September 13, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Ontario

Here are my top wine picks from the September 13, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (link to digital edition). The fantastic wines from Ontario are the feature story of the release. Also included in this release are a new selection of Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE). This is the first of what should be a steady stream of large releases as we head into the holiday and gift-giving season. As such, there are 125 products offered in this release, and all are readily available for purchase.

We'll begin with the feature story that focuses on the fantastic wines from Ontario. Of the nineteen wines included as part of the thematic, twelve are among my top wine picks, although quite a few of these showed up in VINTAGES previously. We'll start with the fine traditional method sparkling wine that is crafted with 100% Pinot Noir. Among the white wines, Ontario is well-known for its fine Chardonnay and Riesling wines. In this release, there are 4 lovely Chardonnays - one from the 2021 vintage, one from the 2022 vintage, and a pair of Chardonnays from the 2023 vintage. In Riesling, the Thirty Bench version has only a touch of sweetness, while the version by Tawse will be notably sweet. Among the reds from Ontario, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc are the shining varieties, although I would include Gamay and (while not as widely planted) Syrah as well. In this release, there are Pinot Noirs by Bachelder and Le Clos Jordanne, as well as a Cabernet Franc from the excellent 2020 vintage. Lastly, you can end your evening with a pair of lovely dessert wines - a Late Harvest Riesling or the Cabernet Franc Icewine.

Among my top red wine picks from the main release, only two are blends. The Ruffino Super Tuscan is composed of 39% Sangiovese, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot, while the Roussillon is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Carignan, and 20% Syrah. The only other wines whose composition may not be obvious is the Maremma Toscana, which is pure Cabernet Sauvignon, the Gran Selezione Chianti Classico, which is Sangiovese, and the wine from Bierzo, which is crafted with Mencia. And if you want to sip local, there is another fine Pinot Noir from Niagara by Westcott.

All the white wines from the main release are mono-varietal wines. At the top of the list is an excellent Verdicchio from 50-year-old vines. There's also a fine Carricante from Sicily, as well as a pair of Chardonnays from Burgundy. There's also a Chardonnay from the Limari Valley in Chile, and a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The last wine is a Grand Cru Champagne that is crafted with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• ABAD DOM BUENO LADERAS DEL NORTE MENCIA 2021 - DO Bierzo, Spain (#244699) (XD) - $16.95
• TORRE ZAMBRA MADIA MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2021 - Sustainable, Vegan, DOC, Abruzzo, Italy (#17403) (D) - $17.95
• GÉRARD BERTRAND HERITAGE 560 TAUTAVEL 2022 - AOP Côtes du Roussillon, France (#272575) (XD) - $18.95
• KNAPPSTEIN CLARE VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - South Australia (#23905) (XD) - $19.95
• SAN PEDRO 1865 SELECTED VINEYARDS CARMENÈRE 2022 - Las Lagunas, DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#249201) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE THE SIDING CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Coonawarra, South Australia (#333229) (XD) - $24.95  91+ pts  wine review
• EL ENEMIGO EL BARRANCO SINGLE VINEYARD BONARDA 2021 - Mendoza, Argentina (#42760) (XD) - $26.95

• TAWSE GROWERS BLEND CABERNET FRANC 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#284570) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• RUFFINO MODUS 2021 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#912956) (XD) - $30.95  91 pts  wine review
• WESTCOTT ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#427500) (XD) - $31.95  91+ pts  wine review
• BRANCAIA N°2 2022 - DOC Maremma Toscana, Italy (#28451) (XD) - $33.95
• BACHELDER LES VILLAGES BENCH PINOT NOIR 2023 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11582) (XD) - $34.95  92+ pts  wine review
• LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS PINOT NOIR 2021 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#184564) (XD) - $55.00  92+ pts  wine review
• CASTELLO DI GABBIANO BELLEZZA GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#652438) (XD) - $59.95  OFE  92+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA CHARDONNAY 2023 - Valle del Limarí, Chile (#303628) (XD) - $17.95
• TAWSE SKETCHES RIESLING 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89029) (M) - $19.95
• CAVE SPRING ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#256552) (XD) - $21.95
• TWO RIVERS CONVERGENCE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#277707) (XD) - $22.95
• CASAL DI SERRA VECCHIE VIGNE VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO SUPERIORE 2022 - DOC, Marche, Italy (#98111) (XD) - $27.95  93+ pts  wine review
• ALTA MORA ETNA BIANCO 2022 - Sustainable, DOC Etna, Sicily, Italy (#545103) (XD) - $28.95  OFE  90+ pts  wine review

• THIRTY BENCH STEEL POST VINEYARD SMALL LOT RIESLING 2021 - Sustainable, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#319640) (D) - $28.95  93 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20455) (XD) - $30.00  91+ pts  wine review
• HENRY OF PELHAM SPECK FAMILY RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2023 - Sustainable, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#616466) (XD) - $34.95  91+ pts  wine review
• DOMAINE VOARICK GIVRY BLANC 2020 - AOC, Burgundy, France (#43747) (XD) - $52.95  OFE
• LE CLOS JORDANNE LE GRAND CLOS CHARDONNAY 2021 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#184549) (XD) - $55.00
• MAISON LOUIS LATOUR MARSANNAY BLANC 2022 - AOC, Burgundy, France (#24903) (XD) - $55.95  92 pts  wine review

Sparkling Wine:

• KEW BLANC DE NOIRS 2020 - Traditional Method, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#380030) (XD) - $32.95  90+ pts  wine review
• DELAVENNE DOM BASLE BRUT RÉSERVE GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE - AOC, France (#45449) (XD) - $69.95

Dessert Wine:

• CAVE SPRING SELECT LATE HARVEST RIESLING 2023 - VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#415901, 375 mL) (S) - $29.95
• INNISKILLIN NIAGARA ESTATE CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#149963, 200 mL) (S) - $59.95  92+ pts  wine review