November 13, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Fine Holiday Wines

The November 13, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release is a mono-thematic release that focuses on Fine Holiday Wines for gift-giving - or to add to your own personal collection. It's another big release with many wines at the higher end of the price spectrum. All of these wines should be on shelves across Ontario by thus Saturday.

We begin with the theme on Fine Holiday Wines for gift-giving. Of the nineteen wines featured, four are included my my top wine picks. At the top of the list is an excellent California Cab that is actually a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, while the 2009 Rioja is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, and the rest Mazuelo and Graciano. From Tuscany, the Chianti Classico is a blend of 83% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 2% Shiraz, while the 20-Year-Old Tawny Port is a blend of Traditional Douro grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cão.

From my top red wine recommendation, there are a pair of delicious France wines aged in concrete tanks, with the Rhône red consisting of mainly Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre completing the blend, while the Languedoc Red is a blend of only Grenache and Syrah that was raised entirely in concrete tanks. The red wine from Argentina is a blend of roughly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, and 15% Cabernet Franc, while the red from British Columbia is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 22% Cabernet Franc. From Spain, the Jumilla red is a 50/50 blend of Monastrell and Syrah, while both the 2017 and 2019 Rioja wines are made with 100% Tempranillo. Single varietal wines include a lovely Zinfandel from Sonoma and a Pinot Noir from New Zealand.

Among my white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. The most interesting of the bunch might be the NZ Sauvignon Blanc from Waihopai Valley as it was fermented in French oak for 6-10 months. For a more traditional NZ Sauvignon Blanc, the wine from Nelson should suit your palate. If you like your Chardonnay with minimal oak influence, there are three wines worth your attention - one each from South Africa, Chablis, and Napa Valley. Other single varietal white wines include a Pinot Grigio and Pecorino, both from Italy, and a Grüner Veltliner from Austria. If you like sweeter wines, look for the Riesling from Niagara.

If you're seeking some finely aged Champagne, look for a pair of offerings from Moët & Chandon. The 2013 Brut Champagne is composed of 41% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir, and 21% Meunier, while the 2013 Brut Rosé Champagne is made using 44% Pinot Noir (14% red wine), 35% Chardonnay, and 21% Meunier. Lastly, the 2008 Colheita Port is a traditional blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Cão.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• MATHILDE CHAPOUTIER SÉLECTION LANGUEDOC RED 2020 - AP Languedoc, France (#644468) (XD) - $15.95
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2019 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $16.95  88+ pts  wine review
• MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES EXCELLENS CUVÉE ESPECIAL CRIANZA 2017 - Collecion Privada, Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#10684) (XD) - $17.95  90 pts  wine review
• MONTEBUENA CUVÉE KPF 2019 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#211029) (XD) - $17.95  88 pts  wine review
• CR GOLD 5 MONASTRELL/SYRAH 2019 - DOP Jumilla, Spain (#482505) (XD) - $18.95  88+ pts  wine review
• SATELLITE PINOT NOIR 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12627) (XD) - $22.95  90 pts  wine review

• UNÁNIME GRAN VINO TINTO 2017 - Sustainable, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#466938) (XD) - $29.95
• ISOLE E OLENA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#704346) (XD) - $39.95
• CULMINA HYPOTHESIS 2014 - Golden Mile Bench, BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#414243) (XD) - $42.95  FE
• R. LOPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA BOSCONIA RESERVA 2009 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#529586) (XD) - $49.95
• SEGHESIO CORTINA ZINFANDEL 2017 - Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#200840) (XD) - $54.95  FE
• STAGS' LEAP WINERY THE LEAP CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Estate grown, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California, USA (#142844) (XD) - $119.95

White Wine:

• UMANI RONCHI VELLODORO PECORINO 2020 - IGT Terre di Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy (#289553) (XD) - $16.95
• CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2020 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#328559) (XD) - $17.95
• KAHURANGI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - Nelson, South Island, New Zealand (#14567) (XD) - $19.95
• CAMPBELL KIND WINE TAWSE RIESLING 2019 - Vegan, Limestone Ridge Vineyard, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#21698) (M) - $19.95
• LOIMER GRÜNER VELTLINER 2019 - DAC Kamptal, Austria (#142240) (XD) - $22.95
• TRAMIN UNTEREBNER PINOT GRIGIO 2018 - DOC Alto Adige, Italy (#541763) (XD) - $29.95  FE
• SPY VALLEY ENVOY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#429308) (XD) - $29.95  FE  91 pts  wine review
• CHRISTOPHE PATRICE BEAUREGARD CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#14872) (XD) - $35.95
• STAGS' LEAP WINERY CHARDONNAY 2019 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#655381) (XD) - $39.95

Sparkling Wine:

• MOËT & CHANDON GRAND VINTAGE EXTRA BRUT CHAMPAGNE 2013 - AC, France (#69773) (D) - $96.95
• MOËT & CHANDON GRAND VINTAGE EXTRA BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE 2013 - AC, France (#69831) (D) - $102.95

Fortified:

• POÇAS COLHEITA PORT 2008 - Aged in cask, DOC, Portugal (#21813) (S) - $36.95
• KOPKE 20-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#368340) (S) - $58.95

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Château Hauchat 2018 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review (Nov. 2021)

I enjoyed the 2018 Château Hauchat from Bordeaux when it showed up at the LCBO last November, and tonight's red wine review is from a new batch of the same vintage that was released in LCBO VINTAGES back in August, and again last month as part of the October 30th LCBO VINTAGES Release.

For nine generations, the Saby family have been crafting wines on the Right Bank of Bordeaux in Saint Emilion. The dynasty of great winemakers started in the 18th century with Jean Saby and the family vineyard properties which have been passed down through each generation. Today, Famille Saby is led by the 8th generation of the family - Jean-Bernard Saby and his two sons, Jean-Christophe and Jean-Phillippe.

The Saby family owns three vineyard properties in Bordeaux, and this Merlot is from the Hauchat Vineyard. Château Hauchat is located on a high plateau within the commune of Saint-Aignan, to the west of neighbouring Pomerol and Saint Émilion. It was re-acquired by the Saby family in 1973 to become the third family estate. Situated in one of the finest growing areas of the Fronsac appellation, Château Hauchat has homogeneity of the soil that is well-drained and consists of clay-limestone, as well as perfect sun exposure. The terroir here is ideal for cultivating Merlot - the only grape varietal grown on the property. From an exceptional 2018 vintage, let's see how the new lot of this 2018 Merlot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2018 - AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France (#123489) (XD) - $17.95
100% Merlot that was aged for 15 months in evenly split new, 1-year-old, and 2-year-old barrels. Open, fragrant, and highly aromatic on the nose with lovely, complex mix of black raspberry, savoury, earthy, green herbs, currant, and wood spice aromas with graphite and mineral accents. It's medium+ bodied on the chewy ripe, and slightly warming palate with delicious dark berry, black raspberry, blackberry, earthy, and graphite, savoury cocoa, and wood spice flavours. Still showing fine balance with balanced acids and maturing, palate-coating, dusty, and chalky-textured tannins. Savoury, graphite, and dark berry notes linger on the long, satisfying finish. In a very good place right now and should continue to drink well over the next 3-4 years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other delicious wines from the Saby family are available through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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Frind Chardonnay 2018 and Big Red 2018 (British Columbia) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a couple of lovely wines from British Columbia that are new to the LCBO, arriving on shelves across Ontario as part of last weekend's LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 30th.

Frind Estate Winery was founded in 2017 by Markus Frind when he purchased the lakeside property in West Kelowna, British Columbia, from the political Bennett family who had owned the property for more than 50 years. Markus was born in Germany, a descendant of a generation of farmers, and immigrated to Canada as a young boy with his parents to a farm in northeastern British Columbia. He studied Business and Computer Science at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and developed the Plenty of Fish dating site in 2003 to great success. After many successes, Markus sold the site in 2015 to follow his ambition into B.C. wine by combining his two passions: technology and agriculture.

Markus brought on famed Winemaker Eric von Krosigk to oversee the operation and, today, Frind Estate Winery is one of the most advanced wineries in the world, using cutting edge technology to create truly distinctive wines. Some of the technology they use includes an optical sorter, automated ferment tanks, and the Willmes Sigma Press.

On the label of each Frind Estate wine is an abstract golden pinecone that represents three aspects meaningful to Markus and his family - science, symbolism and sentiment. The property is sprinkled with beautiful, old growth Ponderosa Pine trees, and one day Markus and his daughter Ava found the perfect pinecone which was artistically used for the creation of the brand. Let's see how these two wines from British Columbia are tasting tonight...

Tasting Notes:

FRIND CHARDONNAY 2018 - BC VQA, British Columbia, Canada (#19930) (XD) - $29.95
Enclosed by Stelvin screw cap, this lovely unoaked Chardonnay has a fragrant, medium-high to highly-aromatic nose with complex aromas of lemon citrus, ripe apple, yeasty, and leesy, with subtle buttery nuances. On the weighty, impressively concentrated palate it has lovely replays of lemon citrus, ripe apple, and buttery flavours with a subtle toastiness, and supported fresh and lively acidity. The juicy mid-palate leads to more ripe apple, lemon citrus, and leesy notes on the long, crisp finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

FRIND BIG RED 2018 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#19931) (XD) - $24.95
A Merlot-dominated blend with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in support, all aged for 12 months in mostly neutral French and American oak. Stelvin screw cap. The medium+ intensity nose is ripe and plummy with a mix of red and black fruits, red cherry, and touches of cedary wood and stemmy characters. On the medium-bodied palate it has delicious ripe cassis, black cherry, blackberry, plummy, and sweet wood spice flavours supported by fresh, well-balanced acidity and supple, structured and slightly chalky tannins. Some minty herbals and leafy notes add complexity on the mid-palate. Juicy and succulent with cedar wood spice and savoury cocoa notes lingering on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from B.C.'s Frind Estate Winery are available through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Tarapacá Gran Reserva 145th Anniversary Special Edition 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

I've tasted and enjoyed many wines from Viña Tarapacá over the years, including most recently the 2019 Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Carmenère back in March. For tonight's wine review, we celebrate 145 years of tradition at Viña Tarapacá with this delicious, new red wine from Chile that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend (should be in stores any day now), as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release on October 30th.

Founded in the foothills of the Andes mountain range in 1874, Viña Tarapacá developed a reputation for crafting elegant and quality wines to become one of Chile's most traditional and historical wineries, as well as a benchmark for viticulture in Chile. Originally known as "Viña de Rojas" by founder and renowned winemaker Don Francisco de Rojas y Salamanca, the Tarapaca name enters the picture in 1892 when Doña Mercedes, the ex-wife of Don Antonio Zavala, became owner of the property as part of her alimony and renamed the winery to "Viña Tarapacá Ex Zavala" to express her gratitude to "The Lion of Tarapacá", Mr. Don Arturo Alessandri - one of the most influential Chilean politicians of the 20th century. More recently, in 2008 Tarapacá helped form part of VSPT Wine Group to become the second-largest exporter of Chilean wine.

To celebrate Viña Tarapacá's 145 years of tradition in creating wines of exceptional quality, they created this Special Edition wine from the 2019 vintage that reflects Tarapaca Estate's commitment to biodiversity. In 2016, Viña Tarapacá inaugurated their mini hydroelectric plant - a renewable energy project designed to harness the water flow from the irrigation canal that is present on the estate and supplied by the Maipo River and generates up to 60% of the energy consumption at the winery. Energy not used by Viña Tarapacá is fed back into the country's national grid. VSPT Wine Group is also awarded Green Company of the Year at the 2016 Green Awards and is recognized as a leader in Renewable Energy Implementation thanks to its firm commitment to sustainability.

Tasting Note:

TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA 145TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION 2019 - DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#21966) (XD) - $20.95
This delicious red wine is composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Syrah, all from vineyards planted in 1990 on the granitic hillsides of their property in Isla de Maipo. The fresh, medium-high to highly aromatic nose delivers notes of ripe blackberry, black cherry, dried herb, olive, and peppery spice with savoury undertones and a touch of meat. It's medium-full bodied with pleasing dark berry and peppery spice replays, if slightly grapey, on the palate. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the youthful, drying tannins need some time to integrate. More ripe dark berry with savoury earthy notes linger on the dry, chalky finish, with very good length. This recommended buy will be even better in a couple of years and continue to drink well over the next 6-7 years. Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines by Viña Tarapacá are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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San Pedro 1865 Tayú Pinot Noir 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

I enjoyed the excellent 2018 San Pedro 1865 Tayú Pinot Noir at the beginning of the year and for tonight's wine review I am delighted to try the next vintage that arrived at the LCBO in the October 30th LCBO VINTAGES Release over the weekend.

The Tayú project celebrates Chile's indigenous roots through an honest collaboration between the Buchahueico community in southern Malleco Valley and San Pedro Winery. The name "Tayú" means "ours" in the Mapudungun language of the local Mapuche peoples in Buchahueico.

Working with San Pedro's winemakers, the Mapuche used their intimate knowledge of the soils to craft a lovely, one-of-a-kind Pinot Noir that truly expresses its origin. The 15 hectares of vineyards are located in the foothills of the Nahuelbuta Mountains in the Purén area of the Malleco Valley in the Araucanía region, approximately 540 km south of Santiago, in south-central Chile. The soils in the vineyard at Buchahueico are very old, red-coloured, and of granitic origin with a clay-loam texture and an abundance quartz and granite. The soils are naturally acidic, which comes through as vibrant acidity in the wine.

The 2018 vintage of this wine was its debut and came from an excellent vintage, while 2019 was a warmer year which produced smaller bunches with concentrated, generous fruit. Although the Malleco Valley is considered a cool-climate winegrowing region, the micro-climate in Buchahueico is considered moderate due to its latitude and because it is protected from coastal influences by the Nahuelbuta Mountains in Traigue, thus allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and later than other regions. The grapes was fermented in a combination of concrete eggs and stainless steel tanks, followed by ageing in French oak foudre, concrete eggs, and used French oak barrels. Let's see how the 2019 is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2019 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $19.95
From a warmer vintage, the medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely notes of exotic spices, cinnamon, and sweet spice layered over wet earth and dark berry with a hint of minty herb. On the medium to medium-full bodied palate it is richly concentrated and slightly warming with move exotic spice, earthy, and tangy dark berry replays on the flavour profile, support by fresh, juicy acidity. Quite chalky on the mid-palate with grainy textured tannins that seem a bit tight and will reward ageing. Earthy with a slight tang on the long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines from San Pedro can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dandurand.

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Juvé y Camps Pinot Noir Brut Rosé Cava (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's sparkling wine review is a lovely Brut Rosé Cava made with Pinot Noir that arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago as part of the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release, just in time for the holidays.

The story of Juvé y Camps begins in 1796 when a curious, meticulous, and forward-thinking winemaker, Joan Juvé Mir, laid the groundwork for the company. Some years later, his son Antoni Juvé Escaiola took over the vineyards and successfully tackled the horrible scourge of phylloxera. In 1921, Joan Juvé Baqués, son of Antoni Juvé Escaiola and husband of Teresa Camps Ferrer, set up the underground facilities in the family home in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and made the first sparkling wine under the Juvé brand name.

In 1940, The sons of Joan and Teresa - Josep and Joan Juvé Camps - joined the family business in 1940 and helped build a new winery outside of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Under the leadership of brothers Josep and Joan Juvé Camps, the underground cellars were expanded and important technical advances were introduced so that they could produce top-quality cava. During the 1970s, they expand their portfolio of top cava, growing the business to global markets by the 1980s. In 1991, construction begins on a new winery at the family estate in Espiells for making cuvees for cava and ageing still wines. Within the last decade, Juvé y Camps began moving towards integrated and organic winemaking, with a focus on obtaining better quality grapes that also express the soils where they are grown.

This Brut Rosé Cava is crafted using Pinot Noir grapes from their Espiells estate vineyard, The Espiells estate is the largest of their estates with over 200 hectares of vineyards in what is recognized as the best winemaking zone in the Alt Penedès, on the slopes of Montserrat - a mountain that emerged from the sea millions of years ago and presides over the country, protecting it from the cold, north winds. To make this Brut Rosé Cava, they used free-run juice from Pinot Noir grapes with a slight maceration to add colour, flavour, and texture. It was aged for an average of 12 months in bottle prior to release. Let's see how this fine sparkling wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JUVÉ Y CAMPS PINOT NOIR BRUT ROSÉ CAVA - Traditional method, DO, Spain (#385088) (D) - $24.95
The delicate, medium+ intensity nose offers pretty aromas of slightly sweet and honeyed red fruit notes of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. The palate is essentially dry with 10 g/L residual sugar with fresh acids and creamy, effervescent mousse supporting the toasty, flavourful red fruit replays of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry on the dry, balanced flavour profile. Some white floral and citrus notes join on the mid-palate, adding complexity, and linger through to the long, dry, clean, and crisp finish. Recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Juvé y Camps are available through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Pirramimma Petit Verdot 2017 (McLaren Vale) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, and perennial favourite, Petit Verdot from Australia. The latest vintage arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release, where it was featured as part of the theme on Australian wines.

Pirramimma was founded by Alexander Campbell Johnston (ACJ) in 1892 and has been owned and operated by the Johnston family ever since. The Johnston family arrived in South Australia in 1839 and Alexander, the tenth of thirteen children, purchased 97 hectares of rich farmland southeast of the village of McLaren Vale in 1892. ACJ selected McLaren Vale because of the region's cooling sea breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent, the Mediterranean climate, rich & diverse soil structures and quality drainage. He named his land Pirramimma, an Aboriginal phrase meaning "the moon and the stars."

Pirramimma has been handed down familial lines, with Geoff Johnston, the third generation of the family, now the custodian. Geoff is known as a "Professor of Soil", spending over 25 years converting Pirramimma's sterile land into a living organism, as well as reducing the winery's ecological footprint through various projects including solar systems, dams, and even a wind turbine. After a trip to Bordeaux, Geoff developed an interest in the Bordeaux grape variety Petit Verdot. He then planted a small area to Petit Verdot as a trial in 1983, which has now expanded to 35 acres of mature vines. Geoff Jonhston pioneered Petit Verdot in Australia, and his Petit Verdot is now considered among the best in the world.

According to Chief Winemaker Geoff Johnston, the 2017 growing season was exceptional - providing outstanding fruit quality, great colour, varietal character, ripe tannins, and length of flavour. The 2017 vintage of this wine was twenty-second release of this Petit Verdot, and the fruit for this vintage was selected from the Siberia, Eric's, OTC, Jones, and Katunga vineyards, all within McLaren Vale, with each block providing its own distinctive profile. Let's see how the latest vintage of this Australian Petit Verdot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PIRRAMIMMA PETIT VERDOT 2017 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#986752) (XD) - $29.95
Aged for 2 years and new and used French and American oak, bottled by screw cap, this 100% Petit Verdot is ripe, black-blue fruited and spicy on the medium-high intensity nose with aromas of black cherry, peppery spice, plum, and bramble, with savoury and earthy undertones. It's full-bodied with very good concentration on the palate with delicious blackberry, cedary oak, boysenberry, and plum flavours supported by fresh, juicy acidity and woolly, finely textured, and slightly chalky tannins. Tangy black cherry, savoury, earthy, and cocoa notes linger on the finish, with excellent length. Another lovely vintage for this recommended buy. Score: 90 pts

Find other lovely wines from Pirramimma through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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