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Friday, July 4, 2025

July 5, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Mediterranean Wines

LCBO Wine Picks: July 5, 2025 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the July 5, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (flipbook here), which highlights Mediterranean Wines for Summer Sipping as the feature story of the release. The mini-thematic features three wines from Austria's historic Winzer Krems, while in Local Talent there is a stellar lineup of Cool Chardonnays. In all, there are 90 wines included in this release, with almost an equal number of red- and white-coloured wines, and everything should be available for purchase by this Saturday, if not already in many stores.

We'll begin with the feature story of the release, which lists twelve Mediterranean wines for Summer Sipping - five of which are included among my top wine picks. Up first are a couple of white wines from Sicily - an Etna Bianco crafted with 100% Carricante, as well as a Grillo. The other three wines are all rosés, including a couple of blends from Provence in France, with the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. The other rosé is from Greece and a blend of 70% Agiorgitiko and 30% Moscofilero.

Skouras Cuvée Prestige Agiorgitiko / Moscofilero Rosé 2024

Gorghi Tondi Coste a Preola Grillo 2023 (89 pts)

The red wines in this release felt a bit like slim pickings, with only nine recommendations coming from just four countries. We'll start in France with the Gigondas, which is majority Grenache, with Syrah completing the cuvée, while the Bordeaux red is 100% Merlot. From Italy, the Vino Nobile is Sangiovese, while the Chianti Classico is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Malvasia Nera, and 5% Colorino. From Argentina there is a straight Malbec, while the other wine is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon. Spain has three recommendations in this release, with both Riojas crafted with 100% Tempranillo, while the Navarra red is 100% Graciano.

Piedra Negra Gran Lurton Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (90 pts)

Among my top white wine picks, Cool Chardonnay is the place to start with a quartet of lovely 2022 vintage Chardonnays from Ontario - three from the Benchlands in Niagara and one from Prince Edward County. Tasting the four of these side-by-side would be a lovely exercise for the studious types (or a Saturday evening!). There are two blends among my white wine recommendations - the Côtes du Rhône Blanc is composed of 50% Grenache Blanc, 40% Viognier, and 10% Marsanne, while the South African white is mainly Chenin Blanc blended with Roussanne, Viognier, and Sémillon. Among the mono-varietal wines, there is a Sauvignon Blanc from Margaret River in Australia, the Torrontés from the high-altitudes of Salta in Argentina, as well as the slightly off-dry Riesling from Austria. Lastly, the Orange Wine from Chile is crafted with Torontel.

Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2022 (92+ pts)

Cloudsley Twenty Mile Bench Chardonnay 2022 (91+ pts)

Cave Spring CSV Chardonnay 2022 (91+ pts)

Rosehall Run JCR Chardonnay 2022 (91+ pts)

Bodega El Porvenir de Cafayate Laborum Finca El Retiro Torrontés 2023

Evans & Tate Wild Cape Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Avondale Jonty's Ducks Pekin White Chenin Blanc 2021 (89 pts)

Les Dauphins Réserve Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2023

Maturana Naranjo Torontel Orange Wine 2023

My lone rosé pick (that wasn't part of the Mediterranean feature) is from New Zealand, and it is a somewhat quirky blend of 48% Pinot Gris, 48% Chenin Blanc, and 4% Pinot Noir.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

AGRAMONT GRACIANO 2022 - DO Navarra, Spain (#37262) (XD) - $15.95
NIETO SENETINER DON NICANOR MALBEC 2022 - Mendoza, Argentina (#178657) (XD) - $17.95
MONTEBUENA CUVÉE KPF 2020 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#211029) (XD) - $18.95 88+ pts wine review
PALACIO DE PRIMAVERA VENDIMIA SELECCIONADA RESERVA 2020 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#13632) (XD) - $19.95
CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2022 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $19.95
MAZZEI FONTERUTOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2022 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#977629) (XD) - $24.95
PIEDRA NEGRA GRAN LURTON SINGLE VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - IG Los Chacayes, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#980334) (XD) - $24.95 90 pts wine review
VECCHIA CANTINA RISERVA VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2017 - Sustainable, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#36523) (XD) - $27.95
DOMAINE DU GRAPILLON D'OR 1806 GIGONDAS 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#981787) (XD) - $39.95

White Wine:

LES DAUPHINS RÉSERVE CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2023 - Sustainable, Vegan, AC, France (#18600) (XD) - $14.95 review coming soon...
GORGHI TONDI COSTE A PREOLA GRILLO 2023 - DOC Sicilia, Italy (#11670) (XD) - $18.95 89 pts wine review
AVONDALE JONTY'S DUCKS PEKIN WHITE CHENIN BLANC 2021 - Sustainable, WO Paarl, South Africa (#439554) (XD) - $18.95 89 pts wine review
EVANS & TATE WILD CAPE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#41435) (XD) - $19.95 review coming soon...
BODEGA EL PORVENIR DE CAFAYATE LABORUM FINCA EL RETIRO TORRONTÉS 2023 - Valle de Cafayate, Salta, Argentina (#489179) (XD) - $19.95 review coming soon...
MATURANA NARANJO TORONTEL ORANGE WINE 2023 - Sustainable, Loncomilla, Valle del Maule, Chile (#556217) (XD) - $24.95 review coming soon...

TORNATORE ETNA BIANCO 2024 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#577676) (XD) - $24.95
WINZER KREMS KREMSER KREUZBERG RESERVE RIESLING 2022 - Sustainable, Vegan, DAC Kremstal, Austria (#44857) (D) - $29.95
CAVE SPRING CSV CHARDONNAY 2022 - Sustainable, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#529941) (XD) - $34.95 91+ pts wine review
ROSEHALL RUN JCR CHARDONNAY 2022 - Estate Grown and Bottled, VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#45615) (XD) - $36.00 91+ pts wine review
CLOUDSLEY TWENTY MILE BENCH CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#16093) (XD) - $36.95 91+ pts wine review
LE CLOS JORDANNE CLAYSTONE TERRACE CHARDONNAY 2022 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#36806) (XD) - $42.00 92+ pts wine review

Rosé Wine:

SKOURAS CUVÉE PRESTIGE AGIORGITIKO/ MOSCOFILERO ROSÉ 2024 - PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#25745) (XD) - $16.95 review coming soon...
ERADUS SADIE ROSÉ 2024 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#43353) (XD) - $19.95 review coming soon...
CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L'ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2024 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#319392) (XD) - $20.95
SAINT AIX ROSÉ 2024 - AP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France (#451906) (XD) - $25.95

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.

Château de Fontenille Blanc 2023 (90+ pts)

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, the Saperavi from Georgia, 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!