November 16, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Giftable Wines

Here are my top wine picks from the November 16, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, which is titled "Enjoyful Gifts", while the mini-theme spotlights the wines from Greece. This is a large release with more than 140 wines offered, and includes quite a few wines that are Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE). Overall, it is a very fine release with many fine gifting options and wines for the cellar. All these wines should be readily available for purchase across Ontario.

With the holidays fast-approaching, the main thematic of this release is "Enjoyful Gifts" and it features twenty-eight gift-giving options that are mostly red with a few bubbles, and eight of which are included among my wine picks. We'll start with the 46th edition of the Franciacorta, which is a blend of 79.5% Chardonnay, 19% Pinot Nero, and 1.5% Pinot Bianco. Moving on to the reds, the Napa Valley Cab is composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, while the Luce Super Tuscan is a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese. The last blend in this group is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is a blend of Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Vaccarèse. Among single varietal giftable wines, there is the 2020 Pinot Noir from Niagara, the Pinot Noir from Oregon, as well as a pair of Nebbiolo wines, one of which is a Barolo.

The mini-spotlight on Greek wines in this release only(!) includes three wines, and the one wine included among my recommendations is a lovely Assyrtiko that returned to VINTAGES this month after being first released last March.

My red wine recommendations from the main release begin in Niagara with a fine 2021 Pinot Noir, followed by the Bolgheri, which is a blend of 50% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot. From France, the Bordeaux red is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, the Rhône red is primarily Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support, and the Roussillon red, which is approximately 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. The only other blend is from South Africa, and it is crafted with 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot, 18% Merlot, and 2% Malbec. The single varietal wines are the Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, and the Rioja from Spain, which is crafted with 100% Tempranillo.

Among my top white wine picks, both whites at the lower end of the price scale are blends, with the Roussillon composed of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, and Macabeu, while the Vinho Verde is a blend of Loureiro and Alvarinho. All the other white wines are single varietal wines, led by a trio of Chardonnay wines - a pair from Niagara and one from Burgundy. If you enjoy sweeter wines, the Riesling Spätlese from Mosel will delight!

And lastly, there is a fine group of sparkling wines for your next holiday celebration. The Champagne is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 20% Meunier, the sparkling wine from Chile is crafted with 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, while the rosé Prosecco is made with Glera and Pinot Nero.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ARBOLEDA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Sustainable, DO Valle del Aconcagua, Chile (#606764) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2020 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• CAP ROYAL ROUGE 2020 - Vegan, AC Bordeaux Supérieur, France (#486761) (XD) - $18.95
• BASTIDE MIRAFLORS SYRAH/VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE 2021 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#320499) (XD) - $19.95
• MULDERBOSCH FAITHFUL HOUND 2022 - Sustainable, Vegan, WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#922443) (XD) - $20.95

• ALTANZA RESERVA 2017 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#208223) (XD) - $21.95  89 pts  wine review
• RENATO RATTI OCHETTI NEBBIOLO 2022 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#475913) (XD) - $32.95  91+ pts  wine review
• POGGIO AL TESORO IL SEGGIO 2021 - DOC Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy (#645515) (XD) - $45.95  92 pts  wine review
• SOKOL BLOSSER ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2021 - Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#748434) (XD) - $49.95  92 pts  wine review
• LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS PINOT NOIR 2020 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#184564) (XD) - $52.00  93+ pts  wine review

• CASCINA CHICCO ROCCHE DI CASTELLETTO BAROLO 2019 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#17697) (XD) - $54.95
• BACHELDER HANCK VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2021 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#41732) (XD) - $55.00  OFE
• DOMAINE DES SÉNÉCHAUX CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2020 - AC, Rhône, France (#677922) (XD) - $59.95
• GRGICH HILLS ESTATE GROWN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#71407) (XD) - $116.95
• LUCE 2021 - IGT Toscana, Tuscany, Italy (#685263) (XD) - $129.95

White Wine:

• M. CHAPOUTIER BILA-HAUT CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON BLANC 2022 - AP, Midi, France (#485656) (XD) - $16.95
• MARIA PAPOILA LOUREIRO / ALVARINHO 2023 - DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal (#408146) (XD) - $17.95
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET OLD VINE CHENIN BLANC 2022 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#21111) (XD) - $22.95
• PAPAGIANNAKOS ASSYRTIKO 2022 - Vegan, PGI Attica, Greece (#33260) (XD) - $26.95  90+ pts  wine review
• WESTCOTT ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2022 - Sustainable, VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#424507) (XD) - $29.95
• STUDERT-PRÜM MAXIMINHOF WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2023 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#114777) (S) - $31.95  OFE
• THE PURSUIT ON SEVEN CHARDONNAY 2020 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#21655) (XD) - $48.00  OFE
• DEUX ROCHES LES POMMARDS SAINT-VÉRAN 2021 - AP, Burgundy, France (#37919) (XD) - $50.95  OFE  review coming soon... 
  

Sparkling Wine:

• VILLA SANDI IL FRESCO MILLESIMATO BRUT ROSÉ PROSECCO 2023 - DOC, Italy (#23545) (D) - $18.95  90+ pts  wine review
• MONTES SPARKLING ANGEL BRUT SPARKLING - Traditional method, DO Zapallar, Valle del Aconcagua, Chile (#37122) (XD) - $22.95  OFE  91 pts  wine review
• CA' DEL BOSCO CUVÉE PRESTIGE EXTRA BRUT FRANCIACORTA - 46th Edition, Traditional Method, DOCG, Lombardy, Italy (#105353) (XD) - $46.95  91+ pts  wine review
• VEUVE CLICQUOT BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE 2015 - In gift box, AC, France (#588475) (XD) - $133.95  OFE

Dessert Wine:

• STRATUS RIESLING ICEWINE 2023 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#56671, 200 mL) (S) - $44.95
• ROYAL TOKAJI RED LABEL 5 PUTTONYOS TOKAJI ASZÚ 2017 - Tokaj, Hungary (#959031, 500 mL) (S) - $69.95  OFE