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Friday, August 22, 2025

August 16, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Summer Smart Buys + Greece

LCBO Wine Picks: August 16, 2025 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the August 16, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, with digital edition here. The feature story of the release is titled "Summer Smart Buys", while the mini-feature focuses on the exciting wines from Greece. In all, there are 105 products included in this release, with a whopping 25 - nearly a quarter of the release - as Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE). Overall, this is a very good release, with a relatively high number of OFE wines as recommended buys, while the number of quality red wines below $20 continues to dwindle. All the wines should already be available for purchase online and in-store.

We'll start with the feature story of the release - Summer Smart Buys - which includes 23 wines, most of which are under $20, and nearly all are under $25. There are five recommended Smart Buys among my top wine picks, and at the top of the list is a wine from McLaren Vale that is composed of 70% Grenache and 30% Mataro (aka Mourvèdre). The other reds are a Ventoux from Rhône that is a blend of 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and 20% Carignan, as well as a Merlot from Niagara. Smart white wine buys are the Chenin Blanc from South Africa, and a Chardonnay from Argentina.

Hither & Yon Grenache / Mataro 2023 (91 pts)

Featherstone Red Tail Merlot 2022 (88+ pts)

The mini-thematic features the exciting wines from Greece. Once again, the mini-theme is small with only four wines included in the topic, but three are among my top recommendations. The lone red is an excellent Single Vineyard Xinomavro, while the whites are a Malagouzia from Evia (Central Greece) and an Assyrtiko from the Peloponnese. Other Greek highlights in the release include a trio of wines from Santorini - a couple of which are world-class Assyrtikos, as well as the Atlantis White, which is a blend of 90% Assyrtiko, 5% Athiri, and 5% Aidani.

Kir-Yianni Single Vineyard Ramnista Xinomavro 2020

Among my top wine picks, the OFEs lead the way once with a trio of fantastic wines. First up is a Super Tuscan that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, followed by a couple of wines crafted with Gamay - one from Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the other from the Morgon cru in Beaujolais. Other wines from Tuscany include a Brunello di Montalcino that is straight Sangiovese, while the Riserva Chianti Classico is the Wine of the Month and is mainly Sangiovese. From Veneto, the Valpolicella is a blend of 55% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella, while the Roussillon-Villages from France is composed of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah. And lastly, there is a fine Cabernet Franc from Niagara.

Brigaldara Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2022 (90 pts)

Castellani Riserva Chianti Classico 2019 (89 pts)

Most of the white wines from the main release are actually OFEs, starting with the Old Vines blend from South Africa that is composed of 68% Chenin Blanc, 14% Clairette Blanche, 6% Sémillon Gris, 6% Grenache Blanc, and 6% Viognier. Other white wine OFEs are the Saint-Joseph Rhône white which is actually Marsanne, the off-dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand, and the dry Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige in Italy. The only other recommended white is from Costières de Nîmes, and it is a blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, and 20% Clairette.

Alléno & Chapoutier Croix de Chabot Saint-Joseph Blanc 2023

Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Gris 2023 (92 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

DOMAINE BRUNELY VENTOUX 2022 - AP, Rhône, France (#43525) (XD) - $15.95 88+ pts wine review
FEATHERSTONE RED TAIL MERLOT 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#131540) (XD) - $19.95 88+ pts wine review
CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH CHIMÈRES CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, Midi, France (#119354) (XD) - $19.95
CASTELLANI RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#86298) (XD) - $21.95 89 pts wine review
BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE 2022 - Sustainable, DOC, Veneto, Italy (#16090) (XD) - $22.95 90 pts wine review
HITHER & YON GRENACHE / MATARO 2023 - Sustainable, McLaren Vale, South Australia (#42067) (XD) - $24.95 91 pts wine review

LOUIS LATOUR MORGON 2023 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#44210) (XD) - $25.95 OFE
WENDING HOME ESTATE VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC 2021 - VQA Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#46478) (XD) - $29.95
BACHELDER BAI XU SINGLE VINEYARD GAMAY NOIR 2021 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#46460) (XD) - $29.95 OFE
KIR-YIANNI SINGLE VINEYARD RAMNISTA XINOMAVRO 2020 - PDO Naoussa, Greece (#178020) (XD) - $38.95 review coming soon...
CAPARZO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2019 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#579094) (XD) - $59.95
RENIERI RE DI RENIERI 2021 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#104653) (XD) - $61.95 OFE

White Wine:

CRIOS CHARDONNAY 2024 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#243196) (XD) - $16.95
BUTINAGES COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES BLANC 2023 - Sustainable, AP, Rhône, France (#20906) (XD) - $17.95
PETRIESSA MALAGOUZIA 2024 - PGI Evia, Greece (#37059) (XD) - $17.95
SKOURAS WILD FERMENT ASSYRTIKO 2024 - Vegan, PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#32387) (XD) - $19.95 review coming soon...
BADENHORST SECATEURS CHENIN BLANC 2024 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#37537) (XD) - $19.95
ATLANTIS WHITE 2024 - Santorini, Greece (#371658) (XD) - $27.95 review coming soon...

PETER ZEMMER GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2023 - DOC Alto Adige, Italy (#44241) (XD) - $29.95 OFE
GREYWACKE MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 2023 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#994939) (D) - $32.95 OFE 92 pts wine review
ALLÉNO & CHAPOUTIER CROIX DE CHABOT SAINT-JOSEPH BLANC 2023 - AC, Rhône, France (#43784) (XD) - $39.95 OFE review coming soon...
MULLINEUX OLD VINES WHITE 2024 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#556597) (XD) - $39.95 OFE
ARGYROS CUVEE PALATIA ASSYRTIKO 2023 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#46042) (XD) - $83.95 OFE
ARGYROS CUVEE MONSIGNORI ASSYRTIKO 2022 - PDO Santorini, Greece (#35718) (XD) - $98.95 OFE

Rosé Wine:

STRATUS CABERNET FRANC ROSÉ 2024 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#43598) (XD) - $32.20 OFE

August 2, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Canadian Wines

LCBO Wine Picks: August 2, 2025 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the August 2, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (click here for digital edition), which features Canadian Wines from Coast to Coast as the theme of the release, while the mini-feature has a trio of wines from an Australian producer, and in Local Talent there's a look at wines from Lake Erie North Shore (aka LENS). The release is a bit on the small side with only 86 products offered, but there are quite a few nice wines, and everything should be readily available for purchase across the province.

We'll begin with the feature story about Canadian Wines from Coast to Coast. There are thirteen wines included as part of the feature, with half a dozen wines each from British Columbia and Ontario, plus one wine from Nova Scotia. Two of these wines are among my top wine picks - a Pinot Gris from British Columbia, and a Riesling from Niagara - and both have some natural sweetness to them.

Redstone Limestone Vineyard South Riesling 2023 (90+ pts)

My top red wine picks from the main release begin in the Rhône with a trio of fantastic wines, all blends. At the top of the list is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is composed of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. The Vinsobres is an unspecified blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, while the Luberon is an unoaked blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache that was vinified without adding sulfites. From Spain, the 2020 Rioja is 100% Tempranillo, while the 2015 Rioja is 95% Tempranillo with the balance made up of Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo. From Italy, the Chianti Classico is crafted with mainly Sangiovese and a splash of Colorino, while the Cannonau di Sardegna is Grenache from Sardinia. On the local front, the wine from Niagara-on-the-Lake is a kitchen sink type of blend consisting of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Semillon, Syrah, and Sangiovese.

Rémy Ferbras Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 (93 pts)

Rhonéa Les Confluences Vinsobres 2022 (90 pts)

Amédée Sans Soufre Ajouté Luberon 2023 (89 pts)

Villa Cerna Primocolle Chianti Classico 2021 (90+ pts)

The only blend among my white wine recommendations from the main release is a Sicilian white crafted with 90% Catarratto and 10% Chardonnay. Other notable white wines include a Pecorino from Abruzzo, an Alvarinho from Portugal, and a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. There's also an Assyrtiko from Greece, a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and a Chenin Blanc from South Africa. And lastly, the Pinot Gris from New Zealand is a touch off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet).

Aveleda Solos de Xisto Alvarinho 2022 (91 pts)

Tenute Orestiadi Riserva Il Bianco di Ludovico 2021 (90 pts)

Among my top rosé wine picks, the rosés from Niagara and Sancerre (Loire) are both crafted with Pinot Noir, while the Tavel is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Clairette, Picpoul, and Syrah. Lastly, the Champagne is composed of 60% Pinot Meunier and 40% Pinot Noir.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!