July 16, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Mediterranean

The theme of the upcoming July 16, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "Sun, Sea & Sips" and focuses on wines from the Mediterranean. Also included in the magazine is a list of the next Online Exclusives collection that will be available starting July 28. Wines from this Release will be available at LCBO outlets across Ontario by this Saturday.

We begin with the theme on wines from sunny vineyards along the Mediterranean coast that are synonymous with summertime sipping. Of the eighteen wines featured in the theme, six are included among my top wine picks. Starting on the eastern side in Greece is an Assyrtiko from the Florina appellation in the hills of Amyndeon. Moving westward into Italy are a pair of lovely single varietal red wines from the island of Sicily made with Nero d'Avola and Frappato. From France, there are a pair of fine dry rosé wines - the one from Provence is a blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 5% Syrah, while the Tavel from Rhône consists of 39% Grenache Noir, 25% Cinsault, 10% Grenache Blanc, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, and other varieties.

Among my red wine recommendations from the rest of the Release, the lovely GSM blend from Australia consists of 59% Grenache, 22% Mourvèdre, and 19% Syrah, while the Roussillon red is primarily Grenache with Syrah and Carignan in support. The rest of the reds are all single varietal wines. The Morgon from Beaujolais is made with Gamay, while the Beaune from Burgundy is Pinot Noir. There's also a pair of lovely Malbec wines from Argentina, and from Australia there is a Shiraz and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

My white wine picks from the rest of the Release are all single varietal wines. From France, there is a lovely Muscadet from Loire that is made with the Melon de Bourgogne grape, while the white wine from Burgundy is made with Aligoté. For Sauvignon Blanc wine lovers, there is a Sancerre from Loire, as well as a Sauvignon Blanc from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough. Other dry white wines include an excellent Assyrtiko from Santorini, a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, as well as a pair of Chardonnay wines from Niagara. If you enjoy sweeter wines, grab the Riesling from Mosel.

Among my pink wine recommendations, the rosé from Niagara is a blend of 46% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Gris, and 19% Gamay, while the version from Tuscany consists of Sangiovese and Merlot. Among my pink sparkling wine picks, the wine from Provence is crafted with Syrah and Grenache, while the bubbly from South Africa is a blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• SALENTEIN RESERVE MALBEC 2019 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#640854) (XD) - $17.95  90+ pts  wine review
• COLAB & BLOOM SHIRAZ 2019 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#16043) (XD) - $19.95
• LAURENT GAUTHIER GRAND CRAS VIEILLES VIGNES MORGON 2019 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#279059) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
  
• CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES GRENACHE / SYRAH / CARIGNAN 2019 - AP Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Midi, France (#119354) (D) - $19.95
• DANDELION PRIDE OF THE FLEURIEU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Fleurieu, South Australia (#23778) (XD) - $21.95
• PLANETA FRAPPATO VITTORIA 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#508655) (XD) - $22.95
• TORBRECK OLD VINES GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2018 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#10223) (XD) - $24.95  91 pts  wine review
• FEUDO MONTONI LAGNUSA NERO D'AVOLA 2019 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#523738) (XD) - $24.95
• CATENA LUNLUNTA OLD VINES APPELLATION MALBEC 2019 - Mendoza, Argentina (#11769) (XD) - $24.95
• ARNOUX PÈRE & FILS LES BEAUMONTS CHOREY-LÈS-BEAUNE 2020 - AC, Burgundy, France (#557785) (XD) - $39.95

White Wine:

• DOMAINE LA HAUTE FÉVRIE SUR LIE MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 2020 - AC, Loire, France (#390625) (XD) - $15.95  90+ pts  wine review
• PROSPER MAUFOUX BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ 2020 - AC, Burgundy, France (#23984) (XD) - $17.95
• KIR-YIANNI LE NORD ASSYRTIKO 2020 - Vegan, IGP Florina, Greece (#25707) (XD) - $18.95  review coming soon...
• ERADUS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#225557) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET CHENIN BLANC 2021 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#21111) (XD) - $19.95
• BACHELDER L'ARDOISE NIAGARA CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#302083) (XD) - $24.95
• CLOSSON CHASE THE BROCK CHARDONNAY 2019 - VQA Niagara River, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#20899) (XD) - $25.00
• CHÂTEAU DE SANCERRE SANCERRE 2020 - Sustainable, AC, Loire, France (#340893) (XD) - $29.95
  
• MAX FERD. RICHTER ELISENBERGER RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2019 - Qualitätswein, Mosel, Germany (#25712) (S) - $29.95
• ARGYROS ASSYRTIKO 2020 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#387365) (XD) - $44.95

Rosé Wine:

• FIELDING ROSÉ 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#53421) (XD) - $17.95
• RICASOLI ALBIA ROSÉ 2021 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#556266) (XD) - $18.95
• VILLA AIX EN PROVENCE ROSÉ 2021 - AP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France (#668426) (XD) - $20.95
• DOMAINE MABY LA FORCADIÈRE TAVEL ROSÉ 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#701318) (XD) - $20.95

Sparkling Wine:

• RIVAROSE BRUT PRESTIGE SPARKLING ROSÉ - Salon de Provence, IGP Mediterranean, Provence, France (#515288) (D) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• GRAHAM BECK MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE BRUT SPARKLING ROSÉ PINOT NOIR / CHARDONNAY - Traditional method, WO Western Cape, South Africa (#175588) (XD) - $22.95

Read More

Rivarose Brut Prestige Sparkling Rosé (Provence) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely sparkling rosé from Provence that will be arriving at the LCBO next weekend as part of the July 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

The history of Rivarose begins in 1909 when a renowned French economist, Edmond Thery, fell in love with sparkling wines. He created a wine house in the city of Rognac in Bouches-du-Rhône and created a cellar 10 metres underground below the rocks, which was unique for Provence. Until the 1930s, Edmond produced base wines for Champagne houses and had to stop when strict demarcation production areas came into effect. At this point, Edmond began producing his sparkling wines to order.

Moving to more recent history, a second production site was built in 1988 in Salon de Provence under the name of Auran and is dedicated to the production of sparkling wines using new techniques such as Charmat Method, carbonation, and the production of flavoured and alcohol-free sparkling products. In 1998, the wine house joins Famille Piffaut Vins et Domaines family to take the quality of the wines to the next level. In 2016, the production sites in Rognac and Salon de Provence were brought together on a new, larger site in Salon de Provence and Rivarose was borne to become the oldest and largest producer of sparkling wines in the Mediterranean.

This sparkling rosé wine is crafted using a blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes that were grown in the Vaucluse region in the southern Rhône Valley. The grapes were carefully harvested at night in order to retain maximum freshness. Upon arriving at the winery after harvest, skin maceration is carried out and followed by pressing to extract aromatic intensity from the fruit. Syrah adds vibrant red fruit aromas, while Grenache provides aromatic intensity. After initial fermentation, a second fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled vats with frequent stirring of the lees over a period of one month. The wine is then aged on its lees for a minimum of 5 months. Let's see how this sparkling rosé is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

RIVAROSE BRUT PRESTIGE SPARKLING ROSÉ - Salon de Provence, IGP Mediterranean, Provence, France (#515288) (D) - $19.95
Crafted in the tank method, this blend of Syrah and Grenache has a generous, medium+ intensity nose with enticing aromas of grapefruit, strawberry, orange zest, citrus, raspberry, and leesy mineral with hints of floral. The medium+ bodied palate is essentially dry with delicious grapefruit, orange, citrus, and mineral replays with red berry fruited touches like strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. Fine, beady bubbles and fresh, juicy, thirst-quenching acidity carry through to the dry, minerally, floral, and lip-smacking finish, with very good length. Highly recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other delicious wines by Rivarose are available through their Agent - Sylvestre Wines & Spirits.

Read More