October 30, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: California + Sicily

The main theme of the October 30 LCBO VINTAGES Release is titled "California Classics", while the mini-theme takes a look at Signature wines from Sicily. All of these wines, plus those from the main release should be available on shelves across Ontario by Saturday.

We begin with the main theme on classic California wines. In total, there are thirteen wines featured as part of this theme, and three of these wines are included among my top wine picks. First up is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley that actually includes 13% Merlot, plus some Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, while the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. The third wine is an always top-notch Chardonnay from Sonoma Mountain in southern Sonoma County. Lastly, although not part of the feature as it is listed as a Flagship Exclusive (FE), there is a lovely California Chardonnay from Napa Valley.

Only six wines are featured in the mini-theme on Signature wines from Sicily. However, the wines do provide a nice overview of the prominent varietals grown on the volcanic island of Sicily. Just one wine from this theme is on my recommended list - the latest vintage of a personal favourite that is made with the indigenous Carricante.

From my red wine recommendations, the Tarapacá is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Syrah, while the red from British Columbia is a Merlot-based blend. From France, the Ventoux is an unoaked blend of approx. 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, with trace amounts of Cinsault and Carignan, all raised in stainless steel and concrete tanks. From Bordeaux, the Fronsac is 100% Merlot, while the Bordeaux Supérieur is 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. The last blend is a red from Portugal that consists of traditional Portuguese varietals Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Barroca. Beyond the blends, there are a pair of lovely Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one from Argentina, the other from Australia - that would be interesting to taste side-by-side and compare. And lastly, the latest vintage of the excellent Pinot Noir from Chile is not be missed.

Among my white wine picks, the only blend is a fine, locally made white wine crafted with 68% Marsanne and 32% Viognier from Niagara. For minimal-to-unoaked Chardonnay wine lovers, there is an unoaked Chardonnay from South Africa, and a minimally oaked Chardonnay from British Columbia for your pleasure. For sweet wine lovers, you'll want to pick up either (or both!) the Niagara Riesling or the lovely Gewurztraminer from Alsace.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• EL ESTECO BLEND DE EXTREMOS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Valle de Cafayate, Salta, Argentina (#19237) (XD) - $16.95
• CHÂTEAU HAUT CLARIBÈS 2018 - AC Bordeaux Supérieur, France (#21404) (XD) - $17.00
• CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2018 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
  
• PESQUIÉ ÉDITION 1912M VENTOUX 2019 - AP, Rhône, France (#636159) (XD) - $17.95
• CRASTO 2019 - DOC Douro, Portugal (#81588) (XD) - $18.95  89 pts  wine review
• SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2019 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $19.95  92 pts  wine review
• TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA 145TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION 2019 - DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#21966) (XD) - $20.95  90 pts  wine review
• FRIND BIG RED 2018 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#19931) (XD) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• LARRY CHERUBINO PEDESTAL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#20885) (XD) - $24.95
• ROBERT YOUNG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#16404) (XD) - $59.95
• ROCCHE COSTAMAGNA ROCCHE DELL'ANNUNZIATA BAROLO 2016 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#413484) (XD) - $59.95
• GROTH CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Oakville, Napa Valley, California, USA (#606517) (XD) - $119.95

White Wine:

• NIETO SENETINER SEMILLON 2019 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#19399) (XD) - $15.95  90 pts  wine review
• DE WETSHOF BON VALLON UNWOODED CHARDONNAY 2020 - WO Robertson, South Africa (#403675) (XD) - $19.95
• MULLINEUX KLOOF STREET CHENIN BLANC 2020 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#21111) (XD) - $19.95
• KEW MARSANNE/VIOGNIER 2017 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#485334) (XD) - $19.95
• TAWSE LIMESTONE RIDGE-NORTH ESTATE BOTTLED RIESLING 2018 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#431593) (M) - $21.95
• TORNATORE ETNA BIANCO 2019 - DOC, Sicily, Italy (#577676) (XD) - $24.95
• LETH RIED BRUNNTHAL 1ÖWT GRÜNER VELTLINER 2019 - Qualitätswein, Wagram, Niederösterreich, Austria (#12278) (XD) - $25.95
• PIERRE SPARR MAMBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER 2018 - AC Alsace Grand Cru, France (#915157) (S) - $28.95  91+ pts  wine review
• FRIND CHARDONNAY 2018 - BC VQA, British Columbia, Canada (#19930) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• CAKEBREAD CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#709717) (XD) - $69.95  FE  92 pts  wine review
• KISTLER SONOMA MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY 2019 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#183921) (XD) - $114.95

Sparkling Wine:

• TRIUS BRUT ROSÉ SPARKLING - Traditional method, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#17690) (XD) - $29.95  90 pts  wine review
• BOLL & CIE EXTRA BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE 2010 - AC, Champagne, France (#21979) (XD) - $127.95  FE

Dessert Wine:

• LAKEVIEW CELLARS VIDAL ICEWINE 2019 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#522672) (S) (200 mL) - $22.95
• DE BORTOLI NOBLE ONE BOTRYTIS SEMILLON 2017 - New South Wales, Australia (#917252) (S) (375 mL) - $29.95  FE
• INNISKILLIN SPARKLING VIDAL ICEWINE 2018 - Charmat method, VQA Ontario, Canada (#560367) (S) (375 mL) - $79.95

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Wakefield Jaraman Chardonnay 2018 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a lovely Chardonnay from Australia. It's a new arrival to the LCBO that was featured in the theme on Australian wines in the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

After making wines for many years, the Taylors family founded Wakefield Wines in 1969 in the Clare Valley, South Australia, to make their own wines. With three generations of the family involved in the business today, Wakefield is one of the most respected names and consistently reliable producers in the industry.

This white wine is from the Jaraman range of wines. Australia's iconic wine regions provide great diversity of high quality fruit, and with the Jaraman range, the Taylors family seeks extraordinary parcels of fruit to showcase their distinctive regional characteristics and style. These wines showcase the skill and dedication of Wakefield's winemakers to their philosophy of respecting the fruit.

Although earlier vintages of this wine may have been crafted using fruit from only Clare Valley, more recent vintages have been regional blends. The 2018 vintage is 100% Chardonnay crafted with fruit from Clare Valley (66%) and Margaret River (34%). The growing season in Clare Valley in 2018 was warm and dry, and calm and controlled without any major heatwaves. Overall, the quality was very good with white varieties delivering high aromatics and very pure, distinct varietal characteristics. In Margaret River (Western Australia), the vintage was extraordinarily good with above average rainfall throughout winter and the start of spring that resulted in very good vine health at the start of the growing season. With ideal conditions conditions throughout the growing season and ripening phase, many consider the year in Margaret River to be an exceptional vintage.

The vinification of this wine is rather interesting. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels, 60% new, while the rest was in barrel-fermented in 2nd and 3rd use barrels to give great structure while retaining the vibrant fruit. Half of the parcels were wild fermented, while the other half was fermented using a strain of yeast designed for barrel ferments. After resting on its yeast lees and maturation for 8 months in barrel, the final wine was blended from both regional parcels and bottled with minimal fining and filtration. Let's see how this Australian Chardonnay is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

WAKEFIELD JARAMAN CHARDONNAY 2018 - Clare Valley/Margaret River, Australia (#18921) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. This 100% Chardonnay was barrel-fermented and has a medium-high intensity nose offering lovely oak-infused aromas of buttery, vanillin, and sweet oak spice that sits a top of poached apple, pear, and hints of pineapple and ripe tropical fruit. The weighty, medium-full bodied palate has buttery, lemon curd, ripe apple, sweet oak vanillin, and tropical fruit flavours with a twist of honey. Some spiciness on the mid-palate, along with fresh, juicy acidity. Buttery and flinty with a tinge of caramel lingers on the chalky textured finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines by Wakefield are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Michel Lynch Réserve Graves 2019 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a delicious white wine from Bordeaux that newly arrived at the LCBO last weekend. It's featured as part of the theme on wine pairings with Fall Comfort Foods in the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Owners of the historic Château Lynch-Bages since 1939, the Cazes family has a long tradition in viticulture and hospitality. A common surname throughout the South of France, Cazes originates from the word "casa", meaning "house". The Cazes family were labourers from the Ariège region of southwest France, and left the mountains for their new home in Médoc in 1875. Starting as a baker in Pauillac, Jean-Charles Cazes took charge of Lynch-Bages in 1939 and rapidly crafted wines of great recognition. In the 1960s, Jean-Charles' youngest of 4 sons, André Cazes, took over the reins of the property, and regenerated and expanded the vineyard to almost 100 hectares by the end of the 1990s. In 1973, the next generation joined the family business when André's son, Jean-Michel, returned to Pauillac with his wife, and followed thereafter by their three daughters. In the late 1980's, Jean-Michel Cazes named his new range of wines in honour of Michel Lynch.

Michel Lynch was a man inextricably linked with the great wines of Bordeaux and the range pays homage to the knight who owned Château Lynch-Bages and was also Mayor of Pauillac during the French Revolution. Michel was born in 1754 and devoted his life to improving the wines on his Lynch-Bages property. He was a shrewd wine producer who is noted for his viticultural advances, in particular for his early trials of de-stemming - separating stalks and pips - prior to fermentation, a process that became widespread in Médoc.

The Michel Lynch range of wines are the result of rigorous selection and the art of blending. The wines are crafted in a modern and efficient wine-blending cellar in Macau, Médoc, and matured with patience until they posses a combination of lovely concentration, charm, and roundness. Let's see how this white wine from Bordeaux is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

MICHEL LYNCH RÉSERVE GRAVES 2019 - AC, Bordeaux, France (#20901) (XD) - $22.95
This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon was partially aged in oak barrels. The medium to medium-high intensity nose is minerally with lemon citrus, ripe apple, and hints of white floral aromas. On the medium-bodied, concentrated and dry palate, it is slightly viscous, creamy, and spicy with lemon citrus, apple, herbs, and subtle woody tones, all surrounded by leesy minerals. It has crisp and juicy acidity, while citrus, apple, and leesy mineral notes linger through to the long, crisp, and balanced finish. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from the JM Cazes portfolio are available through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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California Sommelier Sessions: Cakebread Cellars + St. Francis + Sequoia Grove

I received this tasting kit recently containing samples of three delightful wines from California. These three wines were featured in the latest California Sommelier Sessions virtual tasting series with representatives from each winery joining the tasting last week.

Joining us for this virtual tasting were Stephanie Jacobsen of Cakebread Cellars, Kate Madigan of St. Francis, and Molly Hill of Sequoia Grove. All three women have been with their respective companies for many, many years, working their way up to become winemakers. Today, Stephanie, Kate, and Molly are some of California's top winemakers and represent the new generation of female winemakers making an impact in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys of California.

Moderating and leading the discussion during the one hour tasting was sommelier and wine writer Sara d'Amato. The tasting was quite fascinating and very informative as each woman talked about where their wine was grown and how each of the unique terroirs across Napa and Sonoma Valley influences the expression of these grape varietals and the resulting wines.

All three wines were delicious, with the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon notably outstanding! Each wine is available through their Agent - Charton Hobbs, with the Chardonnay also coming to LCBO VINTAGES next weekend.

Tasting Notes:

CAKEBREAD CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#709717) (XD) - $69.95
Cakebread's first wine back in 1973 and fine-tuning ever since. This 100% Chardonnay from the Carneros appellation was barrel fermented and aged on yeast lees for 8 months in French oak barrels, 30% new. The fragrant nose has pretty aromas of lemon meringue and sweet vanillin oak spice, with a hint of bubblegum. The medium-full bodied palate is creamy with lovely ripe apple, pear, lemon citrus, and spicy flavours nuanced with butter and sweet oak vanillin, all in a very nicely balanced and elegant profile. It has fresh, balanced acidity, along with a taut texture on the mid-to-back palate. Leesy mineral notes linger on the long and clean aftertaste. Score: 92 pts

ST. FRANCIS OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2018 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#539155) (XD) - $29.95
A blend of 87% Zinfandel and 13% Petite Sirah from vines 50 to more than 100 years old that was aged for 16 months in French oak (25% new) in mostly medium-toast levels. The medium-high intensity nose offers sweet, ripe red and black fruits and sweet baking spices. The full-bodied palate is slightly warming (15.2% abv) with woody notes surrounding a core of dark fruit, blackberry, dark cherry, oak spice flavours with a hint of cinnamon. Acids are fresh and bright, while the firm tannins seem a bit tight and grippy at the moment. Dry overall with very good length on the finish. Score: 89 pts

SEQUOIA GROVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#60020) (XD) - $69.95
Known for their Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Syrah, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. The highly aromatic nose delivers very attractive aromas of sweet, ripe black cherry, red berry, blackberry, currant, and cassis liqueur accented with gentle oak spices. The full-bodied, structured palate is rich and ripe with lovely aroma replays of black cherry, blackberry, currant, cassis, and woody notes supported by fresh and juicy acidity. Youthful tannins are chalky, yet approachable. Woody, earthy, and cocoa notes linger on the finish, with excellent length. Highly pleasurable now, this should continue to evolve nicely until at least the end of the decade. Score: 93 pts

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El Esteco 1946 Old Vines Malbec 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, organic, old vines Malbec from the Calchaquí Valley in northwestern Argentina. New to the LCBO, this red wine arrived on shelves across Ontario last weekend as part of the October 16 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Founded in 1892, El Esteco is one of the first institutions in Argentina to master the art of viticulture and winemaking. They are located in the Calchaquí Valleys in northwestern Argentina, a natural landscape carved by the sun, mountains, and vineyards. With nearly 1,000 acres of vineyards at an ideal altitude of more than 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) above sea level, abundant sunshine and perfect temperature range, the environment is perfect for the creation of high-end wines.

Within the Valleys, El Esteco has a presence in famous Cafayate, as well as the little-known and unique sub-region of Chañar Punco. Cafayate is the heart of Calchaquí Valleys, a region that was seemingly unsuitable for grape-growing, but is an isolated stretch of desert with unique features that make it ideal to grow the highest vineyards in the world. In addition to plenty of sunshine and a high diurnal temperature range between night and day, it is the desert climate with its poor soils that makes this small region unique. The resulting wines are distinctive and elegant with great concentration of colour, deep aromas, and well-defined flavours.

This red wine comes from El Esteco's Old Vines range of wines that pay homage to the life and history of some of their 50+ year-old vineyards which live in perfect harmony with the terroir of Cafayate, in the province of Salta, with minimum human intervention and yield exceptional wines. The Malbec grapes for this wine are from the Las Mercedes estate, home to 370 pergola-trained Malbec vines whose origins can be traced back to more than 65 years ago. Once the grapes reach optimum ripeness levels in the vineyards, the grapes are manually harvested in the early hours of the morning and brought to the vineyard and sorted, then placed into ovoid 3,000 L vats for fermentation. Upon completion of fermentation, the wine is unfiltered and aged in bottle for 6 to 8 months prior to release. Let's see how this Old Vines Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

EL ESTECO 1946 OLD VINES MALBEC 2019 - Valles Calchaquíes, Argentina (#19391) (XD) - $24.95
Raised entirely in concrete eggs, this lovely Malbec has a medium-high intensity nose that offers distinctive earthy, savoury, spicy, and stony mineral aromas accented by dark berry, blackberry, and dried spice notes. The medium-full bodied, chewy palate is tangy and slightly plummy with dark berry, blackberry, stony mineral, dried spice, and white pepper flavours which are supported by juicy acidity and ripe, fine-grained, and slightly chalky tannins. Fine mineral and savoury notes with a hint of plum linger on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from El Esteco are available through their Agent - Dandurand.

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Torbreck Cuvée Juveniles 2019 (Barossa) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2017 Torbreck Old Vines Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre a couple of months ago, tonight's wine review is another lovely wine made with the same varietals from the same producer. It arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release and is featured as part of the theme in that Release on wines from Australia.

Founded in 1994 by David Powell, Torbreck Vintners was named after a forest in Scotland where David worked as a lumberjack. He was inspired to create is own label after working at a number of Barossa wineries. With the share-farm vineyard concept, David was able to obtain fruit from Barossa'a best vineyards to craft highly-acclaimed wines using the classic Rhône varieties Shiraz (Syrah), Grenache and Mataró (Mourvèdre). Today, Torbreck Vintners is owned by Proprietor Peter Kight and they work with multi-generational winegrowers who have great knowledge of the terroir and work their vineyards with minimal intervention.

Cuvée Juveniles was created as a "Côtes du Rhône" inspired bistro wine from the classic Barossa varieties Grenache, Mataro, and Shiraz from mostly old, unirrigated vineyards. These varieties are the cornerstone of the Barossa Valley, and when combined together are often referred to as GSM blends. This particular red wine is a blend of old vines 72% Grenache, 23% Mataro, and 5% Shiraz from multiple vineyards ranging from 40 to 150 year old vines. It was fermented and aged completely in stainless steel tanks, including a completely natural malolactic fermentation, prior to bottling.

The 2019 growing season was defined by a continuously warm to hot summer with no effective rainfall, wind and hail at flowering, and followed with three major frosts - resulting in an earlier and much smaller harvest than average. These tough conditions produced smaller clusters of intensely dark berries with thick, fleshy skins which contrasted against brown, mature stalks. Although 2019 was another year of reduced yields, it did produce wines of very high quality with impressive concentration of colour, tannins, and aromas. Let's see how this 2019 GSM from Barossa is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

TORBRECK CUVÉE JUVENILES 2019 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#723940) (XD) - $29.95
Screw cap. This unoaked blend of old vines 72% Grenache, 23% Mataro, and 5% Shiraz has fresh, open, intense, and complex aromas of lovely red berry, notes of raspberry, strawberry, cherry, and pomegranate joined by spices, white pepper, and subtle meaty notes. The medium to medium-full bodied palate is fruit-forward with lovely red berry, raspberry, cherry, and pomegranate replays on the flavour profile with spices and meaty notes adding a pleasant savoury component. Exceptionally well-balanced with fresh acidity, smooth, supple, and dusty-textured tannins. Savoury, earthy, even some mineral lingers on the long, clean finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines from Torbreck are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Lealtanza Gran Reserva 2011 (Rioja) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2015 Lealtanza Reserva back in April, we go up a notch with this Gran Reserva from the same producer that arrived at the LCBO earlier this month as part of the October 2nd LCBO VINTAGES Release.

This Rioja Gran Reserva is made by Bodegas Altanza, a producer whose story begins in 1998 and is a synonym of quality and dedicated exclusively to top Reserva wines. Altanaza's goal since the beginning has been to offer the best quality wines that combine tradition with modernity, at a sensible price.

Bodegas Altanza is located in Fuenmayor, Rioja Alta, and the estate spans 300 hectares, with 200 hectares of land planted with vineyards. They craft all of their red wines with 100% Tempranillo and fermented using natural yeasts. Being a modern winery, they have stainless steel tanks of several sizes, all of which are equipped with temperature-controlled jackets and surveyed by a control panel - this allows for customization of each wine during fermentation and tank ageing process. Bodegas Altanza also has their own lab and wine-storage facilities. The wines are aged primarily in French oak barrels, as well as a few large 22,000 L vats.

I recall enjoying the 2010 Gran Reserva back in November 2019, let's see how this latest vintage is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LEALTANZA GRAN RESERVA 2011 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#453548) (XD) - $32.95
100% Tempranillo that was aged for 24 months in equal parts French and American oak barrels, followed by another three months in 22,000 L French oak vats. The medium-high intensity nose offers lovely aromas of sandalwood, coconut, wood spice, and sweet red cherry with subtle wet earth notes. The spicy, medium+ bodied palate has flavours of sweet spice, red cherry, cinnamon, clove, along with some raspberry and strawberry nuances. Some maturing dried cherry and floral notes appear with time in the glass. Slightly tangy on the mid-palate with juicy, well-balanced acidity and fine, dusty textured tannins that have a subtle chalky grip. Savoury, wet earth and cocoa notes linger on the aftertaste, with very good length. A recommended buy, best enjoyed over the next 3-5 years. Score: 90+ pts

Other lovely wines from Bodegas Altanza are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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