November 2, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: California

Here are my top wine picks from the November 2, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, with the theme of the release titled "California Stars & Icons". The release is on the bigger and more expensive side of the spectrum with 121 wines offered in this release, with about two-thirds dedicated to red wines. Overall, it is a very good release, especially if you are looking for red wines, since there are a wide variety of choices at many price points, including many fine gifting options. All the wines should be readily available for purchase today!

We'll begin with the theme of the release, which looks at some of California's Stars & Icon wines. There are twelve wines included as part of the feature, and four are included among my top wine picks. The mono varietal wines include the lone white, which is a fine Napa Valley Chardonnay, and an excellent Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Both Napa Cabs are blends, with the Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 15% Merlot, while the Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon includes 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, 2% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot.

There are a good number of high quality red wines from the main release, and we'll begin in Tuscany with an excellent Brunello di Montalcino that is crafted with Sangiovese, followed by a Chianti Classico that is also crafted using the same grape, while the Super Tuscan is mainly Sangiovese (79%) with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) and Cabernet Franc (8%). The red from Rioja is a blend of 80/20 Tempranillo and Garnacha, while the Armenian red is composed of Syrah, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Meanwhile, the red from Niagara is a blend of 48% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Bordeaux red is a Cabernet-based blend. The rest of the reds are all single varietal wines.

The only blend among my white wine recommendations is the white from Argentina, which is composed of 38% Sémillon, 32% Sauvignon Blanc, and 30% Torrontes. Among the mono-varietal dry whites, there is a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, and a Chardonnay from Chile. If you want something a little sweet, the Niagara Riesling is a top-notch wine.

Among my sparkling wine picks, the 2009 Dom leads the pack with a Brut Rosé that is a blend of 59% Pinot Noir and 41% Chardonnay, followed by the sparkling wine from Australia that is composed of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The Cava is also a blend, consisting of approximately 70% Parellada, 15% Macabeu, and 15% Xarel·lo, while the Cap Classique from South Africa is made with straight Chenin Blanc.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CHÂTEAU DUCASSE 2020 - AC Graves, Bordeaux, France (#38261) (XD) - $16.95
• SUSANA BALBO CRÍOS MALBEC 2022 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#162529) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• FINCA SOPHENIA ALTOSUR MALBEC 2023 - Gualtallary, Tupungato, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#13113) (XD) - $17.95
• CASTELLI DEL GREVEPESA CLEMENTE VII CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - Sustainable, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#421388) (XD) - $22.95  88+ pts  wine review
• SALENTEIN PYROS APPELLATION MALBEC 2019 - Valle de Pedernal, Argentina (#38506) (XD) - $22.95

• FALERNIA TITÓN SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA SYRAH 2019 - DO Valle del Elqui, Chile (#27198) (XD) - $22.95
• KARAS RED BLEND 2022 - Armavir Region, Ararat Valley, Armenia (#492751) (XD) - $22.95
• URLAR THE MEDIATOR GLADSTONE PINOT NOIR 2020 - Vegan, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand (#37396) (XD) - $24.95
• PLANETA PLUMBAGO NERO D'AVOLA 2021 - Sustainable, DOC Sicilia Menfi, Italy (#19491) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• TWO SISTERS ELEVENTH POST 2018 - VQA Niagara River, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#20935) (XD) - $48.00  92 pts  wine review
• LA RIOJA ALTA VIÑA ARDANZA RESERVA 2016 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#315531) (XD) - $59.95

• HAMILTON RUSSELL PINOT NOIR 2023 - Sustainable, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa (#999516) (XD) - $69.95
• GARY FARRELL RUSSIAN RIVER SELECTION PINOT NOIR 2021 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#27686) (XD) - $72.95  93 pts  wine review
• BANFI POGGIO ALLE MURA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#372250) (XD) - $82.95  94 pts  wine review
• SEQUOIA GROVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Rutherford, Napa Valley, California, USA (#60020) (XD - 2 g/L) - $85.95
  
• GROTH OAKVILLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#27256) (XD) - $128.95  94 pts  wine review
• TIGNANELLO 2021 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#986786) (XD) - $192.95  93 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• RUSTENBERG STELLENBOSCH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#456020) (XD) - $15.95
• ARBOLEDA CHARDONNAY 2022 - Sustainable, DO Aconcagua Costa, Chile (#606772) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• SUSANA BALBO SIGNATURE WHITE BLEND 2023 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#558734) (XD) - $22.95
• CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#241182) (M) - $44.95
• FAR NIENTE CHARDONNAY 2022 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#539130) (XD) - $99.95

Sparkling Wine:

• STARS BRUT NATURE RESERVA CAVA 2022 - Traditional method, DO, Spain (#515221) (D) - $17.95
• TALTARNI TACHÉ BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING 2016 - Traditional method, Australia (#967398) (D) - $26.95
• KEN FORRESTER SPARKLEHORSE CAP CLASSIQUE SPARKLING CHENIN BLANC 2020 - Traditional method, WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#32030) (D) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• DOM PÉRIGNON BRUT ROSÉ VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE 2009 - AC, France (#91777) (D) - $471.95

Fortified Wine:

• BURMESTER 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#223958) (S) - $29.95

Dessert Wine:

• CAVE SPRING SELECT LATE HARVEST RIESLING 2023 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#415901, 375 mL) (S) - $27.95
• LAKEVIEW CELLARS CABERNET SAUVIGNON ICEWINE 2017 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#471813, 200 mL) (S) - $29.95  92 pts  wine review