passover | VINTAGES Wine Picks & Reviews

Thursday, April 10, 2025

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

LCBO Wine Picks: April 12, 2025 VINTAGES New Release Collection

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.

Ca' di Rajo Extra Dry Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore 2023 (90 pts)

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.

Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia 2022 (94 pts)

Wakefield Estate Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (89 pts)

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.

Featherstone Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (90 pts)

Featherstone Phoenix Gewürztraminer 2024 (90 pts)

Wakefield Estate Label Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (89 pts)

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 89 pts wine review
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 wine review
FEATHERSTONE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#89011) (XD) - $17.95 90 pts wine review
FEATHERSTONE PHOENIX GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2024 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#519025) (D) - $18.95 90 pts wine review
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

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

VINTAGES Release April 1, 2017: Visionaries, Innovators and Pioneers + Easter and Passover

LCBO Wine Picks from April 1, 2017 VINTAGES Release

The upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release on April 1, 2017 will be on shelves across Ontario this coming Saturday and features wines from "Visionaries, Innovators, & Pioneers" in its main theme. The mini-theme focuses on wines for Easter and Passover.

From the main theme, 14 wines are listed and 4 are included among my top wine picks. A common theme among many of the wineries featured is that they were formed many years ago and passed down from generation to generation, with more recent generations producing wines using traditional methods combined with modern winemaking techniques. From the young and talented winemaker Ben Glaetzer in Australia is the Heartland Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Catena Family brings us their single-vineyard Altamira Malbec. The Gaja Family has been making wine since 1856, but their Promis is a more recent wine consisting of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah, and 10% Sangiovese. From South Africa, Ken Forrester purchased the estate only in 1993, but the vines in his Old Vines Reserve Chenin Blanc are nearly 40 years old.

Heartland Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (89 pts)

In red wines, the Les Halos de Jupiter is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah and will be widely available as it is one of the Wines of the Month, while the Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault. The Rosso di Montalcino is considered to be a "Baby Brunello" and is made with 100% Sangiovese, with the Portugese red is a blend of local varietals Aragonês, Trincadeira, and Alicante Bouschet. From Argentina, the Chakana blend is mostly Malbec, but also contains 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

Chakana Estate Selection Red Blend 2014 (89 pts)

For sweet wine lovers, the Riesling from New Zealand will be your best bet. And if you like your Roses dry, the latest vintage of Mas des Bressades arrives with the usual blend consisting of mostly Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!