February 15, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Australia

Here are my top wine picks from the February 15, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, which features wines from Australia as the theme of the release. This is a relatively large release with 105 wines offered, and includes just over a dozen Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE). Most wines in this release come in at under $30, and all should be available for purchase by this Saturday. As a reminder, HST savings are still in effect until February 15th.

Of the thirteen wines included as part of the theme titled "Australia Coming to Light", five wines from Australia are included among my top wine recommendations in this release. We'll begin with a perennial favourite Hunter Valley Semillon, followed by a blend of 75/25 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from Margaret River. There's also the consistently well-made Chardonnay from Clare Valley/Limestone Coast that is a frequent visitor to VINTAGES. The reds from Australia are both Cabs, with the 2018 crafted using 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, while the 2022 Cab is actually a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.

There is only one blend among my top red wine picks from the main release - the Ventoux from Rhône that is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault. Among the mono-varietal wines, both the Riserva and the Gran Selezione Chianti Classicos are 100% Sangiovese, while the Tinto de Toro is the local name in DO Toro for Tempranillo. Chile is well-represented among my picks with three wines crafted using Syrah, Carmenère, and Cabernet Sauvignon, respectively. On the local front, there are a pair of lovely Pinot Noir wines - one each from Niagara and Prince Edward County.

Among my top white wine picks from the main release, the barely off-dry Riesling from Alsace tops the list. After that, we've got a trio of Sauvignon Blanc wines - a pair from New Zealand and a singleton from South Africa, followed by a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and a Viognier from the Rhône. For sweet wine lovers, the Tokaji from Hungary was supposed to arrive last November, but got delayed, and is finally now here for your next special occasion.

Enjoy my top wine picks from this release! Cheers mate!

Red Wine:

• MATURANA PUENTE AUSTRAL RESERVA PRIVADA CARMENÈRE 2022 - Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#42113) (XD) - $14.95  88+ pts  wine review
• CORAL DUERO ENVENA TINTA DE TORO 2022 - DO Toro, Spain (#40867) (XD) - $16.95  89 pts  wine review
• PESQUIÉ ÉDITION 1912M VENTOUX 2022 - Vegan, AP, Rhône, France (#636159) (XD) - $16.95
• XANADU CIRCA 77 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#18344) (XD) - $18.95  88+ pts  wine review
• MONTGRAS ANTU LAS ARAUCARIAS VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Sustainable, Vegan, DO Valle de Maipo, Chile (#444703) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• EVANS & TATE HULLABALOO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Margaret River, Western Australia (#41312) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
  

• CASAS DEL BOSQUE GRAN RESERVA SYRAH 2022 - Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#389759) (XD) - $22.95
• TERREDORA DI PAOLO CORTE DI GISO AGLIANICO 2019 - DOC Irpinia, Campania, Italy (#39183) (XD) - $26.95
• REDTAIL HUBBS CREEK VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2020 - VQA Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (#42667) (XD) - $27.00
• SAN FELICE IL GRIGIO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2021 - Sustainable, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#716266) (XD) - $29.95  91 pts  wine review
• LE CLOS JORDANNE JORDAN VILLAGE PINOT NOIR 2021 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#33894) (XD) - $30.00  90 pts  wine review
• LORNANO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO 2017 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#491985) (XD) - $48.95  93 pts  wine review
• PORSELEINBERG SYRAH 2020 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#483941) (XD) - $99.95

White Wine:

• ALVI'S DRIFT SIGNATURE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#41453) (XD) - $14.95  88+ pts  wine review
• WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL CHARDONNAY 2022 - Clare Valley / Limestone Coast, South Australia (#711556) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• RABL LANGENLOIS GRÜNER VELTLINER 2022 - Sustainable, DAC Kamptal, Austria (#377457) (XD) - $18.95
• DOMAINE FONT SARADE BLANC VIOGNIER 2023 - IGP Vaucluse, Rhône, France (#42392) (XD) - $19.95
• MOHUA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#536219) (XD) - $19.95
• THE HUNTING LODGE VIBRANT EXPRESSIONS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#17667) (XD) - $21.95
• XANADU VINEWORK SAUVIGNON BLANC / SEMILLON 2023 - Sustainable, Margaret River, Western Australia (#41315) (XD) - $22.95  89 pts  wine review
• TYRRELL'S HUNTER VALLEY SEMILLON 2023 - New South Wales, Australia (#632034) (XD) - $23.95  review coming soon...
• TRIMBACH RÉSERVE RIESLING 2022 - AC Alsace, France (#247023) (D) - $43.95  OFE

Fortified Wine:

• GONZÁLEZ BYASS LA COPA VERMOUTH ROJO - Jerez, Spain (#491712) (S) - $25.95

Dessert Wine:

• PUKLUS PINCÉSZET TOKAJI ASZÚ 5 PUTTONYOS 2016 - Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary (#47209, 500mL) (S) - $42.95  OFE

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Valentine's Day Wine Picks (2025)

Celebrating Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day, or cozying up for a quiet evening alone at home on February 14th? Here are a few wine recommendations to treat yourself or that special someone in your life. All three wines are versatile enough that they can be enjoyed on their own, or paired with food at the dinner table, and will provide immense pleasure.

Sparkling wine is always a safe bet, not only to start off your evening as an apéritif on its own or with a light, salty snack, but sparkling wines are also very versatile at the dinner table. Prosecco goes really well with seafood - grilled, seared, or fried & salty, but can also be paired with a wide range of foods, such as pizza, white meat entrées, and vegetarian cuisine.

LA MARCA PROSECCO - DOC Veneto, Italy (#487694) (D) - $19.40
Glera grapes selected from small vineyards were gently crushed and pressed. The juice was cold-settled and underwent initial fermentation in stainless steel tanks, then aged on its lees prior to undergoing secondary fermentation in the classic Charmat method. Fresh, medium+ intensity nose delivers attractive honeysuckle, pear, acacia floral, and lemon citrus aromas flecked with white peach notes. The mid-weighted palate is off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) with delicious honeyed pear and acacia floral flavours accented with lemon peel and white peach notes. There's good structure on the mid-palate, and it's supported by crisp and lively acidity and bubbles. Balanced flavours of honeysuckle, pear, floral, and lemon citrus taper to minerals on the finish, with very good length.

White wines are perfect for any setting, such as an apéritif before dinner or sipping while cooking. With a lighter and more casual feel, white wines such as this Pinot Grigio are ideal for intimate or laid back celebrations, while also complementing a wide range of dishes such as seafood, creamy pasta, salad, and cheese, due to the wine's food-friendly acidity.

ATTEMS PINOT GRIGIO 2023 - DOC Friuli, Italy (#707950) (XD) - $17.20
Fresh, fragrant, and intense aromas of lemon citrus, grapefruit, ripe Golden apple, pear, and yellow floral aromas accented with honeysuckle and grassy notes. It was impressive weight and concentration on the dry, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate with lovely spice notes complementing the ripe lemon citrus, grapefruit, yellow floral, apple, and pear, and grassy flavours. It has crisp, juicy, and zesty acidity, along with a fine mineral texture. Lemon citrus, grapefruit, apple, and grassy notes taper to leesy minerals on the slightly chalky textured and lengthy finish.

Red wines tend to complete a great meal, and for Valentine's Day celebrations you can splurge on a special bottle of wine, such as this Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. If you're serving this wine with dinner, it is best paired with proteins such as red meat, but is versatile enough to be enjoyed with poultry, pork, pasta, and even a rich whitefish such as bass.

RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#350454) (XD) - $30.95
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The medium+ to medium-high intensity nose is fresh, ripe, and mostly red fruited with red currant, cassis, dark red cherry, red plum, and fine wood spice aromas, plus touches of milk chocolate. On the dry, full-bodied palate it has ripe red currant, red plum, dark red cherry, cassis, wood spice, and milk chocolate flavours, along with some savoury and dried herb characters arriving on the mid-palate. It has very good, juicy acidity, along with chewy, structured tannins. More savoury with smoky, graphite mineral, and milk chocolate notes lingering on the long, juicy, and well-structured finish. Enjoyable now, and can also be cellared to the end of the decade.

Other fine wines by these producers can be found at the LCBO, or through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

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Babich Black Label Pinot Noir 2021 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely Pinot Noir from Marlborough in New Zealand. While this particular wine is long sold out because it arrived in limited quantities as an Online & Flagship Exclusive in the March 30, 2024 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, you can go up a notch and get your hands on Babich's Organic Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, which arrived in LCBO VINTAGES over the weekend.

One of New Zealand's most prominent wine producers, Babich Wines is also one of the country's oldest family-owned wineries. It was founded in 1916 by Josip Babich, a Dalmatian immigrant (now part of modern day Croatia) after he immigrated to New Zealand at 14 years old to join his brothers in the far north of the country. People thought he was crazy planting vines in remote New Zealand.

Today, Babich Wines has over 100 years of experience across three generations of innovation, achievement, and winemaking excellence, making them New Zealand's most experienced family-owned winery. Their aim is to have vineyards on superior sites in the right regions, and ensure that the right varieties are planted on those superior sites. Furthermore, they aim to sustainably grow and craft wines that are stylish, refined, and have an easy drinking appeal. With a long history of looking ahead, the Babich family loves their craft, doing things by hand, and caring for their land. Babich has been patiently making wine the difficult way with vision, thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and true craft, along with a hard-working spirit that still runs deep in the family's veins today.

Babich Wines is led today by cousins David and André Babich, the third generation of the Babich family. David is the son of Peter, while André is the son of Joe. Brothers Peter and Joe are sons of founder Josip Babich. The main winery and cellar door is still based in northern New Zealand, in the Henderson Valley, West Auckland, just a short drive from the city of Auckland. In addition to the vineyard surrounding the winery in Henderson Valley, Babich also has a winery and 7 estate-owned vineyards in Marlborough, as well as an additional 5 vineyards in Hawke's Bay. Babich Wines has garnered numerous accolades over the years for its wines and continues to innovate and evolve, ensuring that it continues to be a leader in New Zealand wine.

Like the excellent 2023 Babich Black Label Marlborough Pinot Gris that landed in LCBO VINTAGES on the weekend, this Pinot Noir is also from Babich's Black Label range. Each wine in the Black Label range is crafted using fruit from their own estate vineyards and sustainably crafted to be enjoyed with food in a rich, complex, and textural style that is suitable for any dining occasion. First crafted in the 2012 vintage, this Pinot Noir was grown in the Waihopai and Wairau Valleys, and after machine harvesting the grapes, they were de-stemmed, but not crushed, with a small percentage undergoing carbonic maceration. It was fermented in open-top vats using both wild and inoculated yeasts, followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured for 6 months in oak, fined using egg whites, and then bottled.

The 2021 growing season in Marlborough began with a chilly spring and some nasty frosts. The weather was mostly dry. However, intermittent rains during flowering disrupted some of the vine growth, which reduced yields. Late spring featured unusually hot and dry weather, conditions which continued into summer. Drought conditions reduced yields, which also meant that both disease and rot were kept at bay. Even though 2021 is a lower-yield vintage, the quality is superb across the board, with Marlborough wines exhibiting characteristics described as fresh, fruit-forward, aromatic, and complex with sophisticated structure. The lower yields also led to more concentrated fruit. Let's see how this 2021 Pinot Noir from Marlborough is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

BABICH BLACK LABEL PINOT NOIR 2021 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#465963) (XD) - $26.95
Screw cap. Complex, medium-high intensity aromas of dark fruited, savoury wood spice, black cherry, black raspberry, and mushroom accented with savoury earth and clove notes, plus touches of dried herbs. Some lovely black tea notes emerge with time in the glass. It's medium+ to medium-full bodied, impressively concentrated, and dry, with delicious ripe dark fruit, dark sour cherry, and black raspberry flavours weaving through savoury earth, mushroom, and oak spice notes. It has crisp, juicy acidity, along with a relatively firm mouthfeel with slightly chalky textured and mildly grippy tannins. Savoury, earthy, and smoky notes with hints of tea leaf linger on the long, well-structured, and youthful finish. Should drink nicely over at least the next 4-5 years and is a highly recommended buy, if you can find it! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Babich can be found at the LCBO, or ordered through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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Deux Roches Tradition Mâcon-Villages 2022 (Burgundy) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is the latest Chardonnay in a line of recent excellent wines by Deux Roches, the Burgundy estate of Collovray & Terrier, that has come through the LCBO. This Mâcon-Villages arrived at the LCBO this weekend in the February 1 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is featured in the theme of the release which explores France's top wine regions.

The origins of Deux Roches begins in 1928, when Joanny Collovray settled in the small village of Davayé, in the south of Burgundy, a few kilometres west of Mâcon. On this land, Joanny made goat cheeses and farmed the land by growing crops, including grapevines. By 1940, Joanny was noted for the quality of his work. In 1956, he was succeeded by his son, Henri, who maintained the family's polyculture, but also expanded the family's vine holdings by purchasing a few parcels of land in the Mâcon-Davayé appellation. Henri's son, Christian Collovray, began working the vines at the age of 16 and devoted himself entirely to vine growing.

The Terrier family had no history of cultivating vines, but Léon Terrier was the village blacksmith and worked alongside local winegrowers. Jean-Luc Terrier, Léon's son, specialized in viticulture at an agricultural college and crossed paths along the way with his neighbour and childhood friend, Christian Collovray.

The two friends - Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier - shared a love and passion for vines and wine, and married two sisters - Brigitte and Florence - who came from a family of winegrowers. Bringing together two families, the two couples had a dream to create an estate and make wine together using Christian's and his father's vines. The dream became reality in 1986 with the formation of Deux Roches, which translates to "Two Rocks", and is named after the two limestone rocks of Vergisson and Solutré that are situated in the area of Davayé.

Today, there are six members of the Collovray & Terrier involved in the family business, including Julien Collovray, son of Christian and Brigitte, and his wife Caroline, and Pierre-Alexis Terrier, son of Florence and Jean-Luc. Situated in the heart of the Mâconnais wine region in Burgundy, with its soils rich in limestone, Deux Roches is renowned for producing high-quality Chardonnay wines. The philosophy at Deux Roches is to work the soil and respect the vegetation to produce good quality fruit. They aim for perfection by mastering each and every step with each passing vintage, while also adapting to the year's weather conditions. In 2017, with a commitment to the environment, Deux Roches earned their High Environmental Certification - the French certificate for environmental sustainability.

While the excellent 2021 Deux Roches Les Pommards Saint-Véran (and still available for purchase) is from their top-tier Parcel Selections range, this Tradition Mâcon-Villages is from their lower-tiered Timeless Collection - exemplary wines that are crafted for immediate pleasure, sharing, and enjoyment.

This 100% Chardonnay was grown in the Mâcon-Villages appellation of southern Burgundy. The cuvee is a blend of several plots which were selected for their limestone soil and drainage quality, as well as their early, southeast-facing exposure to the sun. This combination of soil and sun exposure characteristics allows Deux Roches to develop straightforward, fruity, lively, and fresh wines in the pure spirit of Mâconnais. After harvest, the grapes are gently loaded by gravity into pneumatic presses, where the grapes undergo slow and long presses in order to delicately extract the juices and preserve aromatic finesse. The musts are cooled and decanted, followed by a temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation depending on the vintage. The wine remains in tanks for aging on its fine lees until spring. Inputs such as SO₂ are limited as much as possible throughout the entire process from picking to bottling.

The 2022 growing season in Mâconnais was marked by ample rain in June, including a big rainstorm at the end of the month, which helped slow down the physiological ripening of the grapes during the heat and dry weather of the summer months. The resilience of the vines, along with two weeks of dry and windy conditions that preceded harvest resulted in healthy grapes of good quality. Overall, it is a classic, juicy vintage with quantity. From an excellent vintage, let's see how this 2022 Chardonnay from Mâcon-Villages is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DEUX ROCHES TRADITION MÂCON-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, Burgundy, France (#38077) (XD) - $27.95
100% Chardonnay. Lovely, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers elegant ripe apple, pear, lemon citrus, and orchard fruit aromas, plus touches of doughy and leesy characters and hints of white peach, with an underlying stony minerality adding further complexity. The medium-full bodied palate is dry, concentrated, ripe, and honeyed with lovely apple-pear, orchard fruit, lemon citrus flavours accented with mild spice, vanilla, and white peach notes. It has clean, juicy acidity, somewhat creamy, and a fine, mineral texture on the mid-palate. Shows finesse, elegance, and balance throughout with spice and mineral notes lingering on the long, succulent finish. Best enjoyed over the next 3-5 years on its own, with goat cheese, fish, or poultry. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

A couple of wines by Deux Roches are available at LCBO, while the full line-up can be ordered through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Cave du Château des Loges Les 3 Madones Beaujolais-Villages 2022 (France) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Gamay from the Beaujolais-Villages appellation in France. It is featured in the theme exploring France's top wine regions in this weekend's February 1 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is readily available for purchase now.

It is produced by Cave du Château des Loges, a co-operative winery that was established in 1960 by a group of winemakers in the commune of Le Perréon, Beaujolais, who got together and purchased Château des Loges. Housed in the 19th century winery of Château des Loges, they produced their first wines the following year from 47 hectares of Beaujolais-Villages appellation fruit. Cave du Château des Loges continues to be located in the commune of Le Perréon, in the heart of Beaujolais, and has access to vines grown in very diverse terroirs in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation. Cave du Château des Loges is located on a slope between 250 and 800 metres above sea level, a privileged location which allows them to produce wines of high-quality. This area features a very specific terroir consisting of sandy soil resulting from the decomposition of its granite subsoil, creating sandy areas called "Greae". Moreover, by being situated in these sloping hills, the shallow and very stony soil forces the vine to draw minerals and nutrients from this lean terroir where the Gamay grape finds its favourite land.

Today, the co-operative has grown to nearly 150 members and 430 hectares of vines located in different Beaujolais appellations, including the various Beaujolais Crus, as well as different grape varieties beyond Gamay, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Viognier. Furthermore, many of these vineyards are certified HVE3 (High Environmental Value) - the highest level of French certification for environmental sustainability. HVE certification is completely voluntary, with the co-operative's approach to HVE based on the preservation of biodiversity, phytosanitary (reducing treatments), fertilization management, and water resource management. The co-operative is made up of passionate members and workers who work tirelessly to produce a high-quality harvest and craft wines to be enjoyed by all. Their values of solidarity, democracy, equality, fairness, transparency, and proximity distinguish co-operatives from other companies.

This particular wine is from their Les 3 Madones range - named after the 3 Madonnas that are situated in Perréon and Vaux-en-Beaujolais, who watch over the château and cave and protect their vineyards. This Beaujolais-Villages is 100% Gamay Noir that was grown (likely in Le Perréon) on granitic soils in a continental climate. It was vinified using the traditional Beaujolais method of semi-carbonic maceration, followed by ageing in stainless steel vat in order to preserve the crunchy fruit characters typical of wines from Beaujolais.

The 2022 growing season in Beaujolais began with a cold January, followed by a mild February. March had cool weather, which meant that the frosts of early April caused little damage. The rest of April and May was warm and dry, with successful flowering towards the end of May. The usual summer storm arrived in June and caused some hail damage, while July and August were fiercely sunny and warm with a high of 43.5°C (116°F) in early August. Despite light rains in June and August that helped offset the heat, yields were down by one-third (compared to 2021) due to drought and hail. Overall, quality was outstanding during harvest by the end of August, which resulted in aromatic, intense, and intrinsically balanced wines. From an excellent vintage, let's see how this 2022 Gamay from Beaujolais-Villages is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CAVE DU CHÂTEAU DES LOGES LES 3 MADONES BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, France (#38266) (XD) - $19.95
100% Gamay. The ripe, fresh, fragrant, and medium-high intensity nose is fruit forward with crunchy, mostly red and some black fruits, red currant, black cherry, cassis, and spice aromas with flecks of mineral. The dry, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate is ripe and fruity with black and red cherry, currant, cranberry, and spice flavours. It has fresh, lively, and well-structured acidity, while the impressively textured tannins have good weight and presence. Finely balanced with black cherry, cranberry, currant, and spice notes tapering to minerals on the somewhat grippy, youthful, and lengthy finish. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

A lovely Brouilly from this producer arrived in LCBO VINTAGES last October and is still available for purchase, while other wines by Cave du Château des Loges can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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February 1, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France

Here are my top wine picks from the February 1, 2025 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, which explores France's top wine regions. There are 73 wines in this release, 60% of which are red, and nearly all the wines come in at under $40 and should be available on shelves by this Saturday, if not earlier. Grenache and Syrah (and Shiraz) wine lovers should take particular interest in this release as there are a number of quality, wallet-friendly offerings. The HST holiday is still in effect until Feb. 15. Prices noted below include HST, but will be deducted upon check out in-store.

We'll begin with the feature story that explores France's top wine regions, and of the seventeen wines featured, seven are included among my top wine picks from France. Starting with the whites, there is a consistently fine Sancerre made with Sauvignon Blanc, a Mâcon-Villages from Burgundy crafted with Chardonnay, and the off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) Gewürztraminer from Alsace. Moving to the south of France, the Rasteau is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, the Corbières is composed of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, while the Fitou from Midi is a blend of Grenache and Carignan. From Bordeaux, there is an excellent Cru Bourgeois that is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The lone mono-varietal red is the Beaujolais-Villages that is crafted with Gamay.

Red wine recommendations from the main release begins in California with a fine 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County's Alexander Valley, followed by the Arrive in Style Riserva Chianti Classico from Tuscany that is 100% Sangiovese. Among the blends, the Chilean wine is crafted with 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Syrah, and 19% Carignan. There are also a pair of Côtes du Rhône-Villages wines, both of which are blends and weren't included as part of the feature story - the Plan de Dieu is the Wine of the Month and composed of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, while the Cuvée Sabrine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and 10% Cinsault. Mono-varietal wines come from down under with a fantastic Pinot Noir from New Zealand, and a Shiraz from Australia.

Among my top white wine picks, all are dry (i.e. not sweet), mono-varietal wines. First up is an excellent Pinot Gris from New Zealand, followed by a Pinot Grigio from northeastern Italy. There are also a pair of fine Chenin Blanc wines from the same producer in South Africa - try both to compare and contrast! Lastly, there is a Falanghina from Basilicata, Italy.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Salud!

Red Wine:

• ROC DES TEMPLIERS PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2022 - AC, France (#539916) (XD) - $15.95  89 pts  wine review
• EMILIANA NOVAS STELLAR SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON / SYRAH / CARIGNAN 2022 - Vegan, DO Valle del Maule, Chile (#35672) (XD) - $17.95  88+ pts  wine review
• GÉRARD BERTRAND AN 990 FITOU GRENACHE / CARIGNAN 2021 - AP, Midi, France (#403683) (XD) - $17.95
• ANDRÉ BRUNEL CUVÉE SABRINE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2022 - AC, France (#538496) (XD) - $18.95
• VIA NOSTRUM 2020 - AP Corbières, Languedoc, France (#32040) (XD) - $18.95
• CAVE DU CHÂTEAU DES LOGES LES 3 MADONES BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, France (#38266) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• SIDEWOOD SHIRAZ 2021 - Adelaide Hills, South Australia (#446146) (XD) - $19.95
• CASTELLI DEL GREVEPESA CLEMENTE VII RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2020 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#643205) (XD) - $24.95
• LA FERME DU MONT LES MARNES BLEUES RASTEAU 2022 - AP, Rhône, France (#40869) (XD) - $26.95  91+ pts  wine review
• BABICH ORGANIC SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2020 - Sustainable, Vegan, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#37402) (XD) - $28.95
• RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#350454) (XD) - $34.95  91 pts  wine review
• CHÂTEAU PLANTEY 2018 - AC Pauillac, Bordeaux, France (#38192) (XD) - $44.95  92+ pts  wine review

White Wine:

• JOSEPH CATTIN GEWURZTRAMINER 2023 - Sustainable, AC Alsace, France (#224626) (D) - $18.95
• KEN FORRESTER OLD VINE RESERVE CHENIN BLANC 2023 - WO Stellenbosch, South Africa (#231282) (XD) - $18.95  91 pts  wine review
• PATERNOSTER VULCANICO FALANGHINA 2022 - IGT Basilicata, Italy (#19691) (XD) - $19.95
• ATTEMS PINOT GRIGIO 2023 - DOC Friuli, Italy (#707950) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• BABICH BLACK LABEL MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 2023 - Sustainable, Estate grown, South Island, New Zealand (#36906) (XD) - $20.95
• KEN FORRESTER SWARTLAND TERRE NOIR CHENIN BLANC 2022 - WO Swartland, South Africa (#15716) (XD) - $22.95  90+ pts  wine review
• DEUX ROCHES TRADITION MÂCON-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, Burgundy, France (#38077) (XD) - $27.95  91+ pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE GENÈSE SANCERRE 2022 - AC, Loire, France (#189126) (XD) - $38.95

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Babich Black Label Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is an excellent, sustainably crafted, and dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand. While this is the previous vintage of this wine, the latest vintage is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO that is landing on shelves across Ontario as part of the upcoming February 1st LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Like the excellent 2017 Babich Winemakers' Reserve Syrah I enjoyed last spring, this wine is produced by Babich Wines, one of New Zealand's most prominent and oldest family-owned wineries. Founded in 1916 by Josip Babich, a Dalmatian immigrant (now part of modern day Croatia) after he immigrated to New Zealand at 14 years old to join his brothers in the far north of the country. Josip's son, Peter, joined the family wine business in 1949, and was followed by his other son, Joe, in 1958. Today, Babich Wines is now led by cousins David and André Babich, sons of Peter and Joe, respectively. Babich Wines is based in Henderson Valley, West Auckland, just a short drive from the city of Auckland, and has estate vineyards located in both Marlborough and Hawke's Bay.

With over 100 years of innovation, achievement and winemaking excellence, the aim of Babich Wines today is to passionately craft sustainable wines that are stylish, refined, and have an easy drinking appeal. For three generations, the Babich family has gently worked in harmony with the land, ecosystem, and seasons to produce wines of outstanding quality, while also making sure that their vineyards and processes get better with each passing vintage. At Babich, there are four important areas of focus to ensure a sustainable future - being careful with water, organic farming and processes, wild fermentation, and waste reduction and elimination.

From Babich's Black Label range, this 100% Pinot Gris was first crafted in the 2009 vintage. The Black Label range consists of three wines using fruit from their estate-owned vineyards and are sustainably crafted to be enjoyed with food in a rich, complex, and textural style suitable for any dining occasion. The grapes were grown in their Echelon (Waihopai), Selmes Road (Wairau) and Cowslip Valley (Waihopai) vineyards. The Echelon Vineyard is an elevated site with deep silt loam "Jordan" soils over underlying clay, while the Selmes Road Vineyard has a slightly heavier soil and is perfect for blending with fruit grown on lighter, gravelly soils. The Cowslip Valley Vineyard has a glacial outwash with free-draining clay loam soils perfect for aromatic varieties. After machine-harvesting the grapes over 6 days at the beginning of April, the grapes were crushed, pressed, and underwent an inoculated fermentation using selected yeasts, mostly in tanks with 40% barrel fermented in older oak barrels. The wine was matured on its lees for 5 months, fined using pea protein, filtered, and then bottled.

The 2022 winegrowing season in Marlborough was marked by a cold and wet February, which resulted in big bunches and berries, and an ensuing large harvest which meant that crop-thinning was especially important. However, finer weather during the autumn months delivered optimal fruit ripeness levels. While there were challenges during the growing season, many producers successfully managed the vintage to produce some beautifully elegant wines. Let's see how this 2022 Marlborough Pinot Gris is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

BABICH BLACK LABEL MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 2022 - Sustainable, Estate grown, South Island, New Zealand (#36906) (XD) - $20.95
Screw cap. Pours a fairly deep gold colour. The concentrated, medium-high intensity nose offers lovely, rich, and honeyed aromas of ripe orchard and stone fruit, apple, nectarine, lemon zest, citrus, peach, honeysuckle, candied ginger, and spice. The medium+ to medium-full bodied palate is richly concentrated and dry with honeyed, ripe stone and orchard fruit, apple-pear, nectarine, peach, ginger spice, and honeysuckle flavours underpinned by leesy minerality. It has a fine, zesty, acidic backbone, along with a fine, richly textured mouthfeel. Nicely balanced throughout with leesy mineral notes lingering on the savoury, textured, and exceptionally long finish. Enjoy with seafood or vegetarian fare, or even on its own. Highly recommended buy if you can find it! Score: 91 pts

In addition to their 2020 Organic Single Vineyard Pinot Noir that is also arriving in this release, there are a number of fine wines by Babich that are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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