#359760) (M) - $32.00  92+ pts  wine review
• TERREDORA DI PAOLO CAMPORE RISERVA FIANO DI AVELLINO 2018 - DOCG, Campania, Italy (#905596) (XD) - $47.95  OFE  92 pts  wine review
• DEUX ROCHES VIEILLES VIGNES POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2021 - AP, Burgundy, France (#488825) (XD) - $49.95  OFE  91 pts  wine review
  
• BACHELDER BAI XU NIAGARA CRU SINGLE VINEYARD 1981 PLANTING VIEILLES VIGNES CHARDONNAY 2021 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#32364) (XD) - $49.95  OFE
• FLOWERS CHARDONNAY 2022 - Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA (#215210) (XD) - $64.95