The main feature of the March 6, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release focuses on wines from Argentina - the Land of Extremes, while the mini-theme looks at 8 Top Women Winemakers. All of the wines from the themes, as well as those from the main release should be on shelves by Saturday.

We begin with the main theme that looks at the wines of Argentina, a land that produces quality wines in remote and high-altitude vineyards. Of the twelve wines featured, five are included among my top wine picks and the lone white is a lovely, minimally-oaked Chardonnay. There are a pair of wines by Catena from high-altitude vineyards at more than 900 metres above sea level - one is a Cabernet Sauvignon and the other is a Cabernet Franc. The other two Argentinean wine recommendations are both red blends - the Tonel 78 is two-thirds Malbec and one-third Bonarda, while the Doña Paula 1350 is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Malbec, and 5% Casavecchia.

The mini-thematic on Women Winemakers is in honour of International Women's Day which is held on the 8th of March every year. Eight women, including a pair from Argentina, are featured as part of this theme. There are six wines listed - the wines from Argentinean women Dr. Laura Catena and Susana Balbo are listed as part of the main theme on Argentinean wines - and just one wine made my list of wine recommendations. It was crafted by Jane Cooper and is a fine Sauvignon Blanc from the new wine sub-region of Ohau in New Zealand.

Red wine picks from the main release include a Languedoc red that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, while the Rasteau consists of mainly Grenache with Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Syrah completing the blend. From Italy, the Sicilian red off the volcanic soils of Etna is made with 100% Nerello Mascalese, while the Brunello from Tuscany is made with 100% Sangiovese Grosso, and the Chianti Classico consists of 85% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot, 3% Canaiolo, and 3% Colorino. Lastly, the Rioja consists of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, while the Chilean red is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.


Among white wine recommendations from the rest of the release, the only blend is the Vinho Verde that consists of approximately 85% Alvarinho and 15% Trajadura. Single varietal wines include a Moschofilero from Greece, a Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and a maturing Semillon from Hunter Valley. For Riesling wine lovers, there are a few with different levels of sweetness - from the off-dry Riesling from Niagara, to the medium-sweet Riesling from Nahe, and lastly the very sweet Riesling Spätlese from Mosel.

For Port wine lovers, the Barros 10-Year-Old Tawny Port is a traditional blend of Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional, while the Croft Vintage Port is a single vineyard Port made using traditional Port wine grapes from the famous estate of Quinta da Roêda.

Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Salud!

Red Wine:

• CUVÉE R PREMIUM 2018 - IGP Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France (#18149) (XD) - $14.95
• PERDEBERG THE VINEYARD COLLECTION CINSAULT 2018 - WO Coastal Region, South Africa (#18681) (XD) - $17.95
• CATENA APPELLATION SAN CARLOS CABERNET FRANC 2018 - San Carlos, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#450106) (XD) - $19.95
• SAN PEDRO 1865 SELECTED VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - DO Maipo Valley, Chile (#37911) (XD) - $19.95  review coming soon...
  
• TONEL 78 BARREL SELECT MALBEC/BONARDA 2017 - Mendoza, Argentina (#17380) (XD) - $20.95
• LA CHEVALIÈRE RASTEAU 2017 - AC Rasteau, Rhône, France (#18502) (XD) - $20.95  90 pts  wine review
• SAN FABIANO CALCINAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#23408) (XD) - $21.95
• CATENA APPELLATION AGRELO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 - Agrelo, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#484303) (XD) - $21.95
• DOÑA PAULA 1350 2017 - Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#17382) (XD) - $24.95
• TORNATORE PIETRARIZZO 2017 - DOC Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy (#18926) (XD) - $34.95  FE
• EL COTO DE IMAZ GRAN RESERVA 2012 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#976811) (XD) - $39.95
• LA TORRE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2015 - Estate bottled, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#17626) (XD) - $62.95

White Wine:

• MURALHAS DE MONÇÃO VINHO VERDE 2019 - Monção e Melgaço, DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal (#80374) (XD) - $15.95
• TROUPIS FTERI MOSCHOFILERO 2019 - PGI Peloponnese, Greece (#647388) (XD) - $15.95
• KEW OLD VINE RIESLING 2016 - VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#392126) (D) - $15.95
• OHAU WOVEN STONE SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Sustainable, Ohau, North Island, New Zealand (#17552) (XD) - $17.95
• ZUCCARDI Q CHARDONNAY 2019 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#232702) (XD) - $19.95
• PADDY BORTHWICK CHARDONNAY 2018 - Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand (#507517) (XD) - $24.95
• MOUNT PLEASANT ELIZABETH CELLAR AGED SEMILLON 2014 - Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia (#724492) (XD) - $25.95  FE
• HIDDEN BENCH CHARDONNAY 2018 - Unfiltered, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#68817) (XD) - $29.95
• HEXAMER QUARZIT RIESLING 2018 - Qualitätswein, Nahe, Germany (#18251) (M) - $31.95
• BRAUNEBERGER JUFFER-SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2017 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#298182) (S) - $34.95
• DOMÄNE WACHAU RIED ACHLEITEN SMARAGD GRÜNER VELTLINER 2018 - Vegan, sustainable, Wachau, Austria (#18769) (XD) - $38.95  FE

Fortified:

• BARROS 10-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT - DOP, Portugal (#964353) (S) - $28.95
• CROFT QUINTA DA ROEDA VINTAGE PORT 2005 - Bottled 2007, DOP, Portugal (#650556) (S) - $59.95