April 12, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Perfect Pairings

This release marks the return of the official digital version of the release catalogue, which for the first time includes a flipbook, as well as a pdf of the April 12, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. There are 85 wines included in this release, while the feature story is titled "Perfect Pairings for Easter and Passover". This release should've included some Online & Flagship Exclusives, but was omitted for some reason. Overall, it is a fine release with some very good buys at all price points, and all wines should be available for purchase by Saturday, if not earlier.

We'll begin with the feature story of the release that looks at Perfect Pairings for Easter and Passover celebrations. There are eighteen wines included in the theme, and six are included among my top wine picks. Sparkling wines are very versatile and perfect for the beginning of your celebration. There are two fine options for you in this release - the Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore, which is made with Glera, or the Champagne that is crafted with 75% Pinot Meunier, 15% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Noir. If you're serving chicken or turkey, try the Chenin Blanc from South Africa, or the Chardonnay from Niagara. For pairing with vegetarian fare, try the Albariño from Uruguay. The last wine from the theme is a perennially fine rosé from Tavel that is composed of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Clairette, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault, and 5% Bourboulenc, and will be ideal with seafood.

The blends among my top red wine recommendations from the main release begin in Tuscany with a Bolgheri that is a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, followed by an Australian red from Langhorne Creek that is composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot. For Rhône wine lovers, the Côtes du Rhône is a GSM blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, while the Côtes du Rhône-Villages is 50/50 Grenache and Syrah. The last blend is from Rioja, and it consists of 97% Tempranillo, 2% Graciano, and 1% Mazuelo. Some of the mono-varietal reds include the Brunello di Montalcino, which is crafted with Sangiovese, and the Carignan, which is from 60-year-old vines. There's also a Tannat from Uruguay, a Pinot Noir from Martinborough in New Zealand, a Malbec from Argentina, and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia.

Among my top white wine picks from the main release, all are mono-varietal white wines. Leading the way are a quartet of Sauvignon Blanc wines - one each from Südtirol Alto Adige in northern Italy, Australia, Chile, and one crafted locally in Niagara. You can also go off the beaten path and try the indigenous Insolia from Sicily, or if you want something with a little bit of sweetness, try the Gewürztraminer from Niagara.

My other rosé wine pick (which was not part of the feature story) is a dry rosé from Uruguay that consists of 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Merlot, and 20% Marselan.

Enjoy my top recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• LAVAU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2020 - AC, France (#421024) (XD) - $16.95
• WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Clare Valley / Limestone Coast, South Australia (#744235) (XD) - $19.95  88+ pts  updated review soon...
• FABRE MONTMAYOU RESERVA MALBEC 2023 - Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (#261867) (XD) - $19.95
• LA FERME DU MONT PREMIÈRE CÔTE CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2022 - Unfiltered, AP, France (#251645) (XD) - $19.95
• DOMAINE LAFAGE CAYROL VIEILLES VIGNES CARIGNAN 2022 - IGP Côtes Catalanes, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (#494039) (XD) - $19.95
• BODEGA GARZÓN RESERVA TANNAT 2022 - Maldonado, Uruguay (#558916) (XD) - $23.95
• BERONIA 198 BARRICAS RESERVA 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#42287) (XD) - $25.95
• LUNA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2022 - Sustainable, Martinborough, North Island, New Zealand (#17544) (XD) - $26.95
• BLEASDALE FRANK POTTS 2022 - Langhorne Creek, South Australia (#619999) (XD) - $29.95
• POGGIOTONDO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#276576) (XD) - $55.95
• LE SERRE NUOVE DELL'ORNELLAIA 2022 - DOC Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy (#606194) (XD) - $78.95  94 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Australia (#166942) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  updated review soon...
• FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89011) (XD) - $17.95
• FEATHERSTONE PHOENIX GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2024 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#519025) (D) - $18.95
• LEYDA GARUMA COASTAL VINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - DO Valle de Leyda, Chile (#99309) (XD) - $18.95
• ASSULI CARINDA INSOLIA 2023 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#39393) (XD) - $19.95
• RADFORD DALE VINUM CHENIN BLANC 2023 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#13338) (XD) - $19.95
• BODEGA GARZÓN RESERVA ALBARIÑO 2024 - Maldonado, Uruguay (#646802) (XD) - $23.95
• NALS MARGREID STEIN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - DOC Südtirol Alto Adige, Italy (#39394) (XD) - $24.95
• BACHELDER L'ARDOISE NIAGARA CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#302083) (XD) - $25.95

Rosé Wine:

• BODEGA GARZÓN ESTATE PINOT ROSÉ DE CORTE 2024 - Garzón, Uruguay (#15265) (XD) - $19.95
• CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2024 - AP, Cru des Côtes du Rhône, France (#319368) (XD) - $24.95

Sparkling Wine:

• CA' DI RAJO EXTRA DRY PROSECCO DI VALDOBBIADENE SUPERIORE 2023 - DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#369447) (D) - $20.95  90 pts  wine review
• HENRI DAVID-HEUCQ EXTRA BRUT CHAMPAGNE - AP, France (#39868) (XD) - $63.95