Our Top 20 Picks from the December 12 Vintages Release

This weekend is the final hurrah for the LCBO to push through glitzy and glamourous gift-worthy wines before Christmas. From bubbles to Bordeaux to Barbaresco, you will find something for every wine lover from our top picks from this week’s release.

AUSTRALIA

Pirramimma “White Label” Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2012
$23.95 Vintages 730374
We really like McLaren Vale reds for their balance between ripe fruit and earthy elegance. This Cab is sweet and spicy on the nose with juicy black cherries, spice and beef bouillon. Plush and full on the palate,with cedar and spice box, cassis and woodsy notes. 90 points.

CANADA

Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine “Carte Blanche Estate” Blanc de Blanc, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON 2010
$44.95 Vintages 315200
This is the top tier of Henry of Pelham’s already uber popular Cuvee Catharine. Made from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay, and aged in bottle for more than 4 years before being disgorged. Elegant, focused and poised, this has celebration written all over it. Raw pie dough, lemon and wild flowers (chamomile) on the nose, while the palate shows a fresh and lively acidity, fine bubbles delicate mousse Flavours of lemon, mineral, green apple and lightly toasted white bread. Pass the oysters. 90 points.

Hidden Bench Fume Blanc, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON 2013
$27.95 Vintages 68825
Lots of interest and intrigue on this inviting oaked Sauvignon Blanc with sweet fruits and a musky-perfumed nose. Creamy on the palate with rose, tangerine and lightly poached pear flavours. This would be a nice addition to your holiday table. 89 points.

Tawse Limestone Ridge North Riesling, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON 2013
$21.95 Vintages 431593
Off dry, zesty and bright with flavours and aromas of lime, stone fruit and pink grapefruit with a touch of white floral in the background. Delicate, but also tangy and fresh, with vibrant acid that cuts through and off sets lingering sweetness. 88 points.

Burrowing Owl “Athene,” VQA Okanagan Valley, BC 2012
$44.95 Vintages 371336
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this dark and full red shows cassis, black cherry, forrest floor and fresh thyme on the nose. Smooth and ripe on the palate with dark fruits, vanilla and spice. 90 points.

Calliope “Figure 8” Cabernet/Merlot, VQA British Columbia 2013
$19.95 Vintages 324582
An easy drinking crowd pleaser that still offers lots of interest and complexity. Smokey forest berries, grilled herbs and red cherry fill the nose and palate of this Merlot-dominated red blend. A nice option for roasted meats and stews. 88 points.

Foreign Affair Cabernet Sauvignon, VQA Niagara Peninsula 2010
$34.95 Vintages 127324
Foreign Affair is one of our favourite wineries to show the depth and power that reds in Ontario can achieve. This was made from 40% dried fruit and aged just under two years in oak. At five years old, it shows some maturity, but is still very fresh and youthful with grippy tannins and incredible depth of dark fruit and spice. 88 points.

FRANCE

Tarlant Brut Rose Champagne NV
$62.95 Vintages 664680
Siding more on the orange side, rather than pink this has a fruity, aromatic nose full of dried apricot, yellow apple and red berry. Generous fruit comes through on the plate too, with an undercurrent of mineral and streamlined acidity for a rich yet poised bubbly. 88 points.

Domaine de Chalet Pouilly Pouilly Fuisse, Burgundy 2013
$34.95 Vintages 295717
Toasty, with fresh struck flint and a funky, leesy note to the nose, which follow through to the palate adding in notes of citrus and light spice. Richly textured, with a bight, tangy finish. 89 points.

Chateau Escot, Medoc, Bordeaux 2010
$25.95 Vintages 431767
Earthy and intriguing with appealing savoury character: oregano, under brush, leather and dried leaves mix with black and red cherry, pepper spice and licorice. Full bodied with fine tannin and terrific depth. Pair with your holiday roast beef or seared duck breast. 88 points.

Chateau L’Hermitage, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux 2003
$39.95 Vintages 431692
Merlot dominated, Cab Franc makes up the rest of the blend in this sophisticated, savoury Bordeaux. Beef bouillon, black raspberry and dried leaf aromas lead to earthy, wet clay, bramble berry and forest flavours in the glass. Full bodied with firm tannin and a bright acidity to give some lift, this is a fireside sipper to keep you warm this winter. 89 points.

Chateau Pierre de Montignac, Medoc, Bordeaux 2009
$23.95 Vintages 437954
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc and Merlot, look for dark, ripe fruit, black licorice, fresh earth and high-toned, resinous herbs on the nose. Medium bodied with fine-firm tannin that increase in intensity, with flavours of pencil led, graphite, plum, black berry, fig and smoke on the complex and inviting palate. Very good. 90 points.

Chateau Suau, Cotes de Bordeaux 2010
$20.95 Vintages 437889
Medium bodied, rich and dense this is very intriguing with plum, black cherry and ripe dark fruits plus chocolate and fresh herbs on both the nose and palate. Smooth and plush with well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity, this is a terrific buy to enjoy now or cellar away for the next five years. 91 points.

Clarence Dillon “Clarendale” Red, Bordeaux 2010
$23.95 Vintages 28837
This is a sexy wine with plenty of appeal and allure. Inspired by Haut Brion, there’s a generous spirit here with a nose of spice, Christmas cake, dusty herbs, cherry and old leather. Blackberry Halls, brandied cherry and new leather flavours on the smooth and silky palate. Polished and stately, you don’t want to miss this. 89 points.

ITALY

Fontodi Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2012
$36.95 Vintages 933317
Fontodi is among our favourites and a wine we look forward to seeing at Vintages. With notes of red, sweet cherries, spice, dried thyme and dusty herbs and a vague earthiness, this 100% Sangiovese red is plush and smooth with fine tannin and vibrant acid. It would be lovely tonight with pasta and bolognese sauce, or hang on to it for another five years. 90 points.

Marchesi de Frescobaldi “Castelgiocondo” Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2010
$49.95 Vintages 650432
Coming from the much-revered 2010 vintage which is said to be nothing short of magical, you likely don’t want to miss out on the fun. The Castelgiocondo has aromas of prune and fig, leather and toasted bran flakes. The palate is full, powerful and masculine with dark and dried fruit, and a uplifting, though subtle, note of menthol. Decant and enjoy tonight drink with salty proteins, but you would be better rewarded for giving this 10 years in the cellar. 90 points.

Rivera Il Falcone Castel del Monte, Puglia 2009
$22.95 Vintages 177295
This red blend of 70% Nero di Troia and 30% Montepulciano, is both alluring and appealing with sweet cranberry sauce, licorice, blackberry and earthy notes. Powerful and dense on the palate with fat, velvety tannin and a lingering finish. Really enjoyable. 90 points.

Punset Barbaresco, Piedmont 2010
$55.95 Vintages 302786
This is quite powerful and rich with aromas of red roses, bresaola and celery salt. Grippy, sticky tannins are on the attack in this still developing wine, which shows fig, red cherry, black ink and salted licorice flavours. This is very good and still developing, but currently so fierce it needs time to settle and unwind. Try from 2018 – 2030. 90 points.

USA

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, Sonoma County, California
$33.95 Vintages 192898
We we do declare, we’re huge Ferrer fans, as it seems this Spanish-owned, California winery constantly impresses with every fizz they put out. And here we have another exceptional example of a rich and elegant sparkler. Made in the traditional method, this is fresh and flavourful with notes of sweet citrus and pastry. 90 points.

William Hill Chardonnay, North Coast, California 2013
$19.95 Vintages 437251
What a great party Chardonnay: rich but nuanced with freshness and inviting texture, at a price point that is completely doable for all your holiday gatherings. Earthy mineral and ginger spice on the nose while the medium bodied-palate is creamy with flavours of fresh stone fruit, vague citrus and an underpinning of mineral. Oak is present but restrained, with a refreshing brightness from the balanced acidity. 88 points.