LCBO Vintages Release June 11: Father’s Day wines, big Australian and Italian red wines, zesty white wines

The LCBO Vintages June 11 Release features some terrific wines for Father’s Day, full-bodied, fleshy red wines from Italy, zippy whites for summer salads and seafood, and robust Australian shiraz and cabernet for your barbecue. I’ve highlighted some of my best value and top rated picks here. You can find all 49 wines that I’ve reviewed here as well as here on the site. I’d love to know what your favs are!

White Wine

2010 Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc, Acongagua Valley, Chile: VC: Founded by Chilean superstar Eduardo Chadwick of Viña Errazuriz fame and California’s Robert Mondavi (Chadwick now owns solely the winery), Arboleda is dedicated to producing premium and super-premium quality wines. This intensely aromatic Sauvignon Blanc features aromas of typical fresh-cut grass, gooseberry, green peas and citrus fruit characteristics. This crisp and fresh wine is a fine choice as an aperitif. My note: Grassy-great! Refreshing and zippy with tasty notes of lemon, lime and chives. Please top me up! Pair with: oysters on the half-shell. Drink: 2010-2013.  510339  13.5%  XD  750 mL  $15.95  Score: 89/100. Best Value White Wine

Red Wine

2010 Elderton Shiraz Friends, Barossa, South Australia, Australia: VC: If you want to impress your friends without breaking the bank, then this is your wine. From the prestigious Barossa region, this crowd-pleasing Shiraz is rich and vivacious with aromas and flavours of crushed berries, black plum, vanilla, chocolate and earthy notes. A stunning value, this smooth and opulent red is great. My note: Incredible concentration and power for the price. Big blackberries and currants in a lovely weave of full-bodied weight and velvet texture. Pair with: roasted lamb, grilled steaks, meaty gourmet pizza. Drink: 2010-2014.  660480  14.5%  XD  750 mL  $18.95  Score: 92/100. June 11, 2011 Top Rated Red Wine

2007 Cono Sur Syrah Visión, Colchagua Valley, Chile: Robust yet plush with black fleshy plums that roll across your taste buds. Terrific concentration and flavour. Even better price. Drink: 2007-2013.  24661  14%  XD  750 mL  $15.95  Score: 88/100. June 11, 2011 Best Value Red Wine

Rosé

2010 Perrin Grenache Mourvèdre Tavel, A.C., Rhône, France: VC: Tavel, especially from talented producers such as Perrin, produces some of the richest, yet driest, rosés on the market. They work beautifully as sippers and are quite adaptable to a variety of foods. The Perrin 2010 is a lovely blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsaut. My note : Another terrific rose from Perrin in Tavel. You can’t go wrong with that winery name and this region. Lovely aromas of black raspberries and rosés. Pair with: grilled chicken, seafood salads, bouillabaisse, pork tenderloin, grilled lamb chops. Drink: 2010-2013.  680801  13.5%  XD  750 mL  $19.95  Score: 91/100. June 11, 2011 Top Rated Rose

Sparkling Wine

2010 Batasiolo Moscato D’asti Bosc Dla Rei, D.O.C.G., Piedmont, Italy: VC: Probably the perfect wine to evoke a late spring’s day is this newest vintage of this floral, slightly fizzy, gently sweet, low-alcohol-wonder Moscato d’Asti. Chill it for several hours. My note: Close your eyes and dive in. Summer doesn’t get any better than this. You simply can’t leave this world without trying this wine, trust me. Somewhat sweet and fizzy yet it’s a gorgeous peach and apricot wonder. Pair with: fresh fruit, lighter desserts. Drink: 2010-2013.  28175  5.5%  M  750 mL  $16.95  Score: 89/100. June 11, 2011 Best Value Sparkling Wine

You can create your own custom shopping list from my top rated and best value wines.

 Posted with permission of the LCBO.