LCBO VINTAGES Wine Picks & Reviews : Index

Saturday, January 24, 2026

January 24, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Chile

LCBO Wine Picks: January 24, 2026 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Here are my top wine picks from the January 24, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here), with the feature story focusing on must-try wines from Chile. While this is a fairly small release with only 77 products featured, it does pack a punch with many very good wines for your enjoyment. The release favours red wines with nearly 60% of wines red coloured, and everything should be available for purchase by this Saturday, if not earlier.

With it being a small release, the feature story on wines from Chile is also small, with only nine wines included in the thematic. However, six of these wines are among my top wine picks from Chile. The lone white wine from Chile is a Sauvignon Blanc, while the rest are mono-varietal red wines, including, unsurprisingly, a couple of Carmenere wines. Other single varietal red wines are a Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo Valley, a Pinot Noir from the Aconcagua Coast, and a Syrah from Leyda Valley.

Volcanes de Chile Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2024 (89 pts)

My top red wine recommendations begin on the local front with a pair of fine Pinot Noir wines from the Niagara Escarpment. In terms of blends, the Southern Rhône brings us the Lirac, which is composed of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, while the Côtes du Rhône is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. The Roussillon is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache Noir, while the Portuguese red from Alentejo is crafted with Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, and Syrah.

Bachelder Les Villages Bench Pinot Noir 2023 (92+ pts)

Cloudsley Twenty Mile Bench Pinot Noir 2021 (91+ pts)

Among my top white wine picks in this release, it is Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay that lead the way. There are a trio of 2024 Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand, as well as a barrel-fermented and -aged Sauvignon Blanc from Niagara-on-the-Lake. There are two Chardonnays - one each from Niagara and Mendoza. The only other dry white wine is the Pinot Grigio from Trentino in northern Italy. If you enjoy sweeter wines, the Riesling from Niagara is off-dry, while the Cabernet Franc Icewine will be lusciously sweet.

Divergence Creek Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (90+ pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations in this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

GUARDA RIOS RED 2022 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal (#25257) (D) - $11.95 89 pts wine review
DOMAINE FOND CROZE CONFIDENCE CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2023 - AOC, France (#20951) (XD) - $16.95
SAINT-ROCH CORBAROL CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON 2023 - AOP, Languedoc, France (#195107) (XD) - $16.95
LEYDA COASTAL VINEYARDS CANELO SYRAH 2022 - DO Valle de Leyda, Chile (#42109) (XD) - $18.95
ENCIERRA PUQUILLAY CARMENÈRE 2022 - Valle de Colchagua, Chile (#44679) (XD) - $19.95
SAN PEDRO 1865 SELECTED VINEYARDS 2026 YEAR OF THE HORSE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023 - Las Piedras, DO Valle del Maipo, Chile (#37911) (XD) - $19.95 90+ pts

ERRÁZURIZ ACONCAGUA COSTA PINOT NOIR 2022 - Sustainable, DO Aconcagua Costa, Chile (#541151) (XD) - $23.95
CLOS DE LUZ MASSAL 1945 CARMENÈRE 2023 - DO Valle de Cachapoal, Chile (#11861) (XD) - $24.95
XAVIER VIGNON LIRAC 2022 - AOP, Rhône, France (#636183) (XD) - $24.95 92 pts
RATTI OCHETTI NEBBIOLO 2023 - DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#475913) (XD) - $32.95 91 pts wine review
BACHELDER LES VILLAGES BENCH PINOT NOIR 2023 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11582) (XD) - $34.95 92+ pts wine review
CLOUDSLEY TWENTY MILE BENCH PINOT NOIR 2021 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#11665) (XD) - $36.95 91+ pts wine review
BOLLA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2019 - Sustainable, DOC, Veneto, Italy (#491852) (XD) - $39.95 91 pts wine review

Bolla Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019 (91 pts)

White Wine:

VOLCANES DE CHILE RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - DO Valle de Leyda, Chile (#47979) (XD) - $14.95 89 pts wine review
ATREVIDA CHARDONNAY 2023 - Vegan, Mendoza, Argentina (#46402) (XD) - $17.95 review coming soon...
OHAU WOVEN STONE SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Vegan, Sustainable, Ohau, North Island, New Zealand (#17552) (XD) - $17.95
CA' MONTINI TERRE DI VALFREDDA PINOT GRIGIO 2024 - DOC Trentino, Alto Adige-Trentino, Italy (#46566) (XD) - $18.95
FALCONHEAD MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#48089) (XD) - $19.95
GIESEN UNCHARTED SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#26132) (XD) - $22.95
KACABA RESERVE RIESLING 2023 - Vegan, VQA Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#404087) (D) - $24.15 review coming soon...
DIVERGENCE CREEK ROAD VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 - VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#49231) (XD) - $24.95 90+ pts wine review
LEANING POST THE FIFTY CHARDONNAY 2023 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#578864) (XD) - $26.95

Dessert Wine:

LAKEVIEW CABERNET FRANC ICEWINE 2022 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#53397, 200 mL) (S) - $34.95

La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2015 (Bordeaux) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is this lovely Sauternes from Bordeaux that arrived at the LCBO in last month's December 6 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection - with plenty of bottles still available for purchase across Ontario.

It is produced by the prestigious and historic Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, a 1er Grand Cru Classé estate in the 1855 classification of Sauternes. It has changed hands many times over the years, and is currently owned by Vignobles Silvio Denz, who acquired the historic property in 2014.

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is situated on high ground just outside the village of Bommes, in the heart of the great Sauternes terroir, in Bordeaux, on a high gravelly terrace, 70 metres above sea level, next to the iconic Château d'Yquem. At the heart of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey are their two named plots - L'Enclos and Les Maisons Rouges - which have great terroir consisting of gravel from the Quaternary period that was deposited more than 600,000 years ago, on a substratum of Aquitania limestone.

The property itself is very old, with the Maisons Rouges plot a stopping place during Roman times. Moreover, the oldest stones in the surrounding wall and entrance are thought to be the oldest structures in the commune of Bommes, dating back to the 13th century. These stones and the château's archives, which go back to 1742, are evidence of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey's rich past and represent eight centuries of history.

Today, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is a completely restored and renovated property equipped with technical facilities that comply with new regulatory and environmental constraints, including air-conditioning and humidity control throughout. In 2018, Lafaurie-Peyraguey celebrated their 400th anniversary by opening the Lalique hotel-restaurant.

Recognized as a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification, the identity of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey's wines are forged from the co-existence of four elements: the terroir between the Garonne and Ciron rivers, characterized by its gravelly-sandy soil; a unique microclimate; the presence of the botrytis cinerea fungus ("noble rot"); and the predominant grape variety, Sémillon. The château's historic plots of 18.5 hectares of vines are managed according to principles of organic agriculture and ploughed using horses.

This dessert wine is the second wine of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, and takes its name from the château's most iconic location - La Chapelle - or, the chapel. It is crafted using a blend of 93% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, and 1% Muscadelle, from vines that are about 30 years old and grown at the estate. To craft this wine, harvest was carried out manually using successive passes and sorting, varying between 4 and 7 passes depending on the year and advanced ripeness of the grapes. It was vinified using the same methods as their top bottling, with 18–30 days in fine-grained French barrels, followed by ageing for 18 to 20 months in French oak barrels.

The 2015 growing season in Sauternes was warm and dry early, and cool and wet late. However, the rains were light and separated by periods of dry weather, which allowed for waves of botrytis growth and leisurely picking. While there was less noble rot than previous years, there was enough to enable a good vintage. Harvest earlier than normal and very successful, with fantastic fruit having botrytized characters and balanced acidity. From an excellent vintage, let's see how this 2015 Sauternes from Bordeaux is tasting tonight...

La Chapelle de Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2015 (92+ pts)

Tasting Note:

LA CHAPELLE DE LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY SAUTERNES 2015 - AOC, second wine of Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bordeaux, France (#477588, 375 mL) (S) - $40.95
Blend of 93% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, and 1% Muscadelle. The medium-high intensity nose has maturing, slightly oxidated aromas of Seville orange, marmalade, and spice nuanced with caramel, honey, and apricot with touches of golden raisin. The full-bodied palate is rich and sweet with delicious honey, caramel, Seville orange, vanilla, waxy, marmalade and spice flavours. It has juicy, well-balanced acidity, along with spicy notes on the mid-palate. Creamy textured with caramel, waxy, orange, and spice notes in a more savoury profile on the long finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92+ pts

Other lovely wines by Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey can be ordered through their Agent - DBINO David Beauroy Selections.

Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo 2022 (Piedmont) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of a beautiful, vegan-friendly Nebbiolo from Langhe DOC in Piedmont that arrived at LCBO outlets across Ontario in last month's LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on December 6th - with bottles still available for purchase across the province.

It is produced by Vietti, a prestigious and historic estate winery situated in the village of Castiglione Falletto, within the Barolo wine region of Piedmont in northwest Italy. It was established in the 1800s by Carlo Vietti, then taken over in 1917 by his son, Mario, who transformed the family farm into a winemaking facility dedicated to the production of high-quality wines.

In the late-1950s, Luciana Vietti, daughter of Mario, and her husband and winemaker Alfredo Currado, who were both great admirers of art, took Vietti to new heights by intertwining winemaking knowledge, art, and culture. The ambition, foresight, and pioneering spirit of Alfredo helped create in 1961 one of the first Barolo Cru - Rocche di Castiglione, followed a few years later by their first Roero Arneis. Matched with artist labels in 1974, the Vietti brand became an icon and standard-bearer of one of the most important revolutions of the time.

In the 1980s, the winery was taken over by Mario Cordero, the son-in-law of Luciana and Alfredo. And in the 1990s, Mario was joined by the son of Luciana and Alfredo, Luca Currado Vietti, and Luca's wife, Elena. Under the leadership of the 4th generation of the Vietti family, the brand has grown today to be universally recognized among the best Italian labels with the core values of commitment, vision, culture, and enthusiasm. Vietti's road to quality combines respect for tradition and careful experimentation, where man and earth have always been able to dialogue.

Today, Vietti is owned by the Krause family, who purchased the winery in 2016 and expanded the estate with new and renowned Crus in the denomination of both Barolo and Barbaresco. While the Vietti family is no longer involved in this project as both Luca and Elena left in 2023, the Krause family is committed to safeguarding the identity and values that have characterized the Vietti brand since its origins. Their values are based on, among other things, territory, craftsmanship, quality research, human capital, and sustainability. The place where the vision of wine and the vineyard is an expression of the intelligence of the hands, and that preserving the craftsmanship is essential to wine and its production. The Vietti manifesto is to always improve, respect nature's own pace, take care of tradition and of those that help safeguard it, and cultivate sustainability. The aim is to obtain identity-based wines capable of withstanding the test of time.

Like the 2020 Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo I enjoyed in 2024, this red wine is crafted with 100% Nebbiolo that was grown in selected vineyard sites, mostly situated in the areas of Barolo and Barbaresco. After harvesting, the grapes were brought to the winery and underwent alcoholic fermentation for about 3–4 weeks at a controlled temperature between 28°C–32°C, followed by malolactic fermentation in steel tanks and/or barriques. Each parcel was vinified and aged separately until the lots that will be used for Langhe Nebbiolo and those that will continue to age for Barolo, are selected. The parcels for Langhe Nebbiolo were aged for about 18–20 months in barriques and large barrels, then blended in steel prior to bottling. This wine is considered to be a "second Barolo", and the name "Perbacco" comes from the Italian exclamation "Per Bacco!", which translates roughly to "By Bacchus", the Roman god of wine. Perbacco symbolizes wine, pleasure, and celebration.

The 2022 growing season is noted for being the driest and among the hottest in Piedmont's history. The region was already lacking water and barely received any precipitation between December 2021 and the beginning of May 2022. The arid conditions persisted through summer, which resulted in small vines producing small clusters. Vital in this vintage were soil and canopy management in order to preserve any moisture and protect the grapes from sunburn. From a vintage with slightly reduced yields and, given the climatic conditions, surprising balance and acidity, let's see how this 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

VIETTI PERBACCO NEBBIOLO 2022 - Vegan, DOC Langhe, Piedmont, Italy (#15087) (XD) - $42.95
100% Nebbiolo. The medium+ to medium-high intensity nose takes some coaxing to reveal pretty and gently perfumed aromas of rose floral, red cherry, and sweet spices with hints of orange peel and leafy herb. The dry, medium-full bodied palate is quite firmly structured with lovely red cherry, rose floral, sweet spice, cinnamon, and savoury earth flavours with leafy herb accents. Acids are fresh, juicy, and succulent, while the structured tannins have some youthful grip. Subtle spice notes on the mid-palate, while savoury earth notes take over on the finish, with excellent length. Enjoyable now with protein, but I would tuck this away for 3-4 years and enjoy to the early-mid-2030s. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Small quantities of other fine wines by Vietti are available at the LCBO, while the full range can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

January 10, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Smart Buys

LCBO Wine Picks: January 10, 2026 VINTAGES New Release Collection

Happy New Year! Here are my top wine picks from the January 10, 2026 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection (digital edition here). As the first release of the year, this is the annual Smart Buys release, which tends to be smaller and cheaper when compared to the releases we saw over the last 2–3 months. The mini-thematic takes a quick look at Portugal. In all, there are 86 products offered in this release, including a few that are Online & Flagship Exclusives (OFE), with 50 products priced below $20. All the wines should be readily available for purchase across Ontario.

We'll begin with the annual Smart Buys feature, which has twenty-five wines listed and seven of which are included among my top wine picks from this release. Within the Smart Buys feature, the lone white wine recommendation is a medium sweet Riesling from Niagara. Staying on the local front, there's also a Merlot and a $25 Pinot Noir, both from Niagara. Smart Buy blends include the Côtes du Rhône, which is composed of 60% Grenache Noir and 40% Syrah, the Portuguese red from Alentejo that is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, and Syrah, and the Riserva Chianti Classico, which is 90% Sangiovese and the balance other permitted varieties. The last Smart Buy is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra, Australia.

Featherstone Red Tail Merlot 2023 (89 pts)

Ravasqueira Lagar Red Blend 2022 (88+ pts)

Hollick The Bard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (88+ pts)

My top red wine recommendations from the main release begins in the Southern Rhône Valley with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is composed of mainly Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support, followed closely by the 2024 Vacqueyras, which is a blend of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 25% Mourvèdre. The 2022 Vacqueyras is composed of equal parts Grenache and Syrah. Next up is Italy for a lovely red from Sicily that is a 70/30 blend of Nero d'Avola and Syrah, followed by the wine from Abruzzo that is crafted using Montepulciano. There are two other blends - the Rioja from Spain, which is made using a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha., and the Douro red, which is composed of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca with Sousão and Tinta Amarela in support. Other red wines include a lovely Pinot Noir by Tawse, and a Malbec from Argentina.

Cusumano Presti e Pegni Benuara Syrah / Nero d'Avola 2022 (91 pts)

Domaine Saint Roch Projet F Vacqueyras 2022 (91 pts)

Pietrame Edizione Limitata Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2022 (90 pts)

Marqués de la Concordia Lagunilla Reserva 2018

All my top white wine picks from the main release are mono-varietal wines, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines dominating the list. There are four Sauvignon Blanc wines, with a trio from Marlborough and one from Niagara. Of Chardonnay, there are a pair from Burgundy, one from Prince Edward County, and one from Niagara. Other white wines include the Torrontés from Argentina, the Grasevina from Croatia, and the Chenin Blanc from the Loire. For sweet wine lovers, look to either the excellent Vidal Icewine or the Riesling Icewine - both of these delectably sweet wines are from Niagara.

Spy Valley E Block Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (90+ pts)

Inniskillin Niagara Estate Gold Vidal Icewine 2023 (93 pts)

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!