With warmer weather arriving, that usually means the return of many refreshing rosé wines at the LCBO. As such, the theme of the long weekend's May 21, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release is rosé wines. Also included in the magazine is a sneak preview of the June Online Exclusives. Wines from the May 21st release should be on shelves across Ontario by this Saturday, if not a day or two earlier.

We begin with the theme on rosé wines, which are not only ideal for summer drinking, but can also be enjoyed year-round. Of the fourteen wines listed as part of the theme, four are included among my top rosé wine picks and all are dry rosés from France. We start in the east in Provence with the Whispering Angel that is made with Grenache, Cinsault, and Rolle (Vermentino), while the AIX is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Moving westward into Rhône is the Tavel (which is one of the Wines of the Month) that consists of mainly Grenache, Clairette, and Syrah, but typically also includes other red and white varieties. Lastly, moving southwest is the rosé from Languedoc that consists of roughly 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 10% Syrah.


My red wine recommendations includes the other Wine of the Month - a delicious Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. French red wine blends include a fine red from Bordeaux that is made with 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Rhone red that is primarily Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support. Staying in France, the wine from Roussillon is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, while the Beaujolais is crafted with 100% Gamay. From Italy, the Valpolicella consists of 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Rossignola / Oseleta / Negrara / Dindarella, while the Riserva Chianti Classico is 100% Sangiovese. And lastly, the red wine from Argentina is a blend of 55% Malbec, 19% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.




Among my white wine picks, the only blend is the Côtes du Rhône Blanc that consists of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier. Single varietal wines include a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, as well as the Fumé Blanc from Niagara that is a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc. There's also a fine, dry Riesling from Niagara, a concentrated Pinot Grigio from Friuli, an Arneis from Piedmont, and a Chablis which is, of course, made with Chardonnay. The only wine with any kind of sweetness is the off-dry Gewurztraminer from Alsace.



Enjoy my wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• TEDESCHI CAPITEL NICALÒ VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2019 - DOC, Veneto, Italy (#984997) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2020 - AP, France (#297317) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• SAN PEDRO 1865 SELECTED VINEYARDS CARMENÈRE 2020 - DO Valle de Maule, Chile (#249201) (XD) - $19.95
  
• BLEASDALE MULBERRY TREE LANGHORNE CREEK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - South Australia (#661892) (XD) - $19.95
• ARBOLEDA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - DO Valle del Aconcagua, Chile (#606764) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• TESSELLAE OLD VINES GRENACHE / SYRAH / MOURVÈDRE 2019 - AP Côtes du Roussillon, Midi, France (#343517) (XD) - $19.95
• PASCAL AUFRANC VIGNES DE 1939 CHÉNAS 2018 - AC, Beaujolais, France (#329987) (XD) - $20.95
• CLOS DE LOS SIETE 2018 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#622571) (XD) - $25.95  90+ pts  wine review
• HEWITSON NED & HENRY'S SHIRAZ 2019 - Barossa Valley, South Australia (#54221) (XD) - $29.95
• L'ORME DE RAUZAN-GASSIES 2016 - AC Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (#24211) (XD) - $35.95
• CASTELLO DI BOSSI BERARDO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#113316) (XD) - $38.95  review coming soon...

White Wine:

• FAMILLE PERRIN RÉSERVE CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2020 - AC, France (#499509) (XD) - $15.95
• FONTANAFREDDA PRADALUPO ROERO ARNEIS 2020 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#577700) (XD) $18.95  review coming soon...
• PIERRE SPARR GRANDE RÉSERVE GEWURZTRAMINER 2020 - AC Alsace, France (#747600) (D) - $19.95
• VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#974527) (XD) - $21.95
• DOMAINE LE VERGER CHABLIS 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#181289) (XD) - $26.95
• HIDDEN BENCH FUMÉ BLANC 2019 - Rosomel Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#68825) (XD) - $29.95
• CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING 2019 - Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#566026) (XD) - $29.95  93 pts  wine review
• JERMANN PINOT GRIGIO 2020 - DOC Friuli, Italy (#12812) (XD) - $36.95  92 pts  wine review

Rosé Wine:

• GÉRARD BERTRAND CÔTE DES ROSES ROSÉ 2021 - AP Languedoc, France (#373985) (XD) - $18.95
• SAINT AIX ROSÉ 2021 - AP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France (#451906) (XD) - $24.95
• CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL 2021 - AC, Rhône, France (#319368) (XD) - $24.95  91+ pts  wine review
• CAVES D'ESCLANS WHISPERING ANGEL ROSÉ 2021 - AC Côtes de Provence, France (#325076) (XD) - $28.95