September 7, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Ontario

Here's my top wine picks from the September 7, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. As is always the case, the first release of September features the fabulous wines from Ontario. It is a very good release with just over 100 wines, and all are readily available across the province.

We begin with the theme on wines from Ontario. Of the sixteen wines featured as part of the theme titled "Bring Home Ontario", there are five wines included among my top wine picks from Ontario, with a few others that I opted not to put on the list below because I had recommended them previously when they came through VINTAGES some months ago. White wines from Ontario continue to be a strong and consistent point, with a Chardonnay and off-dry Riesling that are both from the Niagara Escarpment. There's also a fine Marsanne - one of the few and possibly the only in Ontario - which is actually a blend of 95.2% Marsanne, 2.4% Viognier, and 2.4% Pinot Gris. The only Ontario red among my picks below is a Cabernet Franc, while the lone bubbly recommendation is a dry, traditional method sparkling wine crafted with Gamay!

My red wine recommendations from the main release are mostly blends, starting with the flagship Archimedes, which is 93.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Malbec, 1.6% Petit Verdot, and 0.2% other varieties. Lovers of Grenache-Syrah blends have a few options in this release, beginning with the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Counoise, the Vinsobres that is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, and the Roussillon red that is made with Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan. Also from France, the Madiran is a blend of 65% Tannat and 35% Cabernet Franc. The other two blends are a Super Tuscan that is composed of 42% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 15.5% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4.5% Sangiovese, and 1% Alicante, while the Portuguese red consists of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca. Among the single varietal reds, the Brunello is made with Sangiovese, the Rioja is a Tempranillo, and the Barolo is, of course, made with Nebbiolo.

Among my white wine picks, all are mono-varietal wines and starts with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Some varietals are a bit rare to find in our market, including a Picpoul from the Southwest of France, a Ribolla Gialla from Friuli, and a higher-end Muscadet, which is made with the Melon varietal. For Chardonnay wine lovers, there are nice wines from both Western Australia and Argentina. Lastly, if you enjoy some sweetness in your wine, try the Pinot Gris from New Zealand.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• TOM DE BATON DOS HEREDIAS 2021 - Tabuaço, DOC Douro, Portugal (#363168) (XD) - $17.95  review coming soon...
• CHÂTEAU PEYROS HÉRITAGE TANNAT / CABERNET FRANC 2020 - Sustainable, AC Madiran, France (#208249) (XD) - $17.95
• DOMAINE AUTRAND VINSOBRES 2022 - AC, Rhône, France (#15451) (XD) - $18.95
• IL POGGIO SANNIO AGLIANICO 2019 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#575225) (XD) - $18.95  90 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES GRENACHE / CARIGNAN / SYRAH 2021 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95
• CAVE SPRING ESTATE GROWN CAVE SPRING VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC 2022 - Sustainable, Unfiltered, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#523001) (XD) - $20.95

 

• PALACIO GLORIOSO RESERVA 2018 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#930164) (XD) - $23.95
• EL ENEMIGO EL MIRADOR SINGLE VINEYARD BONARDA 2020 - Mendoza, Argentina (#15120) (XD) - $27.95  review coming soon...
  
• CAIAROSSA 2016 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#533117) (XD) - $48.95
• ELLENA GIUSEPPE ASCHERI BAROLO 2019 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#36670) (XD) - $53.95
• DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2022 - AC, Rhône, France (#560987) (XD) - $54.95
• FATTORIA DEI BARBI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#372938) (XD) - $69.95  review coming soon...
• ARCHIMEDES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Sustainable, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#431825) (XD) - $99.95  94 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• ORMARINE CARTE NOIRE PICPOUL DE PINET 2023 - AP, Southwest, France (#38396) (XD) - $14.95  89 pts  wine review
• INVIVO PINOT GRIS 2023 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#367771) (D) - $19.95
• CATENA APPELLATION TUPUNGATO CHARDONNAY 2022 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#10964) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• KEW VINEYARDS MARSANNE 2020 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
• CHÂTEAU DE CHASSELOIR MUSCADET DE SÈVRE ET MAINE 2020 - Sur lie, AP, Loire, France (#35904) (XD) - $21.95
• OMRAH CROSSING CHARDONNAY 2023 - Great Southern, Western Australia (#17644) (XD) - $21.95  90+ pts  wine review
• URLAR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Gladstone, North Island, New Zealand (#22852) (XD) - $22.95
• GRADIS'CUITTA RIBOLLA GIALLA 2021 - DOC Collio, Friuli, Italy (#36849) (XD) - $23.95
• HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE ORGANIC RIESLING 2020 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#183491) (M) - $24.95
• LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE CHARDONNAY 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20455) (XD) - $30.00  90+ pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• 13TH STREET GAMAY BLANC DE NOIR SPARKLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#39728) (XD) - $34.95  91 pts  wine review