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Saturday, June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Summery White Wines

LCBO Wine Picks: June 21, 2025 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the June 21, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (flipbook here), where the feature story of the release focuses on Summery White Wines. Also included in this release is a mini-feature of three wines from Campania, as well as a new batch of Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE). Overall, this release is on the bigger side with 106 offerings, with red and white wines having nearly equal representation. It is also worth mentioning, perhaps due to U.S. wines still off the shelves, that the LCBO seems to have done away with the reduced release schedule during the summer months - where in a given month there was only one in-store release and one small OFE release. We shall see if it returns later this summer, or next year.

We'll begin with the feature story of this release, where the seemingly timely "Summery White Wines" arrive just in time as the summer heat has finally arrived upon us. Of the eighteen wines included as part of the theme, five white wines are included among my top wine recommendations. First up is a lovely white Bordeaux that is crafted with 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Sémillon, and 20% Muscadelle, while the Côtes du Rhône Blanc is composed of 38% Viognier, 33% Grenache Blanc, 12% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne, and 7% Clairette. There's also a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, and a Pinot Grigio from Niagara. The last white wine is definitely going off the beaten path with a white wine from Portugal that is crafted with the indigenous Siria varietal.

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2023 (90 pts)

13th Street Expression Series Pinot Grigio 2023 (88+ pts)

Among my top red wine picks in this release, we'll start in Italy with a Bolgheri Rosso that is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Moving westerly across Europe, the Côtes du Rhône is primarily Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support, while the Rioja is 85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha Tinta / Graciano / Mazuelo. The rest of my red wine recommendations are all mono-varietal wines, including the Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia, the Cabernet Franc from Niagara, the Grenache from Australia, and the Gamay from the Cru of Régnié in Beaujolais.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (93 pts)

Featherstone Reserve Cabernet Franc 2021 (91+ pts)

Xavier Vignon Côtes du Rhône 2020 (89 pts)

White wine recommendations from the main release are centred around Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Both Chardonnays are locally crafted, with one from Prince Edward County, and the other from the Beamsville Bench in Niagara. For Sauvignon Blanc, one is from South Africa, while the other Sauv Blanc is a barrel fermented and aged style from New Zealand. Mono-varietal white wines include a fine Pecorino from Prince Edward County, as well as a barely off-dry Riesling from the Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation of Niagara.

Closson Chase Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 (91 pts)

Among my rosé wine picks, both are single varietal wines, with the rose from Niagara crafted with 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir, while the rose from Australia is 100% Grenache.

Dandelion Fairytale of the Barossa Rosé 2024 (89 pts)

Enjoy my top wine picks from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2022 - Sustainable, Vegan, DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#57513) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2020 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
IL POGGIO SANNIO AGLIANICO 2020 - DOP, Campania, Italy (#575225) (XD) - $19.95
AGAMY RÉGNIÉ 2022 - AP, Cru du Beaujolais, France (#42227) (XD) - $22.95
SEPPELTSFIELD GRENACHE 2023 - Barossa, South Australia (#41439) (XD) - $24.95 review coming soon...
CUNE RESERVA 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#417659) (XD) - $26.95
SANTA RITA FLORESTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Alto Jahuel, Valle del Maipo, Chile (#41878) (XD) - $29.95 OFE 90 pts wine review
FEATHERSTONE RESERVE CABERNET FRANC 2021 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#38301) (XD) - $29.95 91+ pts wine review
WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE BLACK LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - 67th vintage, Coonawarra, South Australia (#84996) (XD) - $44.95 93 pts wine review
LE MACCHIOLE BOLGHERI ROSSO 2022 - DOC, Tuscany, Italy (#483412) (XD) - $46.95 OFE

Santa Rita Floresta Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (90 pts)

Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenère 2022 (89 pts)

White Wine:

QUINTA DO CARDO 2023 - DOC Beira Interior, Portugal (#42071) (XD) - $16.95
SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL GRAN RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Valle de Leyda, Chile (#42097) (XD) - $18.95
PAUL JABOULET AÎNÉ PARALLÈLE 45 CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2023 - AC, France (#42031) (XD) - $18.95 90 pts wine review
13TH STREET EXPRESSION SERIES PINOT GRIGIO 2023 - Sustainable, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#20311) (XD) - $19.95 88+ pts wine review
WESTCOTT BUTLERS' GRANT OLD VINES RIESLING 2023 - Sustainable, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#22460) (D) - $19.95
CHÂTEAU DE FONTENILLE BLANC 2023 - Sustainable, AC Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux, France (#140046) (XD) - $23.95 review coming soon...
ORGANIZED CRIME LIMESTONE BLOCK CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11951) (XD) - $24.95
TE PA OKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#30159) (XD) - $24.95
SOUTHERN RIGHT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Sustainable, WO Cape Coast, South Africa (#512277) (XD) - $24.95 OFE review coming soon...
CASA-DEA PECORINO 2023 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#45183) (XD) - $34.95 91 pts wine review
CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2021 - Vegan, VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#148866) (XD) - $35.00 91 pts wine review

Rosé Wine:

DANDELION FAIRYTALE OF THE BAROSSA ROSÉ 2024 - South Australia (#43354) (XD) - $19.95 89 pts wine review
WESTCOTT PINOT NOIR ROSÉ 2024 - Sustainable, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#38227) (D) - $21.95 90 pts wine review

Dessert Wine:

INNISKILLIN NIAGARA ESTATE CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#149963, 200 mL) (S) - $59.95 OFE 92+ pts wine review
INNISKILLIN NIAGARA ESTATE GOLD VIDAL ICEWINE 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#19083, 375 mL) (S) - $99.95 OFE

Inniskillin Niagara Estate Cabernet Franc Icewine 2023 (92+ pts)

June 7, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Rosé

LCBO Wine Picks: June 7, 2025 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the June 7, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (flipbook here). Like the first release last June, this release focuses on Rosé wines. It is not a big release with only 78 products offered. However, just over one-third of the wines are on the recommended list, and all should already be available for purchase today, if not by Saturday's official release date.

We'll begin with the feature story of the release: food-friendly rosé wines. Of the sixteen wines included as part of the thematic, four are included among my top rosé wine picks. A couple of major points within the feature are the various methods of crafting rosé wines, as well as wine serving temperatures for rosés. At the top of the list is a rosé from Provence that is crafted primarily with Grenache and Rolle (Vermentino). Next up are a pair of local rosés - the rosé from Hidden Bench is a blend of 87% Pinot Noir, 7% Viognier, and 6% Chardonnay, while the touch-off-dry rosé from Featherstone is composed of 46.7% Gamay, 42.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.1% Cabernet Franc. The last rosé is definitely off the beaten path with a rosé from Sicily that is crafted with the Frappato grape varietal. Not part of theme, but also a fantastic rosé is Xinomavro Rosé from Greece.

Hidden Bench Locust Lane Rosé 2024 (90+ pts)

Kir-Yianni Xinomavro Rosé 2024 (90+ pts)

Local talent is particularly notable in this release, where a selection of four wines by Thomas Bachelder showcases a small portion of his meticulous exploration of Niagara and its complex terroirs. The four single-vineyard wines are all from the 2022 vintage and focus on Chardonnay and Gamay Noir, with wines from both the Niagara Escarpment and Niagara-on-the Lake wine regions represented. All four Bachelder wines are highly recommended buys!

Bachelder Parcelle Ivy & Warren Saunders Vineyard Haut Chardonnay 2022 (94 pts)

Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Vineyard Gamay Noir 2022 (92+ pts)

Bachelder Kirby Vineyard Gamay Noir 2022 (91 pts)

Nearly all of my red wine picks are mono-varietal wines. The exceptions are the Super Tuscan, which is a blend of 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, while the Bordeaux red is 75/25 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. There's also the Rioja, which is mainly Tempranillo, plus Graciano. Among the mono-varietal wines, both Chianti Classico wines are 100% Sangiovese, while the rest should be recognizable and straightforward.

There are two white wine blends among my top white wine recommendations, and both are from Italy. The first is the Soave, which is composed of Garganega (85-90%) and the rest Trebbiano di Soave, while the white wine from Umbria consists of Vermentino, Grechetto and Trebbiano. Other dry white wines include the unoaked Chardonnay from Niagara, the Grüner Veltliner from Austria, the Viognier from France, and the Pecorino from Abruzzo. There's also a fine Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, as well as an Aligoté from Burgundy. If you enjoy some sweetness in your wines, look for the off-dry Riesling from Niagara, or the fairly sweet Gewürztraminer from Pfalz.

Domäne Wachau Terrassen Federspiel Grüner Veltliner 2023 (89 pts)

Lungarotti Torre Di Giano Vermentino/ Grechetto/ Trebbiano 2023 (90+ pts)

Black Bank Hill Runway Chardonnay 2023 (90 pts)

Tiki Single Vineyard North Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Blason de Bourgogne Aligoté 2023 (89 pts)

Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2023 (89 pts)

Charles Baker B-Side Riesling 2023 (89 pts)

Among my top sparkling wine picks, the sparkling wine from Prince Edward Country is 100% Chardonnay, while the Prosecco DOCG is a minimum 95% Glera, with Bianchetta and Perera completing the blend.

Huff Cuvée Peter F. Sparkling 2021 (92 pts)

Sorelle Bronca l'Est Brut Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore (90 pts)

Enjoy my top wine picks from this release! Cheers!